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When I was a kid seeing a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, even a Porsche 911 was something rare, exciting and unusual. Often we'd only see a true Italian exotic once or twice a year.

Even ten years ago 'supercars' and 'exotics' were quite rare and something to talk about if I or a mate or my brother saw one.

Now I see current and recent model Astons, Ferrari's, 911s, Lamborghinis on the roads several times a year and it's no longer that much of a deal. I'll see a car capable of 200mph every couple of weeks. I wouldn't turn my head to look at a Ferrari 430 or 360.

The worst was seeing 7 Aston Martins (a mix of Vanquish, V8 Vantage, DB9, DB7) in one day. A V8 Vantage used to be one of my dream cars but I've seen so many of them that I don't what car I'd get if I won the lottery! My wife's also seen a several Audi R8s already.

I am beginning to feel that familiarity with seeing these cars has instilled my apathy to them now.  Older, rarer cars seem to be more exciting - even fairly modest machines.

Any of you feel the same or do I just live too close to one of the most affluent areas near Glasgow?

Its like Nick Cage in gone in 60 seconds said.  He's in a ferrari dealer, and he complains to the guy who offers him a 360 that he saw three outside starbucks that morning.

Give me a 60's american muscle car any day.  Cobra, mustang, charger.

Are we actually bored or just spoilt? Kids in the 1940's probably had 2 toys, a wooden toy soldier and a wooden car to pull with a string down the road. Todays kids have computer games that are just incredible in their imagination and a host of other funky toys. Similarly when I was a kid you could count supercars on 1 hand. Ferrari 512BB, 911 Turbo, Lambo, Aston which you'd only see in a car mag or a car annual. You'd pour over every poster for hours and the annual for months and fall over if you saw one on the street. Today I get 50 supercars beemed off magazines, the tv and internet and they're almost a daily occurance on the street. 

That's progress. The exceptional becomes almost the norm. I don't think we're bored. I think we're just spolit for choice!

JJBoxster:

That's progress. The exceptional becomes almost the norm. I don't think we're bored. I think we're just spolit for choice!

 

Good point JJB - guess it's a case of familiarity breeding apathy.

It's Bentley Contis by us. You can't move for the goggle eyed blighters. And you certainly can't park near them with their I'll-have-two-spaces-thank-you dimensions.

I do have a suspicion that if we have anything that looks like a recession, a lot of the middle ground exotica makers will suffer, like Aston and Bentley. There's probably always a market for the really special stuff but cars like the DB9 and Conti have become no more special a sight, or a drive, than 911s or XKRs that cost half.

RobotBoogie:

And you certainly can't park near them with their I'll-have-two-spaces-thank-you dimensions.

What prejudicial nonsense. A Bentley Conti GT is the same length as an I'll-have-two-spaces-thank-you Ford Mondeo. I park near them all the time, don't you ?

You've all missed the point...finance is what has changed the world.  In 1978 my dad bought a new Mercedes and paid £11,400 for it - in cash.  Or if you were without shame you could go to the bank and "shock horror" get a loan for what was deemed a folly to borrow money for.  If you couldn't pay cash - you didn't buy it.

 These days look at the back of any motoring mag and you can lease/hp/borrow any car you want for about £1,000 a month, which is still a lot of money but if you're a city kid living at home with parents and earn £2.5k, then that's not bad value to show off to your mates the car you probably dreamed of when you were young...

 When I bought my Porsche they offered me finance at such a stupidly low rate of 3.5%, that I stuck the balance in the bank at 6% and I only pay £300 a month for it.....

Offers I found today :

LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO - COUPE MANUAL  -  Offer based on 3+35 payments, 10,000 mpa, non maintenance £2149pcm

AUDI R8 - 4.2 QUATTRO COUPE 2DR - *** LIMITED OFFER *** - 3 YEAR DEAL - Price:  £999 per month

I rest my case....! 

 

100% agree with LotusMan. Although such credit is getting harder to obtain. 

James Read:

RobotBoogie:

And you certainly can't park near them with their I'll-have-two-spaces-thank-you dimensions.

What prejudicial nonsense. A Bentley Conti GT is the same length as an I'll-have-two-spaces-thank-you Ford Mondeo. I park near them all the time, don't you ?

 

I've just checked and you're right. Must be the way people choose to park them.

Which I suppose is more prejudicial nonsense...

RobotBoogie:

Which I suppose is more prejudicial nonsense...

 

Perish the thought. The notion that all Bentley drivers park their cars poorly and with utter arrogance and disrespect for others must be right. That's so much more likely. Isn't it ?

James Read:

Perish the thought. The notion that all Bentley drivers park their cars poorly and with utter arrogance and disrespect for others must be right. That's so much more likely. Isn't it ?

Spot on, James. Someone needs to show those toffs where the white lines are!