Rant : How much is too much to spend on a car?

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Wait... ROLL-UP windows? Whaaaatttt....?

For sure, it's the spec I wanted!

No power steering
No ABS
No airbags
No traction control
No tilt
No cruise
No radio
No A/C

Everything you need, nothing you don't.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

For sure, it's the spec I wanted!

No power steering
No ABS
No airbags
No traction control
No tilt
No cruise
No radio
No A/C

Everything you need, nothing you don't.

Just how I'd spec one. That's motorcycle spec right there.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Just how I'd spec one. That's motorcycle spec right there.

I know, right? Kids, so no motorcycle for me, so I got a 4-wheeled motorcycle instead.

It's not for everyone for sure, but once an enthusiast feels how this car moves, it's hard to go back to a 3,000+ lb car, regardless of how fast it is. Fastest isn't the funnest to everyone.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

I know, right? Kids, so no motorcycle for me, so I got a 4-wheeled motorcycle instead.

It's not for everyone for sure, but once an enthusiast feels how this car moves, it's hard to go back to a 3,000+ lb car, regardless of how fast it is. Fastest isn't the funnest to everyone.

Yup. Even my '97 Z3 Roadster feels light weight at 2,600 pounds compared to modern stuff..

[FC4]

Yep. I dig it.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

2011 Cayman = 3,000 lbs
2006 Lotus Exige = 1,950 lbs.

Cayman has left the chat.

Ahhh....but baring weight (mine weighs 2930lbs) which mid engine sports car can you take across the country, carry a huge amount of stuff in it, race it, have all the luxury and creature comforts, have a legit HVAC and audio, not crazy loud inside, stellar build quality and material heft, 60%+ 997 Porsche parts, etc.

The Exige, while badass, is a bit of a one trick pony and certainly not a dual purpose car. It's a barely legal race car for the street.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Ahhh....but baring weight (mine weighs 2930lbs) which mid engine sports car can you take across the country, carry a huge amount of stuff in it, race it, have all the luxury and creature comforts, have a legit HVAC and audio, not crazy loud inside, stellar build quality and material heft, 60%+ 997 Porsche parts, etc.

The Exige, while badass, is a bit of a one trick pony and certainly not a dual purpose car. It's a barely legal race car for the street.

All true, which is why I have an M2 as well.

Incidentally, my Exige weighs 1,850 lbs .

[Davil]

I bought an e36 M3 in my 20s (in the 90s) around AUD$100k from memory. Repayments were more than my rent. You only live once. Things somehow sort themselves out in the long term. Many fond memories. I do have an irrational love of cars though.

[Davil]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

I don't get this 911 thing at all, and I've tried, the list is LONG, but unless it's a very modern car (and absolutely stupidly priced) then they just don't

They are the sensible sports car for sensible men. The beige trousers of sports cars. They drive well, not a huge amount of specialness or sense of occasion, not a huge amount of emotion or excitement. But what they do, they do very very well indeed.

Like you, I’m not the audience. A lot of men wear beige trousers though. The Venn diagram would be interesting.

[Davil]

Watch this video. It is weirdly related to the thread. Just came into my feed. His repayments were 1400 pounds a month and his salary was 2000 pounds a month when he got it.

See. Everything sorts itself out in the end.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WL4SPv-msKw

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by Glashutte

Fellow BMW lovers,

Over the last few days, I've been through a bit of a tough spot. I recently totaled my 2030 330i with a lot of mods on it. I loved this car, and it was a source of pride and enjoyment in my life. I spent days modding this car, cleaning this car, and taking her to meets. I met some great people because of this car. To say that I was devastated is an understatement.

However, a lot of that grief has turned into acceptance, and a potential for growth. I realized that I spent a lot of money on this car, and an even greater amount of time and effort. Part of me started to ask "what could I have done if I hadn't spent time on cars". I could have learned a new language. Worked out some more. Put that money into a down payment for a house. At that point, I asked "How much is too much to spend". Money is one thing, but time is another, and that's arguably a lot more valuable.

As BMW fans, and car enthusiasts, we know more than others how much this hobby can cost. Being a part of the car scene can quickly get very expensive without clearly defined boundaries. Gas, mods, maintenance can quickly add up, and thats not even mentioning that a 50k car is nothing to scoff at. For the average Joe, that means forgoing a lot of other things. It could mean a few hobbies, or even something more important like a house purchase.

Despite the costs, I still love cars. I walked away from an awful accident nearly unscathed. Well, except for a few screws loose But it made me realize that hobbies aren't worth it if they block serious life milestones. And if they block off several other hobbies, it may not be worth it depending on what you value. With cars being so damn expensive and time consuming, this is often the case unless you have very deep pockets and a lot of time.

