Sent to me by Reader Ken, this observation:
The REAL reason why older gentlemen and hyper cars don’t mix
The video is priceless.
Even as a youngin, I found it difficult to get behind the wheel of a sports car (and even more so to get out of it), mostly because I was bigger than the average Alfa/Ferrari-driving snake-hipped Dago.
With my current physique — yea, even after the Ozempic thing — I’d never be able to fit into a McLaren F1 or the like because shoulders. Getting out would require some kind of crane or block-and-pulley arrangement.
A little while ago I saw the middle-aged driver of a Mazda Miata having a little difficulty getting out at the supermarket, and I asked her how she found the Mazda.
“Best experience ever”, was her response.
“And the hassle of getting out?”
“Worth it.”
Which sums up my attitude, should I ever be in a position to own a sports car (NOT a “super car” because I’m not an idiot).
Yeah, it’s not a “real” Ferrari. Don’t care; it’s friggin’ gorgeous.
Actually, the fact that it’s a recreated Ferrari with a Corvette engine without the bloated (and expensive) “Ferrari mystique” makes it even more desirable to me.
And I don’t care about the crane thing, either.
I still remember the time I saw a Lamborghini in real life, as opposed to movies or print, and it was so low to the ground, I realized you would be driving lying on your back. You’d see the road & other cars from between your feet. It made me wonder why anyone would want to drive one, particularly as I had just completed a long trip.
Christmas 1984, Indianapolis 500 Museum, I actually sat all the way down in the *winning car* that year. Not only that, but our 4 yo son was sitting on my lap!!!
I don’t think I, nor he, would fit now a days.
**I have a picture of this.
getting in and out of my brother in law’s subaru is tough enough for me
If impractical is not an obstacle, may I suggest: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1959-devin-triumph-tr3-devin-295/
That’s a beautiful thing! Probably beat you to death on a road trip, but what a way to go!
Try, if you can find one, a Devin-SS!
My last car was a Golf R. Not exactly a super car but performance that would hav put in the super car category not that long ago. It sat lower than a normal Golf, but not that bad getting it. The ride and seats were not for everyone though (I loved it).
When I sold my truck though (after the divorce) I needed something to carry more people/stuff/dogs and I did not want two vehicles again. Thus the Macan S. It is actually a bit faster than the Golf R and much more comfortable. I can even tow with it. The only downside is not quite as nimble, but everything is a tradeoff.
Not quibbling with yer choice, Vonzie — it’s an excellent one — but what made you pick the Porker over the Audi SQ5?
My now ex-wife had an SQ5 which I drove a lot. So it would have been an excellent choice as you say.
But as I was:
1. Newly divorced,
2. Wanted a Porsche a lot when I was a kid
3. The price difference was minimal
I went with the Macan
A friend has a TR-6 and took me for a short ride last fall. I’m in pretty decent shape for a 67 yo, not overweight and still pretty limber, but I thought I was going to need a hand getting out of the bloody thing. I can’t imagine trying to extricate myself from something even lower and more “form fitting”.
Well, I’m a somewhat strangely shaped guy. I did gymnastics (worked rings) just for fun from age 17 to age 34, and since I’m only 5’7″ (now 5’6″) I had fairly wide shoulders as a result. When I tried to find an interview suit after graduation from college I was told that a size 44-Short was hard to find on the rack. No kidding. Shirt for a button-down collar and tie were hard to find, since a 17-1/2″ neck usually comes with sleeves a wee bit longer than my arms. Just saying that I’m a short, wide troll.
But my wife’s Miata fits me just fine, and if the car is in the open getting in and out is no problem…if the top is down. Put that top up, and it becomes a contortionist’s exercise in, “sidle up to it sideways, twist at the waist while bending over, plant your butt, then get your legs in”. Once I’m in it I’m so short that having the top up isn’t a problem, and it’s got plenty of leg room for somebody my height.
When it’s in the garage (yes, “gasp, shock…you keep CARS in your garage”) it’s a different story. We’ve got a two-car, and while the walls are lined with stuff like yard tools, snowblower, lawnmower, etc. we’ve got my wife’s vehicles (Subaru, Miata) and my motorcycle (GoldWing) in there. My truck lives outdoors year-round. There’s almost no room to open the doors, and they certainly don’t open fully. So the Miata sits in the garage with the top down, ’cause it’s SO much easier to get into that way. Heck, if it’s raining or snowing we’re not gonna be taking it anyway, so why not keep it open?
The sheer fun of driving that little red Jap roller skate completely obliterates any of the small (snicker) issues associated with getting in and out of it. Best handling vehicle I’ve ever driven, including MG’s, Alfa’s, Fiat’s and others. Slightly underpowered, but you really only notice that on a freeway. On a twisty mountain road (of which we have a superfluity here in NW Wyoming) I’ve run away from over-powered poor-handling muscle cars without even thinking about it. It’s a 1997 model; the last year it was REALLY a Miata, in my opinion.
A friend of mine bought a Lotus, maybe an Elise, and wanted to give me a ride in it.
I was morbidly obese at the time (only “normally” obese ATM), and was in the middle of an attack of plantar fasciitis. Getting in and out of that go-kart was both awkward and painful. As was the ride over normal roads, where I could feel every bump.
Definitly not my thing. He drives a ‘vette now. He offered to let me drive it and I declined.
I’m happy with my Rav4 and F-150.
I had an Alfa Spider that I used as a daily driver for a number of years. The car was fairly accommodating for a small Italian automobile, but it still felt as if I was wearing the car rather than sitting in it. One of the design features that helped my fat butt to fit in the seat was that the drivetrain was slightly offset to the right, probably to balance the car with just the driver in it. However, that made working on the fuel injection system (located between the cam cover and the passenger side fender) rather challenging.
Speaking of fat butts….while I had the Alfa, I participated on an Alfa-specific discussion forum. One day, a group of owners was discussing ways to shed weight from their cars. After seeing pictures of these guys and looking at myself in the mirror, I suggested diet and exercise.
When I was 37 a good friend that was in the Army Guard as a Blackhawk pilot got deployed to Iraq. He asked me to look after his 88 Porsche 944 T and drive it every two weeks. I am 5’11” and at that time weighed about 195. I had a 46″ chest, 18.5″ biceps, and a 18″ neck. I barely fit in the 944 and I had to fall out of the car to get out of it. The 944 cured me of wanting a European sports car.