Lost love of cars the more I can afford them??

[LeeM135i]

Kind of agree with you but for me it's the fun of driving that has disappeared.

I was lucky enough to be able to buy a Mercedes C63S Coupe a couple of years ago and its a lovely very fast car which makes a great noise but rather than enjoying it I spend most of my time looking at the speedo or looking out for traffic light / speed / box junction / bus lane / cycle lane cameras.

The speed limits on our local roads are reducing NSL down to 50 or 40mph, 40mph to 30 or 20mph which takes away the opportunity to have fun.

I will be keeping the C63 for the noise if nothing else but I have a mate who has an Aygo with some upgraded suspension underneath it and he loves it as he can thrash it everywhere......... Maybe this is the way forward?

[Llew]

OP I feel the same as you and have a similar story...

I'm late 30s (40 this year actually!! ) , I've had weird and wonderful cars for the last 20 years - Porsche, Lotus, Maserati, Corvette, V8 manual S550 Mustang, performance Mercs, BMWs, Alfas. A mix of lithe b road blasters and big engined GT's basically. I've also had the luxury of wafting around in some quite nice brand new company cars - Audi, BMW, Range Rover etc.

I've bought and sold many classics and performance cars and made quite a bit of money doing so over the years.

Fast forward to today and I work very hard in my fast-paced day job and own and manage buy to lets outside of the day job (14 in total). This takes up 90% of my time and the remaining 10% is basically spent with my partner doing fun stuff and going away whenever possible... As such cars have taken a back seat, I don't have time to work on them (something I really enjoy is maintaining my cars) so I made a decision to buy a brand new sportscar (Toyota Supra) to use purely for leisure on the basis it's relatively low cost to own (0% apr deal) and won't need any maintenance. It's a bloody beautiful thing and does everything I need it to -

Makes me smile
Has a large enough boot to go on holiday to France/Europe in it
Not eye wateringly expensive to run

The question is - Am I really fulfilled by it?

If I'm honest with myself the answer is no, not really. However I don't think this is anything to do with me or the car. I think it's everything to do with driving in 2022. Too many cameras everywhere, not enough room on the roads to "enjoy" the car and while the Supra isn't a supercar it is still relatively very fast meaning with even a modest squeeze of the accelerator you are immediately into licence losing territory. And I reckon it is this that is the real problem for petrol heads nowadays.

When my PCP deal ends I am seriously thinking of "regressing" into something older and slower, but more raggable - 987 Boxster S or possibly even just a 2.7 would be quite nice I reckon...

Interesting thread...!

[Skeptisk]

Same for me. I got back in bikes 8 years ago and my interest in cars dropped significantly and has almost died. I went through a number of bikes but don’t even have one of those at the moment. I picked up a couple of speeding tickets and it has put me off. It is just a hassle always having to worry about whether someone you overtook is a cop in an unmarked car or that around every corner there could be a cop waiting with a speed gun. Both of which happened to me.

I think it is an age thing too. Been there, done that.

I am about to move to Scandinavia and will probably not buy a car (too expensive, nowhere to park and no need as good public transport). When we get back to the U.K. at some point I will probably buy something old so that I can go on driving holidays with friends.

[Mits]

Increased traffic, speed cameras, eco warriors has taken the fun out of driving super cars. Great to have one, but they have a very limited use unless attending car shows, so a bit of a waste.

I have more fun in my i3s and will have in my incoming gr Yaris. I measure fun in how much I use my cars, rather than having the latest and greatest just sitting in the garage.

[Llew]

Mits said:

Increased traffic, speed cameras, eco warriors has taken the fun out of driving super cars. Great to have one, but they have a very limited use unless attending car shows, so a bit of a waste.

I have more fun in my i3s and will have in my incoming gr Yaris. I measure fun in how much I use my cars, rather than having the latest and greatest just sitting in the garage.

Completely agree - Sometimes driving fast/exotic/weird cars feels like you are providing a service to the public at the expense of your own enjoyment. This was perticularly pertinent when I had a Lotus Esprit... !

