Here's my 'super car' most of the sensations without the big bills 😀 
I've never been a fan of american sports cars, oldskool muscle aside but you don't by them for the speed or handling...
Until I started playing forza horizon 5 - the Corvette zr-1 is on my list!!!
I wish that they weren’t a thing. I don’t want to be judgmental about them and I get that some people just like them even if they will never have one, but I don’t like them and never have.
They aren’t very numerous and I guess many of them are hardly used so the aggregate impact of their existence is probably smaller than that of other cars. There is a kind of symbolism though on numerous level (conspicuous wealth and consumption, car worship and motornormativity and all that) and I don’t warm to it… although there are probably (mainly pointless) arguments to be had about it all.
In practical terms I don’t like them because they are noisy, smelly, often driven aggressively and they are very wide so take up the whole county lane (and people won’t put them in the brambles in the hedge to let others past).
There are other things I dislike as much or more… power boats with big engines and jet skis come to mind and seem to appeal to the same users.
The thing where cars have become 'status symbols', 'lifestyle adornments', 'a nice place to be' etc, in general instead of just being practical transportation devices is absurd, 'super cars' are the same thing on steroids. A mountain biking mate of mine had some sort of bright red Ferrari, it was noisy, uncomfortable, useless as practical transport and nowhere near as exciting as any number of infinitely more affordable fast motorbikes.
Owning it also gave people the impression that he was an over-moneyed, superficial idiot, which he absolutely wasn't. Or at least that wasn't at the core of who he was. I think he'd bought it out of curiosity and a slightly misplaced sense of proving to himself that he was 'successful'. He sold it a year or so later and didn't miss it at all.
I get that some people absurdly dedicate their otherwise normal lives to acquiring such a thing, but mostly they seem like a lifestyle accessory for people who have ridiculous amounts of spare money and can't think of anything better to do with it.
TLDR: buy a very fast motorcycle instead and spend the considerable cash savings on something else that doesn't scream 'cock!'
Buying the thing is only part of the cost...the servicing, parts and insurance is enough to make me run for the hills!
And considering they will eat tyres for breakfast at £300+ a pop too... nope!
You don't think superfast bike doesn't mean the same? It's a lifestyle accessory - look how tough I am !
Don't particularly covet a supercar as it's not going to be very super in a country with low speed limits and very twisty, tight roads. Taycan sportwagen would be handy tho'
I think the vintage supercar is where it is at, if I won the lottery it would be an E type, a Healy 3000, ac cobra and Ferrari dino. I am probably too big and old for all of them, but they do look beautiful. Modern supercars look pretty shit, and there is the chance of being mistaken for Stephen Ireland.
oh, I wouldn't mind something like an ariel nomad for Nurburgring visits, does that count as a supercar.
Judging by the number of "Win this car for £x" competitions on the internet there are still lots of people that like the idea of having a supercar although I would bet most winners take the cash alternative as having a Lambo parked outside your modest semi would look a bit daft.
I do know a guy with a recent 911, nice but not a super supercar, who has been pestered by "influencers" to let them use his car in their videos. He also gets pestered in prom season and it drives him nuts.
I cannot really see the point on our congested roads. I guess the drivers can at least see what is in front of them unlike some of the larger SUVs that are now so common.
Got to go, Harry's doing a road trip in his McLaren.
useless as practical transport and nowhere near as exciting as any number of infinitely more affordable fast motorbikes.
This^^
When it comes to fast bikes, I am old and smart enough to know better, but they are still the thing I get most excited about if nice roads and speed are involved. 👍 😊
Anything supercar like, it would (for me) have to be a track day.
The Corvettes C8 stunning in real life, I quite fancy one but they are still a bit on the pricey side 🙂
Judging by the number of "Win this car for £x" competitions on the internet there are still lots of people that like the idea of having a supercar although I would bet most winners take the cash alternative as having a Lambo parked outside your modest semi would look a bit daft.
Theres some stupidly priced semis nowadays 🙂
The problem is they would struggle with the upkeep, yearly servicing and insurance would be a nightmare.
TLDR: buy a very fast motorcycle instead and spend the considerable cash savings on something else that doesn't scream 'cock!'
Doesn't even have to be a "very fast" motorbike, just back from a weekend away in Swansea, traffic jams didn't bother me, narrow roads didn't bother me, motorhomes didn't bother me and cost about 10p per mile in fuel, only downside was choosing where to park that didn't involve worrying about it getting nicked over the weekend, but that's just another reason to have a 10yo dull honda that only cost me £4k 🙂
I'd have something if the numbers come up - Lotus Elise for a small win or GM T.50 for a big one. Then I am a bit of an unrequited car nut. I'd have a pretty significant collection of classics and race cars. Don't see anything fundamentally wrong with them. They don't do much mileage really and they're a bit of fun. you can only drive one thing at a time.
