discussion Enjoyment Factor on SA roads for high performance vehicles.

[Holiman]

So I am in the market to get a better bigger "fast" car. Obviously it will cost a pretty penny and perhaps an arm and a leg. With that in mind, I ask myself a question, with the way things are in SA, the state of our roads, the crime in certain areas, and now hail, can one really enjoy the high performance vehicles we really want in our country?

Example: For me it's always been the case of hitting the odd pothole and with my current wheels I have come to live with it but when I think of repairing or replacing a rim that costs north of 50k, that would not sit well with me. You can always argue that if you cannot afford to do this don't buy the car but what I am saying is, you should not be put in this position to start with. Also, driving the car once or twice a month also really defeats the purpose cos you are paying for this thing to sit in a garage to only pique your excitement now and then. Now of cos there are track days which would allow you to enjoy the full flesh of your car but I also argue waiting for those days can get boring.

What are your opinions?

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[Nukleuz]

I am extremely passionate about cars, its been that way since i was a kid, so it may sound strange, but a big part of the enjoyment I get from my car is actually just the ownership. its personal pride maybe, happy with what i have achieved, and also Seeing it everyday in the garage just brings a smile to my face.
I don't have to drive it every week to see value in owning it. just appreciating its angry face, and its aggressive lines is enjoyment
in itself.

Having said that, When i do take it out for a burn, the fun factor that it brings to my life is invaluable. The points you mentioned about crime, or potholes or hail don't even factor into my thinking around owning a that you are extremely passionate about.

 

[Holiman]

I am extremely passionate about cars, its been that way since i was a kid, so it may sound strange, but a big part of the enjoyment I get from my car is actually just the ownership. its personal pride maybe, happy with what i have achieved, and also Seeing it everyday in the garage just brings a smile to my face.
I don't have to drive it every week to see value in owning it. just appreciating its angry face, and its aggressive lines is enjoyment
in itself.

Having said that, When i do take it out for a burn, the fun factor that it brings to my life is invaluable. The points you mentioned about crime, or potholes or hail don't even factor into my thinking around owning a that you are extremely passionate about.

That makes alot of sense.

I guess having come out of two attempted hijackings, and well fixing wheels every other month, I am now a bit cautious with this decision. I love cars. Love the enjoyment factor as well. Even my wife is getting used to it. My own experiences have just gotten me thinking broader a bit.

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[Bugger]

So I am in the market to get a better bigger "fast" car. Obviously it will cost a pretty penny and perhaps an arm and a leg. With that in mind, I ask myself a question, with the way things are in SA, the state of our roads, the crime in certain areas, and now hail, can one really enjoy the high performance vehicles we really want in our country?

Example: For me it's always been the case of hitting the odd pothole and with my current wheels I have come to live with it but when I think of repairing or replacing a rim that costs north of 50k, that would not sit well with me. You can always argue that if you cannot afford to do this don't buy the car but what I am saying is, you should not be put in this position to start with. Also, driving the car once or twice a month also really defeats the purpose cos you are paying for this thing to sit in a garage to only pique your excitement now and then. Now of cos there are track days which would allow you to enjoy the full flesh of your car but I also argue waiting for those days can get boring.

What are your opinions?

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If you can you should! There's many good places to repair rims nowadays, guys can do better than OEM repairs, and wheel insurance (from my understanding) isn't too expensive. There's also the option of a second set of rims (something I'm contemplating), but as Nuk has said it's about the ownership.

Track days, I hear you, depending on where you live, Zwartkops has an open day every Wednesday afternoon to go and do some laps, costs abour R500 I've been told, and you can spend the afternoon running around there. They usually do track days once a month if I am not mistaken. Red Star as well, and that's not a bad drive out there to be honest.

If the itch has started for a performance car, it ain't getting scratched until it's sitting in your garage, safe from the hail.

Saw a guy yesterday at Kyalami Corner in and X5M Comp that had gotten caught in the hail, his bonnet looked like a teenager's face (no offense to teenagers) and his windscreen was smashed up pretty bad. Guess we gotta take our chances!

 

[Holiman]

If you can you should! There's many good places to repair rims nowadays, guys can do better than OEM repairs, and wheel insurance (from my understanding) isn't too expensive. There's also the option of a second set of rims (something I'm contemplating), but as Nuk has said it's about the ownership.

Track days, I hear you, depending on where you live, Zwartkops has an open day every Wednesday afternoon to go and do some laps, costs abour R500 I've been told, and you can spend the afternoon running around there. They usually do track days once a month if I am not mistaken. Red Star as well, and that's not a bad drive out there to be honest.

If the itch has started for a performance car, it ain't getting scratched until it's sitting in your garage, safe from the hail.

