But that does come across as snobbish and saying only those with nice houses should have nice cars.

Where "should" flash cars live?

However, "cheap" finance (now probably at an end) has meant that even those that aren't into cars now buy flash motors. In the past, most people were happy with bog standard cars for getting to A-B and that fitted their requirements. Now we have a society where we "deserve" better and simply must have a car that reflects this. Having said this, this has been going on for a long time, just maybe more apparent nowadays...

 

Dracoro -TBH I'm being a complete **** with my comments but it's what I feel.
That photo just made me cringe! No it's not about money, jealousy or anything like that.

No you don't have to have a massive house to have a flash car but the identikit housing estate (mine has double garages AND an oak door AND a TV room with 100" plasma TV doncha know - ner ner, etc, etc) with the Q7 and the RR just make me feel ill.

Firstly - they are not on a farm or anywhere near the countryside.
Secondly - an F355 is lovely but breaks down constantly and is hardly a family car. Why not a 911, an M3, an RS4 or similar?!
Thirdly - it's about oneupmanship on those sort of estates - of no interest.
Fourthly - If it was just the 355 it would be fine but the Q7 and RR killed it.
Fifthly (!) - Errmm, I think I've said enough.



RUN AWAY!!

 

Just before you run away

Firstly - I am very near the country side, although I am not sure it is relevant.
Think it's about time you started having a pop at all non-rally driver Subaru owners.
Secondly -
It has never broken down.
Well spotted a 355 is not a family car.
Are you actually comparing the driving experience of a 355 to a M3 / RS4?
Have you ever been in one?
Can you actually tell the difference between a beefed up family saloon and a RWD sports car?

911 - maybe, but I didn't want a 911. Let's not kid ourselves, had there been a 911 in the pic, it wouldn't have changed your opinion in the slightest.

You do realise that saying things like 'those sort of estates' makes you sound like an intolerant snob
Indeed, I think you have.

 

I have had the garage converted to a living room to allow the current living room to be used as a family room.

I had seen someone else on the estate had a single garage conversion and put in a 42" Plasma. I simply had to get the double garage converted and put in a 50" Plasma.
Please do not tell anyone this, it will be seen as oneupmanship, and I may then have to change it back into a garage and the wife will not be happy.

It is however going off the bed for a few months in a friends garage.

 

Hail hail - I was insured on one for a year. A 355 Berlinetta in the same red colour - it was a year old at the time. Of course it was a cracking car to drive but I felt a complete t1t driving it and even worse a hat and sunglasses so no one recognised me. A 911 is a lot more subtle and reliable and has sort of back seats for kids. But that's just my opinion of course.

To be honest you are taking my rather harsh comments very well - for that I commend you.

 

Yeah well, that's because I tolerate those different to me and do not feel the need to have a go at an individual based on some ridiculous pre-conceived judgment based on a picture posted on the internet.

But hey, each to their own.

 

Nothing pre-conceived. I know without any doubt that I'd hate it there.
But then you'd probably hate it here too?

No neighbours to show the car off (not that anyone would want to show ours off) to.

 

Looks very nice, but I cannot see a farmer with a bit of straw sticking out of his mouth or indeed a Pasty factory. ooo arrr




...and I was doing so well.

 

That field the other side of the river might have a farmer in it - and he might be chewing straw too - but the nearest pasty factory is a good ten miles away. Sorry.

 

and relax

 

Never thought it would be seen now NACRO has been banned, but i remember Hail-Hail getting exactly the same comments from him as have been brought up by Matteeboy, the last time he posted up pics of his cars.

 

Perhaps he should park them outside Blenheim Palace and then post up pics of them then?!

 

Well you know whats it's like with palaces, once one person has a Lancelot "Capability" Brown garden done then everyone with palaces wants the same. It's all just so competitive on the palace front, before you know it it'll be tree lined avenues and miles of gravel driveways.

 

er, WASN'T THIS THREAD SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT THE CLASSIC CAR THAT IS THE GOLF GTI MK2?!!!!!

Granted the pic of the Ferrari may have been a bit of a red rag on this thread, but back on topic anyone?

 

I can sort of see what Matteeboy is saying, but I dont think there is a level of house you need to get to before buying a nice car, not everyone can live in the sticks. The Q7 is a handsome beast but I think the scale of the thing seems out of place unless you have a load of space.

Amazes me the number of cars like that you see, we have a nice house, no mortgage or debt of any kind, I earn well but I couldn't finance one of those unless I dipped into savings which I wouldn't do.

As for the Golf, quite nice but for me, it has to be the 3 door, the 3 door is quite floppy but the 5 door is worse, I used to jack mine up and you couldnt open the doors. And the 16 valve isn't that much faster, having had six Mk1's and 2's, 8 and 16 valves, I would have both, 8 valve for most of the time, and a 16 valve for blasts, or perhaps a 2.0 16 valve, best of both worlds.

