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What kind of people own sports cars?
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I just had a weird thought. I live in a Philly suburb. The neighborhood is about 30 years old, 2200-2500 sq ft houses (mostly 2 story colonials), 4-5 bedrooms, most basements are finished, 2 car garages, 1/3 acre properties, culdesacs, probably 90+% college educated and 90+% families with children.

1 guy has an old IRoc Z in his garage. Other than that:

No corvettes
No mustangs
No challengers
No new cameros
Maaayybe there's a BMW sedan or two, which is kind of a sports car, but none that I can think of off the top of my head.
No 2 seat sports cars like Miatas, boxters, etc. etc.

120 units, and we've got 1 old IRoc Z. So who's buying these things?

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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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So who's buying these things?

People who live in better weather than Philly?

Slowguy

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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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people without the need to cart kids around. If you are 90% families with kids, there you go.

I want a Miata (or similar) but I can't justify it. It was going to be my 50th birthday present to me (a few years away still) but probably gonna push that back to 55. My son will be 10 and out of car seats. And it will be used.

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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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Me. I no longer have kids in the house.

I drive a Dodge Challenger SCAT Pack. I currently have winter tires on it and have been driving it all winter.
I have previously mentioned the 1989 Corvette I drive in the summer (currently in storage).
Wifie drives a 2000 Porsche Boxster S in the summer (currently in storage).

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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I live in a similar neighborhood with 44 houses. 1 Camero, 1 Mustang and one WRX (mine) is all I can think of. I don't know about your neighborhood, but I think the demographics of my neighborhood are much older than the typical sports car driver. I think the sports cars are more the 20-somethings living in apartments or smaller houses.

I also live in a place where it snows most days in the winter. Almost all pickups and SUVs.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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People who like sports cars? The new ones aren’t cheap, and they’re always going to be a third car if you have snow. So it’s bit surprising you don’t see that many. Most people aren’t willing or don’t want to drop 60k+ on a third car, especially if you have kids.

Also the number of car people has I think dropped significantly. With the price increases, the inability to work on new ones yourself due to the complexities, the whole I love sports cars didn’t transfer as well to gen x and gen y.

In our circle the guy across from us doesn’t have kids, but he has a Maserati. I’ve got a 3000 gt vr4, which I’ve had forever so well before I got married and had a kid, then we have one more person down the street that has an older viper and a Shelby Cobra (that I’ve never seen out). But that person also has two Porsche Cayenne’s so they got some cash.

I’ve definitely seen a pretty big decrease on the number of sports cars on the road in the last 5-10 years. But that’s not too surprising.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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Already mentioned: weather (i.e. road conditions) and kids. Shooting from the hip, I'd say that those two cover about 90% of why people don't own those particular vehicles.

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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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For the kids its a focus RS or RS3

For without the kids a caterham 7.......

Problem solved
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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People who like sports cars own sports cars... Do you have any of the four door faux sports cars like dodge chargers with the hemi? If so, like Jason said, once the kids are gone that dad/mom might be in line for a sports car down the road.

And it is Camaro, not camero.

Ryan
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [JSA] [ In reply to ]
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And a R?

Or is a 500hp golf, still a golf..........
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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In about 5 to 10 years depending upon how that vehicle is kept up and the equipment:
* It will be worth more that its purchase value new.
* Did you maybe speak with the owner? Maybe that car has sentimental value for some reason.
My first 2 cars were 3rd generation Camaro
* 85 base model - HS Graduation present
* 92 RS with V8 - First Car I bought on my own
If I did not have this Triathlon hobby, and did not live in a condo I could very well would buy an 80 to 90's Camaro and or Vette.
(My dad was Vette guy and he owned 6 of them from 1973 until he died and gave me the last one a 2002)
To be exact a 1996 LT4 Convertible Corvette in the Silver Anniversary package, which would cost about 10k is what I would buy and I want.
I like the Vette that JSA bought a while back.
I am 49 / College Educated / Work for a fortune 100 company / Lives in Los Angeles/ No kids

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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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What do you consider a sports car? I have 2 60's Datsun roadsters. I consider them sports cars. Some wouldn't. I live cheaper and rural. My brother-in-law has a souped up Camaro and he lives in the kind of place you described.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Andrewmc wrote:
And a R?

Or is a 500hp golf, still a golf..........

Yep. I still have the .:R. It too is currently in storage. She is used almost exclusively for racing and rallies now.

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [ryans] [ In reply to ]
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And I think less people want sports cars in general due to the cost. If you love cars it’s not a huge deal if you have the extra money. But most people would rather spend 7-8k a year going on trips than paying off a car loan for a 3rd car.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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I live 60 minutes NE of Philly in central Jersey. I have my 2016 Challenger Scat Pack which... occasionally gets driven in the winter (days like today... 40 or above).

I pretty much only have it because of my wife's car. She doesn't work, so barely needs it... and it's an older Honda CRV with a lot of miles that I use for bad weather or to put in parking garages. If it weren't for her car.. I would have kept my Jeep.