Saw a guy yesterday at Kyalami Corner in and X5M Comp that had gotten caught in the hail, his bonnet looked like a teenager's face (no offense to teenagers) and his windscreen was smashed up pretty bad. Guess we gotta take our chances!

LOL!

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[momo1]

I used my M4 daily for about 3 months, highway driving and on smooth surfaces was bliss, however i was always weary of pot holes, Id be on full alert on unfamiliar roads, my insurance would cover rim repair but not sure on tyre replacement, maybe get that as peace of mind.
The fun factor on commuting with a high performance car everyday is limited though, too many silly drivers, Traffic lights not working, busy arears etc.
If you have easy access to nicer driving roads id say go for it as you will always get to enjoy it, heck even if i didn't I'd inconvenience myself in taking the "scenic route" just to enjoy the car.

 

[Holiman]

If you can you should! There's many good places to repair rims nowadays, guys can do better than OEM repairs, and wheel insurance (from my understanding) isn't too expensive. There's also the option of a second set of rims (something I'm contemplating), but as Nuk has said it's about the ownership.

Track days, I hear you, depending on where you live, Zwartkops has an open day every Wednesday afternoon to go and do some laps, costs abour R500 I've been told, and you can spend the afternoon running around there. They usually do track days once a month if I am not mistaken. Red Star as well, and that's not a bad drive out there to be honest.

If the itch has started for a performance car, it ain't getting scratched until it's sitting in your garage, safe from the hail.

Saw a guy yesterday at Kyalami Corner in and X5M Comp that had gotten caught in the hail, his bonnet looked like a teenager's face (no offense to teenagers) and his windscreen was smashed up pretty bad. Guess we gotta take our chances!

I am actually closer to Redstar as I stay in the east. One thing then would be to invest in a trailer and tow the dam thing at least!

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[Bugger]

I am actually closer to Redstar as I stay in the east. One thing then would be to invest in a trailer and tow the dam thing at least!

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You see, you're already working on an ROI there! Do it! The only one regretting it is your significant other when you spend more time with stars in your eyes for your car... ask me how I know.

 

[individj]

I hear you...to me its become as simple as either im going to have something cool that I can enjoy when I want or im not. Maybe its not as deep because its not like millions or tons of cash...

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

If I was in the position to do it I would. Life is too short to be a car guy who does not spoil himself when the opportunity arises.
Heck I would even drive the thing to work every now and then. You can always be careful and we pay insurance for a reason. Cars are meant to be enjoyed, especially performance cars.

 

[Eust]

Do it.
Nothing like the enjoyment you get from a high performance car. There are tons of opportunities to enjoy them.
I was daily driving a dropped V8M3 and dropped M4 and it was lovely.

 

[MR_Y]

I have an appreciation for cheap sports cars after a few months of owning my 2007 E85 Z4. Driving a slow car fast is sometimes better than driving a fast car slow, at least on normal roads.

I still want another Porsche sports car, but for now my Z4 scratches that itch without breaking the bank.

If you have the means, then go for a proper sports car. If it does not work out, or you have scratched your itch and want to move on, then sell it and get something more wallet friendly.

It is better to have loved and to have lost than to have never loved at all.

 

[///Avi]

If you think about it like that then you may as well never leave the house in SA😅. But I do get it.

Buy a vehicle to enjoy it. In my case, my intention usually is to keep a car for a while but something else catches my interest and I end up selling in a year or 2. I realize that I enjoy the experience, learning something about the car, test the limits and move on.

Don’t look at it as a long term commitment.

 

[TurboLlew]

If you think about it like that then you may as well never leave the house in SA😅. But I do get it.

Buy a vehicle to enjoy it. In my case, my intention usually is to keep a car for a while but something else catches my interest and I end up selling in a year or 2. I realize that I enjoy the experience, learning something about the car, test the limits and move on.

Don’t look at it as a long term commitment.

Or any country for that matter. Outside of cities, Roads are in a state of disrepair in almost any country that isn’t Germany.

You have plenty of fun in fast cars without being arrested since the speed is only part of the experience. I agree that having a proper small sports car even with less power for more of a thrill too. I don’t think it computes for many people when I tell them my little 1.8l thing is the one I can’t actually do without when there’s an f90 sitting next to it.

Having tracks in GP is nice too… but even then Laptimes don’t give you the full picture of the fun you’re likely to have.

I don’t know how everyone is driving since I definitely don’t need to change wheels every 2 months on any car including my wife’s. Then again my f90 tyre profile is probably fatter than most SUVs these days 😂😂 Hers is the worst of the fleet but even then only requires a major repair or replacement every 2 years or so. You will inevitably pick up a scratch or two but that’s life in SA with speed bumps and stuff. It’s also (shock) life everywhere on earth.

Unexpected potholes are a thing but applying the same care you would driving on unfamiliar roads to your regular routes after a storm is all you really need most of the time. You choose your moments to unleash the fun too… not like any of us drive at full tilt everywhere all the time.

