"Hairdresser's cars" defined
- Thread starter GilesGuthrie
- 65 comments
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- 465
Thats damn near blasphmey Ving.
- 1,695
Thats severe blasphemy!
If anything the Lotus Esprit is the LEAST hairdressers car of all the supercars.
A Diablo is basically all show and even a 360 Modena has become a hairdressers car. Have you ever been to LA? There are neighbourhoods where there are 5 or 10 parked out front of Starbucks with 30 something stay at home moms driving them between Psychiatry sessions and Yoga class.
Only a TRUE enthusiast and someone who is very passionate about motorsport and its history would buy the Lotus Esprit IMO.
After all, how many supercars or ANY sports car still weighs 2,800lbs these days? Only the Esprit that I can think of.
Only the odd other car like the 996 GT2 and Corvette Z06 are doing their best to stay spartan. Whereas cars like the 996 Turbo and 360 Modena are 3,600lb behemoths and cars like the Diablo have ballooned to over 4,000lbs. I believe the Murcielago weighs roughly 3,800lbs.
If anything the Lotus Esprit is the LEAST hairdressers car of all the supercars.
A Diablo is basically all show and even a 360 Modena has become a hairdressers car. Have you ever been to LA? There are neighbourhoods where there are 5 or 10 parked out front of Starbucks with 30 something stay at home moms driving them between Psychiatry sessions and Yoga class.
Only a TRUE enthusiast and someone who is very passionate about motorsport and its history would buy the Lotus Esprit IMO.
After all, how many supercars or ANY sports car still weighs 2,800lbs these days? Only the Esprit that I can think of.
Only the odd other car like the 996 GT2 and Corvette Z06 are doing their best to stay spartan. Whereas cars like the 996 Turbo and 360 Modena are 3,600lb behemoths and cars like the Diablo have ballooned to over 4,000lbs. I believe the Murcielago weighs roughly 3,800lbs.
Well, the four-cylinder was closer to a 'hairdressers' car' than the other one, but neither of them really fall into the category...
30 something stay-at-home-mom's with Diablos? What kind of world do you live in?!Why waste the money? Is there any argument against the fact that the 911 is a better car?
If I begin to look at curb weight as a measure of cars' ability rather than preformance statistics, I want you to shoot me.
Originally posted by ving
guess it comes down to definition hey?
My definition of a softroader is any vehicle which is 4WD but is not designed for off road but whish is capable of a minimum amount ogf off road use (this excludes sedans for some reason).
Depends on the intent of the AWD and the car - an example being my Subaru Liberty RX (Legacy GT for our North American friends) where the AWD and car are intended purely for road use - and having driven it today in THE worst rain and flooded roads conditions I've ever seen today, I can confirm it's AWD all the way now - that was just unbelievable. It never even felt like it was going to even consider aquaplaning, unlike that Astina which had a big wobble in front of me and decided it was all too hard.
- 1,695
[]Originally posted by M5Power [/i]
----------Why? Because 4 cylinders are less and therefore more wimpy than 8?*rolle's eyes*----------
I dont live there, but as I stated LA. And I was actually reffering to the 360 Modena. I saw 5 360 Modenas in a mall parking lot in LA. They were all 360 Spyders. I dont know about the 30 yr old mom. But I saw a 19 yr old driving a Purple Diablo SV at an autocross.
No, but where a car enthusiast might buy either car, I cant see some superficial millionaire (i.e. Rich hairdresser) buying an Esprit out of pure impulse over the much more showy and recognized Porsche 911 Turbo. Do you understand what I'm saying? I sure hope so!
I understand this, but when a company makes a car extremely light, they obviously cared more for performance than they did about having a 10 disc CD changer and heated seats. On the contrary, when a company makes a "sports car" that weighs over 4,000lbs, they obviously couldn't give a crap about it's tossability or performance edge. After all, its hard to tell the difference when youre only doing the speed limit down the boulevard, which is the most use "Joe Millionaire"(No, not the show!) is going to get out of it.
