Some competition at school

[Red2014SS]

I'm just glad to see some young guys interested in cool cars. Too many young people nowadays want to drive a Prius and stay home playing video games all day.

[Iron Lung Jimmy]

Back on topic... I think OP would beat the Z06 if the Z06 kid really did just learn to drive a stick two days ago. The Z06 is probably going to either stall or go up in smoke... or, I suppose, wreck. I think OP's offer to cover all bets is a safe move.

Shoot, putting a person new to manual transmissions into a Z06 to race would be like putting someone new to horses on California Chrome. It is not going to go well.

[Homeless Man]

Originally Posted by Red2014SS

I'm just glad to see some young guys interested in cool cars. Too many young people nowadays want to drive a Prius and stay home playing video games all day.

Lol I have never heard of any youngster wanting to drive a Prius.

[Red2014SS]

Originally Posted by Homeless Man

Lol I have never heard of any youngster wanting to drive a Prius.

Man, go to the high school.. you'll see a bunch of Honda Civics and econoboxes. A buddy of mine has two sons and one drives a Mazda, and the other a Corolla. The one with the Corolla didn't even want a car. All they care about is getting the latest, greatest phone or spending all day playing games online. Things have changed.

[amz]

If my son:
stayed clean
got straight A's in all advanced classes
won a Congressional Medal of Honor
worked hard on the job every day of the week

I STILL WOULD NOT BUY HIM THAT.

[enzia35]

Originally Posted by Red2014SS

Man, go to the high school.. you'll see a bunch of Honda Civics and econoboxes. A buddy of mine has two sons and one drives a Mazda, and the other a Corolla. The one with the Corolla didn't even want a car. All they care about is getting the latest, greatest phone or spending all day playing games online. Things have changed.

My younger brother has no desire to get his own car, happy to drive the old Tahoe. Sad.

[whan]

Originally Posted by Red2014SS

Man, go to the high school.. you'll see a bunch of Honda Civics and econoboxes. A buddy of mine has two sons and one drives a Mazda, and the other a Corolla. The one with the Corolla didn't even want a car. All they care about is getting the latest, greatest phone or spending all day playing games online. Things have changed.

As someone from that generation (recent college grad), here's what happened IMO: Cars used to mean freedom - freedom to visit friends, to explore, hang out, etc. With the advent of mobile communication and social networks, it's just as easy to "hang out" with friends while in the comfort of your own home. Most people treat cars as appliances for when they really need to get from point A to B, leaving only a handful of people who actually enjoy driving

[KaBoom1701]

Originally Posted by whan

As someone from that generation (recent college grad), here's what happened IMO: Cars used to mean freedom - freedom to visit friends, to explore, hang out, etc. With the advent of mobile communication and social networks, it's just as easy to "hang out" with friends while in the comfort of your own home. Most people treat cars as appliances for when they really need to get from point A to B, leaving only a handful of people who actually enjoy driving

BINGO!

Well said and on point!

[CamaroCracka]

Originally Posted by Red2014SS

Man, go to the high school.. you'll see a bunch of Honda Civics and econoboxes. A buddy of mine has two sons and one drives a Mazda, and the other a Corolla. The one with the Corolla didn't even want a car. All they care about is getting the latest, greatest phone or spending all day playing games online. Things have changed.

I agree that cars don't seem to be as important in high school anymore, but even when I was in school in the 80s, most of my friends were driving the used cars of the day. Only a small percentage of us had beat up old muscle cars and chicks did not dig them because we were always working on them.

I have nephew who got into cars and decided to become a mechanic and a one of the guys I work with has a 19 year old with a jeep and a Honda and he heavily mods both.

Most guys that age can't afford to drop 20k on a used SS and then mod it. They buy what they can afford, but even some of the ricer crowd eventually goes for more displacement and drops a 5.3 in their 240SX. There are still plenty of gear heads around here, but they don't always drive American muscle anymore.


And you can't get a girl in the back seat of your cell phone.

Edit: and I don't blame the Corolla guy for not wanting a car. If I had to drive a Corolla, I would not want a car either.

[sbubbaklein]

who has the best GPA

[gajagfan]

Originally Posted by whan

As someone from that generation (recent college grad), here's what happened IMO: Cars used to mean freedom - freedom to visit friends, to explore, hang out, etc. With the advent of mobile communication and social networks, it's just as easy to "hang out" with friends while in the comfort of your own home. Most people treat cars as appliances for when they really need to get from point A to B, leaving only a handful of people who actually enjoy driving

Communicating on social media is not "hanging out" in my opinion, but I am surely showing my age at this point. Being good turning a great lap on a video game is not as impressive as being able to do it in real life. Being able to actually dunk a basketball is far more impressive than doing it on a game. It seems all this has changed as well. Crazy! I am old!

[Scalded Dog]

I got my license on the day I turned 16... and felt like a was late to the party, because it was in the afternoon, when I COULD have gotten it when the DMV opened that morning, if only my dad had taken me out of school for that. Whatever... the point is, back then, I, like all of my peers, wanted to drive NOW.

I have five kids.... each of them has lots of friends. Out of the vast number of kids who live in my house, or know those who do, only a very tiny percentage have driver's licenses.

Sure, my evidence is anecdotal, but it is a fairly large group that I am basing this on... kids do NOT care about driving and freedom the way they used to. Their smartphones are all they really want. I believe that 95% of these kids, if given, say, $2000 to spend, would NOT buy a used car, but would instead buy the latest phone, a laptop, and a tablet.

Sure, part of it is that regulations now make it a lot more difficult to get a license. Here in CA, they no longer teach driver ed in school (it was "just another class" when I was a pup), so ya gotta pay for driver ed, and then for driver training. The rules for new drivers are pretty complicated, and require a BS (pun intended) degree to understand, regarding hours, passengers, exceptions, and so forth. So, yes, it's a pain in the butt compared to my coming- of- age years, where, at age 16, you went and got a full- fledged, drive- when- you- want- and who- you- want- with license.

[Mityguy]

Originally Posted by KaBoom1701

True, good points.

But handing a 650+hp supercharged car to a young kid could be creating a serious issue...

With one small tap on the accelerator in this car and your wrapped around a tree.

Seeing the list of cars he or she has in their family lets hope they grew up around and respect the high HP and know how to drive what is basically a supercar.

Yeah when I was getting my first car I found a GTO making over 550 HP to ground my dad said "Hell no; you'll kill yourself in that thing" I ended up getting a Cobalt Ls; More my speed for a "16 year old speed demon"

The car was totaled and paid my down payment for the my current Camaro.

[Mityguy]

Originally Posted by Scalded Dog

I believe that 95% of these kids, if given, say, $2000 to spend, would NOT buy a used car, but would instead buy the latest phone, a laptop, and a tablet.

I'm happy to say I'm a 19 year old who would be a part of the 5%. Though I doubt I'd hunt for a $2000 car; I'd add to my current car that I"m paying for my my self. My Car is my ticket to freedom.