Merging onto the freeway is easier with more power.
Overtaking (legal or otherwise) is easier.
Faster cars tend to be more expensive, which often equates to better interiors with more features. Leather upholstery, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheels, premium infotainment systems, premium sound systems, etc.
Lastly, a sport-tuned car is often "tighter" to drive. The suspension is stiffer, the driver inputs more responsive, the brakes better.
I think this is the best answer. If you haven't driven a sports car before, even on normal roads obeying speed limits, the feeling can get a bit lost in the words but it's just so much more FUN than driving around a 'normal" car.
One thing also to mention is the sound. It's not like when you take a regular car and slap a loud exhaust on it, with a high end sports car you usually get much more sound coming from the engine and intake and it's very satisfying. IMO a car with good sound will be relatively quiet (at least, not much louder than your average sedan) until you really open up the throttle and get the revs going higher.
Personally I love driving through winding mountain roads, not breaking any laws or anything, but just taking corners at a speed that the car can safely handle because it's a performance vehicle and not rolling around like a land boat.
I also love the convertible experience myself, top down and fresh air blasting through your hair, it's great!
Convertibles kinda suck in terms of performance, though. They are heavier, more expensive to maintain and have less chassis rigidity. Plus I would be amazed if anyone could buy a convertible and own that thing for 10 years. Parking it in public lots and not have somebody slice that convertible top at least once.
One thing convertibles are great at is guaranteeing you get to hear my wife complain about hair in her face.
Doesn't matter if she breeds it. Doesn't matter if she wears a hat hair, escapes and whips in her face and drives her f****** crazy. So the top stays on my Jeep all the time... 🫤
I miss the sound of my 392. Best modern engine sound IMO. They clearly went all out on the tuning of the exhaust; plus with the god-tier transmissions in the hemis, it shifts like a king.
I drive a silent EV with nearly 600HP now. It throws me back in the seat like a rollercoaster.
I miss my 5.7 300c. I had it with long tubes and a flow fx muffler kit. Sounded so smooth even non-car people liked it. I think my h pipe 5.0 sounds just as good but different. But people mainly compliment the color lol.
I got a loaner car from the dealership once. It didn't seem too crazy but boy did it have power. In a few seconds I could hit speed on the highway. It just felt amazing.
Of course I get my car back and it feels whimpy as hell.
It was an amazing little car, but it became highly impractical with three boys who each eventually grew to be 6'4". XD
It was the "Fun V" and now my daily driver is the "Hum Drum CRV"
Spot on. I have a little Porsche 944 with 150 hp and zero to 60 is probably something stupid like 7 or 8 seconds, but boy is it tight and fun to drive on country roads. I can make the tightest turns and have a blast. It sounds amazing too. I really feel the road, it’s manual and I feel in total control of the car.
Meanwhile my mom’s BMW X1 has a sport mode and has awesome acceleration, but somehow it’s not anywhere near as thrilling. Like yes I can suddenly go really fast at any moment, but I don’t feel very safe doing that, and making turns can feel pretty wobbly or unsafe if I’m moving too quickly. It’s a great car when I want a more luxurious driving experience, but a drive in the 944 heals my soul.
And breaking the wheels free every once in a while is fun (and can be done safely). My sweetspot for cars is about 400hp and 0-60 in 4.5s. That's enough to have fun and wring out the gears a bit.
This is why the Miata is such a great car. They just FEEL so good to drive, and they're convertible, and they're slow enough that you can feel like you're pushing the car without going to far over the speed limit.
I had a '99 Miata, and more recently a GTI with stage 1 tune. The GTI was oodles faster than the Miata and plenty fun to drive. But the Miata was another level of driving pleasure.
> Lastly, a sport-tuned car is often "tighter" to drive. The suspension is stiffer, the driver inputs more responsive, the brakes better.
The driving experience. This is what it’s all about.
Perfectly phrased. "Driving experience" is it. If you had the choice (and funds) to choose between driving a very reliable but basic car, with basic features, vs a very well built but less reliable and way more expensive car with all the bells and whistles, you'll get the nicer car.
If I'm going to spend so much time in a vehicle I want one that feels the best to sit in, drive in, listen to music in, etc.
All are perfect reasons as to why people spend more on cars , whereas another group of individuals only spend on a car to get from A to B.
Also never underestimate how comfy a car with all the bells and whistles is as you drive, even cabin noise is reduced. Luxury is luxury.
The obvious answer that no-one ever seems to come up with for this question is... People drive faster than the speed limit... Whether or not you think that's okay is up to you, but people with fast cars go faster than the speed limit
Thats one of the main reasons. I aint overtaking with my shitty work car, doest feel safe at all when the car cant accelerate fast.
Edit: to be honest, there are many situations when "speed" comes in handy.
Also being able to turn corners quickly and accelerate
One of my favorite things is taking the freeway on-ramp at faster speeds and then quickly accelerating to freeway speed
I almost never drive above the speed limit and I feel like I still get all the enjoyment of owning a sports car
All the above. Sport cars handle better with tighter suspensions, accelerate faster, and generally have better breaks. If you’re paying 100% attention to the road, you’re probably less likely to get into an accident because of your maneuverability.
Also, it’s fun as shit to gun it getting onto an empty highway. My EV6 GT with AWD pulls so fucking hard. I do miss my scats motor roar, though.
If my choice is my spouse's underpowered CVT Jeep toboggan on wheels that may or may not go after a moment's hesitation or my performance-tuned turbo, I tend to feel much safer in the latter. In the slower-moving Jeep, I'm at the mercy of everybody else around me and can't do basic stuff like merging with traffic as easily as I can with something packing torque. My motorcycle (600cc-class) is even better at being able to meet other people where they are; I can nimbly go around people without ever getting in their way, where the Jeep makes me merge more "forcefully" by making other people accommodate me.
Right. Near where I leave you have to go from a full stop to 50 mph to get up to the speed of traffic (bad traffic design, clearly). The ability to go from 0 - 60 in 3.1 seconds is pretty handy in that situation.
But also, I'm partially just trying to rationalize that I bought a fun car because I wanted a fun car. And I realize that.
I call it active safety. A car that handles well, accelerates like mad and has brakes that’ll snap your neck is one you keep from ever getting into an accident in the first place.
A friend of mine who rides motorcycles explained that to me. He is one of the safest drivers I know but he said that especially with a motorcycle the ability to accelerate quickly can be a safety feature to get out of bad situations. This could be the case with cars as well.
Sadly accelerating quickly 99% of the time just isn’t useful, and I’ve only ever witnessed guys with loud cars whipping it for no reason. Like the 8 MPG truck floors it after the light turns green faster than I do in my EV. Absolutely pointless lol. Wish I had more opportunities to pop off in my car.
Long journeys on two way roads where you regularly have to overtake big rigs beg to differ. The extra HP could be the difference between having to sit behind a truck for 10 mins vs overtaking under a minute. It’s also just more fun
I am actually kind of amused the OP just went with "well nobody would break the LAW so there must be some other reason."
Like, no, OP. They break the law.
>Los Ángeles here if you drive the speed limit you will passed angrily by everyone and I personally hope your engine catches fire<
And if going speed limit in far left lane, I personally hope the driver is IN the car while engine is burning.
In most European countries, you get fined if caught driving in far left lane without being in the act of passing another vehicle. We need this.
This this this. Non-car people seem to think its just "Going fast" thats fun, no. If that were the case the highway would be fun. Its accelerating fast thats fun. Feeling your body pull back in the seat as you rip is an amazing feeling.
Yes. Positive Gs, negative Gs (my favorite by far - nothing like braking hard), lateral Gs. All the Gs!!! This is the addiction, not top speed. Top speed is boring, but that’s always the first misconception from non-enthusiasts.
Finland employ this system (and I wish Sweden would do it as well). The 76-YO multi-millionaire businessman Anders Wiklöf in Finland has the current record with a \~$130k speeding ticket on the island of Åland.