I can't believe you couldnt pick out what I was trying to say. You're reading of my post was very reductive, and I shouldnt have to point everything out to you like I did this time. You're not a child!?
Oh BTW, if you have something more to say, spare us of any witty remarks.
----------Why? Because 4 cylinders are less and therefore more wimpy than 8?*rolle's eyes*----------
I dont live there, but as I stated LA. And I was actually reffering to the 360 Modena. I saw 5 360 Modenas in a mall parking lot in LA. They were all 360 Spyders. I dont know about the 30 yr old mom. But I saw a 19 yr old driving a Purple Diablo SV at an autocross.
No, but where a car enthusiast might buy either car, I cant see some superficial millionaire (i.e. Rich hairdresser) buying an Esprit out of pure impulse over the much more showy and recognized Porsche 911 Turbo. Do you understand what I'm saying? I sure hope so!
I understand this, but when a company makes a car extremely light, they obviously cared more for performance than they did about having a 10 disc CD changer and heated seats. On the contrary, when a company makes a "sports car" that weighs over 4,000lbs, they obviously couldn't give a crap about it's tossability or performance edge. After all, its hard to tell the difference when youre only doing the speed limit down the boulevard, which is the most use "Joe Millionaire"(No, not the show!) is going to get out of it.
I can't believe you couldnt pick out what I was trying to say. You're reading of my post was very reductive, and I shouldnt have to point everything out to you like I did this time. You're not a child!?
Oh BTW, if you have something more to say, spare us of any witty remarks.
Well it was slower...
Yeah, and from what I've heard over the Internet, he sucks.
Certainly. By the way, where does one get an Esprit? Chicago's got a Lotus dealer, I believe, but Seattle, for instance, probably doesn't. Head over to Ferrari of Seattle, then?
Yeah, but don't you think that Joe Millionaire would rather have the heated seats and 10-disc CD changer than a true preformance car, especially if that's all he's going to use it for?
Heh. I still stand by the 'curb weight' comment...
- 804
"Well it was slower... "
the 4 cylinder 2.2 turbo is a very fast car,
0 - 60 comes up in 4.7sec and it will do 165mph flat out. i dont think thats bad considering the engine it has. and its not just about pure speed, in my opinion theres not many things on the road that will keep with an esprit for sheer handling.
the 4 cylinder 2.2 turbo is a very fast car,
0 - 60 comes up in 4.7sec and it will do 165mph flat out. i dont think thats bad considering the engine it has. and its not just about pure speed, in my opinion theres not many things on the road that will keep with an esprit for sheer handling.
- 465
Well this sums up the whole argument, many people would never buy a car because they see it as a 'hairdressers car' regardless of its capabilities, so whos the more image conscious?
- 1,695
EXACTLY, because he is just a proverbial hairdresser! Not a true car enthusiast. He doesnt care about car quality or heritage. He just wants a fancy boat that has no historical substance.
PS: I was in Vancouver BC Canada about 6 months ago and was looking around in the downtown "Car Dealership Sector", and in the window of the Aston Martin/Bentley-Rolls Royce showroom they were selling Lotus Esprit's and several variations of Ruf Porsches. I am pretty sure they werent factory direct ordered because Aston is FoMoCo, and Lotus is GM.
I also saw a few Lotus' in a Jaguar dealership, as well as a Ferrari dealer.
Thats also when I saw my first GT2 at the Porsche dealer and I almost had my way with its exhaust pipe!
Yeah - and him and his friends signify hundreds upon hundreds of sales for manufacturers.
Yeah - there's not enough of a market to justify a real Lotus dealer in most markets so they sell them through general exotic dealers. I'd bet Maserati and Saleen have the same sort of thing, though I somehow remember seeing a Saleen dealer at one point.
- 1,695
Man, this is really frustrating.
