Buying A Sports Car – Top Tips
Whether you’re going through a mid-life crisis, you’ve had a windfall of cash or you simply can’t suppress the temptation any longer; buying a sports car is always a big step. It is a big decision which can often be made in rash spontaneity, but it’s worth following a few simple steps to ensure you garner the maximum enjoyability and sensibility from your sports car.
Lifestyle
This is an imperative issue to address, sports cars are not known for their practicality. They are often purpose built machines which are tweaked and tuned for speed and performance. This might feel fantastic on the swift drive home from the dealership, but when you arrive home and see your other half waiting with the kids for a school run; you might have a second thought. Consider your personal and family needs, is a sports car really the right decision for you?
Type of Car
The age old question for those looking to cars for performance is convertible or coupe? Coupes are closed roof and convertibles are open roof. Ironically, cars without a roof often see detrimental performance and speed because of the heavy strengthening beams which have to be built into the bodywork. Convertibles will also see a dip in security of they operate in a soft top guise, with the material easily sliced by duplicitous thieves and troublemakers. Convertibles are now being offered with a solid metal roof but you will find a complete lack of luggage space because of the folding mechanism.
Driving Ability
Stepping into a Porsche 9/11 doesn’t guarantee you the option of handbrake turns and tight chicanes. Sports cars are highly strung and finely tuned, developed for drivers of considerable talent and as such can be a far cry from the family saloon that you feel comfortable driving. The power can often be surprising to those unused to it and it’s worth considering starting slowly or investing in some high performance driving lessons.
Affordability
Essentially the most important question, it’s not worth bankrupting yourself for the thrills and spills of owning a sports car. Even if you can afford the list price, consider the higher fuel bills, servicing and insurance costs.
Owners can take heart however in the decreased depreciation of their sports cars; they often keep their value as used cars much better than their more utilitarian cousins.