[cbatrody]

Source: Matthew DeBord - TECH Insider

http://www.msn.com/en-ae/cars/news/8...?page=1#page=1






Ah, supercars! The Thoroughbreds of the automotive world — they can cost millions; they go very fast, and they attract plenty of attention in traffic and when pulling up to valet lines.

People dream about owning a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, and McLaren, a Pagani, or a Bugatti all their lives, from a tender young age right up until they experience that third or fourth midlife crisis. And although these storied brands make more domesticated, "practical" machines, it's the super-sexy supercars that capture the imagination.

But ... are they really all that?

Well, they are. But they're also, on many levels, beautiful, exotic, alluring, exciting total pains in the a**. Here's why.

1. They're LOWER to the ground than some reptiles



Ground clearance isn't a supercar forte. It can't be — these high-performance machines are supposed to slip though the air, cheat the wind, and their aerodynamics are designed to keep them glued to the road.


This of course means that a modest blemish in the roadway can result in thousands of dollars in damage to the car. America's crumbling infrastructure is an ever present, high-stress foe.

It kind of sucks the pleasure out of driving your Lamborghini if you have to keep a constantly watchful eye out for potholes and speed bumps and if you can't even really navigate your own driveway.


2. They have WAY too much power.



What do you do with horsepower in excess of 600 ponies? Who knows, because under 99.99% of driving circumstances, you're not going to use it.


You will however still incinerate gasoline at an alarming rate.

If you do try to tap into the power, you run a gamut of risks. You could ... completely lose control of the car and have a very costly accident. You could pay no attention to your actual speed and endure a very costly speeding ticket.

You could also just get depressed. Nothing is sadder than a supercar stuck in traffic, looking gorgeous but with no hope of unleashing its potential. You paid for that power! But you'll never get to experience it ...


3. It costs a fortune to buy one — and another fortune to FIX one.



The cheapest supercars are still quite expensive — and you always face the question of whether your sub-$100,000 "supercar" is a true supercar. So you feel the pressure to man up for the pricier shiny metal.


And then you will invariably:

a) Bang into something and need to get your investment repaired.

b) Have to get something fixed that goes wrong with your ride.

In either case, you'll be parting with huge sums of money. Eye-watering, staggering sums, in fact, if you're used to dropping your Lexus off at the dealership for a brake job.

You may also have to wait months to get the car back.


4. They are UTTERLY uncomfortable.



Plush freeway cruising sedans are optimized for the comfort of driver and passengers.


Supercars are not. With few exceptions: The Acura NSX has a reputation for being compliant, and the McLaren 650S is easy to drive.

But the whole point of the supercar is to tuck you down in a low tub made of carbon fiber of magnesium, swaddle you in firm, bolstered, racing-derived seats, and scare the bejeezus out of you as soon as you put the pedal down.

And then just try tooling around town. , and although I was grateful for the nominal cupholders (a supercar rarity), and I certainly enjoyed the spirited driving part, by the time I was heading back to Pasadena from Malibu and trying to get through Downtown Los Angeles, my lower back and I were no longer on speaking terms.


5. No one leaves you ALONE with your supercar.



It doesn't matter where you go. You can't hide. Someone will always approach you with questions, admiring declarations, and requests for selfies.


Not that should expect otherwise. You bought a bright red supercar and didn't plan to hide it in your garage for its lifetime.

But it does get wearisome after that 1,000th time at the gas pump when the dude next to you rolls out the interrogation.

That said, if you're a social person, this could be a boon. There is a sort of brotherhood (and sisterhood) of supercar-isti. So you'll be part of an exclusive club that always has something to talk about.


6. significant number of people THINK you're an idiot.



You may not be, but this is a risk you take when you go in for supercar ownership. The jerkiest photos ever taken of me have featured me behind the wheel of a supercar — and I'm not going to even try to deny it.


They change your character. You become a swaggering rock god, when in real life you might be a meek bureaucrat. Nothing you can do about it. It's like slipping on a bright yellow suit. There will be judgments.