Having said that I really don't get the point of Lambos or Zondas of any of the other ridiculous pen1s extension type things. They just make you look ridiculous.
Hypothesis:
A lot of innovation happens in motorsports as manufacturers need too eek out every bit of weight saving, fuel economy, aero, etc.
That then trickles down to the road legal racing car /super car and eventually bits of it into your average family wagon.
Not the only factor driving innovation in road cars sure... But it's got to be a significant contributor?
I've always found the engineering of them fascinating
But, I don't really like the modern trend of truly ridiculous performance. They just seem to be chasing absolutely massive numbers, Ferraris and Lamborghinis with close to 1000bhp from factory, just seems completely pointess. Maybe its as a result of trying to raise their appeal vs massively powerful EVs?
If i had a big lottery win I'd have a Lexus LFA, failing that a 911 Turbo
No. They're pointless and are only about vanity. As for engineering - pah. Engineering should have a purpose other than fluffing up some rich git.
If you want fast, get a racing car. If you want luxury, get a luxury car. These things are nothing more than obscenely rich person's top trumps. They want you to think they're posh but really they're trashy.
Flame on
No, not interested. Yeah, a Countach looks good on a poster...if you are 10, but if I had a lottery win, still no. But lets assuming I had won the lottery, and all the useful things that could be done with cash had happened... and there was still a supercar size wodge left over.. then I would buy something much cheaper, a year of training, race entry, support and racing on proper tracks against folk in the same car, eg Caterham Acadamy or similar. Ie learn something, do some actual motorsport and not just posing in a supercar.
He also gets pestered in prom season and it drives him nuts.
He live in the States?
If not tell em to do one.
I am honestly quite happy with my van. I've tried fast cars and, almost without exception, I am too tall to enjoy being in one. If I want to go fast and scare myself, I'll take my ratty Suzuki Bandit out which, despite being old and slow is still fast enough to scare me.
No. They're pointless and are only about vanity. As for engineering - pah. Engineering should have a purpose other than fluffing up some rich git.
I think the ‘influencer’ culture has made this worse.
These days it's getting a little insane, 1000 bhp for half million pound cars that's just totally unusable on an proper road.
I'd happily buy something like a Ferrari 430 if I won the lottery, not interested in some daft hybrid monster
I have a boxster which despite having less horsepower than a top end golf is already faster than I'd ever need, and great fun on a b road.
That said, I'd make an exception for a zonda. The greatest looking car ever made, inside and out
If you want scary fast buy a big motorbike.
If you want flashy and very cool buy a supercar. I'd have a Lamborghini Countach, a Ferrari F40 or a Maclaren F1 or a Gordon Murray T50. The rest don't interest me.
In reality they're mostly about vanity and showing off. A bit of an anachronism these days.
I have a replica of my favourite ever car (Lotus 7) that I enjoy working on and driving so I'm all done until that Lottery win comes around 😎 🤣
i'm glad they exist, as it keeps me in a job (carbon composite industry producing various parts for various super car makers).
Most modern super cars dont do much for me, but the classics are still cool. F40, F1, 959, stuff like that.
But as boring as it might be, i'd rather have a modern hot hatch, quicker down a b road and more practical.
@TheFlyingOx - ooh, what car do you have? Mustang or Jag type thing?
Given 'all the money' I wouldn't buy a traditional supercar, but I WOULD love an Arial Atom, with the K20a engine... Would be GREAT fun as I'd use more of the money on track and 'ring trips!
DrP
I'd rather have a quick saloon/estate or hot hatch in reality but glad they exist. The F1, F40, XJ220 and big V12 Lambos were poster cars for me as a kid. Given ALL OF THE MONEY I'd probably have a silly fleet tucked away.
My 14 year old Caddy will have to do for now though.
I'm very lucky in that my best mate has had all the nicest and fastest cars so the desire for me to get something "fancy" to impress my friends has been snuffed out.
And I'm tickled by how much he enjoyed chugging up to West Kirby in my 15 year old Vivaro when he couldn't squeeze his windsurfer into the Aventador. We now do the same in my 8 yr old Passat estate. (after abingham of this parish bought the van - hope you enjoyed it Andrew!).
