You will think that you’ve thought of everything before buying your first supercar. However, there are some things that may surprise you about the experience. Some of these things are good and some, not so much…
There is more to supercar ownership than just driving it from one meet-up to another – find out what you’re going to be letting yourself in for below!
1) You Will Be Self-Conscious at Gas Stations
When I first took my Lamborghini Gallardo to fill it up with gas shortly after buying it last year, I really didn’t expect to feel so self-conscious when I prised myself got out of the car.
All of a sudden, something that was just a normal situation previously, became a bit of a big deal. After almost falling out of the car, I was very much aware that there were a dozen pairs of eyes all focused on firstly my car and then secondly, me!
I became immediately self-conscious and aware of everything that I was doing. Unscrewing the petrol cap, making sure I didn’t drop it, checking that I picked up the un-leaded pump and not the diesel one about 10 times.
It was like everyone was waiting for me to fall over or do something stupid so they could tell their mates that this douche-bag in an orange Lambo made themselves look stupid earlier. Of course, this wasn’t true (possibly) but I do remember it being quite a shock the first time I filled up.
It’s still not ‘normal’ now. Sometimes, I see people sitting in their car using their phones to video the Lambo and again, you become self-aware that if you do something stupid it’s more than likely to end up on YouTube later that day!
It does get easier though – you end up just getting used to it and actually, quite liking it!
2) You Won’t Trust Anyone Else to Wash It
Damian Morys from New York City, United States [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
During your initial search for your new supercar, you will have a preferred color. The paintwork on your supercar will not be cheap to correct if you get it scratched and T-Cut is not going to come to the rescue in the same way it did on your old cars.
Many of these supercars have a triple-layer paint application which will mean that any blemishes or scratches that you get on it will not look great if just ‘touched-up’. The problem you’ll have is ensuring the little area ‘fixed’ fits in with its surrounding area and this is practically impossible.
So, that little scratch you have on the door may well mean you have to have the whole door re-painted which may well cost you a couple of thousand dollars!
This ties into the point about not wanting anyone else to wash it! If you take your car to one of these hand-car washes and there’s a tiny bit of grit in one of the sponges that they use, then you will quickly find that your day…week…month (etc.) has been ruined.
There’s no special ‘control-z’ in real-life unfortunately and you’re not going to be able to undo what has just happened. So, you will soon discover that unless you want to pay a couple of hundred dollars for detailing every couple of weeks, you’re going to end up washing the car yourself – just remember that no-one will look after your prized possession as much as you.
3) You Will Get Bored with the Local Roads
Unlike regular cars, often you will want to just go out for a drive in your supercar. For the first couple of months, this is fine – you’ll drive around the local area and be more than happy with just doing this. However, after not too long, you’ll start to get bored with driving the same roads over and over again. You might only have an hour or two to get out so you won’t be able to go too far.
You’ll consult Google Maps and go online for the best roads in your area but most (if not all) will be too far away and you’ll end up driving the same roads that you did last weekend!
What I found is that after several months, you get so bored of these roads that you just don’t drive it as much. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it keeps the whole experience ‘special’ but it can be frustrating when you really fancy going out for a blast but just can’t be bothered with the same old route!
This last point actually feeds very nicely into the next…
4) You Will Worry About Putting on Too Many Miles
The value of supercars is affected dramatically by the number of miles on its clock. Simply put, a car with more miles will be worth less than a car with fewer miles. This is the case for all cars but with supercars, it is even more the case. Take my 2013, Gallardo LP560-4, manufactured in November of that year. I purchased this car in February 2018 when it had just 6,800 miles on the clock!
That means that prior to my purchase, it had averaged only around 1,700 miles a year! I would say that although supercars don’t do as many miles as your regular cars, this is still below average. I put on over 3,000 in my first year and my second year, I’m looking at putting on probably around 4,000.
It is something you are very much aware of though when driving. You know that every single mile you drive, you are reducing the value of the car. It is always on your mind – I wish it wasn’t, but it is. I’m limited to 5,000 miles a year anyway due to my finance and insurance agreement but I wouldn’t want to do this many miles on it anyway.
I know that at some point I’m going to need to sell the car and I also know that the fewer miles on it the more I’ll get for it. It’s ridiculous when you think about it. You get the car to drive and then you’re reluctant to drive it because of the impact to the value. It literally doesn’t make sense but it is really hard to get your mind out of this place.
I think I’ll be better with it with my next one. You have to just accept that you’re going to put a lot of miles on (otherwise, what’s the point of having it) and you (most likely) will lose money on it. Once you accept that, then perhaps you can start to enjoy it without worrying about it!
5) Everything You Do Takes Longer
You will soon discover that when you have a supercar, a lot of people want to talk to you and every journey that you need to take that involves stopping, will take longer than before. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve come back to my car in a car lot and there have been people there taking photos or just looking at the car.
Usually, they’ll want to talk to you when you get there and if you’re anything like me then you’ll find it difficult to tell them that you’re actually in a bit of a rush and need to get on.
johnthescone from Sheffield [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
Sometimes it will be just a chat but if there are kids involved I’ll usually suggest if they want to sit inside so their mum or dad can take a photo of them. A similar thing happens whilst you’re filling up with gas. People (usually guys) will walk over to you and just want to chat about the car.
Other times, you will see that people are watching you as you drive into a parking lot and then you’ll notice they’ll follow you – just in time for them to start a conversation after you park-up and get out.