7. You can FORGET about drinking coffee.



With suspensions that are about as tight as the Allman Brothers at the Fillmore East in 1970s, plus the aforementioned snug ground clearance, chances are that you're beverage will not go unspilled in a supercar.


Even in the unlikely event that your supercar has cupholders, they will offer no protection from the sloshing created by bumps in the road. Or just the road.

So you can forget about refreshments. Mind you, there are those who would say that if you're worried about your morning coffee in your supercar, you shouldn't actually have a supercar. But that's a ridiculously purist attitude. Caffeine is a right.


8. The carwashes WILL bankrupt you.



Supercars aren't allowed to be dirty. Heck, they aren't allowed to be smudged.


Fingerprints must be immediately buffed out. And let's not even talk about that which birds will sometime do in the vicinity of cars. You're best off keeping your supercar inside when it rains.

The implicit requirement that you maintain your supercar in showroom-new condition, if not art-galley level nick, is oppressive. These are no machines that you can run through the gas-station car wash. No, they demand detailing. Every single time they're cleaned.

And not just any detailing — rather, supercar-grade detailing. So if you're accustomed to that twice-yearly detailing bill of $200, well, get ready for Special Forces-caliber detailing — and the massive hit to your bank account.


But hey, as tough as it is to live with the supercar — they're still SUPER-CARS!



What I mean is that there is no art without struggle.


You will have rough patches with your supercar, you will agree that the two best days for a supercar owner are the day you buy and the day you sell.

But then the light will come down at just the right angle and catch the car just so, and your ride will take your breath away again, like it has so many times before.

Maybe I'll keep it!

No offense meant to supercar owners, on a funny lighter note.

[huracan.lp580]

Great find! I can already vouch for 4 reasons, even before I take delivery of my LP580-2!

1. Ground Clearance - Getting a new garage built since the car is too low to make it up our driveway, even when equipped with the lifting system. My Mini Cooper running with a JCW body kit has no issues whatsoever and that is a very low car!
3. Cost and patience - The ex showroom price itself is exorbitant due to our import duties. Add in a few basic options, road taxes and insurance, and you're looking at additional increases of 30%-40%! I ordered my car back in November, for a promised delivery date towards the end of Feb. The car is finally arriving in May, making it a 6 month wait. Servicing and repairs are known to be time consuming as well.
7. Cupholders - The Huracan does not come equipped with cup holders and does not even have an appropriate place to store the key!
8. Paint and cleaning - Thankfully I have help at home to keep the car clean and detailed, but getting paint protection film over the entire car will cost quite a bit.

I won't be surprised if all the other reasons turn out to be true as well. However, I'm pretty sure that these hassles will be worth the big grin every time I see the car!

[EPMV]

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post messages that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the quality of this forum.

Please read our rules before proceeding any further. We request you to post ONLY when you have something substantial to add to a discussion.

[cbatrody]

Originally Posted by huracan.lp580

I won't be surprised if all the other reasons turn out to be true as well. However, I'm pretty sure that these hassles will be worth the big grin every time I see the car!

True, It is one of the dreams of millions of car enthusiasts around the world to own a supercar, if not at least to drive one. You are one of the blessed ones to have the privilege to own one of those exclusive machines. Congratulations on your prized possession and drive safe!

As you said, all those hassles don’t matter when you compare them to the pure pleasure of driving, there is absolutely nothing like it.

[vinit.merchant]

True that.

10 years back, I clearly remember a poor chap trying to take his Porsche 911 to fill its tummy of high octane petrol, and around that time, only shell had it. So this guy is trying to reach the bunk, and roads had deteriorated real bad. I stopped at a tapri for a cigarette and to watch the 911. A scratch less shining Yellow one at that. And the guy driving had already gone nuts. His Co Passenger was already out of the car guiding him about the road from the front and the chap himself used to stick his head out time and again to get a clear view of how nonexistent the road actually is.
Of course, all this while he had the traffic honking madly at him whenever he swerved left and right.

