Kids n 370s

Jessobear

I'm not bitching and I'm not talking about the price of the car. I'm just saying that based on my experiences, giving a car with the performance of a 370Z to a high school student is a bad idea.

I can certainly agree with you that I was pretty reckless as a kid. When I was in college, I totaled my friend's '92 MR2 Turbo by driving rally-style down an unknown gravel road and sliding off into the woods. I may have been more reckless than most, but I don't think my experiences were all that dissimilar to other kids my age. Every person I knew who had a fast car drove at least somewhat like a maniac.

I agree with you that losing control of cars is the best way to learn about driving them fast, but I don't think I'd want my own kid doing that every day on public roads. I'd rather buy the kid something cheap like an old F-body and let him learn that kind of stuff in a controlled environment like an autocross.

ImportConvert

The 370Z is NOT that powerful of a car that a highschooler can't manage it. What other new car would that parent buy their kid? 330hp is the new 220hp.

I mean, they could buy them a Prius or a Leaf or something, maybe?

You yourself learned that its driving style and not power that often wrecks a car. I don't think the Z is a bad choice at all. Of course, if your kid is an immature, reckless person, then no. However, they will probably wreck anything. Now that you mention it, the only 2 friends I had in highschool who had a wreck, one I don't know the cause of, but his car wasn't that fast ('95 32(something)i?). The other guy was "drifting" his family's stock 4-door honda family car and hit a curb. Neither of these incidents were caused by excessive power. However, nothing was said about being immature in the OP. It was about being rich/privelidged.

Jessobear

Well it certainly has enough power to get the back end out, especially in the rain or cold. I was going around an on ramp with the temp around freezing last week and I was able to put the thing sideways in 3rd gear. Summer tires don't like the cold.

It's a car that encourages you to do those kinds of things.

ImportConvert

Any kind of car will encourange a highschooler to "do those kinds of things". My G20 with its anemic 4-banger and slushomatic would spin the tires in the rain in a corner if I was so inclined. Yes, I have seen young people (and old) doing just this sort of thing in slow, slush-box cars like my own. Recklessness doesn't care about the dyno of 1/4 mile times, lol

I think either someone will wreck their car, or they won't, and first cars often-times get wrecked. If the family can afford that being a $30K car, props to them.

However, this conversation started because the OP had to wait until they were 26 and could afford to pay for their own Z before they got one. They are upset that some people didn't.

I think the statements highlighted in red sum the issue up very succinctly.

STRATTON

Good post. I agree with you 100%.

Stratton.