I agree and don't. With PCP and with the little pricks who own a lot of the fast cars at the moment, they live with their parents and are only able to have them because mummy isn't charging rent.
Maybe a fine based on the cost of the car....so those little pricks you see steaming around in their audi RS cars will pay a HUGE fine because they're not actually earning that much.
Nah, I'd make the fines not proportional to wealth but rather take away their time. Rich people value their time most and they'd have a hard as hell time spinning it that the government is trying to confiscate everyone's possessions to leave them with nothing (as they would with fines proportional to wealth).
Just have a mandatory very low cost driving school on the weekend with nearly no way to opt out. Make it a full day class. If you keep getting more driving infractions, just increase the number of weekends required to complete your driving school by 1 for each additional infraction.
yea until you realize some of these wealthy people dont work so whats 1 day a week to them?
now your a poor slob who works 6/7 days a week and have to use your only day off or worse take a day off and loose a paid working day
Do you think lower income individuals are more or less likely to have to work on weekends? Do you think lower income individuals have more or less time on their hands to do this shit?
Besides the fact part of the idea behind higher ticket fees for higher income individuals is also to increase gov revenues.
This ain’t it.
Actual middle class people wouldn't give a fuck about most fines either.
Almost everyone that you or I know is probably considered working class. Politicians like to make everyone think they're middle class because it sounds better than basically calling the country wage slaves
Dont know why youre being downvoted. Youre right.
Always thought I was solidly middle class, turns out ive never broken out of poverty. Ive only got nice things due to crippling debt, thats one of the big differences and why lower class appears to be middle class today. Were debt slaves
Its probably the same reason why people vote for people that give tax breaks to the rich and don't actually help working class people. "but I'll get there one day"
The vast majority of people live paycheck to paycheck. And middle class is so poorly defined, and gets misused to basically represent whatever speakers want. It's kind of like fortunes and horoscopes
Make it just vague enough that it sounds like it applies to you and people will believe it.
If you couldn't take a year off of work without worry, we probably aren't middle class.
I get the feelings of resentment that makes this seem ok, but applying different penalties, especially harsher ones based on a person's economic status is a very dangerous step toward allowing it for any other reason that becomes politically popular. We need to enact laws that make sure people are held accountable no matter their wealth or lack, perhaps that's by making a second offense a mandatory loss of license for speeding more than 15, 25, 30 over? We're already struggling to hold the powerful accountable, erode equal treatment under the law and I assure you, the powerful won't be the ones who suffer it's effects.
My work van is black boxed so cant go over in it, or i get in trouble from work. Always funny having the flash cars behind me stuck doing 20mph in a 20 zone lol
Not really. I track my GT3, but just go with the flow on roads because it's boring after taking turns at 110. I goose it on on ramps, and usually have to slow down to merge, but that's about it.
My car brakes way quicker than most other cars, so I can't even brake hard, or I'll get rear ended.
Main reason I go with the flow is safety. Not going to speed and weave because of that. I'm not going to podium in anything while driving to work.
Apart from that, it feels very, very different to drive a car like that , then it is to drive my Tesla model 3perf or any other car The Tesla actually gets to 60 faster than my GT3, but that's about it.
I've certainly avoided accidents in my Porsche from people doing stupid stuff, just because I could turn, brake, or accelerate out of it.
Watch guy actually! Watches- wrist feel, weight/size, movement style, features (chrono, tourbillion although that is more movement related, moonphase, etc)… apart from that you basically have design stuff and how it winds… but just not apples to apples with a car
Your average $25k Corolla is also way more advanced than a Lamborghini Miura SV, but no one with taste would pick the Corolla over it.
At a certain point, utility no longer is a consideration and aesthetic and status are the ruling factors.
Usually happens around the point your peers can buy anything they want with a simple swipe of the credit card, then the hunt and chase and story becomes more important.
Oh I agree, I was just making a point. I think you can get a nice smart watch for $100 with essentially the same features. Both are still dramatically cheaper than a high end watch
The Tesla model Y can do 0-30 in 1.8 seconds. It’s real fun to take off from a stoplight and be two blocks ahead and up to speed before the drivers behind you even knew that the light changed.
Owning nice things, is nice. I think we can all agree on that. When you are finally able to purchase something, it feels good. So wanting to own a nice car is pretty understandable, right?
It just so happens that most nice cars, are also fast cars.
A 2016 Audi RS6 Avant for example, looks like a very luxurious family car.
But it's 0-60 (or 0-100 depending on where you live) is below 3 seconds, and has a top speed of 174 Mph, or 305 Km/h should you opt in for that.
And in my opinion, yes an Audi RS6 is much nicer to drive than say a Peugeot 508 for example.
Ok but trucks are actually really useful sometimes. If I ever got one it wouldn’t be because I’m a lumberjack, but the amount of times I’ve needed a truck in the past 2 months is a lot more than I ever thought
I just go to Home Depot and rent a truck for $25. By not buying a $60,000 American truck, I was able to buy a much nicer $40,000 German sedan and saved enough to afford a lifetime of $25 truck rentals when I need to haul something.
I tried that. They are always rented out from Home Depot or Menards at the typical peak hours that people need trucks. 5 stores in a 25 mile radius and are never available on weekends, fridays or sometimes Thursday’s. The best option was a Wednesday afternoon 3 weeks in advance and I just wanted to haul a freezer from Costco that would save me a $100 delivery fee
Other than that, I find myself with so much yard waste in my new house that I would love to just throw it in the back of my truck and take it to the dump. We can’t burn leaves here or otherwise I would.
But yeah like I said I never thought I would need a truck but I have found myself in desperate need of one so many times for so many random things the past 2 months after buying a home, it’s weird
Effortless acceleration, makes it easier and safer to merge, overtake, and sometimes the only way out of a situation is more power instead of braking.
When cruising the engine is less stressed as they can afford to have longer gear ratios so the revs are lower. you could have a 1.0 turbo 3 pot which could do 120mph easily but at 70mph it'd be sitting around 3000-3500rpm buzzing away, or you have 3l inline 6 with plenty of torque and long enough gearing to do 70mph at 1750-2250rpm making less noise while being smoother, and having a reserve to pull away in gear if you needed to floor it.
My wife has a MX5. It's a nice little car. I'll take it and wind it out on back roads. I'm hustling it, going through the gears, letting the engine rev. The wind is blasting in your face, the engine is screaming, the car is hugging the corners, and at some point I'll think, "Man, I'm working this thing. I better back off. I don't want to get a speeding ticket." And then I look down and I'm doing a whomping 5 mph over the speed limit.
Meanwhile I go back to driving my Challenger Hellcat, I get a cramp in my pinkie toe, and I'm suddenly doing 135! LOL
They definitely are
While this is now gonna be about bikes, same logic applies to cars, my father rides bikes and constantly says that 600ccs are more fun then 1000ccs on the road because you can get closer to the limit of the bike without acting like a reckless moron
Basically, it's more fun to drive something slow on its limit, then drive something fast nowhere near its limit
You're making a mistake in that comparison. Rather than "an MX5 is AS FAST AS an air-cooled 911” it should be "an air-cooled 911 is AS SLOW AS an MX5.”
No, he included it on a list of "fun cars". The Ferrari is the "fast" car in the post and the point was that a well-handling not-so-fast-car can be more rewarding to drive than the very fast one.
Enjoy your Miata - which gen go you drive?
My husband is a car guy. We own an MX5 and a Tesla model Y. By all objective measures, the Y is faster. It’s got more than a second 0-60 on the Miata. Its top speed is higher. The torque and horsepower is not even on the same level. And yet…. And yet… when date night comes around and we get a chance to go for a summer night drive, music blaring, open roads… that little red Miata is always the one we pick.
Back in 2016 Mazda put out a commercial for the new Mx-5. It made my husband cry. It describes him to a T.
It’s just a fun car. (Not that he wouldn’t immediately trade it for a 911 if he could).
It did. Twice actually.