I dont care if Joe Millionaire and his friends buy alot of these cars, or if they are actually better than the Esprit. Or if they wouldt use the Esprit for what its good for. Or the fact that Joe Millionaire would only use his Diablo for the heated seats and stereo.
The POINT is, Only a car enthusiast would be able to see why a Lotus Esprit was better than a Diablo.
And the average rich "hairdresser" (not literally rich hairdressers, just superficial rich people,of course) would buy a Diablo for the flashy looks and ****. But they wouldnt be able to justify buying an Esprit because its not flashy and fancy enough to pick up enough chicks or what have you. Where as a car enthusiast doesnt have flashy looks as a priority.
You do understand the definition of a "hairdressers car" right? A car bought for the fancy looks, not because the driver necessarily gives a **** about performance.
Can't someone else come along and reason with M5Power.
I dont care if Joe Millionaire and his friends buy alot of these cars, or if they are actually better than the Esprit. Or if they wouldt use the Esprit for what its good for. Or the fact that Joe Millionaire would only use his Diablo for the heated seats and stereo.
The POINT is, Only a car enthusiast would be able to see why a Lotus Esprit was better than a Diablo.
And the average rich "hairdresser" (not literally rich hairdressers, just superficial rich people,of course) would buy a Diablo for the flashy looks and ****. But they wouldnt be able to justify buying an Esprit because its not flashy and fancy enough to pick up enough chicks or what have you. Where as a car enthusiast doesnt have flashy looks as a priority.
You do understand the definition of a "hairdressers car" right? A car bought for the fancy looks, not because the driver necessarily gives a **** about performance.
Can't someone else come along and reason with M5Power.
I think that the problem here is that M5Power is the antithesis of a hairdresser: he cares for function and features over form, and by a large margin. For example, he sees the Infiniti M45 as the better choice when compared to the 540i. You sure as hell wouldn't see the average hairdresser in a M45...just for different reasons than we wouldn't be.
I would also state that most great drivers cars look good. I mean, just take a look at any old muscle car, the F355, Elise, any TVR, Shelby Cobra, 'vette Z06, '03 M3 (or E30 M3).... None of these cars are anywhere near ugly, and all are great drives. The lone aspect of a hairdresser's car is looks: the appearance of speed and performance, but the car was a bargain and doesn't deliver on its looks.
There's another side effect of hairdresser's cars: choosing spec level. The hairdresser would go for the 318i (with heated seats, etc.), whereas the enthusiast would risk going into debt trying to get the 330i with as few options as he could.
The other reason Lotus dealers are fading is reliability. Lotus doesn't have the mystique Ferrari has, so all the problems both companies had through the years were more forgivable with Ferrari. People just stopped buying Lotus's for that reason alone.
- 1,695
Does it looks like I give a flying fukk about how many sales a car company gets?
If I like the product, I could care less if anyone else thinks its the greatest thing going, or a peice of ****.
You are in the strangest head-space I have ever seen for a car enthusiast.
Are you even a car enthusiast. You dont have any soul. You see the world in a dollars and cents way. Everything is black or white. Dont you have any passion for something that is just illogical and irrational. Something that is pretty hard to justify liking without pouring your heart out over it.
You dont belong here.
Can you skew your view of the world, even for a minute to try and get insight into someone like Nichoals Cage, Jay Leno or Reggie Jackson. People who have spent literally millions of dollars on cars. And I assure you. They're not buying those cars because they are recommended by Consumer Reports. You need to have 5W 40 coursing through your veins before you write a check for a $2.9million Dusenberg Type SJ.
Quit being such a lamb. Follow your heart. Think for yourself. Develop a personality.
Dude... sit, ... stay... heel...
I'm not attacking you so don't flatter yourself. Car makers try and sell the most cars possible. If this means selling to a selected market - whatever the market may be - they'll do it. It's as simple as that. I'm going to go back to my soul-less world.
