From Supercar to Sportscar
Discussion
Hi All,
Having been fortunate enough to always have a supercar in my garage for a number of years, I am at a point where I could ideally use some of the funds tied up in the car (not a certainty I will need to do this, but a possibility).
The Supercar has always been a 2nd/3rd car in the household and is only really used on weekends and holidays. The main criteria for any supercar was always to give me that real sense of occasion from looking at/driving it and for it to feel like every drive is an event. I have never tracked any of my supercars but really enjoy spirited drives in them or where necessary still find it an event even with sitting in slow moving traffic (which is unavoidable as I live down in the south east)
Now being a petrolhead I still feel I would want a 2nd/3rd car in the garage but given the sort of funds I need released I would have to settle with a sports car probably something like a GT4 ideally.
Would be interested in hearing from others who have made any similar transition or own both types. I am wondering if you have been left wanting following the move, or have never looked back (as I would expect for example you can drive 'sportscars' to their upper limits more of the time without the risk of losing your licence as you would do within a few secs of putting your footdown in a supercar).
Having been fortunate enough to always have a supercar in my garage for a number of years, I am at a point where I could ideally use some of the funds tied up in the car (not a certainty I will need to do this, but a possibility).
The Supercar has always been a 2nd/3rd car in the household and is only really used on weekends and holidays. The main criteria for any supercar was always to give me that real sense of occasion from looking at/driving it and for it to feel like every drive is an event. I have never tracked any of my supercars but really enjoy spirited drives in them or where necessary still find it an event even with sitting in slow moving traffic (which is unavoidable as I live down in the south east)
Now being a petrolhead I still feel I would want a 2nd/3rd car in the garage but given the sort of funds I need released I would have to settle with a sports car probably something like a GT4 ideally.
Would be interested in hearing from others who have made any similar transition or own both types. I am wondering if you have been left wanting following the move, or have never looked back (as I would expect for example you can drive 'sportscars' to their upper limits more of the time without the risk of losing your licence as you would do within a few secs of putting your footdown in a supercar).
just for sake of clarity...what is your "supercar", are we talking Aventador type of just a R8?
R8 being a sport car IMO...not the debate here i understand, but just so we know what "level" (as your level) we are suppose to debate about here
note: GT4 (65-95k£ range) will def get you in "loosing your license immediately" territory if that is what you are worried about...like most 300bhp+ car really, as usual drive sensibly within road limits and you'll be just fine.
R8 being a sport car IMO...not the debate here i understand, but just so we know what "level" (as your level) we are suppose to debate about here
note: GT4 (65-95k£ range) will def get you in "loosing your license immediately" territory if that is what you are worried about...like most 300bhp+ car really, as usual drive sensibly within road limits and you'll be just fine.
Edited by 911Thrasher on Monday 9th November 14:35
911Thrasher said:
just for sake of clarity...what is your "supercar", are we talking Aventador type of just a R8?
R8 being a sport car IMO...not the debate here i understand, but just so we know what "level" (as your level) we are suppose to debate about here
Fair question, my last 3 cars over the years have been Ferrari, Lamborghini and currently a McLaren (this should hopefully avoid this thread turning into the usual 'is an R8 a Supercar or Sportscar debate' R8 being a sport car IMO...not the debate here i understand, but just so we know what "level" (as your level) we are suppose to debate about here
Edited by 911Thrasher on Monday 9th November 14:35
)Have never owned a supercar but many heap praise on the Exige who also own more expensive machinery. Would certainly offer you something different rather than just "cheaper" in a pure driving experience, assuming you are coming from an R8.
Would be worth a read. Bonus that running costs are also peanuts as well as purchase price.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Would be worth a read. Bonus that running costs are also peanuts as well as purchase price.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
BlackR8 said:
Fair question, my last 3 cars over the years have been Ferrari, Lamborghini and currently a McLaren (this should hopefully avoid this thread turning into the usual 'is an R8 a Supercar or Sportscar debate' )
Bispal on here is wax lyrical about his exige, despite owning McLarens alongside it. )I haven't (yet) had to make ( fortunately ) the transition ( who knows what tomorrow brings ?) , but on extended holidays have left the Big toys behind , and taken one of the Smaller toys , or none at all .