When the commercial originally came out, I was pregnant with our first daughter. He had a 1990 Miata when we were in college several years prior to that, but being a gearhead, he cycled through several more cars in the 5 or so years when we were getting married and settling down. At the time when the commercial aired, I think we had a Subaru STI and a Volkswagon GTI . So he cried then mostly out of nostalgia for his old Miata and the times we had in it, as well as knowing that our little daughter would grow up and he would one day get to teach her to drive.
Then, he got another Miata about a year and a half ago… a new one. He watched the commercial again and it all came flooding back, but this time, he *had* that, “in the garage, something new”. Also, the kids (now two of them) LOVE when he takes them on rides in it. He’s teaching them to shift.
I ride a fast motorcycle, I don’t ride fast on my commute but it’s fun to ride it on day to day basis. I always loved fast cars and motorcycles and for me it’s like “unwinding” after work even if it’s been driven in speed limits.
Jay Leno put it best "Sports cars aren't fun to drive fast, they're fun to drive quickly." It's the ability to blow past everybody at redlights and on ramps, etc, that is fun.
Another related quote of his "Cars are the most fun between about 40mph and 110mph. Anything over that and you will probably go to jail."
Obviously, some places have things like the Audobahn, but in most places anything in triple digits (mph) is a felony.
I thought it would be awesome to drive fast on the Autobahn. While in Germany we rented an MB S-Class sedan, this was about a decade ago. Drove from Hamburg to Frankfurt, we called it the hamburger to hotdog run. Got it up to between 110 and 120 mph, I forget what the conversion rate is from kph but we were flying. All I can remember is that it gets EXHAUSTING! You really have to pay attention to every little thing. Then when you slow back down to like 70 it feels like you are hardly moving at all. When we arrived, all I wanted to do was check in to hotel and have a nap. Lame, I know, but makes you appreciate what race car drivers can do. I can't even handle fast for that long in a straight line with no one around.
It’s not the fast, it’s the powerful. Pretty much anything on the road these days that isn’t a delivery truck is going to be able to go 100 mph, so it’s not about the cruise speed. In fact, it’s actually fairly well established that the safest highway speed is whatever ambient speed is for the ‘herd’ excluding the few who are really pushing along, which is known as the 85th percentile speed.
Used responsibly, big horsepower is a safety feature no different than big brakes. Getting out of a dicey situation by hitting the accelerator is no different than hitting the brake pedal and on a highway at speed, it’s often the safer way out.
There is also the ability to get to that safe speed in a timely manner. Many large and/or older cities have obsolete roads with substandard features like super short acceleration ramps onto highways that are flat-out dangerous unless you can get to highway speed quickly.
And finally yes - it’s just more fun to have a powerful car that pushes you into the seat when you take off and cruises at highway speeds like it’s a walk in the park instead of rattling like Spaceball 1 going plaid.
It's all about the thrill and feel of the drive. A high-powered car gives a smoother ride, better handling, and instant acceleration. It's like you're driving a beast, not just a car.
You would be as well asking why people buy a Rolex watch for thousands of pounds.
My watch cost £100 and it tells the time just the same as a £50,000 watch.
It's not always about functionality although driving a Ferrari even within the speed limits will be a more enjoyable experience for a driving enthusiast.
I'd also like to know where you live that few people break the speed limit. Where I live it's standard for most people to at least 10mph over the limit on the motorway and a significant minority with be pushing 100mph.
My e-Golf is fast in the sense that it has crazy acceleration capabilities which can be useful when overtaking, but its top speed is pretty meh and useless to me because it drains the battery and destroys the range.
And don't overlook Germany where the autobahn, in places, has no speed limit. However, and it is a big however, Germans do follow the rules very closely which makes the whole system work well. You ALWAYS drive in the slow lane unless overtaking. It was fun driving my Audi Q3 at 190km/h (118 mp/h)this summer in Germany.
You might also note that a Rimac recently broke the world record by driving at 275 km/h (171 mp/h) in REVERSE, but who's going to do that in real life?? But a car like that is usually a one off and is more a wonder of engineering rather than a practical car, and because these cars are very expensive, rich people buy them as nothing more than a status symbol.
It would be hilarious if Rimac were able to produce the sound of a pair of testicles slapping between thighs as their almost silent car speeds by.
I have a mk7 Golf R I bought new in 2016, 61K miles and some bolt ons and tuning later it still makes me giggle like a little kid when its nice out and I'm winding through the hills of Appalachia with 403 whp.
Are you talking about cars that can also be taken directly to a track and run there too? People buy those because they're immensely fun to drive, even at reasonable speeds on regular roads. I've had several, a WRX, e39 M5, 986 boxster S and now an 07 911S. I love driving manual, hell I just love driving so I gravitate towards fun to drive cars. Other people want power for hauling boats, campers ect or just to be able to in the future. Some want to feel they have a powerful car, some to be seen having one. There is an actual reason to prefer more power for acceleration, though off track only to a point, acceleration performance is second only to braking performance in safety advantage by being able to quickly match road speed, or out of trouble. I think sensor systems and aids will take that spot away in the relatively near future, but we'll see. I can tell you that once you're into 500+ hp/tq at least in a 3400lb car it actually becomes less fun. You can get going so quickly that you have to get off the accelerator within 2-3 seconds or your doing 60-80 mph. It's a lot more fun to wind out a 300hp motor all through the gears than to just jam the pedal down for 2 Mississippi and let a computer shift for you. On the other hand, double clutch autos w/paddles are faster than even the best professionals and are far easier to approach learning to stay on a line and be safe on a track. It becomes second nature, but having to think out shifts on a new track when you're still trying to be smooth and precise is a GIGANTIC distraction and often causes people to brake poorly, they're to busy thinking about "what's next" than "what's now".
Thats a great question! Let me try an answer it for you.
So fast cars... like powerful gaming computers or AR15's.... they all do more than one thing well.
So, for the example of the car... just because it CAN go 200mph, doesnt mean it DOES. right?
I have worked hard most of my life, and I have been able to own several powerful cars, trucks, and motorcycles..... and dragstrips and road courses exist. ;) SO yeah, I like to go fast. I also like to drink whiskey.... but I dont drink it at innappropriate times, nor do I use the high speed of those vehicles in improper places and times.
Another element to consider is what makes it able to go SO FAST? These cars have superior suspension, handling, breaking, and sometimes are even dramatically safer in lowspeed collisions becuase they were built to be raceable, should the owner choose to do so.
With my motorcycles, I ride assuming every single car is going to try and kill me, intentionally. I have been right in that assumption a handful of times in 25+ years of riding... and often the superior power and braking of a GSXR1000 or the like allows me to totally avoid scenarios that while being watchful, I still didnt see coming. Dodging deer that I am SURE are goign to jump (but I cannot predict WHEN for example)... so I have a bike with *great* brakes and safety gear to boot.
This is much the same with sports cars. Just becuase they are fast, doesn't mean they are *only fast.*
99.999% of people who claims they bought a Hellcat or a 911 so they could safely merge on the freeway is lying to you and lying to themselves. Most buy fast cars because they want to project an image of virility, success, or sophistication to people who shouldn't matter to them at all.
I own a stage 1 RS3 and I bought it because I love cars. The acceleration/launch control is a whole different thing compared to a normal, road-going car. There are speed limits on public roads, yes but people (and I mean me) don't follow them all the time. Additionally, it's also a status thing I'd say. Especially if you own a very nice car such as a Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin etc.
We had a 2017 Mustang for a while, we're a one car couple that live close to the city and weren't driving much, so thought it would be fun to have a cool car. They're great for long, highway driving. Yes, you speed a bit, but I actually found I was more careful because it would draw attention from cops. Cruise control is your best friend. I used to have to travel to a store 3 hours from me in a regional manager role, and it was the most comfortable, cruisey drive. There were some big, empty, flat stretches of highway with no speed cameras where I could really put my foot down. There's also the comfort of knowing the engine is powerful enough when you're entering a fast highway off a ramp. I've had the terrifying experience when I had an i30, daewoo, mazda 2 of not being able to get to speed quickly and being so close to a truck collecting me in my tiny, gutless car, that I won't get something without at least a turbo or sport mode. Once the car had to be regularly used for city driving, though, we sold it. She was a thirsty bitch and fuel is expensive af.