The townhouse area I live in has a few mustangs, two corvettes, my challenger and one other one, and probably something else I haven't seen.

I talk to myself because mine are the only answers I'll accept - George Carlin
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [knewbike] [ In reply to ]
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knewbike wrote:
What do you consider a sports car? I have 2 60's Datsun roadsters. I consider them sports cars. Some wouldn't. I live cheaper and rural. My brother-in-law has a souped up Camaro and he lives in the kind of place you described.
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Yeah, I had a problem with definitions too, because in my mind your cars would be "sports" cars (esp if something like a 2000), and your BIL's a "muscle" car. The lines are blurred these days, with each side taking on more attributes of the other.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [Grant.Reuter] [ In reply to ]
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Grant.Reuter wrote:
People who like sports cars? The new ones aren’t cheap, and they’re always going to be a third car if you have snow. So it’s bit surprising you don’t see that many. Most people aren’t willing or don’t want to drop 60k+ on a third car, especially if you have kids.

Basically this, cars are getting expensive. Especially when you can't find a new minivan for under $30k. Hell, my 2012 subaru outback was $23k new, three years later the new model listed for $28k.

I'll also add this, a $30k car is ~$500 a month payment, two cars is $1k a month. Most upper middle class people can't afford that and pay for their kids traveling soccer team.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [dave_w] [ In reply to ]
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dave_w wrote:
knewbike wrote:
What do you consider a sports car? I have 2 60's Datsun roadsters. I consider them sports cars. Some wouldn't. I live cheaper and rural. My brother-in-law has a souped up Camaro and he lives in the kind of place you described.

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Yeah, I had a problem with definitions too, because in my mind your cars would be "sports" cars (esp if something like a 2000), and your BIL's a "muscle" car. The lines are blurred these days, with each side taking on more attributes of the other.

Both are 2000's, one with the racing package but needs my restoration attention. My BIL doesn't even drive his. Sits in the 3rd bay and collects dust.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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I live in Austin.

Tons of sports cars here: Challenger, 'vettes, Camaros, Mustangs, Porsches, sport coupes, etc.

When my son got out of a car seat, my wife had an Audi TT.

Not really a sports car, but I dropped twin turbos on my Infiniti FX and could blow doors off of most sports cars.

I think a Lexus RC is in my wife's near future. She loves the looks of that car.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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People who are shorter than about 6’4”
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [knewbike] [ In reply to ]
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knewbike wrote:
dave_w wrote:
knewbike wrote:
What do you consider a sports car? I have 2 60's Datsun roadsters. I consider them sports cars. Some wouldn't. I live cheaper and rural. My brother-in-law has a souped up Camaro and he lives in the kind of place you described.

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Yeah, I had a problem with definitions too, because in my mind your cars would be "sports" cars (esp if something like a 2000), and your BIL's a "muscle" car. The lines are blurred these days, with each side taking on more attributes of the other.


Both are 2000's, one with the racing package but needs my restoration attention. My BIL doesn't even drive his. Sits in the 3rd bay and collects dust.
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Very cool, I seriously kicked around buying one a couple years ago, but didn't pull the trigger.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [Bumble Bee] [ In reply to ]
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As a total aisde i dont, and this maybe heresy, consider mustangs, chargers, corvettes or camaros sports cars

I dont consider the RS, RS3 sports cars. Just hot hatches

Sports cars; gt3rs, gt2, anything with a straight up track pedigree

The others are many things but if you told a european you bought a sports car, they asked what and you said camaro i am not sure they would agree its a sports car ;)
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [spudone] [ In reply to ]
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I would add a wrinkle to your sports car train of thought and expand it. How many have motorcycles or UTV's? Motorcycles all the way from Harleys, crotch rockets, and dirt bikes. UTV's from utility to sport machines, boats, you could even add in RV's to that mix as a luxury item that many people have.

I've gone the route of a sport UTV, RV and dirt bikes. College, middle aged with a family so it fits our life style. I would love to have a muscle car or sports car in the garage but would rather have the items I currently own instead of one.

A big trend that I see is RV's and storage of them. There is a shortage of properties that allow storage so people put them in storage lots.

Also depends upon where you live for the above toys that I view to be in a similar category as a sports car but more budget friendly. I live in the west with lots of public land to enjoy these toys. Winter can also be an issue with snow in Idaho but it's not terrible.
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Re: What kind of people own sports cars? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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There's a doctor down the street with a Camaro, farther down a guy has painstakingly restored his father's Italian something or other, there's a 944 farther down, and a Mustang GT500 around the corner. The doctor is relatively young, the others are older I believe.


Lots of Microsoft millionaires in Bellevue. I couldn't believe the array of exotics and supercars there.

In the Detroit area, you see a lot of sports cars, from Corvettes, Camaros to 911's, Ferarris, Lamborghinis etc.

You can triple that number if you start counting Porsche Cayennes, Panameras, Range Rovers, BMM X5s, X3s etc. as 'sports cars'
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