At the time of writing this, I'm looking at the wreck of my car. I'm thinking - goddamn, that 50 grand would have been really nice for a down payment. Maybe I could have put 40k towards the house fund and use the last 10k for a trip to Japan. Or, Deutschland with a fun rental

So, for all the 20 something year olds out there. Don't let cars get in the way of life. Buy a house. Travel. Meet someone. Learn a language. Maybe meet someone abroad. Maybe buy a house abroad. Maybe learn how to swim. Take a bicycle trip. You remember experiences more than things. Things are a means to experiences, after all. And maybe the BMW experience isn't the end all, be all of life.

Signed,
A younghead

Well said. I often look at how much I spend on my car and wonder what I could have done instead...but I always go back to spending all my spare money on the car for some reason.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by Davil

They are the sensible sports car for sensible men. The beige trousers of sports cars. They drive well, not a huge amount of specialness or sense of occasion, not a huge amount of emotion or excitement. But what they do, they do very very well indeed.

Like you, I’m not the audience. A lot of men wear beige trousers though. The Venn diagram would be interesting.

I think you're spot on here.

There is much to love beyond the driving too, the chink of the door closing, the sound of the air-cooled six, the distinctly German interior, it's just that none of it, and I mean NONE of it does anything for me.

I'm 53, so you'd think the 50's/60's cars do it for me, but they don't. I was coming of age in the 80's, and it was the zippy little Japanese cars that did it for me, and still do. The RX-7, MR-2, Starion, 280Z, etc, that's what we could afford (used), and they just feel right to me, and the 911 feels all wrong.

[Llarry]

This thread resonates with me; although I'm an older pensioner, I've still spent an inordinate amount of money on my cars. I *think* at age 77 I am done, though, and will continue to drive what I've got.

[///MPhatic]

I want to add one more bit of fuel to the fire of this thread. Something I've found to be true later in life.

When I was a young man I assumed that the things I wanted then would be things I would always want. No one told me this, it was just an assumption, a human assumption that the vast majority of us make.

But that's not how life works. Yes, it's true, some things you want as a young person you'll still desire when you're older, but the invisible truth for most people is that many things they desire when they are younger they will NO LONGER WANT when they are older.

So once you figure this out you'll stop thinking there is so much time to do or say or feel this or that, because there really isn't. You must try to get the things that you want, the things that will make you happy NOW, or you'll miss the opportunity for them to ever make you happy because at some point they will not mean to you what they mean to you NOW.

I recently made a similar post in the "you know you're old when" thread.

Yes, you're old when you can no longer do the things that young people can do, but you're also old when you NO LONGER WANT TO.

The hidden truth of this thread, to me, is a reminder to get what you want while you still want it, because it may not always be so, and that's a missed opportunity at a happiness you can't define. But having said that, you also have to dial it back and be smart as well, you can't just blindly get everything you want now and sacrifice your future (like much of the new generation is doing). So you must choose, and that comes down to the individual and how they feel about the things they want. It's not an answer you can get from someone else's self, it can only come from your self.

Choose wisely.

[the_abe]

Young people have a superpower that few take advantage of and that is the power of compounding. Every $1 wisely invested at 25 is worth around $2 at 35, $4 at 45, $8 at 55, $16 at 65.

Would you rather have a mid-range bmw now, or a m3 in 10 years, a porsche in 20 years, or a lambo in 30 years?

[Littlecoupe]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

I want to add one more bit of fuel to the fire of this thread. Something I've found to be true later in life.

When I was a young man I assumed that the things I wanted then would be things I would always want. No one told me this, it was just an assumption, a human assumption that the vast majority of us make.

But that's not how life works. Yes, it's true, some things you want as a young person you'll still desire when you're older, but the invisible truth for most people is that many things they desire when they are younger they will NO LONGER WANT when they are older.

So once you figure this out you'll stop thinking there is so much time to do or say or feel this or that, because there really isn't. You must try to get the things that you want, the things that will make you happy NOW, or you'll miss the opportunity for them to ever make you happy because at some point they will not mean to you what they mean to you NOW.

I recently made a similar post in the "you know you're old when" thread.

Yes, you're old when you can no longer do the things that young people can do, but you're also old when you NO LONGER WANT TO.

The hidden truth of this thread, to me, is a reminder to get what you want while you still want it, because it may not always be so, and that's a missed opportunity at a happiness you can't define. But having said that, you also have to dial it back and be smart as well, you can't just blindly get everything you want now and sacrifice your future (like much of the new generation is doing). So you must choose, and that comes down to the individual and how they feel about the things they want. It's not an answer you can get from someone else's self, it can only come from your self.

Choose wisely.