Needless to say, of the many Bhp's available on tap, the guy would have barely used as much as the humble Maruti 800, maybe lesser. I finished my smoke by the time he reached the bunk some 150-200 meters away.

By the time I was finished with my addiction and ready to roll, he had managed to reach the bunk. Once done, he will have to go through the trauma again for reaching home.

One thing was pretty clear to me that day, there is no point in owning a sports car or a super car in India at least.

[huracan.lp580]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

One thing was pretty clear to me that day, there is no point in owning a sports car or a super car in India at least.

I respect your opinion, but wanted to throw some light from an owners point of view. Road conditions are improving and octane boosters are available, so there really is no need to find a high octane pump. Also, most supercar owners have other daily drives. The way I see it, supercars only make sense when traffic is minimal and road conditions are safe, but yes, there are times when they can actually be enjoyed. If you're picturing a supercar to replace an everyday car, they make absolutely no sense. If you are fortunate and passionate enough to look at it as an expensive toy for occasional use, they will make a lot more sense!

[Vik0728]

Ah, supercars!... are they really all that?

I really had this hunch and that is the very reason why I settled for a Polo and not a Pagani !!

It is just a known fact that Indian economy can easily support Super & Hyper cars today, but it will take probably another 10-15 years for the Indian infrastructure to do the same.
So every time I see some rich honcho revving across on Bangalore roads in his expensive blue blood cars, I rather feel sorry for the car. Though owners ensure they take utmost care not to crash into fissures and potholes on the roads, seldom do they get any clean sections to let those thoroughbreds loose.

And then there are people who buy these exotic machines because they 'CAN' and not because they 'WANT TO'.

Bad fuel, pathetic roads, senseless commuters, zero traffic sense, unending anxiety,....I think there are more than just 8 reasons not buy/drive a Supercar in India !!

[aveemashfaq]

Ok. This might be a bit controversial to a few but the whole point of a supercar is to have the drama and give you a feeling of being on the ragged edge. And I would like to quote James May who says that he likes his small fiat panda because he can be on the ragged edge all the time at sane speeds. In fact, I agree with him and personally experienced it. When I am in my Getz and doing 80, I am yawning and when in city, the getz masks off the rate of acceleration so well that I felt the car was slow and boring. When I was in my maruti 800 and doing 70, I felt I was doing a rally stage. And the sound and vibrations of M800 with the pathetic brakes and the body roll made me feel in city traffic as if I were doing a million kms per hour. In fact, my dad and I felt that Maruti 800 was faster than Getz and it was only after I started paying attention to the time taken to overtake a lorry in both cars that I realized that Getz was faster. So, most of the people who want driving pleasure might think about that.

Of course, not all of us have old cars or want to go through the gremlins of them. Then, better buy a small car with big engine like Datsun Go or Alto K10 or Grand i10 1.2 and get it turbo'ed or supercharged or go for an engine swap. Already good cars with added heaps of power and couple that with low weight, add forged pistons, throw in some stiffer springs and ventilated disc brakes and you can keep up with the supercars at any public place.

And the added bonus is low cost of maintenance, good ground clearance, cup holders etc. The only reason why you would want a supercar would be for the wow factor.

[huracan.lp580]

Originally Posted by aveemashfaq

Ok. This might be a bit controversial to a few but the whole point of a supercar is to have the drama and give you a feeling of being on the ragged edge. And I would like to quote James May who says that he likes his small fiat panda because he can be on the ragged edge all the time at sane speeds.

The only reason why you would want a supercar would be for the wow factor.

Looks like you've been watching a lot of Top Gear like me!