But now the thing that I envy about his recent motors is the ability to drive on our motorway network at 70mph without the constant tyre noise. That's the thing I'll be trying to emulate in my next purchase, when the Passat conks out.
the ability to drive on our motorway network at 70mph without the constant tyre noise
That's why I spent time and a lot of effort replacing all the suspension components in my old Merc - to make it as smooth and quiet as it would have been when it was new. I think I've managed it reasonably well. I can't afford a new one so the best I can hope for is a renovated old one!
Given unlimited money I might opt for the quietest car available this side of a Rolls Royce Spectre - which is probably a Merc EQS.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp948xjkpkdo
Obviously super car owners are a bunch of criminals.
ooh, what car do you have? Mustang or Jag type thing?
Good guess. It's a 2017 Mustang with a whopping great 3.0L Whipple supercharger bolted onto it and the power/weight ratio has it rubbing shoulders with the Ferrari F50 and Pagani Zonda. It's ok being able to go but you need to be able to stop too so I've upgraded the brakes and suspension to cope with the additional oomph. The downside of the additional oomph is additional noise. Currently looking for one of those valved exhaust things so I can make it sound much less obnoxious when in polite company.
Pic in touring mode:
I'm under no illusions that it's anything other than a tarted up Ford, but it doesn't half make me smile when I'm behind the wheel.
I got requested (on the back of a throwaway comment) to drive a mate’s DB11 back from Zurich to Yorkshire through some windy roads in the Vosges and Champagne so that was my itch well and truly scratched. I recently borrowed his Mrs Macan 4S electric for a prom night run and that thing was menkal 🤪
Given a 9 figure lottery win, I’d have lots of interesting cars, mostly super, from various decades. Have to say, mega power Leccy ones do nothing for me, they’d have to make a nice* noise
*nice would range from a smooth hum, to a tuneful zip, to straight up savagery
I might even learn to drive too.
Currently looking for one of those valved exhaust things so I can make it sound much less obnoxious when in polite company.
I leave the back lane in electric mode in my M5 touring when it’s early in the morning and coming back when it’s late a night . Keeps the neighbours happy ( well apart from one who complains when he doesn’t hear the V8 burbling up the lane 🤣 )
Had a little straight line race against McLaren 570 last week on an old airfield . I was keeping up with it to around 120mph when I decided to brake first. Who needs supercars 😂
I got my supercar itch scratched at work. Someone else paid for it all. And i got paid. And trained.
Passing a police car going the other way in a not quite completely road legal V12 at full chat was what put a stop to it all.
Thankfully he didn't turn round to see what all the noise was. Or it would have been a very very long ban for me.
TBH, the engineering is actually relatively easy in high/super/hyper performance cars, because the first thing they do is remove all the bits that are difficult to achieve like cost, noise, fuel consumption, crash, reliability, service/cost of ownership. It's mainly just throwing time and money at the issues.
I can *easily* get 300+bhp/litre if i don't have to meet the same requirements as i do for a family saloon.
Even the cooling (a la Bugatti Chiron radiators) is easy if you're allowed to spend 4 days putting the cooling system together.
Takes about 20 minutes on a family saloon, including the fill.
When i was about 9 i had pretty much memorised the entire Top Trumps Supercars and Performance Cars packs. The F40 was the best, but even then my favourite was the Lancia Delta, for some odd reason.
As a teen i was much more interested in being a hippy with a T2 camper.
But since i didn't bother learning to drive until i was 34 I have never had anything remotely nippy.
If i won the lottery now in my 40s, I'd probably go for a Lancia, or perhaps a TR6. I'd take a few test drives down at the Porsche garage though, see what all the fuss is about.
You don't think superfast bike doesn't mean the same? It's a lifestyle accessory - look how tough I am !
To the layperson (me), all motorbikes with the classic 'racing' silhouette look exactly the same - an egg with wheels. Just looks like a bloke on a bike. But a bright purple Lambo stands out a mile to even the most non-petrolhead, and imo almost always does scream 'tosser'. Especially so if it's doing 3mph in an urban traffic jam, or parked outside the shop.
That said, i did once see a young man stop his convertible Ferrari outside the shop in one of the most high crime areas of Brisol, blocking the road, leave the engine running and the door open, stroll into the shop, queue up politely to buy a single pack of chewing gum, and then stroll back to his car. Don't know who he was, but it made quite a statement, and it wasn't just 'my dad's rich'...
