Z impressions from a GTR owner

Originally Posted by Phimosis

Hi. I don't mean to be confrontational. I would just like add some insight, because I've probably lived through situations and seen things that you haven't. I totally disagree with your statement.

I'm a medical doctor, nearly 40 years old and well into the "fat" part of my career. I'm single and no kids or alimony to pay for. I can afford going into exotic territory, but I choose not to. A lot of people in southern California live to the very maximum of what they can afford so they can be flashy, be players, meet hot girls, etc. My friends drive Porsches and AMG Mercedes and tease me, saying "I bought a car that is a socioeconomic class below me." The same guys teased me about my last car, which was a Corvette, calling it my "redneck car".

The universal truth here is that cars are not an investment, they are a depreciating asset. On the used car market, you see (multiple) 2005 Lambo Gallardo's or 2006 911 turbo's for $90,000. The seller of the lambo is losing $90,000 in depreciation in 4 years. The Porsche sellers are losing $50,000 in 3 years, plus you're losing $1,000 a month to the bank on the interest for a loan that big. Then, Lambo owners are replacing the SMG clutch at like 15k miles at a cost of $7000. The total cost of 4 years of Lambo ownership (on a new car) is going to run you $120k-140k.

It will take a LOT of desire to get me to spend that much on a car. But desire is a weird thing. Like the girl that was so hot that you'd spend your entire pay check on her, just to keep her happy? If they didn't scrap the program, I would have spent $180,000 on a Lexus LF-A. I want one that badly. The C6 Corvette (ZR1) and 997 Porsche (turbo or gt3) are coming to the end of their life cycle and make them less desireable. The Maserati GT is not fast enough. The GTR is ugly and too heavy.

By buying a 370z, I get a car that is beautiful, light, great handling, has stylish interior and makes good economic sense. Even with mods on this car, I'll probably only lose $20,000 on it. And, if something new and hot comes to market that I just "have to have," like a Porsche 998 or C7 Corvette, I'm still in a financial position to do it, plus I end up having a lot more money in my bank account, which makes you feel "safer," especially when the economy is in the tank.

So don't neccesarily write everyone off as a fake or a braggart just because they say they can afford to buy an $80,000 car but choose not to. It's how their priorities are set up. Based on your comment, if you had the means, you would get an $80,000 car because that is your priority, but not everyone thinks that way.

-Phim