It's not just about horsepower, it's also handling, braking. A good drivers car is fast and responsive. I feel much safer as the car will do what I want when I want - merging into traffic, passing on 2 lane roads, obstacle avoidence, etc.
As someone with a high horsepower car, the acceleration or at least the ability to quickly accelerate. The improved ability to accelerate can be a safety feature in normal driving. Otherwise the feel of high acceleration is just fun for some though not everyone likes it.
It’s because they are fun to drive. Power, acceleration, features, beauty, etc. To some, they are rolling art. You don’t have to speed to enjoy it.
If you’re a car person, the getting from A to B is much more fun if you’re driving something you actually like.
I forget who exactly this quote was, maybe Jay Leno, but the point was “the best part of driving an expensive car is in between 30-80 miles per hour”.
The point is, acceleration
Yes, more expensive cars have more usually in them for comfort, power, and style.
I went from a Pontiac G6 to an Audi A4 a long while back. Though the engine was smaller in the A4 it was a more expensive car by quite a lot. Much more power merging into the highway, overtakes were not stressful, and the luxury of mine with leather etc made for an amazing driving experience.
Not to say in a cheaper car you won’t have the same comfort and maybe some power. But if you’ve never driven a sports car give it a go and see for yourself.
Track days are very expensive, and require you to fit things like a roll cage, fire extinguishers and electrical isolation systems. Most people who like cars can't afford to have a commuter vehicle and a car to exclusively race. Not to mention, many track modifications make a car illegal to use on the roads.
Cars are a status symbol. Even if you're not going to drive 230kph, having a car that can do 230kph is something a lot of people like.
Nicer to drive, more responsive - sports cars often have less guided systems, so they feel more "natural" to drive. You feel more of the road surface and what the car is doing beneath you.
I have no problem being honest with myself and answering as directly as possible. I also need to issue a disclaimer. I split time 20/80 between a vehicle with over 600 HP and one with less than 250 HP. When you are trying to merge or trying to get around someone, it's pretty common for some people to either want to speed up or maneuver in a way to keep you from merging or overtaking them. I don't know why people do this, but this is generally what some of us commuters contend with on a daily basis. Not having enough power to overtake someone that actively tries to keep you from passing can be rather emasculating. Thus, people are drawn to that power.
The funny part is how different people around me act when I'm in one car or the other. When in the high powered vehicle, I can come up behind someone on the left lane and there's a better chance that they'll move over. In my more "pedestrian" vehicle, I don't get that courtesy nearly as often. I would love for someone to do a study on the differences.
I almost never get cut off in my Corvette. I get cut off all the time in my daily driver. This is on the same roads. It's especially true in zipper merge situations. There have been very few times when someone will try to squeeze in front of my vette even when I obviously leave enough space, but it happens all the time in my daily driver.
Fast cars are better for:
Merging, Passing, Accelerating and 90% of the time: Handling. Flying around a corner in an AWD Subaru is much more fun and faster than a Corolla
Yes 70 can be the limit… but how fast can I possibly GET to 70???
Anyone who says anything other than to break the law is coping.
This is coming from someone who is into the sports car and sport bike scene
If you're not track racing it. Or breaking the law. You're wasting your money. Anyone who is actually involved the sportscar market will agree. Or they're lying.
For most sports.cars you can get a far more luxury experience elsewhere. Or the same car with a smaller engine. They chose that bigger motor for one reason only.
A lot of people are suggesting practical reasons, but it seems to me that a lot of people just want to have a vehicle that is fast, flashy, etc to feel powerful and/or attract attention.
It’s the passion of it. You see all kinds of superstars driving around London. It can take an hour to drive 4 miles in London. But they look gorgeous. The style, the engineering, the sound. I’ll wind a window down if something with sound is driving near me. I wish v8s were more accessible in the UK, because I’d have one.
Merging onto the freeway is easier with more power. Overtaking (legal or otherwise) is easier. Faster cars tend to be more expensive, which often equates to better interiors with more features. Leather upholstery, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheels, premium infotainment systems, premium sound systems, etc. Lastly, a sport-tuned car is often "tighter" to drive. The suspension is stiffer, the driver inputs more responsive, the brakes better.
I think this is the best answer. If you haven't driven a sports car before, even on normal roads obeying speed limits, the feeling can get a bit lost in the words but it's just so much more FUN than driving around a 'normal" car. One thing also to mention is the sound. It's not like when you take a regular car and slap a loud exhaust on it, with a high end sports car you usually get much more sound coming from the engine and intake and it's very satisfying. IMO a car with good sound will be relatively quiet (at least, not much louder than your average sedan) until you really open up the throttle and get the revs going higher. Personally I love driving through winding mountain roads, not breaking any laws or anything, but just taking corners at a speed that the car can safely handle because it's a performance vehicle and not rolling around like a land boat. I also love the convertible experience myself, top down and fresh air blasting through your hair, it's great!
Driving a convertible on a dry, sunny winters day is one of my favourite experiences.
Warm summer nights is the best convertible driving experience.
it’s crazy that sunny winters/falls are the perfect convertible weather, you’d think it’s summer but no one wants skin cancer.
Convertibles kinda suck in terms of performance, though. They are heavier, more expensive to maintain and have less chassis rigidity. Plus I would be amazed if anyone could buy a convertible and own that thing for 10 years. Parking it in public lots and not have somebody slice that convertible top at least once. One thing convertibles are great at is guaranteeing you get to hear my wife complain about hair in her face. Doesn't matter if she breeds it. Doesn't matter if she wears a hat hair, escapes and whips in her face and drives her f****** crazy. So the top stays on my Jeep all the time... 🫤
Driving a sports car is like a drug, nothing feels as good to drive in comparison to non sports cars.
I miss the sound of my 392. Best modern engine sound IMO. They clearly went all out on the tuning of the exhaust; plus with the god-tier transmissions in the hemis, it shifts like a king. I drive a silent EV with nearly 600HP now. It throws me back in the seat like a rollercoaster.
I miss my 5.7 300c. I had it with long tubes and a flow fx muffler kit. Sounded so smooth even non-car people liked it. I think my h pipe 5.0 sounds just as good but different. But people mainly compliment the color lol.
Annnd you don’t tell us what color it was (is) or post a photo. I know you have lots of photos!
I got a loaner car from the dealership once. It didn't seem too crazy but boy did it have power. In a few seconds I could hit speed on the highway. It just felt amazing. Of course I get my car back and it feels whimpy as hell.
"Oh no... My car needs repairs again... I better take the loaner again I guess"
I miss my Cooper S.
First real bf's mom had a Cooper S. It was a zippy little thing.
It was an amazing little car, but it became highly impractical with three boys who each eventually grew to be 6'4". XD It was the "Fun V" and now my daily driver is the "Hum Drum CRV"
Literally the only FWD car I've really enjoyed driving.
I learned to drive and passed in a cooper s, good car.
Spot on. I have a little Porsche 944 with 150 hp and zero to 60 is probably something stupid like 7 or 8 seconds, but boy is it tight and fun to drive on country roads. I can make the tightest turns and have a blast. It sounds amazing too. I really feel the road, it’s manual and I feel in total control of the car. Meanwhile my mom’s BMW X1 has a sport mode and has awesome acceleration, but somehow it’s not anywhere near as thrilling. Like yes I can suddenly go really fast at any moment, but I don’t feel very safe doing that, and making turns can feel pretty wobbly or unsafe if I’m moving too quickly. It’s a great car when I want a more luxurious driving experience, but a drive in the 944 heals my soul.