This is all part of supercar ownership and is actually a lovely aspect to it. People just want to know what it’s like to own and drive one of these cars. I know I felt the same before owning one.
6) A Supercar Is a Cure for Shyness
It’s difficult to be shy when you own a supercar. With so many people wanting to talk to you wherever you go, you won’t get a chance to be shy! Not only that but being the center of attention (well, the car is the focus of attention but it will feel like it is you) will mean you will soon get over these feelings of self-awareness and you’ll actually probably come to like it.
Apart from getting gas, which I mentioned above, the next most aware you’ll probably be of this attention is when you’re in a traffic jam. With cars all around you, they will be looking into your car, most likely from above (most supercars are lower than your average car).
Sometimes they will take photos and other times videos. They may try and shout at you through their window but usually, it is all very light-hearted. In fact, compared to the positive feedback and comments you get when you’re out, the negative comments are probably less than 1%. I actually thought I’d get a lot more than this but reactions have been generally, very positive.
7) Breaking down Will Become Local News
We’ve all seen them. Reports of a Lamborghini or Ferrari, broken down on the <insert one of your local roads here>. The press love to report this kind of thing, unfortunately, and I’m sure it is extremely embarrassing. I once broke down on a freeway in one of my previous cars (it was an MX-5), right in the middle lane of heavy traffic.
The amount of abuse I got from passing drivers was incredible – it was as if I had meant to do it! I can only imagine the grief I’d get if the same had happened to me in the Lambo!
It does cross your mind when driving. You’ll say to yourself, ‘this would be a bad place to break down’ – and you listen intently for any strange noises emanating from the engine behind you (well, usually behind you).
If you were to succumb to some issue that would mean you had to pull over then before you knew it, in fact, before you even get home, the video of you looking pathetic on the side of the road will be going viral on YouTube. There are countless examples online and there’s nothing you can really do about it if it happens, so just smile 🙂
8) You Won’t Want to Leave It in a Public Parking Lot
I have lost track of the number of times I’ve been out on a Sunday cruise when I receive a text from my wife asking me to just pick up something or other from the supermarket on the way home. Normally, this would be fine but when you’re in a somewhat expensive supercar, you need to plan things a little more than usual.
Firstly, is it an indoor parking lot and are there and width restrictions or steep inclines? If there is and you don’t have a front-nose lift, your front splitter could take some damage!
I usually go to one of the bigger supermarkets as I know there is a large outdoor parking lot. I go to the point furthest away from the store entrance and leave it where there are no cars. What’s funny though (although it isn’t really) is on my return the number of times I get back to my car and someone has parked right next to mine!
Out of all the empty spaces, that’s where they have chosen to park. You get back to your car and check the doors for any scratches or anything else, it’s seriously stressful.
9) The Attention Your Car Gets Is Addictive
This will probably not be a ‘thing’ most people have experienced prior to owning their first supercar but supercars make people smile. And making people smile is addictive. It gives you a nice warm feeling inside. I know, going back a few years, whenever I would see a supercar I would stare at it in awe, maybe I’d be a little bit jealous but ultimately just pleased to see it.
The reaction you get from kids is fantastic. Of course, we adults are a little more reserved but their children just don’t hold back. If they see you coming (or hear you) they will point, shout and jump up and down in excitement. Drive down a busy high street and it turns heads.
It’s a nice feeling and you soon come to realize that this feeling is actually quite addictive. You want to drive down busy streets to show off the car. I’m the most un-show-offy person you can find and I know it’s the car they are looking at, certainly not me – but it’s a great feeling and you’ll want to do it all the time.
10) You Will Meet Lots of New People
You will soon find that shortly after buying a supercar you will search online for like-minded people to go out for drives with and chat about your car with. What I have found is that I get a bit embarrassed talking to people who don’t have a supercar about mine.
I’m not showing off, I just want to talk about the car and I’m super enthusiastic about it. However, you do feel like you’re showing off. Hence, if you can find other people who also have these kinds of cars then you can talk to them on the level and you won’t feel like you’re showing off at all.
At these supercar meet-ups, you will find other people with similar interests to you. It’s like a whole new community. What I found is that most people in these clubs have a lot more money than me but that’s okay, I’m inspired by people who have done well and it just makes me want to achieve more so I can eventually upgrade the car! 🙂
11) It’s the Closest You Might Get to Feeling like a Celebrity
For the majority of us that are destined not to be in the celebrity limelight, owning a supercar is probably the closest you can get to feel the way these people do when they go out in public! Whether you’re driving down a busy street or getting out of the car where there are lots of people around, they will look around and, for the briefest of times, you will feel like a celebrity.
A few seconds later you will, of course, realize that these people are actually looking at your car, not you – but that’s okay, most of us would probably prefer this anyway, right?
12) A Lot of People Will Want to Race You
What I’ve noticed is that a lot of people want to be able to tell their mates that they beat a Lamborghini in a race earlier. It doesn’t matter what car they have. They will pull up alongside you, look over and start revving their engine. The lights will go green and off they will fly.
Or, a car will see you and come up to within a couple of feet of your rear-end until they get an opportunity to overtake. I just ignore them, you really must. Sometimes it’s difficult and I have to force myself to count to 10 but it’s just not worth it. Try not to be tempted, if the local police see what’s going on you can guess which car they’re pulling over, right?