We all have these things for different reasons and have different attitudes ranging from “this is disposable” to “omg it lost R5k more cos I drove it an extra 10km this year… this is the end of my life”. Only you can make a decision on the mix of fun and risk that works for you at the end of the day.

 

[TBP88]

Depends on what your enjoyment factor will be from it but we do have some really scenic drives, throughout the country, and in parts the road quality can be really great - here in the WC at least almost all our good roads are well taken care of and there's not nearly as many bad potholes as in JHB. The downside is the huge traffic bumps and steep drives you'll likely scrape on.

That aside of course there is a pleasure factor simply from driving about even far below 100% on a sportscar. Just a casual cruise becomes an event and you certainly can enjoy just staring at the *thing* itself.

So, like with most things, it depends. If you're looking for a car to drive hard and enjoy in that way, you're probably better off getting a slightly older M car, doing the maintaining and maybe some mods on that. You don't indicate a budget, for some a "proper" sportscar is an E46M3, for others it might be a brand new 911S. High performance then can mean a lot of different things depending on your budget outlook! But unless you have unimaginable wealth, for most normal folks a R1-2m car is a really, really big thing, obviously you're gonna be careful, but it's still a tool - and it's designed to be fun and enjoyable. To not use a sportscar for the intended purpose out of fear would suck!

 

[PaKiMoNSTeR]

So here is the next question. A lot of mention is made of taking these cars to track days to experience the full potential. Under normal or legal road conditions you cannot and will not experience anything close to their capabilities if you stick to the rules. If driving and the enjoyment of driving is the main reason, how many have considered going into racing? You can go and have loads of fun with a car a fraction of the cost of a sports car. If I were to choose between the 2 options I would prefer racing to having a sports car to take out on Sunday's where you cannot get the same thrills like you would on the Saturday before.

In an idea world you would obviously have both options, but for the sake of the question let's consider only 1.

 

[TurboLlew]

So here is the next question. A lot of mention is made of taking these cars to track days to experience the full potential. Under normal or legal road conditions you cannot and will not experience anything close to their capabilities if you stick to the rules. If driving and the enjoyment of driving is the main reason, how many have considered going into racing? You can go and have loads of fun with a car a fraction of the cost of a sports car. If I were to choose between the 2 options I would prefer racing to having a sports car to take out on Sunday's where you cannot get the same thrills like you would on the Saturday before.

In an idea world you would obviously have both options, but for the sake of the question let's consider only 1.

Time commitment is an issue unless you’re very young or old

The car itself is cheap, but going racing definitely is not

No support in sa for grassroots motorsport

You can have fun in a road car on a few track days but not enjoy the track car on the road. Ask any Subaru Mazda or Honda owner who built a daily racecar and then had to convert back or add a daily after.

Also have to make your own call about the community. Can get needlessly dramatic and toxic and you’re stuck dealing with that

 

[individj]

So here is the next question. A lot of mention is made of taking these cars to track days to experience the full potential. Under normal or legal road conditions you cannot and will not experience anything close to their capabilities if you stick to the rules. If driving and the enjoyment of driving is the main reason, how many have considered going into racing? You can go and have loads of fun with a car a fraction of the cost of a sports car. If I were to choose between the 2 options I would prefer racing to having a sports car to take out on Sunday's where you cannot get the same thrills like you would on the Saturday before.

In an idea world you would obviously have both options, but for the sake of the question let's consider only 1.

id probably own the car to pull out every now and then. Maybe living in CT is the. reason for my answer as well...love cruising to the beach every weekend.

 

[Benji]

So here is the next question. A lot of mention is made of taking these cars to track days to experience the full potential. Under normal or legal road conditions you cannot and will not experience anything close to their capabilities if you stick to the rules. If driving and the enjoyment of driving is the main reason, how many have considered going into racing? You can go and have loads of fun with a car a fraction of the cost of a sports car. If I were to choose between the 2 options I would prefer racing to having a sports car to take out on Sunday's where you cannot get the same thrills like you would on the Saturday before.

In an idea world you would obviously have both options, but for the sake of the question let's consider only 1.

This is an interesting thought, but personally I find the race series and its schedule is just something I would not be able to commit to. Take into account the work a dedicated track car will always invariably need and you end up spending almost every weekend working on or driving the car. Not very feasible. A track day is so much more fun and engaging compared to a blast on a nice road, but this is from a JHB perspective where nice roads are non-existent.

To answer the OP, if you can do it, do it, dont discourage yourself from enjoying the fruits of your labor.

 

[Eust]

People acting like our roads are like Nairobi or something🤣
Our roads are nowhere near bad enough that people can't have sportscars.
Proven by the fact that a lot of the marques sell more M/P/AMG cars here than most first world countries.