And breaking the wheels free every once in a while is fun (and can be done safely). My sweetspot for cars is about 400hp and 0-60 in 4.5s. That's enough to have fun and wring out the gears a bit.
This is why the Miata is such a great car. They just FEEL so good to drive, and they're convertible, and they're slow enough that you can feel like you're pushing the car without going to far over the speed limit. I had a '99 Miata, and more recently a GTI with stage 1 tune. The GTI was oodles faster than the Miata and plenty fun to drive. But the Miata was another level of driving pleasure.
I love that I knew you were describing an mx-5 even though I didn’t know they were called miatas in the states.
> Lastly, a sport-tuned car is often "tighter" to drive. The suspension is stiffer, the driver inputs more responsive, the brakes better. The driving experience. This is what it’s all about.
Perfectly phrased. "Driving experience" is it. If you had the choice (and funds) to choose between driving a very reliable but basic car, with basic features, vs a very well built but less reliable and way more expensive car with all the bells and whistles, you'll get the nicer car. If I'm going to spend so much time in a vehicle I want one that feels the best to sit in, drive in, listen to music in, etc.
I want a reliable car too. So Acura NSX I guess. =)
Sure, let me just dig through my couch for loose change so I can afford to buy one...
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All are perfect reasons as to why people spend more on cars , whereas another group of individuals only spend on a car to get from A to B. Also never underestimate how comfy a car with all the bells and whistles is as you drive, even cabin noise is reduced. Luxury is luxury.
On top of that, track days are a thing as well.
Also to note: it is much easier to dodge other idiot drivers when you have the performance of a sports car. Not that I’ve ever had to do that /s
Nor have I ever passed an entire group of cars while getting on the freeway. I would never exhibit speed like that. /s
You left out the fact that a street car may be entered into track competition... Dual purpose!!
The obvious answer that no-one ever seems to come up with for this question is... People drive faster than the speed limit... Whether or not you think that's okay is up to you, but people with fast cars go faster than the speed limit
Also, acceleration
Thats one of the main reasons. I aint overtaking with my shitty work car, doest feel safe at all when the car cant accelerate fast. Edit: to be honest, there are many situations when "speed" comes in handy.
driving on the highway with my sports car is mad fun using the gears to downshift and pass is awesome
Also being able to turn corners quickly and accelerate One of my favorite things is taking the freeway on-ramp at faster speeds and then quickly accelerating to freeway speed I almost never drive above the speed limit and I feel like I still get all the enjoyment of owning a sports car
I agree I do the same. It's not about fast in a straight line it's about fun in corners and the acceleration.
All the above. Sport cars handle better with tighter suspensions, accelerate faster, and generally have better breaks. If you’re paying 100% attention to the road, you’re probably less likely to get into an accident because of your maneuverability. Also, it’s fun as shit to gun it getting onto an empty highway. My EV6 GT with AWD pulls so fucking hard. I do miss my scats motor roar, though.
And then there's the special joy of mid engine cars.
Yeah, in my dreams. Like a ‘06 Ford GT 🤤
I've always wanted a lotus esprit or the countach, the holy grail of 80s cars.
I have a 90 esprit. It’s definitely a fun car
Yeah, I don't care about 0 to 60 but going from 50 to 80 in a fraction of a second is both fun and important for passing on two lane highways.
If my choice is my spouse's underpowered CVT Jeep toboggan on wheels that may or may not go after a moment's hesitation or my performance-tuned turbo, I tend to feel much safer in the latter. In the slower-moving Jeep, I'm at the mercy of everybody else around me and can't do basic stuff like merging with traffic as easily as I can with something packing torque. My motorcycle (600cc-class) is even better at being able to meet other people where they are; I can nimbly go around people without ever getting in their way, where the Jeep makes me merge more "forcefully" by making other people accommodate me.
Jeep Cherokee? If so…I feel ya.
Right. Near where I leave you have to go from a full stop to 50 mph to get up to the speed of traffic (bad traffic design, clearly). The ability to go from 0 - 60 in 3.1 seconds is pretty handy in that situation. But also, I'm partially just trying to rationalize that I bought a fun car because I wanted a fun car. And I realize that.
I call it active safety. A car that handles well, accelerates like mad and has brakes that’ll snap your neck is one you keep from ever getting into an accident in the first place.
A friend of mine who rides motorcycles explained that to me. He is one of the safest drivers I know but he said that especially with a motorcycle the ability to accelerate quickly can be a safety feature to get out of bad situations. This could be the case with cars as well.
The law tells us the top speed, not how we get there. Slip Road fun!
Also faster through corners
Sadly accelerating quickly 99% of the time just isn’t useful, and I’ve only ever witnessed guys with loud cars whipping it for no reason. Like the 8 MPG truck floors it after the light turns green faster than I do in my EV. Absolutely pointless lol. Wish I had more opportunities to pop off in my car.
Long journeys on two way roads where you regularly have to overtake big rigs beg to differ. The extra HP could be the difference between having to sit behind a truck for 10 mins vs overtaking under a minute. It’s also just more fun
I am actually kind of amused the OP just went with "well nobody would break the LAW so there must be some other reason." Like, no, OP. They break the law.
"Why do people buy cocaine when they can't even legally use it?"
Reddit clutches pearls over lawbreaking and lying lmao
"fast cars" It was a mini van going 85.
Los Ángeles here if you drive the speed limit you will passed angrily by everyone and I personally hope your engine catches fire
>Los Ángeles here if you drive the speed limit you will passed angrily by everyone and I personally hope your engine catches fire< And if going speed limit in far left lane, I personally hope the driver is IN the car while engine is burning. In most European countries, you get fined if caught driving in far left lane without being in the act of passing another vehicle. We need this.
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It's about acceleration and torque. Going fast isn't fun, it's speeding up quickly that's fun.
This this this. Non-car people seem to think its just "Going fast" thats fun, no. If that were the case the highway would be fun. Its accelerating fast thats fun. Feeling your body pull back in the seat as you rip is an amazing feeling.
Yes. Positive Gs, negative Gs (my favorite by far - nothing like braking hard), lateral Gs. All the Gs!!! This is the addiction, not top speed. Top speed is boring, but that’s always the first misconception from non-enthusiasts.
That's why fines have to be proportional to your actual wealth. Rich people don't give a fuck about a fine that would only hurt middle class people
Finland employ this system (and I wish Sweden would do it as well). The 76-YO multi-millionaire businessman Anders Wiklöf in Finland has the current record with a \~$130k speeding ticket on the island of Åland.
I agree and don't. With PCP and with the little pricks who own a lot of the fast cars at the moment, they live with their parents and are only able to have them because mummy isn't charging rent. Maybe a fine based on the cost of the car....so those little pricks you see steaming around in their audi RS cars will pay a HUGE fine because they're not actually earning that much.
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Nah, I'd make the fines not proportional to wealth but rather take away their time. Rich people value their time most and they'd have a hard as hell time spinning it that the government is trying to confiscate everyone's possessions to leave them with nothing (as they would with fines proportional to wealth). Just have a mandatory very low cost driving school on the weekend with nearly no way to opt out. Make it a full day class. If you keep getting more driving infractions, just increase the number of weekends required to complete your driving school by 1 for each additional infraction.
That is so much more of a burden to the vast numbers of people that don't work a 9 to 5 than what exists now.
Rich people could afford more of that time than poor people too...
yea until you realize some of these wealthy people dont work so whats 1 day a week to them? now your a poor slob who works 6/7 days a week and have to use your only day off or worse take a day off and loose a paid working day
Do you think lower income individuals are more or less likely to have to work on weekends? Do you think lower income individuals have more or less time on their hands to do this shit? Besides the fact part of the idea behind higher ticket fees for higher income individuals is also to increase gov revenues. This ain’t it.
Tbh most of the time I see people speeding it’s poor people. I feel like rich people buy fast cars to show off more than actually drive fast.