I drive a boring Ford I suppose but still enjoy watching these 2 waffle on about cars The supercar paddock from the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Somebody put the 2 men in a field video on here years ago and started me watching Jonny Smith and listening to his podcast with Rich Porter.
He does more interesting cars like this, interesting to me at least!
I think a lot of cars on the road now are completely unnecessary in terms of size and speed but marketing budgets keep throwing stuff into our faces and convincing us to buy em. The supercar market seems to have become more of an investment or marketing tool as far as I can see, London is awash with pearlescent wrapped nonsense parked outside a jewellers somewhere in Belgravia. I was in Harrogate a few weeks back and a finance firm had about 20 outside of a hotel selling car loans to the Yorkshire glitterati.
Depends where you live IMO - a supercar in the south of France fits in perfectly.
If you want to look cool in this part of the south of France this is the kind of super car you need:
https://www.leboncoin.fr/ad/voitures/2884742701
Drive any kind of 2CV variant with the roof down through the south of France and tel me it's not a super car.
Unless you're into rapports tarifés in which case a mega buck super car might attract the kind of people you wish to meet. 😜
Super cars look cool and all that but I'd rather have a race one off, built by mechanics who know their onions. Some of the crazy stuff built for Pikes Peak or the Berg Cup maybe.
Something intimidating with a mechanical violence that shakes you to your core!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEdoa0m6tU8
But a bright purple Lambo stands out a mile to even the most non-petrolhead, and imo almost always does scream 'tosser'. Especially so if it's doing 3mph in an urban traffic jam, or parked outside the shop.
I was in Nice last year on holiday and one day rode to Monaco. From about 2-3 miles outside the Principality, the roads were solid with flash cars. I was filtering down the middle, conscious that I was inches away from wing mirrors that cost more than my bike. It was an absolute hellhole. Seemed to be the thing to do - buy a car worth more than an average UK house, sit in traffic in Monaco doing 3mph.
Riding around the place, there were no useful shops (none that I saw anyway). Was all glitzy Ferrari, Bugatti and Lamborghini showrooms.
Stuck in all this insane traffic were a few buses, presumably carrying the plebs to their jobs in hotels and as valets for these flash cars whenever they parked up anywhere. Seriously dysfunctional place, I didn't like it at all. Although I did get to ride most of the F1 circuit, in amongst having to slow down for all these cars capable of 200mph which had presumably never got out of first gear around the Monaco streets.
Riding around the place, there were no useful shops
Philippe Gilbert has a bike shop in Monaco.
Seriously dysfunctional place, I didn't like it at all.
One of the most densely populated places on the planet. A rich person's ghetto. Apparently you have to cycle to Italy for a decent coffee. The tax situation's good though.
I was also speaking recently to a guy who works for Bentley and he was saying now the market is nuts that you can create a limited edition 20 run of supercar , barely change anything yet sell it for huge margin
Place in the modern world? Billionaires have their own markets. We've had a more equal society for a short while but are heading back to castles and carriages. Sorry. Little bit of politics... Be great if we all could have them though. I should seize power and institute some sort of people's wagon...
A rich person's ghetto
You don't think they actually live in the shit hole do you? It's just somewhere to moor the big boat and declare income. You're far more likely to find them in their other homes in France or where ever, it's just a fiscal usually empty address. Monaco isn't very strict (by that I mean not at all strict) about policing the six month rule which is waived if you invest enough.
The idea that super/hyper cars are better engineered than others is nonsense - if you want a well engineered car you buy a Toyota. These cars are made in low volume therefore there is not enough budget for the level and depth of engineering design and validation that you would get in a high volume car. Fast does not equal well engineered!
Really? And you can back that up with actual engineering data? Certainly, there are some Toyotas that are particularly well engineered, but they’re the low volume high performance versions of regular production cars.
Would you include the Aygo, as an example? It’s an attractive little car, I’ve driven quite a few, but apart from having an attractive exterior, it’s fundamentally identical to a Citroen C1 and the Peugeot 107/108 in a joint venture factory in the Czech Republic.
Re-reading the above quote, part of it doesn’t actually make any sense at all! “These cars are made in low volume therefore there is not enough budget for the level and depth of engineering design and validation that you would get in a high volume car.”
That’s bollocks! When an individual car can cost around a million pounds?
Sheesh!
Mad Mikes 11,000 rpm 4 rotor Mazda RX7
I'm pretty sure that would be even more useless than a super car in the hands of a mere mortal, although I do get where you are coming from, having said that it's still only the same rev limit as a conventionally engined honda fire blade from over 30yrs ago 😉