[Monkeylegend]

Lester H said:

67Dino said:

I think you need a really nice boat.

I totally agree with the OP though my cars are lower down the cost ladder. However I did the Boat thing. Oh dear, as soon as you whisper ''marine" parts prices quadruple. Marina fees are seriously high and you have to use their mechanics who in turn pay a fee to Marinas for being there otherwise you pay the marina a fine if your favourite mechanic comes aboard. Also most boats have been messed with over time so there are fewer standard models compared with cars. It can be lovely while it lasts but it is really an expensive hobby 2 MPG, anyone? and sad when you see ocean going yachts neglected because owners have other problems. Someone on here recently posted that if you think your exotic car is a money pit, then try a boat, then a yacht ,then a hellicopter.

Edited by Lester H on Monday 27th June 22:16

Edited by Lester H on Monday 27th June 22:26

Is it not said that the two best days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

The best days of motoring are way gone now in terms of freedom and enjoyment so no point in spending lots of money on something which offers little opportunity to use as it was intended, other than staring at it in the garage.

[Dog Star]

I am very much heading in the same direction, OP.

I'll admit that I have never ever wanted any of these Lamborghini/McLaren/Ferrari type supercars, they just strike me as totally pointless and hugely fragile. Do nothing for me.

However I've always liked nice stuff, especially convertibles. There's nothing new that floats my boat, and in any case the way things are going right now I think splurging a lot of money on an ICE car from now on carries with it significant risks. We recently got a pair of nice condition "new" cars for myself and Mrs DS (an SL and an SLK - the SLK in particular is perfect)), I don't anticipate getting rid of these until we actually have to because they're priced out of our reach (by taxation or restrictions on where you can take them) or they fall to bits. This takes us to the end of the decade I imagine.

We are already in the process of downsizing our house to our last home, somewhere right out in the Dales for example, getting our present place all done up for sale in a year or two. So by the time we are out of here this will mean a few more years working then (semi?) retirement, probably keep one convertible and get a little electric car for "normal" duties.

This "cooling off" of my interest in cars is sort of well timed - it coincides nicely with not wanting to spend a fortune on running an expensive car and probably punitive charges for using one anyway.

[clarki]

MuscleSedan said:

Had one of those MR2s years ago, nice little fun car if you can live with the lack of space. Great second car or toy though. There's currently one up the road from me that's been for sale for ages at £3k. You could throw a little cash at it and have a pretty sorted fun car for £6k all in I would think ? Sounds like fun. Do they rust badly now they are getting on a bit I wonder ?

It's the rear subframes that can be affect by rust.

We paid £2,250 for ours last winter - needed a fair bit of tlc but subframe was fine and everything worked - it's more or less done now; paint, roof, suspension, exhaust, wheels/tyres, etc and it probably now owes us around the £6k mark.

These really are a bit of a hidden gem right now. Great spares network too. Andy at J-Spec is our go-too for anything and everything.

[theboss]

I think part of growing up / turning old and boring is probably realising that attainable and affordable are two separate measures.

Sometimes the more easily you can attain something the less financially sensible and thus affordable it seems.

When you're younger, if you can make the sums work and attain the car even at a stretch albeit without making yourself insolvent and hungry/cold, that seems to meet the definition of affordability.

When you're older and can attain a nice car easily i.e. having the means to buy it outright without batting an eyelid, you can't really justify doing so because that money would be better spent or invested elsewhere, therefore its unaffordable.

That's how it feels to me anyway. It drives my wife mad ("what do you mean we can't afford to do X Y Z, the money is sat there!")

Basically you see money as something to conserve rather than spooge.