- 4,473
A 360 isnt a Hairdressers car. 76% of all people who own a 360 take it to the track every now and then (R&T Magazine). And that is just the Modena version. Then there is the 360 Modena Challenge, and 360 GT, 360 Spider. Ferrari's are made to look good and go fast. What, just because its a women driving you automatically think Hairdresser's car? She might whoop someones ass in an equal car. My mom is proof. Looks like someone who is married to a car enthusiast/racer but she can go fast. Surprized me as I never knew until a little while ago
...Welcome to the pop-cultural American way of consumerism: if it's a bargain, it's better than whatever's not "on sale". Thanks to mass media, the world (well, the US at least), is rapidly losing all its soul. True car enthusiasts are becoming harder and harder to find, with more and more poseurs crawling out of the woodwork every day. And no, I don't think one can consider oneself a car enthusiast if one chooses an M-class over anything else in that price range, no matter how much one may know about cars. Car guys are passionate, and almost never logical. Why else would someone buy an Elise 190?
- 1,695
Thank you Hooligan! I knew I wasn't the only one left. or atleast the only one to understand the reasoning behind it.
- 4,473
Well a true car enthusiast is easy to find if you look for them right. Our local car club has around 140,000 members in this city alone. And they schedual races every now and then. Alot of fun to see what you can do in your car and watch others as well. For people that are more into the competition and have some background in racing they schedual full races for them which are fun to watch. Once we were at VIR when Peter Cunningham was testing the RSX Touring Car they are going to use this year in the SPEED World Challenge and we also got to see some action in his NSX which is awesome since he is one of the best if not THE best in the SCCA World Challenge (with some others). There is a kid who rides my bus. At first I thought he was a geek (the way he talked and the subject). Me and a few others started to talk about the race the weekend before and he jumped in. Surprized at the amount he knew. Sounds normal when he talks about cars. Goes to show looks can be decieving. Your right a little about people going for less expensive cars but, more people are starting to spend more money on an SUV ($18g-$40g), but they dont count
...There's two kinds of car enthusiasts, and I'm the practical kind. I can tell you the horsepower of every four-cylinder family sedan sold in this country. You say there is no practical kind, but be reasonable - sometimes necessity dictates our choices. I honestly have no desire to go really fast, or to look really good going slowly. But that doesn't mean I haven't got a passion for cars.
- 4,473
Thanks M5, just what I was going to say (or trying to say, one of those)...
- 19,699
- Alabamamania
Ah, car enthusiasts are of two branches: Those who let their hearts dictate their purchase, and those who let their minds decide the purchase. Neither is worng, but you have to have justification for each. I'd love to have a "better" car, but i own a nice home right now, so a '93 Corolla is my weapon of choice. I don't fault someone who's got the money for a nicer car and lives in a home that's less expensive (as long as they live in a place they consider safe and secure).
The people that aren't car enthusiasts are using their reproductive organs to decide their choice of car.
Thus spake the pupik.
The people that aren't car enthusiasts are using their reproductive organs to decide their choice of car.
Thus spake the pupik.
Certainly no one would call a Vulcan passionate, right? Logic and necessity rule their lives, such that emotion never comes into play. You can't get "emotional" about needing that third row of seats. The curves and engine on an Aston, however, will sway an enthusiast to overlook the standard oil slick....
- 4,473
Real supercars are like McLaren's and Ferrari's, Vipers, and Aston Martins. Japan is getting there though, with some 'Semi-Supercars' but they are still great 
. All cars are great...........except Gremlins and Geo Metros and all other worthless Econo cars (with a few exceptions)...
. All cars are great...........except Gremlins and Geo Metros and all other worthless Econo cars (with a few exceptions)...Emotion (normative factors) always factors into decisions, as does logic (positive factors). Without either, there would be no decisions made - it's as simple as that. Brand loyalty, for instance, is sometimes the ultimate decision-maker, especially for a less-expensive product than an automobile.
Anyway, just because little emotion is involved in decision-making, do you believe somebody can't be passionate about the item itself?