Of course I have missed the supercars on these occasions , but not anymore than I have any of the sportscars - not at all .
If circumstances demand the transition , don't lose a moment's sleep on the issue .
Just find a decent stretch of uncamera'ed , quiet road , and all the fun will be yours once again , whatever car you are in .
And with a lower powered manual on narrower tyres car , you can rev it to just below the red-line in more gears , and corner closer to its limit of adhesion ( or go out for a drive on a damp day ) -- that's where all the fun is , at least for me .
Of course I have missed the supercars on these occasions , but not anymore than I have any of the sportscars - not at all .
If circumstances demand the transition , don't lose a moment's sleep on the issue .
Just find a decent stretch of uncamera'ed , quiet road , and all the fun will be yours once again , whatever car you are in .
And with a lower powered manual on narrower tyres car , you can rev it to just below the red-line in more gears , and corner closer to its limit of adhesion ( or go out for a drive on a damp day ) -- that's where all the fun is , at least for me .
I like taking my TVR out on days when the roads are a bit damp. It's the automotive version of Russian roulette....... Just don't collect other innocent road users on your unplanned excursion in to the scenery...
'supercar' or sports car, it's your right foot (and the brain that may or may not be controlling it) that threatens loss of license......
'supercar' or sports car, it's your right foot (and the brain that may or may not be controlling it) that threatens loss of license......
BlackR8 said:
911Thrasher said:
just for sake of clarity...what is your "supercar", are we talking Aventador type of just a R8?
R8 being a sport car IMO...not the debate here i understand, but just so we know what "level" (as your level) we are suppose to debate about here
Fair question, my last 3 cars over the years have been Ferrari, Lamborghini and currently a McLaren (this should hopefully avoid this thread turning into the usual 'is an R8 a Supercar or Sportscar debate' R8 being a sport car IMO...not the debate here i understand, but just so we know what "level" (as your level) we are suppose to debate about here
Edited by 911Thrasher on Monday 9th November 14:35
)GT4 offers driver interaction in spades that many Mclarens (especially) and to a lesser extent Ferraris snd Lambos can only dream of this is partly why I sold my 570S after owning it for a couple of months. Great car but uninvolving and detached driving experience.
Any car is licence losing btw even a Punto which can exceed 30mph if not 20mph so the old chestnut cliche of supercars/rapid cars make you lose your licence easily is b
ks imo.Other aspect of a GT4 is that it will make you smile everytime you look at its residuals especially compared to the mind numbing depreciation afflicting most Mclarens which rather dulls the overall experience for most imo although the fanbois rarely admit this rather important fact lol.
For the record I run several GT Porsche including a 991.2 GT3 CS manual 991 TTS Spyder and 458 and the GT4s (981 and 718) are up there with the best in terms of driver interaction and overall usability.
Edited by av185 on Monday 9th November 15:26
I'm in the process of selling my Lambo and getting an Exige, assuming Lotus ever get round to building it... The Lambo has been amazing, and I'm still asking myself whether I'm doing the right thing. I will miss it. But after 6 years its time for a change and the point about the Exige is that its different. Its more raw, immediate, exciting and impractical - what a pure driver's car should be.
I agree entirely with the Lotus comments above .
I recently bought a 10 year old Elise S3 R with the 189 bhp 2-ZZ engine - the highest powered naturally aspirated Elise engine , excluding the specials like the K-series VHPD derivatives - from Bell & Colvill .
It provides a different set of thrills to the V12 Lambos , and is none the worse for it .
So much more useable too - principally for its excellent sight lines and narrow width .
The OP need have no worries about missing out on the driving aspects of moving from a supercar to a sportscar .
I recently bought a 10 year old Elise S3 R with the 189 bhp 2-ZZ engine - the highest powered naturally aspirated Elise engine , excluding the specials like the K-series VHPD derivatives - from Bell & Colvill .
