4 ms·
At this point performance cars are no longer truly exploitable on a road legally. Yeah you can do a quick acceleration at the occasional stoplight, but on prett
by entee 8y ago
At this point performance cars are no longer truly exploitable on a road legally. Yeah you can do a quick acceleration at the occasional stoplight, but on pretty much no public road are you going to get to a speed that's close to the car's limit. And if you do, it'll be insanely dangerous because even though safety systems are amazing these days, your reaction time isn't any faster than it used to be and the people around you may not be as well protected.
It's useful on the track you say? Maybe, and I have no doubt I'd rather a paddle shifter for outright speed and ease. It's probably safer to learn to drive at high speed having removed one of the variables at least at first. That said, I'll never be Michael Schumacher.
Bottom line when you buy a performance car: what are you trying to do? It can't be "win" or see the limits of the car, so what is it? Clearly it's to have fun. And I think it's hard to argue that driving a stick is more fun, except perhaps in traffic. In the end I'd rather endure minor annoyance in traffic and in the city in exchange for the fun that comes elsewhere. I've put my money where my mouth is, own 2 cars, both stick.
- thinkmassive 8y agoAcceleration is a lot more fun than velocity for most people. You can experience high acceleration (in all directions) at low speeds in a good nimble sports car, and stay completely within the spirit of the law.
- mirimir 8y agoSecond that. There's an effectively five-way intersection near me, where I need to turn left from a side road onto a state highway that's busy during the day. So I basically drift from a standing start. I shift from first to second in the middle, which shapes the drift. And at no point do I exceed the speed limit.
- Theodores 8y agoPeople want that acceleration in something that is not a 'good nimble sports car', so a Porsche SUV is nearer the mark, or, a generation ago, a hot hatch. There is a rough measure of power going on with these status symbols. Everyone would be driving Ariel Atoms and Caterham Lotus 7 cars or Mazda Miatas if 'good nimble sports car' really satisfied what was allegedly wanted. So the 'what do you want, what are you trying to achieve' aspect of owning that fancy car that can do silly speeds has to have more to it than that thrill of acceleration. It is about where you see yourself in the world - status.
- closeparen 8y agoCurious how it's so deeply important to the core of people's identities to loudly and proudly assert that others are enjoying things for the wrong reasons. I may as well claim that because bicyclists are always wearing spandex and carrying helmets around, there must be more to it than the alleged enjoyment of cycling - they don't actually like riding bikes, but only want hipster-fitness lifestyle points.
- coldtea 8y ago>At this point performance cars are no longer truly exploitable on a road legally. Yeah you can do a quick acceleration at the occasional stoplight, but on pretty much no public road are you going to get to a speed that's close to the car's limit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn (Besides, it's not like most use them "legally" all the time)
- nradov 8y agoThis is why the low-end sports car market is slowly dying. Cars have improved so much that modern family sedans are faster than dedicated sports cars from a few decades ago.