This is very similar to what I was thinking. I was a teen when Fast and the Furious first came out, and that tipped me over the edge of loving all things cars. Fast forward almost 25 years, I still like cars, but I don't appreciate them as much and not in the same way. I used to be big into drag racing and didn't love road courses/circuits, but now I'm all about track racing on a circuit - the pursuit of perfect laps.

Having owned 6 cars from brand new, I've seen all of them come to me "factory perfect" and then watch them get rock chips, dings, and rattles, and I come to dislike them usually after about 2 years into ownership. It's gotten to the point where I want to finish my current lease, pay out the car and then either keep it long term or find something else, used. I have become so critical and anal about new cars and finding their flaws that I just can't appreciate them and enjoy them fully for what they are.

Having said the above, the obvious best scenario for me would be to buy a track car, and a DD as well, both of which are paid off. At this stage of my life, I think that's what I would be happiest with. Hopefully in the next 3 years I can make it happen. Stage 1 is keep saving bit by bit so hopefully I can drop the cash against the residual on my lease at end of term and get away from payments.

All things are relative to the time. I say pursue what makes you happy at the time. Spend smart, but don't necessarily be cheap. You hear stories of marathon runners dying of a heart attack in their 30's, and you'd think they'd be in peak health. Nothing is guaranteed, and you can't spend when you're gone. Set your goals, make sure you keep to them, and enjoy the rest. I'm overleveraged with my car payment making up 22% of my net income which professionals would say is way too much, but we don't have children, I'm putting away 12% per month for retirement into RRSPs, saving here and there, may end up seeing inheritance, and should have our house paid off when I'm 51. I'll probably work until 65 because I don't know what I will do with myself having no work to do. As long as you have a plan in place that works long term, don't cheap out today hoping that you can enjoy tomorrow.

[x3sm]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

You’ll figure it out one day, and there’s no way I’m shoe-horning myself into a Lotus every day. 911’s are the best overall sports cars ever made in a class of their own. The fact that you can go from a base car all the way to a GT2RS all based on the same platform is incredible, and they all have their own feel to them in each generation and trim level.

I’m currently on my 8th 911 and have made good money over the years buying and selling them, and I haven’t even started down the path of air cooled cars (yet). Have never had one major issue with any of them and sold almost all of them for more than I paid. It’s just where you’re allocating your money. Yes there is opportunity cost having money tied up in a car but I really don’t care at this point.

Selling a 911 is incredibly easy. Selling an Exige is not and is an extremely niche market. They are cool cars though, just not for me.

Can you tell me which 911 I should buy now so I save as much money as I can against depreciating asset?

[Efthreeoh]

Just for perspective, women are far more expensive than cars.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by x3sm

Can you tell me which 911 I should buy now so I save as much money as I can against depreciating asset?

I can't tell which 911 that might be, BUT what a lot of Porsche guys won't tell you is the overall cost of ownership. I could easily sell my 2011 Cayman for around 15%-20% more than I paid for it back in October 2022, but I've also had to put about $7k into it over those years for various repairs and maintenance items. Of that $7K, $3.3K was reimbursed to me to have the clutch and flywheel replaced. Otherwise, all work was done solely by me. If I would have had Porsche or a Porsche independent do the work, I'd be looking at $10K-13K for all the work that's been done to the car.

Long story short, Porsches are crazy expensive to maintain (especially out of warranty ones) if you can't do the work yourself. Luckily they are easy to work for a DYIer on minus any major engine work or a PDK repair. In that case, you're often looking at a five figure repair.

With that said, I'm keeping my Cayman forever. If the engine blows, I'll have a 400hp 3.8 built ($25K) and it will be an absolute monster for less than the cost of a current gen base model Cayman and with GT4 levels of acceleration. These cars are just so damn good, even with a paltry 265hp.

[AmuroRay]

Originally Posted by David70

I should modify my list as the first thing I decided was after college I wasn't going to live at home no matter what. I waited tables, lived with my girlfriend and another guy, had a pretty crappy car and got by.

Mother didn't say anything about my lifestyle as I was out of the house and paying my way. I'm amazed at the number of people that go the nice car/living at home route as I really didn't like living at home.

well, my parents cook really well...so It's wouldn't be that bad.

[David70]

Originally Posted by AmuroRay

well, my parents cook really well...so It's wouldn't be that bad.

After we all go out tonight, lets head back to my house, I mean parents house, we'll need to be really quite and hopefully mom isn't laying on the couch in her pajamas.

[AmuroRay]

Originally Posted by David70

After we all go out tonight, lets head back to my house, I mean parents house, we'll need to be really quite and hopefully mom isn't laying on the couch in her pajamas.

LOL. Well yeah I get it. I'm older and married now so it wouldn't work - but I was still finding a way when I was there. And free food is not overrated.