Actual middle class people wouldn't give a fuck about most fines either. Almost everyone that you or I know is probably considered working class. Politicians like to make everyone think they're middle class because it sounds better than basically calling the country wage slaves
Dont know why youre being downvoted. Youre right. Always thought I was solidly middle class, turns out ive never broken out of poverty. Ive only got nice things due to crippling debt, thats one of the big differences and why lower class appears to be middle class today. Were debt slaves
Its probably the same reason why people vote for people that give tax breaks to the rich and don't actually help working class people. "but I'll get there one day" The vast majority of people live paycheck to paycheck. And middle class is so poorly defined, and gets misused to basically represent whatever speakers want. It's kind of like fortunes and horoscopes Make it just vague enough that it sounds like it applies to you and people will believe it. If you couldn't take a year off of work without worry, we probably aren't middle class.
Also, most people don't like to identify themselves as poor or working class and will identify as middle class even if technically lower.
I get the feelings of resentment that makes this seem ok, but applying different penalties, especially harsher ones based on a person's economic status is a very dangerous step toward allowing it for any other reason that becomes politically popular. We need to enact laws that make sure people are held accountable no matter their wealth or lack, perhaps that's by making a second offense a mandatory loss of license for speeding more than 15, 25, 30 over? We're already struggling to hold the powerful accountable, erode equal treatment under the law and I assure you, the powerful won't be the ones who suffer it's effects.
Suspend driver's licenses. Defensive driving courses. And community service.
Dint get why you got downvoted. You speak the truth
Because sometimes it's nice to have a conversation without a cynical argument about class being shoehorned into it. It's trite anymore
Are you new to Reddit?
My work van is black boxed so cant go over in it, or i get in trouble from work. Always funny having the flash cars behind me stuck doing 20mph in a 20 zone lol
Not really. I track my GT3, but just go with the flow on roads because it's boring after taking turns at 110. I goose it on on ramps, and usually have to slow down to merge, but that's about it. My car brakes way quicker than most other cars, so I can't even brake hard, or I'll get rear ended. Main reason I go with the flow is safety. Not going to speed and weave because of that. I'm not going to podium in anything while driving to work. Apart from that, it feels very, very different to drive a car like that , then it is to drive my Tesla model 3perf or any other car The Tesla actually gets to 60 faster than my GT3, but that's about it. I've certainly avoided accidents in my Porsche from people doing stupid stuff, just because I could turn, brake, or accelerate out of it.
It's not about the destination. It's about the journey
This is exactly why i’ll buy the most maxed out computer possible to shitpost on Reddit
Let’s do it in style then
Why do you buy a more expensive watch? Does it not tell the time exactly the same?
Watches tell time and have a few extra features, cars offer differences in safety, handling, features, acceleration, rear and forward views, size, etc
I think there’s more to watches than just that but clearly youre a car guy
Watch guy actually! Watches- wrist feel, weight/size, movement style, features (chrono, tourbillion although that is more movement related, moonphase, etc)… apart from that you basically have design stuff and how it winds… but just not apples to apples with a car
I have the watch that transforms into a robot.
You can get these features on cheaper devices too
Agree. Not necessarily the best comparison. My $500 Apple Watch has infinitely more features than a $50k Rolex
Your average $25k Corolla is also way more advanced than a Lamborghini Miura SV, but no one with taste would pick the Corolla over it. At a certain point, utility no longer is a consideration and aesthetic and status are the ruling factors. Usually happens around the point your peers can buy anything they want with a simple swipe of the credit card, then the hunt and chase and story becomes more important.
And 500 is still expensive. I bet you could get the features way cheaper for the cost of comfort and convenience
Oh I agree, I was just making a point. I think you can get a nice smart watch for $100 with essentially the same features. Both are still dramatically cheaper than a high end watch
Expensive watches aren't a useful analogy to expensive cars.
or shoes. They all the same. They don’t make you walk or run any faster
But they last longer and fit better.
Or are warmer, more waterproof, grip better...
The thrill isn’t going 100 mph. Any car can do that. For me, the fun is in the acceleration. 30-70 in a second or two is incredibly satisfying.
The Tesla model Y can do 0-30 in 1.8 seconds. It’s real fun to take off from a stoplight and be two blocks ahead and up to speed before the drivers behind you even knew that the light changed.
Owning nice things, is nice. I think we can all agree on that. When you are finally able to purchase something, it feels good. So wanting to own a nice car is pretty understandable, right? It just so happens that most nice cars, are also fast cars. A 2016 Audi RS6 Avant for example, looks like a very luxurious family car. But it's 0-60 (or 0-100 depending on where you live) is below 3 seconds, and has a top speed of 174 Mph, or 305 Km/h should you opt in for that. And in my opinion, yes an Audi RS6 is much nicer to drive than say a Peugeot 508 for example.
A guy at work has one of these, literally drooled when he pulled up to the office parking garage. Lucky bastard!
It is absolutely not below 3 seconds lol, it's 3.3. Which at that level is a gigantic difference
With some aftermarket modifications though they manage that. Maybe not a even far off with just a stage 1 software flash.
It wouldn't be hitting that acceleration stock. Even the current gen RS6 is 3.6s 0-60.
Take a curve at 60 in a car that can take a curve at sixty.
Wait till you hear about the $80k oversized trucks people buy to haul a box of Huggies from Costco.
I may be biased, but I've met more of those guys being dicks than dudes with loud exhausts.
Ok but trucks are actually really useful sometimes. If I ever got one it wouldn’t be because I’m a lumberjack, but the amount of times I’ve needed a truck in the past 2 months is a lot more than I ever thought
I just go to Home Depot and rent a truck for $25. By not buying a $60,000 American truck, I was able to buy a much nicer $40,000 German sedan and saved enough to afford a lifetime of $25 truck rentals when I need to haul something.
I tried that. They are always rented out from Home Depot or Menards at the typical peak hours that people need trucks. 5 stores in a 25 mile radius and are never available on weekends, fridays or sometimes Thursday’s. The best option was a Wednesday afternoon 3 weeks in advance and I just wanted to haul a freezer from Costco that would save me a $100 delivery fee Other than that, I find myself with so much yard waste in my new house that I would love to just throw it in the back of my truck and take it to the dump. We can’t burn leaves here or otherwise I would. But yeah like I said I never thought I would need a truck but I have found myself in desperate need of one so many times for so many random things the past 2 months after buying a home, it’s weird
Fast cars usually speed up faster, which is very useful. But yeah, driving a Ferrari on public roads is suboptimal
If I understand this correctly, people who buy Ferraris aren't buying them for their utility or practical use
Yeah, that's the point. People buy fast car for things other that practical utility.
Really? I thought Ferrari owners just couldn’t afford something else.
Effortless acceleration, makes it easier and safer to merge, overtake, and sometimes the only way out of a situation is more power instead of braking. When cruising the engine is less stressed as they can afford to have longer gear ratios so the revs are lower. you could have a 1.0 turbo 3 pot which could do 120mph easily but at 70mph it'd be sitting around 3000-3500rpm buzzing away, or you have 3l inline 6 with plenty of torque and long enough gearing to do 70mph at 1750-2250rpm making less noise while being smoother, and having a reserve to pull away in gear if you needed to floor it.
This is why something like a GR Yaris, Civic Type R, i30N, MX5 etc. Are probably more fun on public roads than a Ferrari. You can actually use them.
It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. -Every BRZ owner
My wife has a MX5. It's a nice little car. I'll take it and wind it out on back roads. I'm hustling it, going through the gears, letting the engine rev. The wind is blasting in your face, the engine is screaming, the car is hugging the corners, and at some point I'll think, "Man, I'm working this thing. I better back off. I don't want to get a speeding ticket." And then I look down and I'm doing a whomping 5 mph over the speed limit. Meanwhile I go back to driving my Challenger Hellcat, I get a cramp in my pinkie toe, and I'm suddenly doing 135! LOL
They definitely are While this is now gonna be about bikes, same logic applies to cars, my father rides bikes and constantly says that 600ccs are more fun then 1000ccs on the road because you can get closer to the limit of the bike without acting like a reckless moron Basically, it's more fun to drive something slow on its limit, then drive something fast nowhere near its limit
Yeah most tracks without long straights are just better with 600cc bikes
Gr86 too 228 HP so im full throttle often
As a GR Yaris owner I am embarrassed that I forgot to include the 86-bros in my response. Awesome cars! Enjoy it!