Edited by theboss on Tuesday 28th June 13:25

[Funk]

Interesting thread. I'm currently rolling around in a (very) cheap lease and have done an informal extension until the end of the year. However that means thoughts of what to replace it with are at the front of my mind and I'm bouncing between the usual 'petrolhead' type cars - newish (non-beaver) M4, C63, 5.0 V8 Mustang, M6 GC etc - yet every time I look at them I end up thinking...'why'? Part of me thinks I need to tick the 'Owned a V8' box before they're taxed out of existence and I want something as a daily driver that's at least moderately reliable (I still shudder at the memory of my E46 330Ci which I swear was breaking just to taunt me). But as others have mentioned with so many restrictions, limits dropping and now snitches with dashcams who'll try and report even the merest sniff of spirited driving it feels like it's almost time to admit defeat and buy something functional and boring...

[Evil.soup]

theboss said:

I think part of growing up / turning old and boring is probably realising that attainable and affordable are two separate measures.

Sometimes the more easily you can attain something the less financially sensible and thus affordable it seems.

When you're younger, if you can make the sums work and attain the car even at a stretch albeit without making yourself insolvent and hungry/cold, that seems to meet the definition of affordability.

When you're older and can attain a nice car easily i.e. having the means to buy it outright without batting an eyelid, you can't really justify doing so because that money would be better spent or invested elsewhere, therefore its unaffordable.

That's how it feels to me anyway. It drives my wife mad ("what do you mean we can't afford to do X Y Z, the money is sat there!")

Basically you see money as something to conserve rather than spooge.

Edited by theboss on Tuesday 28th June 13:25

I have to agree with this 100%. As I have grown older I have managed to accumulate a comfortable sum of money in the bank, enough to buy a very nice car out right, but the idea of doing so now seems a little frivolous.

I was having a conversation on the weekend with a young couple I know while in the pub. The conversation was mainly lead by them talking about how much they earn, how expensive their house is, how much their mortgage is, how cool and also expensive his M2 is and how expensive his Rolex watch was. It all made me think how for some, looking like you have pots of cash seems to be so important even if it means you end up struggling behind the scenes.

It was quite comical as I know they were looking at me and judging me based on my cheap watch, 16 year old car and small terraced house I live in, but I know my household income exceeds theirs since they were so open about their finances and my outgoings are far less.

I could buy the big house, M2 and Rolex but it all seems a bit pointless to me if it means I don't have a safety net or have to worry about money every month.

I have been young and stupid and once put the purchase of a car ahead of investing in a property just because I wanted to look cool I guess. That mistake has stayed with me all my life as a little reminder of the importance of prioritising where you spend your money so I guess it makes an expensive car purchase seem a lot less sensible as I get older.

[Cambs_Stuart]

I find there is an element of diminishing returns with cars (and bikes). Your brain adapts to the speed/acceleration quickly and the thrill loses it's edge until you're doing something genuinely risky.
Then there is the frustration of not being able to do anything risky due to cameras, traffic, potholes etc.
Having bought increasingly fast cars over the years, I found the one I enjoy the most is a tatty clio 172. My wife refers to it as a teenagers car. Because I drive it, and enjoy it, like a teenager would. It's a light, small simple car that you can drive hard without smashing speed limits. It's just enjoyable to drive, on track and on the commute.

[samoht]

At the risk of being controversial, I wonder if there's a pattern here.

Some younger people buy nice cars because they make them feel confident and successful, and that's important to them at that age, to alleviate the insecurities of youth. Often these are relatively heavy, high-power premium cars.

After a couple of decades of adulthood, becoming a respected colleague / husband / father and getting a better sense of what's really important in life, they have more self-confidence and need less of it to be provided by their car. So for these people, growing older and wealthier is accompanied by a reduction in desire to spend money on cars.

Other people however buy cars because of their dynamic qualities, the thrill of driving on a deserted mountain road rather than queueing through town on a busy Saturday soaking up the admiring glances. They'd be more likely to buy a car for handling or light weight than big power, and in this case the enjoyment is perhaps less likely to fade with advancing years (unless perhaps they find a preferred source of adrenaline such as racing).

Not saying this explains everything, but I wonder if it's an element of it.