What you hear on those shows and automotive journals are the opinions of journalists who are blessed to experience supercars in their full caliber. Obviously when you are used to such experiences on a regular basis, you will not see the point in owning one if you cannot unleash it's full potential. Drive/experience a supercar and trust me, you will realize that you don't have to push it to insane speeds to enjoy it.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to get my hands on an LP570-4 in Vegas for an entire day. Some people would use it to show off on the strip, or as you put it, experience the wow factor, but I chose a different route. I put about 80 miles on it, mostly on freeways and on canyon runs. Hitting high speeds on the freeway was definitely not safe, and a few minutes in, I figured there was no fun in it as I would end up putting too many miles in a short span of time. I headed towards the canyon roads instead, which were quite similar in layout to our city roads. Narrow roads, tight turns, with a few bikers and cyclists sharing the road. It pretty much felt like driving during the wee hours in an Indian city, but with a breathtaking view! Anyways, I was extra cautious with the car, never crossed 3rd gear, but had the best time of my life! Short bursts of acceleration, accompanied by pure engine music, sharp turn in handling and serious braking performance is truly addicting. I was not doing insane speeds and I was courteous to fellow bikers and cyclists, yet had a blast! All this was in 'Sport' mode and I never bothered switching it to 'Corsa/Track' aka full potential mode. My daily drive at that point was a tuned F10 BMW 550i putting out 500hp, and I was used to pushing that car to higher speeds. Yes, that car would have easily kept up with the LP in the canyons, but they were entirely different experiences!

You only live once and getting to experience a supercar to that degree is certainly more than enough for most of us. If you spot a supercar during the wee hours, I think your perspective might change about having to be on the ragged edge to enjoy them. With numerous events taking place in racetracks across the country, owners now also have the option to track their car, so that is an added bonus. Contrary to what some may believe, a lot of owners that I know are proper car enthusiasts, just like all of us on this forum.

[aveemashfaq]

Originally Posted by huracan.lp580

Looks like you've been watching a lot of Top Gear like me!

True. I love the show.

What you hear on those shows and automotive journals are the opinions of journalists who are blessed to experience supercars in their full caliber. Obviously when you are used to such experiences on a regular basis, you will not see the point in owning one if you cannot unleash it's full potential. Drive/experience a supercar and trust me, you will realize that you don't have to push it to insane speeds to enjoy it.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to get my hands on an LP570-4 in Vegas for an entire day. Some people would use it to show off on the strip, or as you put it, experience the wow factor, but I chose a different route. I put about 80 miles on it, mostly on freeways and on canyon runs. Hitting high speeds on the freeway was definitely not safe, and a few minutes in, I figured there was no fun in it as I would end up putting too many miles in a short span of time. I headed towards the canyon roads instead, which were quite similar in layout to our city roads. Narrow roads, tight turns, with a few bikers and cyclists sharing the road. It pretty much felt like driving during the wee hours in an Indian city, but with a breathtaking view! Anyways, I was extra cautious with the car, never crossed 3rd gear, but had the best time of my life! Short bursts of acceleration, accompanied by pure engine music, sharp turn in handling and serious braking performance is truly addicting. I was not doing insane speeds and I was courteous to fellow bikers and cyclists, yet had a blast! All this was in 'Sport' mode and I never bothered switching it to 'Corsa/Track' aka full potential mode. My daily drive at that point was a tuned F10 BMW 550i putting out 500hp, and I was used to pushing that car to higher speeds. Yes, that car would have easily kept up with the LP in the canyons, but they were entirely different experiences!

You only live once and getting to experience a supercar to that degree is certainly more than enough for most of us. If you spot a supercar during the wee hours, I think your perspective might change about having to be on the ragged edge to enjoy them. With numerous events taking place in racetracks across the country, owners now also have the option to track their car, so that is an added bonus. Contrary to what some may believe, a lot of owners that I know are proper car enthusiasts, just like all of us on this forum.

I understand completely. I know that there are a lot of car enthusiasts who own supercars. And I see you also own a Huracan. I am not putting my fingers and calling show off. I am merely trying to express my opinion.