It provides a different set of thrills to the V12 Lambos , and is none the worse for it .
So much more useable too - principally for its excellent sight lines and narrow width .
The OP need have no worries about missing out on the driving aspects of moving from a supercar to a sportscar .
Went from an R8 to a 981 Boxster GTS ... and couldn't be happier.
Loved the R8 but after 2.5 years and 30,000 miles I fancied a change. Wasn't interested in more power but something that would be more fun for fast B road driving.
Absolutely loving the Boxster. The R8 is slightly better or more capable in most respects, but as an overall package the Boxster is just brilliant fun. Plenty fast enough, LOUD, great interior, great design (the 981 being the best of the bunch in my opinion).
Sometimes less is more.
Loved the R8 but after 2.5 years and 30,000 miles I fancied a change. Wasn't interested in more power but something that would be more fun for fast B road driving.
Absolutely loving the Boxster. The R8 is slightly better or more capable in most respects, but as an overall package the Boxster is just brilliant fun. Plenty fast enough, LOUD, great interior, great design (the 981 being the best of the bunch in my opinion).
Sometimes less is more.
I’ve had both, and the sportscars are probably going to be more fun to drive, but the supercars still have another level of quality to match the price tags. Depends what you want.
‘Supercars’ do now have too much power and generally too much grip (though the obsession with track tyres on road cars fixes that when it’s wet or cold!), but it’s still nice to have massive horsepower under your foot and (too) expensive leather/Alcantara around you. An event as you say,
I have an Exige 430 at the moment, which is as ‘connected’ as you’ll get, and my sixth Lotus, but it’s no luxury supercar experience. Next year will swop that for a 718 Spyder, and have second Alpine on the way. All of those are cars you can really use on the road, though Exige is borderline too fast.
If it’s all about the driving, you’ll be very happy in a ‘sports-car’.
‘Supercars’ do now have too much power and generally too much grip (though the obsession with track tyres on road cars fixes that when it’s wet or cold!), but it’s still nice to have massive horsepower under your foot and (too) expensive leather/Alcantara around you. An event as you say,
I have an Exige 430 at the moment, which is as ‘connected’ as you’ll get, and my sixth Lotus, but it’s no luxury supercar experience. Next year will swop that for a 718 Spyder, and have second Alpine on the way. All of those are cars you can really use on the road, though Exige is borderline too fast.
If it’s all about the driving, you’ll be very happy in a ‘sports-car’.
Edited by footsoldier on Monday 9th November 21:40
As well as the Elise R I mentioned above , I also have a 981 S , and a couple of Series 1 MX5s .
I looked carefully at V6 Exiges , before buying the Elise , and would suggest that you look at both the Boxster and the Loti carefully ..... don’t discount an Elise without a test drive .
All 3 , esp the Exige and the Boxster share similarities , but are also very different .
With the 981 already present , I could not justify the added cost of the Exige , and the smaller footprint and the added chuck ability of the Elise were also major deciding factors .
Your intended use of the car will tell you which to go for ..... a test drive of each will really helpful
There is a ascending gradient of price , speed , acceleration , speed , refinement etc, etc as you proceed from Yokohama through Hethel to Stuttgart........ but the life blood flowing through them all is exactly the same .
The supercars merely continue this pattern , just on steroids .
Best of luck with the business , and your temporary transition is really not a huge loss .
I looked carefully at V6 Exiges , before buying the Elise , and would suggest that you look at both the Boxster and the Loti carefully ..... don’t discount an Elise without a test drive .
All 3 , esp the Exige and the Boxster share similarities , but are also very different .
With the 981 already present , I could not justify the added cost of the Exige , and the smaller footprint and the added chuck ability of the Elise were also major deciding factors .
Your intended use of the car will tell you which to go for ..... a test drive of each will really helpful
There is a ascending gradient of price , speed , acceleration , speed , refinement etc, etc as you proceed from Yokohama through Hethel to Stuttgart........ but the life blood flowing through them all is exactly the same .
The supercars merely continue this pattern , just on steroids .
Best of luck with the business , and your temporary transition is really not a huge loss .
