Thoughts about driving your F car in today's economic environment...

It's largely positive everywhere. Most people aren't hurting bad enough to be bitter about anything. The ones that are bitter, were bitter before, and will be bitter after. If you drive a $200K car, the guy who drives a $20K one isn't going to look at you any different, regardless of his portfolio or employment status.

It's not like you tell them to eat cake.

 

Class envy is brand blind... great times to exploit it politically..

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=2158702

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=2158780

 

Nope, no worries here. Actually going for a drive later this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

 

Sure, a new Honda or 'vette is as likely to be vandalised as anything else but the Ferrari image has been carefully crafted since the first car Luigi Chinnetti got his hands on.
That's what makes them more than just a car to many people in the general public. For enthusiasts history and competition matter but for the general public the brand has its associations.

 

Pretty much. Ferraris are perhaps the definitive "THIS IS EXPENSIVE" car. Though people do stupid **** regardless of the car. Red Toyota Pickup got its window keyed with what I've got assume was a ring, for no reason at a public park. Only possible thing I could think of is that there were 4 parking spaces, 2 handicap and 2 non-handicap. I was in a normal parking spot. If someone thought they were all handicap... but really that would just make them an even bigger idiot.

Err moral of the story is you can count on people to do stupid things regardless of the economic climate. Changing your driving habits because of it doesn't make sense to me.

 

You know reading this (and the Corvette site) makes me wonder. Are most of the problems people have with getting their cars trashed or getting rude comments mostly in larger urban/sub-urban areas? I've yet (knock on wood) had a problem driving or parking my car anywhere in the local area. Everyone one from the beach bum on the run-down bike to the guy who could afford 20 308s have given me compliments on the Ferrari and Triumph. The Space Coast (especially Northern Brevard) is not a very populated area, NOR is it one with a large, ostentatious "rich" population. We are rather middle-class here.

Of course, it could also be I just dress like a beach bum all the time and just don't look like I have any cash to speak of!

 

just go to mcdonalds and triple park it like I do. Then get what I call the 5 item special.

$1 double cheeese
$1 fry
$1 drink
$1 2 apple pies
$1 mcchicken

When someone asks me how I can afford it, I just reply dollar menu.

 

nope, the stock I had in some Canada companies took a dump just like US.

 

This might come out wrong...

The type of person who is willing to vandalize another persons property (car in this example) are not the type of people who have a clue and/or are invested or will even be effected by a down turn in the market.

IMO, anyone who works a reglar respectable job and has tried to start planning for the future (company 401K, a few Mutual funds, etc) are not the type of people who will all of a sudden turn to vandalism because their S&P index fund is down 30% YTD.

Vandals are people who lack respect, drive, work ethic...etc. I'm sorry, but those type of people are in no way effected by a slow down in the market/economy since they don't have the drive to look past tomorrow, let alone have any additional income that they can invest let alone be considered for a respectable job/career. Sadly, people like this will most likely never amount to anything, have anything, respect anything given any kind of enonomic climate.

The gap between upper & lower class is widening and is a viable/real issue in America. The rich get richer as they control more and more of the recources (credit/money/land/etc) that other people need to move up and at some point the whole issue will spill over...

As a small business owner, I'm always looking for good people...as are many places... so opportunities are out there for people who want to start a life, career, savings. The people who spray-paint on a corvette are not and never will be that person no matter the economic climate.

Lastly, IMO the economic condition we are in is partially being fueled by the liberal media making things worse than they truly are. It does nothing but scare those who are uneducated or unprepared for cyclical trends/tides that always occur. Anyone recall the "over-exuerant" hype about internet stocks and IPO's a few years ago. The media hyped it, people bought the story...and the stocks... driving them to unworldly and unfounded valuations. The media is fueling a similar downward spiral currently. Personally, I'm buying right now to dollar cost average plays made years ago and in the end will be fine just like most Americans who actually pay attention and have minimal education on the matter.

 

I dont have a Ferrari yet as I am focused heavily on my currency trading. I do anticipate that there will be a much more harsh climate in the next couple of years. The economy is spiriling into a heavy nose dive and there is little at this point to keep it from doing so because even if we got lucky and there wasn't a much higher unemployment rate in the next couple of years, there will still be quite a few jobs lost because taxes will increase drastically because of our debt, no matter who is voted in.

However, that aside I agree with a lot of the posts. If you have a Ferrari and drive it does not mean you are flaunting it. Also, a Ferrari is a dream to many people and to many since they were little kids. If you have respect towards others, share the car by answering questions and be careful where you park it you shouldn't have too many problems and you just might inspire someone to achieve their potential. In my personal experience 99.9% of the Ferrari owners I have met have been very gracious and inspiring. Be one of those owners and drive the piss out of your car because that is what Ferraris were built for IMO . You won't inspire anyone by keeping it parked in your garage with a car cover on it.

VIVA FERRARI!

"The only thing to fear is fear itself."