I too had all these experiences albeit differently. I have experienced the savage boost of a turbo-diesel swift and polo 1.6 gt tdi and my god it was addictive. I wanted the push into the back of the seat very much. I also had the experience of instant throttle response in my 2stroke KB100. It is always fun to simply poke the accelerator and fly. I have experienced twisty and windy roads in a M800 that I just rebuilt and it was driving nirvana. Slowing down to every curve, exitting it properly with brute force, some opposite lock(this I did experience as torque steer and not proper oversteer) until you go to the next turn, feeling the accelerator pedal like a volume control, dial it in and there you are at that speed, feeling stick to the ground like with fevicol, yup I have experienced them all at slower speeds and can definitely vouch for them as stupendously fun.

As you told me that you drove a bmw 550i and it could not match the pure fun, the main reason behind that would be forced induction. Turbo cars cannot match the crisp throttle response of naturally aspirated cars. And modern mileage tuned cars are just the crappiest things to drive. I have a carburetted M800 (no fuel injectors or ECM) and so when I press my A pedal, it honestly gives me as much petrol as I demanded. No smoothening, no mileage tuning, just honest delivery. And so maybe the mileage is not so great as modern fuel injected cars. But how much I push the A pedal dictates the noise I get. And so I poke the pedal and it gives me instant response and complete response. I lift off the pedal and it goes into engine braking. That makes me feel in control. That allows me to learn and be a proper racing driver. IN stark contrast was the Getz with fuel injection and conservative mapping. When I push the pedals, it processes, squirts enough fuel to keep it accelerating most efficiently without wastage of a drop. When I release the pedal, it takes time to understand lift off and slow down. It is not so immediate and not so fun. If you add a turbo to the equation, when you lift off the pedal, there is still pressure in the turbo and so it takes even more time to respond to throttle inputs. It spoils the fun. And that makes you feel the car not so involved. Case in point, your turbo beamer.

And that is the reason why a loud and big car with a million horsepower makes sense because they are not tuned for mileage and until now, most of them were not built with turbo in mind. Blasting with them feels awesome.

The only point I wanted to make is that the hassles with owning them is a lot. Like expensive and not easy to source parts, poor ground clearance, can't use them everyday and they don't wont well if not used regularly connundrum, low mileage, fat tyres etc. The list goes on.

That is why there are supercars like ariel atom and caterham which are best of both worlds. Try driving a caterham or an atom and you will understand how good they are. But we will look ridiculous in them. So, what I was suggesting is to get a small car, say datsun go, strip off everything, put a secret 3.5l vtec honda accord engine in the back and strengthen the brakes, suspension, chassis with roll cage etc and that 3.5 V6 will be enough since datsun wieghs only 760kgs. It will give you the same power to weight ratio and so the same fun. You can even build your own frame from carbon fiber and roll cage and make it look like a kitted datsun and no one will assume otherwise. That will give you crazy fun.

My point is simple. The key to fun is power to weight ratio and power to grip ratio. And the directness of throttle response. Supercars have the best ratios and the best throttle response. But the cost of ownership is too much that you are better off renting one on a track, blasting down and giving it back. And if there are no companies that do that, why don't you make one

For sheer fun, even if I had the money to buy a supercar, I would build a sleeper, a crazy punto or polo with VTEC in the back rather than owning one. But hey, that's my opinion.

[huracan.lp580]

Originally Posted by aveemashfaq

I understand completely. I know that there are a lot of car enthusiasts who own supercars. And I see you also own a Huracan. I am not putting my fingers and calling show off. I am merely trying to express my opinion.
...
For sheer fun, even if I had the money to buy a supercar, I would build a sleeper, a crazy punto or polo with VTEC in the back rather than owning one. But hey, that's my opinion.

Glad to hear you enjoy driving just as much as me! We had an old diesel swift in the family and I still miss it for it's manual transmission. I grew up taking my very first steps into driving in an Ambassador! I am fond of all kinds of cars!

I am very well aware of how turbos spoil the fun. We have an E60 530i and that is definitely more fun than the F10 I had, but that story is for another time. It was not just the V10 engine that was magical in the LP. The mid engine setup, light weight, steering feel and driving dynamics are something that have to be experienced. The calibration of throttle, brakes, steering and engine bark truly made it a superb experience. I can also vouch for the 458, as I got to drive that as well. Both are different, and appeal to different kinds of audience.

