Quote:
nberry said:
Owning a $200,00 sports car is NOT just about the ability to test it's speed. It's about the looks you get when you drive it, the satisfaction in knowing you can afford it, and the gratification in seeing that everyone else wishes they were you. Age and sanity are irrelevant here.





Welcome Mrs. nberry. You're right, many people love these cars for more than just the speed. It depends on the person. In fact there are those that either classify them by their exclusivity or simply as a mode of transportation in such a singular way(second point applies to all cars) that they will honestly ask whether it's necessary to ever drive aggressively. These people annoy me because although I like to use my Porsche as enjoyable transportation on trips, I mostly think of it as expensive sporting equipment. If for me it's sporting equipment, then its whole purpose is wasted if I don't take it to the track. It's like having a set of golf clubs that I just look at. Sure I could have bought a go-cart to enjoy motorsports, so there are other things I enjoy about the car and being able to use it on the street, but those are secondary.

That being said, I personally think that the "test its speed" idea is a very bad way to put it. This reminds me of reckless punks trying to see what they can hit on a crowded highway. Any of the supercars we talk about on this board test you way before you can test them. It would take years to extract every ounce of performance from many of them. Driving on a track isn't a daredevil 150 mph public road drive. Besides being in a controlled environment and safer (when organized properly) you're also driving in a more controlled manner. Instead of a quick burst of speed on a public highway, you go out for sessions that last at least 20 minutes and can actually learn to drive at the limits better which I believe can save your butt on the street in many occasions. I love the sport aspect and challenging myself to be smoother and more controlled in my driving (hence safer, and on a track, faster), however there are times I think a couple track days should be required to buy any of these cars simply because they are sharper and someday may require you to act in a proper way when the car is at its limits to avoid disaster. To do this you must spend some time actually at those limits on a track.