OT: JL and FOAS, why would someone drive a supercar in rush hour?

last year

I don't know what it was. I noticed it going down a small rise sucking my exhaust, when it bobbed up in my mirror, but I only saw its mirrors and roofline for half a second. I thought Ferrari, but the sidelong glance of the rear as it turned the other direction screamed Lotus, though I didn't get details. Whatever. It was tuned for hearing damage and the driver was being very unkind to his transmission. But even if he doesn't care enough to learn how to drive it correctly, why would he drive city streets at rush hour?

Featured Answer

fawnridge (Ricky)

last year

Okay, serious answer.

I lived in Boca Raton, Florida for 19 years where expensive cars were as common as Camrys. Traffic was normally terrible, especially during tourist season when all the snowbirds arrived, having shipped their very expensive cars earlier.

With senior citizens, out-of-state drivers who brought their own brand of driving, and children with conditional permits operating vehicles that cost as much as a house, the sheer number of motor vehicle accidents was staggering.

Despite these drawbacks, the rich folk drove their expensive cars because they were the only cars they'd brought with them from up north or owned because, who would want to live in a mansion and drive a Camry?

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Comments (21)

laceyvail 6A, WV
last year
Why is this on the Cooking forum?
plllog
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Because I was asking members who might be able to answer, ”OT” = “off topic”.
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sushipup2
last year
In all our years of living on the Monterey Peninsula, I saw countless exotic cars in August, during the week-long car events. Talk about gridlock. That was the best time to take vacation, get out of town or just stay home and off the roads.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_Car_Week
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Sherry8aNorthAL
last year
Too much of Ricky’s edibles?
John Liu
last year
It is uncommon to see exotic cars in bumper to bumper traffic, usually their owners know better and of course they have more suitable vehicles in the fleet. I can’t think of a reason. Needed ice cream STAT and the Bentley was indisposed?

The exception is the glorious annual week in Monterey, as sushipup says. I went to the Historics and Concours for ten years straight. There you saw not just exotic cars, which are kind of ho-hum in L.A. non-rush hour, but vintage classics, cars that made history in on and off the track, of which there are only a few left, of which only a few were ever made, that inhabited my young boy head non-stop for years.
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plllog
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Well, yeah, give me an intact Duesenberg just to stand near…

And I understand about during a festival, when going slow is de rigeur for showing off anyway. The best one I've ridden through was a long time ago at Estes park. Gorgeous weather and all those topless horseless carriages rolling about at altitude.

Bafflement continues. Or! I thought the craziness died with corporate accounting, but perhaps they still give crazy signing gifts with silly money contracts? Because the unkindness to the transmission I heard (not grinding, but not well timed), which I took for exhaust-choked frustration, could just have been pure ignorance….

JL, you reminded me. There was a guy whose Rolls had a license plate frame which said ”my other car is a Toyota”, He much preferred the driving of the Toyota and used the Rolls for family outings…
foodonastump
last year
Ha, I’m not a car guy I just want John’s car. I admire but have never had too much want for a supercar.

Once in a while I do get caught up in power for a minute. I just bought a new truck, and my biggest option dilemma was whether to go with the turbo 3.5L V6 or the naturally aspirated 5.0L V8. Both have their considerations, and while the stock V6 makes more power, the V8 allows for an aftermarket supercharger which bumps horsepower up to 700. Who could resist that? Oh wait, me, when I came back down to earth and admitted that my truck will be seeing far more GROCERY SHOPPING (ahem, cooking forum!) than street racing.

I have similar issues looking at motorcycles. My experience is limited, but still I’ll look at a bike that’s ”only” got 120hp and worry that I’ll grow bored of it. Um, no.
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Olychick
last year
If I were lucky enough to own a Bugatti or Lamborghini or Koenigsegg, which I would if I were richer, why wouldn't I drive it in traffic? The pleasure I would get from driving it would not be diminished just because of traffic. If I'm heading out of town for a drive along the coast, gotta get through traffic first. When traffic clears and I could break free, well, there I am in my wonderful car. No sense owning it if it sits in the garage.
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plllog
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
It depends on what ”traffic” means to you. I'm used to seeing such cars where there's room to drive. Where I spotted the car in question, there was no ”traffic clears” or ”could break free” for at least two hours. My first time seeing a supercar in rush hour (which is what they call sit still hours on the news). But I do take your point. If you love shifting and breathing exhaust for the glory of driving your baby, that would explain it. :)

