Does "stigma" affect your car choice?

[Rogue]

That's too bad. :( To be sure, there is definitely that element - but I always found it to be a small minority.

Now, we never went to a single wine tasting, cheese eating PCA event ever through years of membership. But at the track events I went to, the F-car, P-car, and any-car guys were indistinguishable away from their pit. You wouldn't know who owned what from talking with them.

Maybe its a region thing?

Yah same here, down in New Orleans anyway the track events I attended with the local PCA I brought my Ford Boss 302 LS, seemed to get a lot of thumbs up from fellow Porsche enthusiasts. Most people were there to have a good time.

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[R 350 gt Donson]

Driving a GT350R to work would be no big deal as everyone knows I loves cars....but if I bought a new 1,000,000 Ferrari and drove it work, just after I told someone last week they could not have a 1.00/hr raise..lol I might me a little worried about what people thought...but other than that scenario, its all good..lol

 

[Trackaholic]

I'm not concerned about stigma. If a car is good, I'd be happy to drive it.

I was looking at a C7 Vette, and got jokes that I wasn't old enough or bald enough to buy one (FWIW, I think the C7 is changing the Vette stigma pretty quickly, at least among enthusiasts). I'd have no problem owning one though.

I was looking at a Cayman, and my wife thought I should get the Vette since she considers Porsches to be a little bit snobby.

Ended up going with a Mustang, which many think is purely a straight line car. Much like the C7 changing the Vette stigma, I think the Boss 302 and now the entire S550 lineup is changing the Mustang stigma.

I can understand wanting to maintain a low profile at work (depending on the job and where you are in the company, and how you are viewed by co-workers).

Out here a GT350 Mustang shouldn't stand out too much, so I don't expect anyone to feel bad about me showing up in one. Most of my co-workers are eager to see it when it finally arrives.

-T

 

[nastang87xx]

I am partial particularly to American V8's. Doesn't matter if it's Ford, Chrysler, or GM. If it's American, has a V8, ahd actually has some real focus behind it (ex: a Charger R/T doesn't count. Big engine, nothing else, no good brakes, no real poise, shoddy tires, etc etc), I'll probably at least give it a chance.

 

[nastang87xx]

I'm not concerned about stigma. If a car is good, I'd be happy to drive it.

I was looking at a C7 Vette, and got jokes that I wasn't old enough or bald enough to buy one (FWIW, I think the C7 is changing the Vette stigma pretty quickly, at least among enthusiasts). I'd have no problem owning one though.

I was looking at a Cayman, and my wife thought I should get the Vette since she considers Porsches to be a little bit snobby.

Ended up going with a Mustang, which many think is purely a straight line car. Much like the C7 changing the Vette stigma, I think the Boss 302 and now the entire S550 lineup is changing the Mustang stigma.

I can understand wanting to maintain a low profile at work (depending on the job and where you are in the company, and how you are viewed by co-workers).

Out here a GT350 Mustang shouldn't stand out too much, so I don't expect anyone to feel bad about me showing up in one. Most of my co-workers are eager to see it when it finally arrives.

-T

The only reason I'm not in a Z51 right now is because of the GT350.

 

[socalsnake]

I don't tell my colleagues at work about my fun cars, I don't think it's any of their business. I value privacy a lot.

This x1000.

For my weekend, fun car / track car, stigma has zero bearing even if other people knew what car it is.

I consider privacy a premium, so other people's opinion of my weekend car (or any car in my garage actually) is irrelevant.

That isn't to say that the stigma of luxury european cars is not a consideration. Of course, I like fast, expensive cars like most people, but I like them for alot of other reasons other than trying to impress people I don't know or care to know.

That being said, as far as car manufacturers as a whole, I've always been partial to Ford on the domestic side and tend to lean towards BMW and Porsche outside of the U.S. But, I am also a fan of noteworthy cars that are manufactured by others - I often admire and think about owning GTRs, C7s Stingrays/Z06s, Vipers, Hellcats, AMSs, R8s.

Most guys on this forum are genuine car guys who have specific preferences but have the capacity to appreciate all noteworthy vehicles - proud to be among you all.

 

[Trackaholic]

The only reason I'm not in a Z51 right now is because of the GT350.

Same here. When the C7 first came out the PDR and competition seats weren't initially available. By the time they were, rumors of the GT350 had appeared and I had changed my mind from getting a C7 to waiting for the GT350. If the comp. seats and PDR were available right at the beginning, I'd probably have bought a C7 very early on before we even knew about the GT350. Pretty happy that those components were delayed a bit.

-T

 

[NHMustang]

Stigma? No.
It's part of the American dream. I have never been judged based on the car I drive... Wait, I take that back... I had a 1977 Chevy Chevette in high school and I got no dates.:(

 

[daltron]

Stigma? No.
It's part of the American dream. I have never been judged based on the car I drive... Wait, I take that back... I had a 1977 Chevy Chevette in high school and I got no dates.:(

Letting the Chevy take the blame, wow... Nah, j/k brother :cheers:

 

[daltron]

Everyone and their mother tells me "why do you want an old man car, get a truck, get a SUV" (sports car, 2 doors, lots of power). I remember being 5 years old thinking 5.0's, iroc z's and early 90's LT1 corvettes were the baddest Ass things ever. I always tell my wife "Yolo, if I'm going to buy a new car it better be a car worth driving"

Same thing. I've always loved muscle/pony/whatever you want to call them cars. I figure hey, I'm going to do me because at the end of the day that's the only opinion that matters.

OK, that's a lie actually, my wife's opinion matters too :hail:

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