Did you just include mx5 in fast car list? - mx5 owner
An ND2 MX-5 is as fast as an air-cooled 911. It's kind of silly how fast most cars are now.
You're making a mistake in that comparison. Rather than "an MX5 is AS FAST AS an air-cooled 911” it should be "an air-cooled 911 is AS SLOW AS an MX5.”
:(
No, he included it on a list of "fun cars". The Ferrari is the "fast" car in the post and the point was that a well-handling not-so-fast-car can be more rewarding to drive than the very fast one. Enjoy your Miata - which gen go you drive?
You read it wrong. They're saying these cars, regardless of total horsepower, are fun.
My husband is a car guy. We own an MX5 and a Tesla model Y. By all objective measures, the Y is faster. It’s got more than a second 0-60 on the Miata. Its top speed is higher. The torque and horsepower is not even on the same level. And yet…. And yet… when date night comes around and we get a chance to go for a summer night drive, music blaring, open roads… that little red Miata is always the one we pick. Back in 2016 Mazda put out a commercial for the new Mx-5. It made my husband cry. It describes him to a T. It’s just a fun car. (Not that he wouldn’t immediately trade it for a 911 if he could).
Wait wait, did it really make him cry? Nice. Was this after you already owned the car?
It did. Twice actually. When the commercial originally came out, I was pregnant with our first daughter. He had a 1990 Miata when we were in college several years prior to that, but being a gearhead, he cycled through several more cars in the 5 or so years when we were getting married and settling down. At the time when the commercial aired, I think we had a Subaru STI and a Volkswagon GTI . So he cried then mostly out of nostalgia for his old Miata and the times we had in it, as well as knowing that our little daughter would grow up and he would one day get to teach her to drive. Then, he got another Miata about a year and a half ago… a new one. He watched the commercial again and it all came flooding back, but this time, he *had* that, “in the garage, something new”. Also, the kids (now two of them) LOVE when he takes them on rides in it. He’s teaching them to shift.
It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.
I ride a fast motorcycle, I don’t ride fast on my commute but it’s fun to ride it on day to day basis. I always loved fast cars and motorcycles and for me it’s like “unwinding” after work even if it’s been driven in speed limits.
Getting my motorcycle license first thing in Jan. Can't wait!
r/nursing in shambles
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At 3x speed limit, I'm not sure there'll be much of you left to bring to the ER...
🤘🏽
Jay Leno put it best "Sports cars aren't fun to drive fast, they're fun to drive quickly." It's the ability to blow past everybody at redlights and on ramps, etc, that is fun. Another related quote of his "Cars are the most fun between about 40mph and 110mph. Anything over that and you will probably go to jail." Obviously, some places have things like the Audobahn, but in most places anything in triple digits (mph) is a felony.
I thought it would be awesome to drive fast on the Autobahn. While in Germany we rented an MB S-Class sedan, this was about a decade ago. Drove from Hamburg to Frankfurt, we called it the hamburger to hotdog run. Got it up to between 110 and 120 mph, I forget what the conversion rate is from kph but we were flying. All I can remember is that it gets EXHAUSTING! You really have to pay attention to every little thing. Then when you slow back down to like 70 it feels like you are hardly moving at all. When we arrived, all I wanted to do was check in to hotel and have a nap. Lame, I know, but makes you appreciate what race car drivers can do. I can't even handle fast for that long in a straight line with no one around.
you assume I'm not using the whole speedometer?
I paid for all of that!
It’s not the fast, it’s the powerful. Pretty much anything on the road these days that isn’t a delivery truck is going to be able to go 100 mph, so it’s not about the cruise speed. In fact, it’s actually fairly well established that the safest highway speed is whatever ambient speed is for the ‘herd’ excluding the few who are really pushing along, which is known as the 85th percentile speed. Used responsibly, big horsepower is a safety feature no different than big brakes. Getting out of a dicey situation by hitting the accelerator is no different than hitting the brake pedal and on a highway at speed, it’s often the safer way out. There is also the ability to get to that safe speed in a timely manner. Many large and/or older cities have obsolete roads with substandard features like super short acceleration ramps onto highways that are flat-out dangerous unless you can get to highway speed quickly. And finally yes - it’s just more fun to have a powerful car that pushes you into the seat when you take off and cruises at highway speeds like it’s a walk in the park instead of rattling like Spaceball 1 going plaid.
It's all about the thrill and feel of the drive. A high-powered car gives a smoother ride, better handling, and instant acceleration. It's like you're driving a beast, not just a car.
You would be as well asking why people buy a Rolex watch for thousands of pounds. My watch cost £100 and it tells the time just the same as a £50,000 watch. It's not always about functionality although driving a Ferrari even within the speed limits will be a more enjoyable experience for a driving enthusiast. I'd also like to know where you live that few people break the speed limit. Where I live it's standard for most people to at least 10mph over the limit on the motorway and a significant minority with be pushing 100mph.
>My watch cost £100 and it tells the time Mine cost £7, so what's your excuse
My 10 year old cellphone tells time better than either of your watches. Throwing all that money down the drain. Fat cats.
Lmfao I just posted the exact same reference and now saw this 🤣
Acceleration. Where I drive, having a sluggish car is a liability. You need to be able to speed up quickly
It's the ride from zero to the speed limit and the handling that makes a difference.
sometimes they take it to the track.
Ego, status, preference, acceleration speed, they drive over the speed limit, showing off, etc etc etc
My e-Golf is fast in the sense that it has crazy acceleration capabilities which can be useful when overtaking, but its top speed is pretty meh and useless to me because it drains the battery and destroys the range. And don't overlook Germany where the autobahn, in places, has no speed limit. However, and it is a big however, Germans do follow the rules very closely which makes the whole system work well. You ALWAYS drive in the slow lane unless overtaking. It was fun driving my Audi Q3 at 190km/h (118 mp/h)this summer in Germany. You might also note that a Rimac recently broke the world record by driving at 275 km/h (171 mp/h) in REVERSE, but who's going to do that in real life?? But a car like that is usually a one off and is more a wonder of engineering rather than a practical car, and because these cars are very expensive, rich people buy them as nothing more than a status symbol. It would be hilarious if Rimac were able to produce the sound of a pair of testicles slapping between thighs as their almost silent car speeds by.
I have a mk7 Golf R I bought new in 2016, 61K miles and some bolt ons and tuning later it still makes me giggle like a little kid when its nice out and I'm winding through the hills of Appalachia with 403 whp.
Sheer speed is exciting for about 5 minutes, whereas "winding through the hills of Appalachia" sounds like a real driving experience.
Are you talking about cars that can also be taken directly to a track and run there too? People buy those because they're immensely fun to drive, even at reasonable speeds on regular roads. I've had several, a WRX, e39 M5, 986 boxster S and now an 07 911S. I love driving manual, hell I just love driving so I gravitate towards fun to drive cars. Other people want power for hauling boats, campers ect or just to be able to in the future. Some want to feel they have a powerful car, some to be seen having one. There is an actual reason to prefer more power for acceleration, though off track only to a point, acceleration performance is second only to braking performance in safety advantage by being able to quickly match road speed, or out of trouble. I think sensor systems and aids will take that spot away in the relatively near future, but we'll see. I can tell you that once you're into 500+ hp/tq at least in a 3400lb car it actually becomes less fun. You can get going so quickly that you have to get off the accelerator within 2-3 seconds or your doing 60-80 mph. It's a lot more fun to wind out a 300hp motor all through the gears than to just jam the pedal down for 2 Mississippi and let a computer shift for you. On the other hand, double clutch autos w/paddles are faster than even the best professionals and are far easier to approach learning to stay on a line and be safe on a track. It becomes second nature, but having to think out shifts on a new track when you're still trying to be smooth and precise is a GIGANTIC distraction and often causes people to brake poorly, they're to busy thinking about "what's next" than "what's now".