As you said Ariel and Caterham make the best super cars, but no safety nets mean they are truly track only cars. I'm sure most other owners are not prepared to risk their lives to that extent for some fun on the road. So again, these are very different cars, appealing to a different audience. Building a hot rod sounds like fun, but it is again a very different kind of fun.

You can rent supercars on the track, but doing that on a weekly basis will probably end up costing more than buying a supercar, enjoying it and selling it off eventually. Buying a supercar is living out a dream for most and they choose to because they are passionate about it. I guess the mere sight of the car will result in a smile everyday at the very least!

In the end, I think the best comparison to owning a supercar would be with consuming alcohol or tobacco. People know that they take a hit on their health, yet many choose to consume them for the short term pleasure. Supercars hit your wallet instead. Ultimately, it is a personal choice!

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by aveemashfaq

Of course, not all of us have old cars or want to go through the gremlins of them. Then, better buy a small car with big engine like Datsun Go or Alto K10 or Grand i10 1.2 and get it turbo'ed or supercharged or go for an engine swap. Already good cars with added heaps of power and couple that with low weight, add forged pistons, throw in some stiffer springs and ventilated disc brakes and you can keep up with the supercars at any public place.

And the added bonus is low cost of maintenance, good ground clearance, cup holders etc. The only reason why you would want a supercar would be for the wow factor.

My two aana's on this
Tuners were in abundance two decades back. Back then cars too weren't entirely reliable so it made no difference. Now try to find one reliable tuner. A car tuned/turbo'ed outside cannot be fixed anywhere. It has to go back to the same tuner. These don't exactly turn out to be reliable either. Not exactly peace of mind.
Any person with the moolah and who can afford a sports car, is buying it for his/her image/fun. Questions like low cost of maintenance etc do not even blink in their minds !

Of course enthusiast like many of us here, who either cannot afford these sports/super cars or just do not want the attention, get their cars tuned.
Turbo-charging is a totally different beast. Not recommended.

[swiftdiesel]

I never took a liking to supercars albeit being a huge automotive buff. Yes, no pin ups, no wallpapers, no drooling, no, none of that stuff. I'm sure I'd be the minority but yeah, they never floated my boat. Buying a supercar is a bit pointless really, even if you have the cash to splash. I've never driven one nor do I aspire to drive one and here's why:

For an astronomical price tag I get a flashy piece of metal on 4 wheels that can literally fly. But where? Even Autobahns in Germany are crowded these days. Track days everyday? Trust me, boredom will come knocking sooner or later.

The utility value of a supercar is 0. I'm paying a fortune to drive around in a fetal position while the blokes in cars the fraction of a price are driving past in supreme comfort, not to mention the utility value they derive out of their investment. I remember on one of my drives to Pondicherry in 42 deg. heat, 2 men were driving along in a Merc SL cabriolet. I was sat inside my car with my family in 20 degree comfort while those blokes were literally sweating it out. Some would argue that they were having a great time. Sorry, not my cuppa tea.

How would it be, to drive around gazing at every driver's choice of tyre and taking a breath of their exhaust? Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Utterly stressful. Period. Actually, I'm paying a fortune to drive around in stress! All that hypothetical enjoyment takes a backseat when you gotta watch out for every curve, undulation and every creature that could just dart across. For this reason, I've seen many supercar drivers cruising at 50-60 kmph max. Talk about irony when I overtake them!

I haven't even gone into maintenance, wear and tear and other areas that could end up with an exponential figure.

Some, coming to think of it, many, call supercars' exhaust thrum, music. To me, it's noise, and I can't stand the cacophony.

Yet, people buy supercars by the droves and I'm sure many dream driving one. Personally, it's an absolute cash drain even if I had the wealth to spare. Yeah, to me, supercars aren't cool. That said, I have a soft corner for the 911. Do I aspire to own one? No, never.

