Do fast cars provide long term satisfaction?

[new boy]

A bit of a strange title, I'll try my best to explain my question.

When you first get a faster car, it feels great right? The push in your back, the noise etc, its makes mundane journeys something to look forward to.

I've never had what I would class as a "properly fast" car. My last 2 have been more what I would describe as "pretty quick" Currently I'm driving a Subaru Legacy 3.0R spec b. ~250BHP 1500-1600KGs.

Its a great car, but already, I'm finding myself wishing I had more...

I'm not even sure why. I guess its for those few times you can actually use full throttle at high revs like slip roads etc? I just want a bigger push in the back I guess lol.

I'm not a rich man, and I'm not actually going to change the car as its fantastic and probably about at the limit of what one can afford to run on a small budget, but still, I want to know from those who have gone big how the experience was for them.

Does it eventually after years become the norm, and you get desensitised to that bigger shove in the back? I cant imagine something with savage acceleration feeling mundane, but does it?

With the modest power I have available to me now, I already often feel frustrated by how little I get to use it. I guess that becomes more of an issue?

Thanks

 

[weight]

...

 

[Rroff]

Anything like that after awhile you get used to. Beyond ~150BHP/ton you rarely get to use it in any interesting way on the road unless you drive very irresponsibly.

 

[dessimpson]

It's not worth it.
I've had a few fast cars. 4 evo's and a few others. They're great if they're a second car but as a daily car you kinda get used to them and they don't feel special any more.
I did 52000 miles in my last evo in under 2 years and it became tedious. Replaced it with a golf diesel and now have a mini cooper s (for sale) and an old ep3 civic type R.
I drive the civic once or twice a week and it's a blast every time.

Now a modern fast car like a golf R, forcus RS etc I'm sure would be a lot easier to live with.

 

[Rroff]

I did 52000 miles in my last evo in under 2 years and it became tedious.

I'm quite enjoying having a big engine automatic at the moment to be fair - driving is anything but tedious - though 230BHP and just over 2000Kg is sometimes just a touch slower than I'd like.

I'm kind of done with hatchbacks though - think my next car will be something like a mid-size saloon with a mildly oversized engine but I much prefer a higher driving position hence one of the reasons why I'm currently in a pickup.

 

[NVP]

In my experience when you have real power in a real car it will take you a long, long, long time to learn to drive it at its limits (especially if there is no track involvement), its not always about power. It was a couple years before I was confident enough to drive my 500bhp V10 without traction control on and that was only a saloon and again it was a stepped process - which didn't go downwards in fun, it was the other way!

Of course it is all dependant on the driver, their current skill and their target skill. If they don't want to learnt the car or if the car is beneath their skill level and all the want to do is put their foot down on a motorway then they'll most likely get bored quicker.

 

[Rroff]

It was a couple years before I was confident enough to drive my 500bhp V10 without traction control on

Hah reminds me the first time driving a V8 or V10 can't remember which it was now - had to keep it up a higher gear than I should to keep the back from coming out - was many years ago and I had pretty much zero driving experience and heavy on the accelerator...

 

[Hades]

I have found that if I only own a fast car then I get used to it and find it boring. But recently I have been using an inherited Peugeot diesel as a daily. When I get in my Corrado VR6 (which let's be honest isn't a fast car nowadays) I have a massive smile on my face for the relative speed and throwability).

 

[MissChief]

Fast cars are good for straights, fast drivers are good in corners.

 

[NVP]

I have found that if I only own a fast car then I get used to it and find it boring. But recently I have been using an inherited Peugeot diesel as a daily. When I get in my Corrado VR6 (which let's be honest isn't a fast car nowadays) I have a massive smile on my face for the relative speed and throwability).

This sounds like the best way to live.

 

[Rroff]

When I get in my Corrado VR6 (which let's be honest isn't a fast car nowadays) I have a massive smile on my face for the relative speed and throwability).

I keep getting the itch to pickup a VR6 - probably Golf - again. Dunno what it is but something I mesh with with that engine that puts a smile on my face - the 3L V6 on my Navara it's OK but it just isn't the same.

 

[tom_nieto]

I remember doing an experience day with a 911 turbo, Gallardo and an Ariel atom and getting back into my S2000 and thinking, wow this is easy to drive quickly. Of course you’re not at three figure speeds all the time, but why would you want to be on public roads?

 

[Maximum Triceratops]

Have had nippy cars for years now, started off with 150bhp then 215bhp then 265bhp and now driving 320bhp. I will probably get something quicker when I get rid of this but only my finances at the time will dictate.

 

[Jester*]

I've found the faster cars I have owned the more sensibly I have driven.

Probably have more fun in my Abarth at road legal speeds than when I owned my SLK55. I think it is more how a car makes you feel when you are behind the wheel rather than straight out speed or power.

If you were to jump into a Ford Puma 1.7 and drive it like you stole it, you would have your licence still and probably a massive grin. Rather than hopping into anything with 400bhp plus and be able to use it for about 5 seconds before being in licence loosing territory.

 

[King4aDay]

My last few cars have been increasingly powerful but also lardier. I'm now feeling the urge for something more lightweight and sporty rather than worrying about straight line speed (especially as much of my driving is B roads these days).

 

[Nasher]

As above, you get used to it after a while and the novelty wears off, so you want something quicker. But then you dont really learn much from going fast in a straight line, so I'd rather have something I can throw around an experiment with more.

 

[ScoobyDoo69]

Depends on the car.

There's probably a reason people don't hold onto things like the more modern DSG hatches and AWD saloons - they clearly lose their appeal very quickly even as second cars, and can cost a lot of money if outside of a good lease/PCP deal.

Yet people seem to hold on to the older/slower (and probably worse) versions, because they're more interesting maybe? Something that needs a bit more driver input vs point and squirt keeps people more involved when driving "fast". But as mentioned already, when compared to a modern fast car, they don't do the daily work as well.

 

[crinkleshoes]

Yes you get used to it... even a McLaren 720S... but that doesn’t mean it loses its appeal.

 

[Jony27]

I'd eventually like to end up in the hot hatch category. For now just enjoying my 105bhp Leon

 

[Nasher]

I did the hot hatch thing, they are really good if you also need practical. But the modern ones dont really stay entertaining for long.