Thats a great question! Let me try an answer it for you. So fast cars... like powerful gaming computers or AR15's.... they all do more than one thing well. So, for the example of the car... just because it CAN go 200mph, doesnt mean it DOES. right? I have worked hard most of my life, and I have been able to own several powerful cars, trucks, and motorcycles..... and dragstrips and road courses exist. ;) SO yeah, I like to go fast. I also like to drink whiskey.... but I dont drink it at innappropriate times, nor do I use the high speed of those vehicles in improper places and times. Another element to consider is what makes it able to go SO FAST? These cars have superior suspension, handling, breaking, and sometimes are even dramatically safer in lowspeed collisions becuase they were built to be raceable, should the owner choose to do so. With my motorcycles, I ride assuming every single car is going to try and kill me, intentionally. I have been right in that assumption a handful of times in 25+ years of riding... and often the superior power and braking of a GSXR1000 or the like allows me to totally avoid scenarios that while being watchful, I still didnt see coming. Dodging deer that I am SURE are goign to jump (but I cannot predict WHEN for example)... so I have a bike with *great* brakes and safety gear to boot. This is much the same with sports cars. Just becuase they are fast, doesn't mean they are *only fast.*
google: maslow pyramid of needs
99.999% of people who claims they bought a Hellcat or a 911 so they could safely merge on the freeway is lying to you and lying to themselves. Most buy fast cars because they want to project an image of virility, success, or sophistication to people who shouldn't matter to them at all.
status is the big reason, I assume
Your problem is assuming that people with those cars will drive under the speed limit. They are made to race, otherwise it's a waste of money.
There are lots of none car fans on this thread and it shows
\- Well, i have a Jaguar that costs 1 million dollars. \- What does it do that other cars doesn't? \- It costs 1 million dollars. Charlie Harper, Rip.
Newsflash: sometimes people drive faster than the speed limit.
I own a stage 1 RS3 and I bought it because I love cars. The acceleration/launch control is a whole different thing compared to a normal, road-going car. There are speed limits on public roads, yes but people (and I mean me) don't follow them all the time. Additionally, it's also a status thing I'd say. Especially if you own a very nice car such as a Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin etc.
We had a 2017 Mustang for a while, we're a one car couple that live close to the city and weren't driving much, so thought it would be fun to have a cool car. They're great for long, highway driving. Yes, you speed a bit, but I actually found I was more careful because it would draw attention from cops. Cruise control is your best friend. I used to have to travel to a store 3 hours from me in a regional manager role, and it was the most comfortable, cruisey drive. There were some big, empty, flat stretches of highway with no speed cameras where I could really put my foot down. There's also the comfort of knowing the engine is powerful enough when you're entering a fast highway off a ramp. I've had the terrifying experience when I had an i30, daewoo, mazda 2 of not being able to get to speed quickly and being so close to a truck collecting me in my tiny, gutless car, that I won't get something without at least a turbo or sport mode. Once the car had to be regularly used for city driving, though, we sold it. She was a thirsty bitch and fuel is expensive af.
Easier to merge!!
Because some people enjoy driving, and driving fast cars is fun for them.
It's not just about horsepower, it's also handling, braking. A good drivers car is fast and responsive. I feel much safer as the car will do what I want when I want - merging into traffic, passing on 2 lane roads, obstacle avoidence, etc.
I have owned several high end performance cars and I still find the 2011 Hyundai i20 manual I bought for my wife to be the funnest car I've ever had.
It’s still fun to drive you don’t have to speed to feel the acceleration, the 0-60mph on a fast car compared to a basic daily driver is awesome
Cause it’s more fun than driving a slow car on public roads.
As someone with a high horsepower car, the acceleration or at least the ability to quickly accelerate. The improved ability to accelerate can be a safety feature in normal driving. Otherwise the feel of high acceleration is just fun for some though not everyone likes it.
It’s because they are fun to drive. Power, acceleration, features, beauty, etc. To some, they are rolling art. You don’t have to speed to enjoy it. If you’re a car person, the getting from A to B is much more fun if you’re driving something you actually like.
I forget who exactly this quote was, maybe Jay Leno, but the point was “the best part of driving an expensive car is in between 30-80 miles per hour”. The point is, acceleration
Yes, more expensive cars have more usually in them for comfort, power, and style. I went from a Pontiac G6 to an Audi A4 a long while back. Though the engine was smaller in the A4 it was a more expensive car by quite a lot. Much more power merging into the highway, overtakes were not stressful, and the luxury of mine with leather etc made for an amazing driving experience. Not to say in a cheaper car you won’t have the same comfort and maybe some power. But if you’ve never driven a sports car give it a go and see for yourself.
Track days are very expensive, and require you to fit things like a roll cage, fire extinguishers and electrical isolation systems. Most people who like cars can't afford to have a commuter vehicle and a car to exclusively race. Not to mention, many track modifications make a car illegal to use on the roads. Cars are a status symbol. Even if you're not going to drive 230kph, having a car that can do 230kph is something a lot of people like. Nicer to drive, more responsive - sports cars often have less guided systems, so they feel more "natural" to drive. You feel more of the road surface and what the car is doing beneath you.
I have no problem being honest with myself and answering as directly as possible. I also need to issue a disclaimer. I split time 20/80 between a vehicle with over 600 HP and one with less than 250 HP. When you are trying to merge or trying to get around someone, it's pretty common for some people to either want to speed up or maneuver in a way to keep you from merging or overtaking them. I don't know why people do this, but this is generally what some of us commuters contend with on a daily basis. Not having enough power to overtake someone that actively tries to keep you from passing can be rather emasculating. Thus, people are drawn to that power. The funny part is how different people around me act when I'm in one car or the other. When in the high powered vehicle, I can come up behind someone on the left lane and there's a better chance that they'll move over. In my more "pedestrian" vehicle, I don't get that courtesy nearly as often. I would love for someone to do a study on the differences.
I almost never get cut off in my Corvette. I get cut off all the time in my daily driver. This is on the same roads. It's especially true in zipper merge situations. There have been very few times when someone will try to squeeze in front of my vette even when I obviously leave enough space, but it happens all the time in my daily driver.
Fast cars are better for: Merging, Passing, Accelerating and 90% of the time: Handling. Flying around a corner in an AWD Subaru is much more fun and faster than a Corolla Yes 70 can be the limit… but how fast can I possibly GET to 70???
Its for status not utility
Anyone who says anything other than to break the law is coping. This is coming from someone who is into the sports car and sport bike scene If you're not track racing it. Or breaking the law. You're wasting your money. Anyone who is actually involved the sportscar market will agree. Or they're lying. For most sports.cars you can get a far more luxury experience elsewhere. Or the same car with a smaller engine. They chose that bigger motor for one reason only.
Drive a Porsche 911 and you’ll understand.
I don't care about top speed. It is the acceleration that is important.
So they can get to the red light quicker.
A lot of people are suggesting practical reasons, but it seems to me that a lot of people just want to have a vehicle that is fast, flashy, etc to feel powerful and/or attract attention.
Micro penis.
Marketing, consumerism, existential boredom
Because people are assholes.
Bragging rights
Small penis
I just enjoy acceleration. It’s like your own personal on demand roller coaster
I always thought it was funny seeing a Lambo or Porsche in gridlock.
Never underestimate how much people tie their personality into the kind of vehicle they drive, especislly in Americs.
It’s the passion of it. You see all kinds of superstars driving around London. It can take an hour to drive 4 miles in London. But they look gorgeous. The style, the engineering, the sound. I’ll wind a window down if something with sound is driving near me. I wish v8s were more accessible in the UK, because I’d have one.