Does "stigma" affect your car choice?

[stanglife]

A year or so back, I was shopping for a Cayman S and read some of the Porsche forums quite a bit....This theme pops up once in a while on these forums - "Do you tell your co-workers that you drive a XXXXX". It has to do with the stigma of driving a Porsche, or other expensive non-practical sportish-type car. Some people said they drove a different car to work and didn't tell people about their sports car...some said they didn't even tell their close relatives what they have in the garage...and some didn't care - but a solid portion did seem to be slightly phobic about it.

I'm getting to the question, I promise.

I can pretty much only justify one "silly" car (I do have a 93 coupe in the garage but I'm undecided if that's staying). The only other car really on my radar is a Cayman GT4. The catch is, this will likely be my primary vehicle...or at least driven quite a bit, including to/from work. Somehow, I don't feel like I'll get nearly the amount of negative press over a GT350R vs a GT4...otherwise, I might be shopping a GT4 at this point - this wait is killing me.

Just curious if anyone else is in this position and if it even matters to you or not.

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[eric n]

Some. I was more than a little interested in a Corvette. I looked at a beautiful Red LT3 with the z51 package and pretty much all the options I wanted. The sticker was right around 80k. Loved the car but wasn't comfortable with the middle aged white guy in a red corvette image.

Ultimately now that I have my gt350, I couldn't be happier and I'm sure I made the right decision. Saving 20k was nice too!

 

[daltron]

Adopt this attitude about your car choice and other people, excuse the French:

You do you!

 

[GoBlues38]

I don't advertise what I drive to "non car guys".

Driving a Mustang gives people visions of you being in your early 20's. I am 43 and have had a few of the "mid life crisis" jokes thrown at me.

 

[Spa2k]

I couldn't care less what other people think. My two fun cars previous to the GT 350 were a C5 and a C6, and I never once felt the desire to buy gold chains or unbutton my shirt to my navel to show them off. I've also owned everything from a Miata to an M3, all for my own driving pleasure.

 

[lazarus870]

I don't advertise what I drive to "non car guys".

Driving a Mustang gives people visions of you being in your early 20's. I am 43 and have had a few of the "mid life crisis" jokes thrown at me.

I'm 29 and this girl I am friends with from college keeps telling me I have an early midlife crisis....

Not the smartest girl, lol.

 

[eric n]

I'm 29 and this girl I am friends with from college keeps telling me I have an early midlife crisis....

Not the smartest girl, lol.

Maybe she figures you'll be dead by 58. That way 29 is mid life!

 

[UMDrummer]

My parents tell me I need a truck. Some of my friends laugh at me. But really, it doesn't matter -- I have been in love with Mustangs since I was a kid. Is it practical due to the weather of the state I'm in? No. But I love this car. I am working class. It's the American Dream for me. Some days after work, just driving home in the Mustang makes it all worth it. I would not worry about what anyone else has to think or say.

I also told myself I would get this car while young and not be one of the "mid-life crisis" guys driving this with no hair. No regrets!!!!!

 

[Spa2k]

Maybe she figures you'll be dead by 58. That way 29 is mid life!

Wow, that's pretty young. Isn't 29 Canadian 23 in the U.S.? :headbonk:

 

[Shift]

When my practical family(parents were once starving refugees, and still to this day hold on to every dear penny) finds out how much I paid for the car, I'll most likely get a lecture about how stupid I am :lol:

 

[eric n]

Damn I always forget to do the conversion.....

 

[mattlqx]

Even if I drove a terrible beater, all my Ford/Mustang/Blipshift t-shirts would probably give me away. It's a bit of a lifestyle. Why hide it? If people prejudge you for something as mundane as liking cars, that's their problem, not yours.

 

[MagneticA]

I'm in my 40s and love the car. No one that I work with has mentioned "mid-life crisis" They know it's the perfect car for me... I have no difficulty getting in and out of it, and I don't have kids. In my opinion, a "mid-life crisis" item is something you wish you would have experienced in your younger days and when you get it later in life is something that isn't practical for your current lifestyle.

 

[Rick R]

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.

 

[mephim]

To the OP's point, this is the first "toy" I will own since being put into a managerial role. Now not only am a younger authority figure (30), but I'm not sure I need the people who report to me to see this car at work.

I will likely exclusively be driving the Focus ST into the office, at least until I get to know my team a bit more.

I know, first world problems.

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