I just remembered, when we were young, I had a relative whose job it was to move his boss’s Lotus to where he'd be wanting it next. He said it was like driving through a mail slot. ;) Those I currently know, with high performance vehicles, trailer them to places where they have room to run.
Olychick
last year
Well, I do love shifting and lament the end of manual shift cars (that I can afford or want to drive)! I would find no pleasure in sitting in a truck (maybe also a manual shift in the same exhaust filled traffic) hauling my car behind me in a trailer. Traffic is horrible in my neck of the woods during rush hours but eventually you get out of the city and the roads open up, so if I want to drive my car to any destination, I'd have to make it through the jam. But, that said, I'd drive it even if I were just commuting and in a jam the whole way!
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plllog
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Ricky, that's a very interesting car culture! And perhaps it's that kind of thinking I was seeing. Olychick, there's no getting out of the city here, but, again, I take your point. Also your druthers. When sit still wasn't the normal designation for traffic, we did call driving a road model sports car in heavy traffic on the freeway "rowing" in a disparaging way, but nowadays they seem to be using the term to just mean working through your gears, not the constant back and forth, up and down. I've seen some horror stories about stock shifters being misaligned because of weird newfangled assemblies, but would hope that a Lotus or Ferrari would at least line up the gears right. :D
foodonastump
last year
I’d also imagine that performance cars of today would tend to have an easier drivability. Not only are standard transmissions all but gone, but with modern fuel injection the fuelling is going to be a lot more refined. Think of stop and go clutchwork with a high powered engine that hates low RPMs. That can require skill and be tiring. Today we just ease our foot off the brake pedal.
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carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
last year
Don't they still rent out luxury cars? Maybe that bad driver was renting - or a kid 'borrowed' the car from a parent?
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Olychick
last year
"Not only are standard transmissions all but gone, but with modern fuel injection the fuelling is going to be a lot more refined. Think of stop and go clutchwork with a high powered engine that hates low RPMs. That can require skill and be tiring."

Everything you describe is what makes my heart beat fast and the adrenaline start pumping. If I didn't want to have any money left for my older age or my heirs, I would buy something with a stick shift that runs at a decibel and tone that I feel in my sternum. My grandson wants me to buy a BMW M series that now comes in a manual shift and I think is under 100K. It's not exactly a Bugatti or the other high performance cars mentioned here, but it might satisfy my desire to own one more manual shift car before I die. And there would still be $ left for him!
nicole
last year
who would want to live in a mansion and drive a Camry? Or...a Subaru?

😂 If I was going to be stuck in parking-lot traffic....I'd want to be stuck in a nice car. That's just me...
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John Liu
last year
Modern performance cars are so capable, it’s hard to drive them in a spirited way without being reckless or very illegal. Other than in a straight line, but holeshots get boring fast.

With older sports cars, you can get a Low Speed Hooligan - a car whose limits are low enough that you can test its limits without going to jail. With a really good LSH, bystanders hardly notice you skillfully controlling the drift and wheelspin as you round that corner at 20 mph.
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Olychick
last year
last modified: last year
I live at the end of a very long curvy rural road with lots of hills. Honestly, driving home in a performance car with a manual shift is really fun..every single day, both coming and going. Tho the highest performance I've ever had is a couple of BMW's, an Audi and a Mercedes. When we moved here the limit was 50, but is now 35. 50 was more fun.
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John Liu
last year
last modified: last year
Oh! You absolutely should get your canyon ripper. Since I’m cheap, my list is more older Miatas, Alfas, BMWs. And older Porsches of course but they’re not cheap any more. If you really want to blow your grandson’s mind, a Caterham/Lotus Super Seven!

I’ll bet you don’t get much stop and go traffic where you live, other than in the Hama Hama parking lot.
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Olychick
last year
last modified: last year
Well, there is not much distance from my house to I-5 and Highway 101, so traffic isn't too much of a problem. But the freeway is gridlock from Oly to Seattle and beyond for much of the day. Thursday is the new Friday and I think everyone leaves work and heads out to wherever, so traffic is impossible. From my house to Hama Hama is about 1.25 hours unless you get behind trucks or Greyhound bus sized motorhomes all headed to the Olympic Peninsula. No one seems to use the turnouts to let traffic pass anymore. I need a car that can accelerate to pass in short openings. I'm headed to Pt Townsend in the morning and may stop at Hama Hama for lunch :-) New car, we'll see how it does...
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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
last year
last modified: last year
I've had manual transmission all my lifetime. Two Jeeps, then now my 3'rd Mini Cooper S....'like a cat on velcro'. Just bought another Jeep for DH and he loves it. (we were a Tundra/Tacoma/ Mini Cooper family for years). Jeep was a good switch out of the truck life.

Twinsies....matches my Staub stack favorite cookware, lol.

Cars, vintage or new, need to be driven even for a short trip to the market or a weekend jaunt.

Vintage cars are loaded with issues having had in the past. P1800, '67 Chevy, (wheel fell of on the thruway). Fun when young. No thanks now.

.
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OT: JL and FOAS, why would someone drive a supercar in rush hour?

fawnridge (Ricky)

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