 

ive noticed for the most part only positive interactions when im driving one of the F-Car's...here in LA basically its like theres NO financial crisis...on any given night theres still lots of high dollar cars rolling around sometimes with drivers giving stink-eye cause they know their cars have depreciated WAY more then ours have but its all in good fun?!!during the days/afternoons theres those frisky model actress types with fluttering eyes and ho-bag smiles you can tell are just dripping for a ride (especially aroumd the casting offices)and everywhere else theres still those import guys armed with an exhaust and air clearner mods that do flybys because they can!!..never any animosity mainly just smiles and waves!!

 

You truly must live in a very sheltered part of the world. Jealousy is written of in the first book of the Bible, and nothing has ever really changed in all the millenia to follow. Did not the French revolution start primarily over class warfare? Surely you must be able to grasp the thoughts that would run through a starving mans mind seeing someone drive up in their "golden chariot", and thumb your nose at them.

While you or I may not be nose thumbers, there are more than enough Corvette, Cadillac and exotic car owners out there that have, and do, drive with their nose 3 feet in the air, and they make it bad for the rest of us. We should all take good heed of the toes we step on today.

 

Nothing hostile, just looks and an occasional thumbs-up.

So many expensive cars on the road in Dallas that a measly red 308 is under the radar...my guess is most people think it's a late-model Corvette.

The old 4-headlighter got lots more attention.

 

This thread makes no sense. So, we are supposed to park our cars because some people can't pay their mortgages? I'm sorry for them.. I really am.. but I'm not going to hide who I am.

If I date a super model, am I supposed to tell her to "uglify" herself in public so people won't be jealous that I'm with her?

I saw this reaction just after the LA riots. I had a lot of friends in LA who drove exotics who then IMMEDIATELY went out and bought a plain Honda accord while they parked their exotic cars. They were afraid to drive them in public. Well, FEAR never SOLVED anything.

And, what's the opposite? If there are GOOD economic times, what are we supposed to do then? It's the exact same problem. Jealosy exists at any time and under any condition.

I would also like to say that no one I have met to date has had anything but compliments about my car when I drive it. Most admit if that if they could do it, they'd be in my seat with the same silly grin on their face.

If they don't like it, they can eat my exhaust note.

 

So have pygmies already reach Timbuktu driving exotic cars?

 

Pygmies? Not out here too much, yet, but, the closer you get to Sodom and Gemorah the more appear and the crazier they get.

 

Back in Dec 2001 it hit the fan in Buenos Aires as the economy crashed into the sub basement, it was Much Much worse than here, just a few steps above 1929 down there

Anyways exotics dissapeared fromt the streets for at least a year

 

The revolution isn't upon is and nor is a depression. I'm not parading around post-War Germany trying to buy stuff on the cheap. Employment is less than 7% and portfolios will recover in a few years. The starving man is starving when I drive my Acura too.

I'm sorry, but the economic climate isn't that bad. Only when I see my neighbor is standing in a soup line and 1 out of 4 is unemployed, will I think twice about about driving an exotic.

The jealous ones now were the jealous ones before and will be the jealous ones after. Decent people will be decent people, regardless of how their portfolio is doing.

 

well said

 

This is an important issue.

If one is successful, someone will take a pop shot.
Does that mean one should not be successful?
I think not.

Anger/hatred and jealousity is on the increase.
I expect it to continue to increase.

Sometimes a Ferrari helps in a work situation.
Othertimes, it hurts.

Have had the Ferrari stolen, but otherwise never vandalizied.
Used to use it as a daily driver and it has been everywhere.

Used to have an old Mercedes diesel sedan. It was vandalizied 5 times, always in nice areas.
Once was at the Mercedes dealer in Salt Lake City. They had a series of cars vandalizied one night.

I think one has to get a good balance between enjoying life and being careful (it will probably get worse).

It will vary with each person.

Even then, s... sometimes happens. Everyone seems to get their share unfortuniately.

Dave

 

Hehe!

 

I've not noticed any change with public reaction to the 430 or R8 in colorado. Still brings a smile and much excitement to people around town.

I think we might be making too much ot this. People don't give a crap about us.

 

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

Albert Einstein


The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen...and stupidity.


Harlan Ellison

 

Gee, it’s never crossed my mind about being inconsiderate or non-sensitive to the ‘state of the economy’. I drive both my F355 and Mondial T cab a few times a week. I live on a barrier island off Sarasota in Florida and there’s massive amounts of positive energy here all the time. Perhaps that’s the difference between a major city and here in terms of feeling weird about driving a Ferrari around. Visitors to this area expect to see Ferraris all over. They expect to hear the Tubi singing in second gear. I’ve not sensed anyone grumbling at me for tooling around. I don’t think any Ferrari owner here is hiding their Ferrari until the ‘economic storm’ blows over. I understand how in other parts of the country that could be the case.

 

And this is the difference. In areas where wealth is normal and people are affluent, conservative and educated, its totally a non issue. But in those areas where you have these evironazi extremists with their Prius car or whatever, those people cannot be trusted. Lets face facts, Its not that its a Ferrari, its that its a symbol of wealth and to some, a symbol of being wasteful with resources. And regardless of how anyone in particular feels about the causes and effects, the truth is there are places where driving one of these cars just wouldnt be a very good idea. And as the economy goes down those areas will expand.

No one is saying we should hide them away, just that we should be aware of our surroundings and the current political feelings various neighborhoods or university campuses might have towards us.