How long does the thrill of driving powerful cars last?
Discussion
At the ripe age of 33 I find myself lusting after a 'fast car', I've owned plenty of cars over the years but never any you may consider quick, I suppose the closest I got was been able to use my parents A5 3.2 V6 FSI whenever I wanted but there was no real drama in that if any.
I was thinking about the buzz I've had from driving certain cars over the years such as an S3, 911 and a GT-R and in my head I feel my life would be virtually complete if I was able to drive something like that everyday but I fear it's like most things in life you 'must have' that the thrill wears off pretty quickly.
So those with experience how quickly does that buzz fade from owning such a car all year round??
I was thinking about the buzz I've had from driving certain cars over the years such as an S3, 911 and a GT-R and in my head I feel my life would be virtually complete if I was able to drive something like that everyday but I fear it's like most things in life you 'must have' that the thrill wears off pretty quickly.
So those with experience how quickly does that buzz fade from owning such a car all year round??
I've never bothered with high powered road cars, I have enjoyed wringing out low powered cars on the road but as soon as I get into something faster I calm down. Modern performance cars are too big, uncommunicative, heavy and too easy to drive fast, and if you're getting a 'buzz' you are probably driving in a way which most people would consider reckless, certainly on the kinds of road I used to enjoy in my Clio / Saxo...
Hence my road car is comfortable and practical and I get my buzz on the racetrack instead.
Hence my road car is comfortable and practical and I get my buzz on the racetrack instead.
Drove a heavily modified VX220 Turbo for 3 years come rain or shine as my daily driver.
Feeling never got old.
It got a bit less pleasant in the winter and torrential rain but you just adapt to the road conditions.
In fact as soon as my youngest gets a bit older I’ll be getting another one, if there are any left...
Feeling never got old.
It got a bit less pleasant in the winter and torrential rain but you just adapt to the road conditions. In fact as soon as my youngest gets a bit older I’ll be getting another one, if there are any left...
If it's not your daily car then I think the thrill can last a long time.
I have a Merc CLS63, big car but about 500bhp so it's no slouch. I don't drive it very often though, my daily car is an E320 so the novelty of a V8 and the power has not worn off.
I recall when buying my first Clio 172 it felt lightning fast but after a few months became the norm. It happens I'm sure even if you drive a Veyron every day!
I have a Merc CLS63, big car but about 500bhp so it's no slouch. I don't drive it very often though, my daily car is an E320 so the novelty of a V8 and the power has not worn off.
I recall when buying my first Clio 172 it felt lightning fast but after a few months became the norm. It happens I'm sure even if you drive a Veyron every day!
wjb said:
High powered (300hp+) road cars are pointless imo.
Other than looking and sounding better than their lower powered equivalents.
Just my opinion.
You are completely entitled to your incorrect opinion.Other than looking and sounding better than their lower powered equivalents.
Just my opinion.
They are also faster - enabling safer overtakes.
By safer I mean more cars at once, obviously.
I tend not to get bored of the power, as I drive it as I would a normal powered car most of the time. So it becomes a nice little "occasional extra"
My old Gransport whilst nowhere near the quickest thing on the road never got boring in the 5+ years i owned it, though that was partly down to the noise etc, it felt like it was going fast at 30. I'm not sure how long I'd stay interested in something like an RS6, though that's another level again of performance so I'd probably still love it
what did get boring was trying to find opportunities to use the performance, I often found going out in it quite frustrating as I only ever took it out to drive it hard and enjoy the performance but the chance to do so rarely came about
what did get boring was trying to find opportunities to use the performance, I often found going out in it quite frustrating as I only ever took it out to drive it hard and enjoy the performance but the chance to do so rarely came about
wjb said:
High powered (300hp+) road cars are pointless imo.
Other than looking and sounding better than their lower powered equivalents.
Just my opinion.
Yep, absolutely amazing for about 5 seconds, just getting going, I want more Other than looking and sounding better than their lower powered equivalents.
Just my opinion.
and then ………...back off or lost licence. Pure exhilaration 0.0001% of the time and pure frustration the other 99.9999%. Explains why you often see Ferraris bimbling along at modest speeds, just too frustrating and pointless to try to exploit the performance off a track.Had the same problem with my Fireblade, quick squirt in 2nd for a few seconds to take out a row of cars, look down at speedo, blimey three figures, what are you supposed to do with the other 4 gears?
As posted by another, usually about 2 weeks - or more to the point after about 500-1000 miles - before you get used to the power and that push into the seat just doesn't feel quite as firm or relentless as before.
The thrill of properly using a powerful car though never goes away, mainly because you don't tend to use all the power all the time, it is only on the odd occasion when you have the mind, the traffic, the road and weather conditions to be able to enjoy more than that 30-60 shove.
The thrill of properly using a powerful car though never goes away, mainly because you don't tend to use all the power all the time, it is only on the odd occasion when you have the mind, the traffic, the road and weather conditions to be able to enjoy more than that 30-60 shove.
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