chiefmg

So I'm down here at school. Last week I had to go to the airport to arrange my gf's ticket, and I took one of the guys I know out so he could do some shopping. I've worked with this guy, very smart and a good engineer but he is somewhat off the mainstream. He's about 11 years younger too.

We get into the car, first thing he says is "So, this is a mid-life crisis car." I looked at him like he's an idiot, said no, this is my family car with a bunch of horsepower. I could have said something like it has to have two doors etc to be a mid-life crisis car, but it would have been a waste of breath. Just goes to show how people are that don't own cars (he lives in NYC).

Roddimus Prime

if it was MY midlife crisis car it would've been a C4 996/997.....i'm worried though that I'm having a midlife crisis at 28.

kargoboy

I don't think it's a mid-life crisis thing at all. Look at all the turbocharged or high-HP European
family sedans are out there. They just cost more. BMW, for example. has ALWAYS targeted well-off family guys who consider themselves auto enthusiasts.
Are they ALL going through a midlife crisis?
Anyway, I don't think it's fair that 'car-guys' are singled out when at middle-age they go and buy a car that they can finally afford, whether it's a '69 Camaro or a Porsche 911.

Roddimus Prime

or have a friend help them import a high dollar sport ute from overseas........mmm, falcon.


p.s. Gary, is it possible to import a car for "recreational purposes" if it's not intended for street use? I've just found about 10 20B Eunos Cosmo's overseas in the $6k-9k range....

Omicron

Calling something -anything- a midlife crisis car is just a way of demeaning something they cannot afford. Its sour grapes.

chiefmg

I agree it's sour grapes, but for a different reason. He could certainly afford one himself. Basically it comes down to he has some self-esteem issues and something of a superiority complex, so if someone he deems less than him has something that is nice, then he belittles it. Might be a little more to it than that, but I think that's the crux of the matter. Of course, he would disagree!

I don't care anyhow. I have always gone my own way. I buy what I like if I can afford it, who cares if it is the best or most popular? I am not out to impress anyone.

Roddimus Prime

If I were in your situation I would've quietly turned off the DSC, slowly wound up first gear to about 3500 and then snatched the wheel while slamming the gas pedal.

Then when he ***** in his pants ask him if he's having a "senior moment".

chiefmg

I wasn't where I could do something like that (here in the Ft Lauderdale area), although I did give him a little taste of what she could do leaving the airport. Took a sweeping ramp at about 60, I noticed him hanging onto the passenger grab handle for dear life! And I wasn't even sliding around.

meGrimlock

the speed6 is like a conundrum. its a family sedan...so you think accord, but wants to pull like an STI, so a boy racer's toy. its kinda like the bmw m5 (which is a totally unfair comparison to begin with) in that its a 4-door big honkin' bmw...with 500 horses waiting for you to put the pedal to the metal. if the speed6 is a midlife crisis car, i must be going thru a mid-mid life crisis then, cuz i want one bad. but the point of a midlife crisis is to get something totaly exotic and totaly out there that it defies the "midlife" and so far the speed6 doesn't quite defy, but also wants you to ditch the midlife and take that bend at 80mph...

kargoboy

First apologies to the chief for the mini-threadjack...

Roddy, are you talking about the Mazda Cosmo? If not then I am completely unfamiliar. What year(s) are these?
If it's a classic or collectible then I don't think it's subject to the standard definitions of Street Legal.

dentinger

i thought any car was street legal over here, just as long as it's 15 yrs old.
thats why we have so many '91 and earlier skylines over here.
the 20B mazda cosmo is a mid 70's car, so you shouldnt have a problem with that....

kargoboy

Thank you for the clarification, I will check with my broker this afternoon.

Roddimus Prime

no, the ones I'm looking at are 1992-1998 models. Maybe the 92 would work.

they are 20B twin turbo sports coupes....kinda like a lexus SC300 with a 20bTT in it! google it...they are badass!

chiefmg

I was gonna chime in here but Matty beat me to it. There was an original Cosmo in the 70's (think it had a 13B in it), but the 20B engine didn't debut until the 90's IIRC.

dentinger

ok, i googled it. and your right, they basically look like the older lexus SC300's.
you may have a problem importing a '92, cuz its 15yrs old this year, so you may have to wait till next year....

and how would a car be a "collectable"? like, would a collectable have to be like, say, a 1 time, low very low production vehicle? like, some of the older muscle cars where only 100 were made or whatever??

and a classic is 1970 and before isnt it??