[aveemashfaq]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

For an astronomical price tag I get a flashy piece of metal on 4 wheels that can literally fly. But where? Even Autobahns in Germany are crowded these days. Track days everyday? Trust me, boredom will come knocking sooner or later.

I respect you having your own opinion and I am not challenging it in anyway. I just wanted to point out that you don't need to be going at 300kmph to enjoy the true essence of a supercar. The acceleration is enough fun.

It's like turbocharging. The boost is very good fun. The shove you get when you get into the boost zone brings out the boy in you. But you don't always redline your turbo-diesel for that shove, do you? In the same way, if turbo-diesel is like jumping on a trampoline, a supercar is like jumping off a cliff with a bungee chord. The kick into the back of the seat is something you cannot describe.

And you definitely wont be jumping off a cliff everyday. In that sense, making a supercar as a daily driver is ridiculous. So, what you have described like sitting low and feeling all the bumps is strictly not relevant because you wont be doing that on a daily basis. Supercar is bought to take it on a midnight joyride when the traffic is negligible. And it does not matter what speeds you are doing, you can still enjoy it. Like just do 20-80 in 2 seconds and scare the crap out of your fellow passengers.

Cabriolets do not make much sense in India. I agree. Most of them are ordered to show off. A car with a leather roof stands out more than a normal car. It is a different story when you take it to the freezing winters up north, put the roof down and feel the cool and pure air in your hair.

To conclude, supercars are for the casual weekend drives for fun on deserted roads or roads with less traffic. Just like having a competition spec 4x4. It is a hassle to take it on road to the muddy track. And that is what is in your mind, the misery and pain on taking the supercar to places. But, when you get into the muddy track, trumping over absolutely everything else is a different experience altogether.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

I never took a liking to supercars albeit being a huge automotive buff. Yes, no pin ups, no wallpapers, no drooling, no, none of that stuff. I'm sure I'd be the minority but yeah, they never floated my boat. Buying a supercar is a bit pointless really, even if you have the cash to splash.

Well yes I have thus far refrained from saying exactly what you've said but now that it has been said I can join in as well. I too don't get it, the shrill noise, the punchy engine, the low seating and bone-jarring ride. I feel exactly the same way too, super-cars are never meant for ordinary roads, inevitably one will keep pushing the car more and more by gaining confidence and then end up crashing into something one day. This has been happening quite a lot as one can see tens of crashes of Lambos, Ferraris and Porsches along with other powerhouse performers like BMW M, Audi, Merc AMG etc which slide and slip and crash into railings, nosedive from cliffs, or rear-end other vehicles at high speeds.

Its important to know that super-cars are typically developed for track, because the track is predictable, a couple of laps and the driver can easily know the limits to which the car can be pushed. The track would also give no surprises in the form of stones, potholes or sudden junction crossings. While the companies make them for this purpose the ultimate goal is to have sales and thus they would not stop any buyer from buying it be it in the barely existent roads of India or even the non-existent roads of Africa. The article makes some great sense and good points to consider, if Tiff Needell, whom I consider as the ultimate boss of driving, can lose control of supercars on track/roads then just about anyone can.

The only part where I disagree with the article is the monetary part, supercars have always been and will remain the glittery toys of the ultra-rich. It never was made for anyone else. All the ancillary industries like servicing, body treatment etc too will be ultra-expensive given their limited business and consumer capacity. Those who do buy such cars will not blink an eyelid when it comes to servicing, tyre changes or body-treatments. Rowan Atkinson totalled his Ferrari and got it overhauled like it was a slap on the wrist incident, that's how the buyers are.

Again, I do not get the obsession with supercars either, just like you, never had posters or found the Lambo or Ferrari extraordinary to look at. Nevertheless they do cater to a big market of buyers, its a cost-intensive, profit intensive industry and it won't stop anytime soon, however impractical it may be. Luxury was never practical to begin with anyway.