[SidewaysSi]

God what a miserable bunch of people frequent PH these days...

Think you need to shuffle off to "MoneyHeads" instead.

[samjlevy]

I remember buying my first nice car at 25 years old, a V8 Vantage, I absolutely loved it. Worked very hard to be able to afford it and it felt amazing when I finally picked it up. I got a Gallardo around 3 years later which I also loved, again I had to work very hard and save to get in to that car, but I've found as I have gotten older and can afford nice cars more easily than before, getting a new supercar never really has the same effect. I recently got a 720s and whilst it is great to drive, the wow factor of owning your first supercar is never really the same. Maybe it's being around these types of cars for so long now that the novelty really wears off, or maybe like you say, when you don't have to work as hard to afford them it takes the shine off the purchase.

I find to keep interest in it I just drive it less so it feels a little more special when I use it. And when you go out for that 5am drive on deserted roads, or a track day, it starts to make sense again why you buy these cars as they are fantastic especially on track.

I recently got back on 2 wheels and I must say it is so much fun, there is no feeling like being on a motorbike.

Edited by samjlevy on Tuesday 28th June 14:27

[plenty]

Cambs_Stuart said:

Having bought increasingly fast cars over the years, I found the one I enjoy the most is a tatty clio 172.

As the owner of a tatty Clio 182, I couldn't agree more. It does everything I need in a car. And I'm as much of a petrolhead as anyone, spending more or less all of my free time on car-related activities with Porsches, ///M cars and Loti in my car history.

Many car people are maximisers. They aren't happy with anything less than the very 'best' they can afford, and are constantly searching for something 'better'.

I on the other hand am the epitome of a satisficer. Good enough is all I want, and anything more than that is a waste of time and money.

[Olivera]

Llew said:

Fast forward to today and I work very hard in my fast-paced day job and own and manage buy to lets outside of the day job (14 in total).

Only 14? You need to quit slacking and ditch the Supra. When when you get to say 30 allow yourself something fun like a VW Up GTI.

[Llew]

Olivera said:

Only 14? You need to quit slacking and ditch the Supra. When when you get to say 30 allow yourself something fun like a VW Up GTI.

It's not as glamorous as it sounds believe me!

[cerb4.5lee]

LeeM135i said:

I will be keeping the C63 for the noise if nothing else but I have a mate who has an Aygo with some upgraded suspension underneath it and he loves it as he can thrash it everywhere......... Maybe this is the way forward?

I don't think that is the way forward. I buy into the lighter car approach with something like an Elise or a Caterham...but an Aygo? No thanks.

[J4CKO]

hepy said:

TommyBuoy said:

Cough Cough ... Time for motorbikes.

This, Even learning on a 125 will feel fast!

Or may be try a simple hot hatch? Not a Golf R, but something simpler like a Fiesta ST or Up GTI.

We had a Golf R for a bit, that and the M135i we had have gone, Fiesta ST still around as mentioned.

It kind of fills the bit of me that wants an old hot hatch, without the actual displeasure and disappointment that comes with owning old cars, had loads of Golf GTI's back in the day, mk1 and mk2 variety and loved them but I know they will feel largely old, slow and crap now. Plus they dont have much in the way of safety or modern conveniences like air con.

Dont get me wrong, still love the old stuff but have tried keeping 30 plus year old stuff going, I want a car, one car that does what I need and not a hobby, something to have to festoon with new bits every weekend, I was replacing wings and chopping rust out of Golfs 15 years ago, same with my 944 S2 but not doing it any more.

The ST straddles enough modernity and some original recipe hot hatch driving dynamics, but thats been improved on in a lot of ways (not all, steering isnt quite as nice for example) but it more than makes up for it in tunability and the outright handling.

First time in ages I dont have a "car of the week", i.e. the car I am researching with a view to purchasing at the first opportunity or scanning the Auto Trader.

Not for everyone, its noisy, a bit bouncy and I probably look a knob in it, but I dont care.