Edited by carspath on Tuesday 10th November 12:17
carspath said:
As well as the Elise R I mentioned above , I also have a 981 S , and a couple of Series 1 MX5s .
I looked carefully at V6 Exiges , before buying the Elise , and would suggest that you look at both the Boxster and the Loti carefully ..... don’t discount an Elise without a test drive .
All 3 , esp the Exige and the Boxster share similarities , but are also very different .
With the 981 already present , I could not justify the added cost of the Exige , and the smaller footprint and the added chuck ability of the Elise were also major deciding factors .
Your intended use of the car will tell you which to go for ..... a test drive of each will really helpful
There is a ascending gradient of price , speed , acceleration , speed , refinement etc, etc as you proceed from Yokohama through Hethel to Stuttgart........ but the life blood flowing through them all is exactly the same .
The supercars merely continue this pattern , just on steroids .
Best of luck with the business , and your temporary transition is really not a huge loss .
Very insightful thank you. I think a certain level of refinement will be needed due to having to navigate stop/start traffic a fair bit so that will play a part, so would be interesting to see how the Lotus compares to a Porsche in this regardI looked carefully at V6 Exiges , before buying the Elise , and would suggest that you look at both the Boxster and the Loti carefully ..... don’t discount an Elise without a test drive .
All 3 , esp the Exige and the Boxster share similarities , but are also very different .
With the 981 already present , I could not justify the added cost of the Exige , and the smaller footprint and the added chuck ability of the Elise were also major deciding factors .
Your intended use of the car will tell you which to go for ..... a test drive of each will really helpful
There is a ascending gradient of price , speed , acceleration , speed , refinement etc, etc as you proceed from Yokohama through Hethel to Stuttgart........ but the life blood flowing through them all is exactly the same .
The supercars merely continue this pattern , just on steroids .
Best of luck with the business , and your temporary transition is really not a huge loss .
Edited by carspath on Tuesday 10th November 12:17
I'm obviously going to invite ridicule here, but here goes.
Sit down and ask yourself what you want in a car rather than asking the internet. They have very little relevance to you.
From my own perspective, when I was a young man I just wanted the fastest bike or car I could get my hands on. I was overly influenced by performance figures and what other people thought of my purchases. As I get older and don't really give a moo what people think of me anymore I look back at cars that I've actually enjoyed.
My personal theme is that they have to have something to teach me.
Sit down and ask yourself what you want in a car rather than asking the internet. They have very little relevance to you.
From my own perspective, when I was a young man I just wanted the fastest bike or car I could get my hands on. I was overly influenced by performance figures and what other people thought of my purchases. As I get older and don't really give a moo what people think of me anymore I look back at cars that I've actually enjoyed.
My personal theme is that they have to have something to teach me.
BlackR8 said:
Very insightful thank you. I think a certain level of refinement will be needed due to having to navigate stop/start traffic a fair bit so that will play a part, so would be interesting to see how the Lotus compares to a Porsche in this regard
If its a third car can't you avoid the stop/start traffic? I only had a Boxster previously but I would say the refinement is a level up on the Exige. It was that refinement however that lost the "specialness" of the Lotus and I soon missed it. The GT4 to be fair is perhaps the right balance.
I had a couple of test drives last year in the 2016 Boxster Spyder looking for a similar ‘downsize’. It was truly great fun and one of the nicest cars I have driven of late. Worth adding to your list of try outs. Apparently it doesn’t quite have all the suspension set up of the equivalent GT4 but it actually felt very planted but reasonably compliant. I always prefer the soft tops to coupes so perhaps a bit biased, I think the GT4 looks sharper but the Spyder is very distinctive and definitely an improvement on the standard GTS.
Shnozz said:
BlackR8 said:
Fair question, my last 3 cars over the years have been Ferrari, Lamborghini and currently a McLaren (this should hopefully avoid this thread turning into the usual 'is an R8 a Supercar or Sportscar debate' )
Bispal on here is wax lyrical about his exige, despite owning McLarens alongside it. )Gassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff