[G MONEY]

Originally Posted by Humdizzle

If you play the game right you won't really lose too much money. modding past simple bolt on stuff is a waste imo if you aren't going to keep the car forever. you're not getting that money back. better to just sell the car and use that money on the down payment towards the better car. from gtr to ferrari to gt3 i've lost maybe 10k in depreciation over 8 years. My M3 is worth about what i paid 3 years ago.

its definitely an expensive hobby (you are either tying money up in the car, or giving the bank interest money). But i wouldn't trade it. You have to do something to reward yourself for your hard work. Mine is cars. for others its houses/vacations/fine dining/ clubbing/gaming etc. if you think you can spend money on something that brings you more joy than cars then try it. you can always come back to cars later.

one thing i've started thinking about to slow down my car habit is building a sim rig at home.it satisfies the itch pretty good.

Cannot use these past few years for how a car holds its value. Normally M3/4 drop like a rock.

[XMetal]

Because it makes me happy. You will never buy anything fun if your logical side of the brain takes over. I happened to semi-daily my "sports car", so I can have some fun in my commute in the process. Win win in my eyes.

[Darth One]

You’re not missing anything. You just don’t put enough value (or less value than you used to) in those things that a sports car brings, for the whole experience to be worth the money. Not being interested in the track also takes a lot of value out of the equation for you.

There are people who just put an outsize amount of value into the emotional things a sports car brings. I know many people who put a significant amount of their net worth into cars they drive maybe once a week

Originally Posted by Alfisti

I put a deposit down on a toy car, it's on a hoist being inspected. You fuckers are making me second guess myself.

Well, what is it you little tease?!

[PittsDriver]

If you have assured yourself of everything you need, why not grab some things that you really want?



Giddy up!

[Jklotz]

The way I look at it, I have to have a car. Public transportation where I live is terrible and I have to be able to go see clients. Why not have a car I like?

I've had 2 cars and 3 motorcycles (2 bimmers and a ducati) at one time. Seems like it was almost a full time job to keep up with them all. I enjoyed having them, but in the end, it just came down to spending most of my free time maintaining all these vehicles was not making me happy.

These days, I have one car I enjoy. The advent of all this tech that allows me to take the wife to the grocery in comfort one day and have a spirited run around the mountain roads the next with the same car pretty much has made me quite content with this arrangement. Although I plan on being even a little more content come next week when I pick up my new M340i.

[tranquility]

I dunno, because if one has to question their hobby *and the cost is not exorbitant*, then I wonder if they really enjoy said hobby. I just drive what I enjoy driving, and some sedans just don't cut it, so I can't even imagine myself in a SUV (unless out of pure necessity during those few mths of 'snowmageddon' here).

[RPM33]

Originally Posted by IvanE92

Went for a drive today, pulled the car into the garage, and couldn't help to wonder - why? Why do I shell out a considerable chunk of change each month to drive a car once a week, if that? Maybe this post is me speaking rhetorically - but lately I've been doubting the joyrice considerations.

Context: 37 years old, wife, 2 kids, no other hobbies, blah blah. We both have comfy SUVs as daily drivers.

I've had fast cars in the past. Sure, the feeling of torque and acceleration is fun - but 600 and 800+ HP cars hit 100MPH quickly. That's a bad ticket, or worse. That, and I quickly would get used to the feeling and always ended up wanting more power. Never ending loop.

I've had cars that handled well in the past. Sure, hooning around backroads can be fun, and I have awesome ones close to where I live - but that's no where near as fun being able to go flat out on a track and well, even going 6/10s on a public road can be considered quite reckless. I currently don't track my car because I learned early on "if you can't afford to fix it, don't race it." That, and the cost and time of tracking is $$$ and I ain't that rich.

And then we have modding. Strategizing is fun. Getting that mod delivered and installed is immensely gratifying. But that wears of fast and you're back to wanting more. Inevitable, this path has always led me to building a car that was either too noisy, unreliable, loud, squeaky, uncomfortable... you name it.

Then there's cost. I've grown to desire increasingly expensive cars. Back in the day I thought my $2,000 CRX was perfect. Fast forward to today - and it's easy to find that "next car" that costs considerably more.

So, that brings me to this post. Sports cars - why do we own them? And is the hobby loop "broken"? Could use some words of wisdom here, friends. Honestly, some days I wish I wasn't a "car guy". Please and thank you.

Because sports cars are fun to drive. Normal cars, SUVs, trucks, and daily everyday life are boring.

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by happyjack

ha! my wife rode horses competitively (jumpers) until college. thank god she never got the bug to ride again. her father, to this day, after not owning a horse since 1990, says "horse is a four letter word."

she knows how to spend money on travel though...

My wife has 3, all boarded, needless to say she never questions my spending. Lol

[Suds]

Like my M2 here that I don’t need, but it sure is fun.

[R N M]

I think people get too caught up with money. We are all here for a very short amount of time and none of us really know how soon it can all end. Buy what makes YOU happy - whether its a car, dog, watches etc. Everyone has different hobbies.

I have 3 cars - 2 of which are garage queens and i want more, just need bigger garage lol.

Just make sure your hobby expense doesn’t effect your normal obligations and savings.

[NickyC]

I have a bit of a different take.

I think life is long. It's long, repetitive, and boring. To be 100% frank, 99% of it sucks and the 1% which is fun hardly makes it worthwhile. I'm 45, and thinking back when I was a young child that seems like an eternity ago. It's been a really, really long f'ing time quite honestly. To think I could possibly be only half way through my time here, while the best years are long gone, is very hard to come to terms with. I guess if someone were to die in their teens or 20s, yeah life was short. You start approaching a half a century....well I ain't buying the life is short mantra.

I buy fun things like sports cars to break up the monotony, the boredom. I take chances, I do stupid shit, I'm looking forward to finding out what (if anything) comes after this mortal coil. I like to think there is something after this, because if not, I can't fathom the gigantic waste of time all this is.

So yes, sports cars and other fun things to pass the time please.

[Germanauto]

I only plan on driving sports cars the remainder of my life. I've always had compact sport sedans and have enjoyed the hell out of them. Now that I'm starting my career after years of education, I'll finally have the disposable income for more dedicated sports cars.

Cars are my #1 hobby. I love driving something nimble that hugs corners like a go-kart that provides visceral sensations to my fingertips, sound to my ears, and immerses me in the experience. To add to that, a car that's stylish and unique goes a long way.

Not gonna get caught into this "comfortable daily driver" bullsh*t. Cars are expensive and driving should be fun all the time. Not gonna waste money on a monotonous mom/dad car that blends in with the crowd. If I have to drive, I will drive something fun and special.

[x622]

I get more satisfaction driving my bone stock MR2 Spyder than I do any of the other cars I have or that I've built. It is not fast by any means but it's just such a joy to drive around, like a go-cart. I think the mid-engine, cheap nature of it with the satisfying manual transmission just makes it such a great car. I drove another boosted s2000 with around 500rwhp, and honestly, it just wasn't as fun. It was obnoxiously loud and took away from the experience of effortlessly cornering like the MR2 does - you just throw it at a corner and it turns.


I keep chasing that rush I used to get, but nothing just makes me smile other than going for a cruise on a nice day with the top down in that piss-slow MR2. People pass me and bully me around on the road, sure, but it's just such an enjoyable drive.

The CS I have is fast and immensely satisfying to pass people in, the X5M is comfortable and quick and I don't have to worry about being trapped between slow drivers unless I'm forced to, but it doesn't bring the same happiness. I have a 992 Turbo S coming and I'm probably going to try and get 11-1200awhp out of it, but I still wonder if it's going to be what I really want. Part of me thinks I should build some sort of kit car, but I don't know if it'll be the same or deliver the same joy.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by Suds

Like my M2 here that I don’t need, but it sure is fun.

That's not an M2 - the badge says 218!

[yousefnjr]

Nothing wrong with having multiple hobbies. Try diving into something new. Can always come back and play with the car when you get the itch.


Great time of year to fish

[Theruleslawyer]

I get one because I enjoy the feeling of connection you get with a good car. A fast car isn't a rational purchase. You do it because of how it makes you feel. If you've lost that it just doesn't make sense anymore.

I kind of wonder what the future holds with real self driving cars on the horizon. If you're not even driving it anymore, will sports cars have any purpose? I'd probably get something extreme like the FF cobra and give up on the idea of a fun DD.

[3798j]

Looking back at 51 years of sports car ownership (out of 56 years of driving)...loved every minute, would not have had it any other way...will be disappointed if it changes.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by 3798j

Looking back at 51 years of sports car ownership (out of 56 years of driving)...loved every minute, would not have had it any other way...will be disappointed if it changes.

I would be too with that sweet garage of yours. Living the life.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by ntg44

Haha yes. An even faster car that I can almost never drive. Why didn't I think of that?

I love the 4.2 V8 too, all joking aside. Is yours gated or R-Tronic?

[ntg44]

Originally Posted by NYG

I love the 4.2 V8 too, all joking aside. Is yours gated or R-Tronic?

Manual. I love it. It's a fantastic street car that I can extract 100% of the engine without doing dumb street speeds. My other car is a 400whp STI, and I love both in their current state for what they are.

I just don't have that much time to drive and maintain one, let alone both. The R8 only has 18k miles at this point, so if I had to choose, I'd keep the R8 versus trading both cars in on something else. But for the maybe 2 hours/week I have to drive or wash them, this week I had myself questioning the point of it all. OP's thread came in at the perfect time haha. I sold my M3 back in 2020 for the same reason, and had the itch for the STI I never had. 2 years later after satisfying my nostalgic JDM dreams I'm at the same place except this time I'm not in denial anymore, I really might rather do without one.

But maybe I'm just in a funk and it will pass. Time will tell.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by ntg44

Manual. I love it. It's a fantastic street car that I can extract 100% of the engine without doing dumb street speeds. My other car is a 400whp STI, and I love both in their current state for what they are.

I just don't have that much time to drive and maintain one, let alone both. The R8 only has 18k miles at this point, so if I had to choose, I'd keep the R8 versus trading both cars in on something else. But for the maybe 2 hours/week I have to drive or wash them, this week I had myself questioning the point of it all. OP's thread came in at the perfect time haha. I sold my M3 back in 2020 for the same reason, and had the itch for the STI I never had. 2 years later after satisfying my nostalgic JDM dreams I'm at the same place except this time I'm not in denial anymore, I really might rather do without one.

But maybe I'm just in a funk and it will pass. Time will tell.

Yeah the maintenance on my R8 is a pain. I love taking apart the underbody so I can drain 20 plugs just to do the oil.

[tranquility]

I actually thought that this thread was going to go a different route, because I often wonder what will be my next (sports) car. For ppl who live on the track, that's great they can kinda use the max potential of their cars, but if they mainly drive on public roads like me, it's more of a prestige/ego? thing getting an exotic, and that's perfectly fine, I'd be tempted to get one too, but even w my car I haven't used anything close to its potential, so I can't imagine some 700hp+ monster that I can only press down on the pedal 1cm before getting hauled off to jail; it's frustrating I can't use my car's full power for fear of the cops so never mind way more powerful cars - the blue balls must be unbearable lol. Oddly enough, even w endless $, the next sportscar I'd get would probably be a MX-5 RF.