 

yes funny coz I think the 3 door was a much better looking car in MK2 guise -- but in MK3, much prefer the 5 door (which I had aswell)

3 door MK3's dont look right -- bit dumpy imho

actually same goes for the impreza -- looks better with 5 doors

 

J4CKO - very similar sentiments here. Yes I'm sure many of us can afford £500 a month or whatever to have a nice new shiney whatever on the drive but we also realise what a massive chunk of cash they eat.

It's nice just to have car(s) fully paid for and on running costs only. £40k is "doable" for many but it's a huge amount to shell out on a "asset" that depreciates at a horrendous rate. To many the image to SO vital that it doesn't matter - to others it's just not worth it. Cars are just cars.

Of course many can afford to buy cars like that outright without taking a major hit - but of those with £40k++ cars, I can bet a tiny fraction are in that position.

Back to the mk2 GTi - we had one in our family for 12 years - I had it for the last three aged 23. Utterly brilliant fun BUT I always found the handling good but not sublime, the brakes poor and the worst thing was the terrible security - ours got done over many, many times. Then moved onto a mk3 Gti 16V which gets a right pasting but I actually preferred. Yes the mk2 handled more tidily but the mk3 16v (which was a LOT better than the lame 8v) was quicker, safer, more practical and completely problem free. It also cost peanuts to run. At one point (we were featured in a VW mag) my Mum, Dad and I all had a mk3 GTi 16v - my dad still has his too!

Then it was onto the R32 and costs shot up - but it was fun!

 

I got some big anti-roll bars and wide tyres on mine. I could run rings around anything else I came across on the road. Probably the most fun car I've ever had... although lift-off oversteer in the Peugeot was fun in a different kind of way!

 

Top - probably should have done the same to mine but I was a bit skint at the time.

I remember Dad getting the 7th mk1 GTi in the UK - he shocked many "fast" cars with it. He then got one of the very last mk1 Gtis (1.8 engine) and modded it from new - not actually sure what he did to it but it was very quick. In fact he even gave the odd 911 a run for it's money - not straight line stuff but in the twisties. His mate got a 205 GTi 1.9 and took it to Turbo Technics - it was probably the most lethal car in the UK at the time!

To be honest, they were chavs with a few quid in the 80s!

 

To put this to bed once and for all.
My Q7 is on contract hire, a set budget for 2 years, I chose this option as I thought it would be better that trying to sell it on. With the current market, I was probably right.
The Ferrari was paid for with cash.
The house I live in in the controversial new build estate is bought and paid for. I have no mortgage.
My choice of house, as I explained earlier, was for a number of factors, but essentially because it is teh right thing for my family at the moment.

My choice of cars has nothing to do with image. My wife likes the Q7, so she has one, like the X5 before.
They wouldn't have been my choice, but I rarely drive them.
In fact my white GTi was bought because I found the Q7 boring as hell.

The Ferrari I bought was the fulfillment of a dream, it was plastered all over my walls as a kid.
If you had a spare 40k, would you not do it?

that's it...........I will say no more.


Unless it's back on topic

My GTi was also the realisation of a dream, in my formative driving years this was the car to have (along with the Astra GTE, but I wanted the Golf).
It was during the Insurance nightmare times where you could be paying more in insurance than for the car in the first place
I had a MG Metro, bucket seats, red seat belts and a multitude of spot lights

If it wasn't a 3rd car, I would snap up the golf in this post. It looks like a total minter. I may however wait until the Ferrari is moved on and then look at getting a G60.

 

Hail Hail - similar sentiments on my mk2 GTI - I absolutely loved having one and it was even nicer having one while still at Uni. Spent a bit tidying it up bit it was pretty cheap to run.
The R32 cost a fricking fortune and although nicer overall, it was a hell of a liability really - thief magnet and anger target.

 

The handling was great on the Mk2's, not as ultimately resolved as a 205 GTI but less liable to kill you, I can drive ok but do not profess Stig like qualities so for me the Mk2 was fun and comparatively safe, I only had one bite me due to Yoko's on the front and Sh1te Avons on the back, when put on coil overs it was mind bendingly good and still rode well.

Hail, hope you dont think I was having a go, I wasnt.

 

Hail, no need to justify where you live and why to anyone.........

You choose, if they do not like it, tough ****.

 

yeah I replaced my BB 16v with the MK3 version and I thouht it was a great little car -- for no money (but then i,m getting on a bit)

although I concur with Mattee on the financial suicide of "flash" cars, especially on finance

the 355 is the only car i would sell my Granny into the white slave trade for

I think it just looks the d,s bees -- well done hail

had one go past me on the slip road to the m25 the other day -- wow what a sound -- put a smile on my face