I see almost every website or link that has something to do with it praising it. Also, I was being satirical when I compared the Sonata to Jesus.
What is it with people calling everything that wasn't built to lap tracks as fast as possible "rubbish"? The old Hyundais weren't terrible. Of course, they weren't great either, but it's not like the price would suggest otherwise.
When weren't supercars glorified, be it in games, TV shows or magazines? Before people were crazy about Chirons, they were crazy about Veyrons. Before people were crazy about Veyrons, they were crazy about Koenigseggs. Before people were crazy about Koenigseggs, they were crazy about F1s. Before people were crazy about F1s, they were crazy about F40s. Repeat until we reach the early 20th century.
Before we could virtually drive them, they actually meant something. In the 80's and 90's they meant the pinnicle of technology. The way I see it, we no longer live in the era where a supercar meaningfully pushes boundaries. We no longer live in an era of attainable dream cars, imo. And that's where the modern desire for lap record breaking wedges comes from.
What do you consider an "attainable dream car"? And I'm pretty sure that a LaFerrari is as meaningful as a F40.
And F40 was the first production car to do 200MPH from the factory. How is a LaFerrari meaningful? Being prohibitively expensive? Crashed by rappers? Not being as good as the others in the Holy Trinity? Its about as meaningful as the F50 was.
I remind you that the chase for 300 MPH is ongoing. And the LaFerrari, P1 and 918 pushed the boundaries of what a production car can do. For example, the 918 managed to get over 20 MPG on just the gasoline engine, while being able to do 0-60 in 2.2 seconds.
There are lots of technical acheivements that are going on everyday. We just see them so ofter that standouts are rare. I will concede that older cars do feel more “special”.
The problem is that modern cars lack the soul/character that old cars had. Old cars were all different from each other, even badge engineered ones you could tell apart. Now luxury cars have the same ride quality as family cars because luxury now means fast and good handling instead of comfort with no sacrifices. All cars in each class feel similar in driving characteristics, no matter what brand they are from. Cars have been numbed to please the car journalists since the early 2000s. Average cars are no longer fun to drive due to electric assists and control taken away from the driver. Supercars can't push the limits like they used to because regulations have forced all cars to conform to rules that only really apply to average cars. The boring cars of yesteryear are much more fun than the supercars of today, and there is nothing that can be done to change that without throwing out the rulebook.
Also, old cars are less capable. Going 90mph in my E12 honestly feels like 125. I also can be a bit slidey around slower corners. It runs on 205 section tyres that allow you to drive around at legal speeds with a smile plastered to your face. It’s great. Modern cars just don’t allow you to do that.
My parents drive Hyundais, the build quality was appalling. The one they had from the late 90s had its engine literally explode on the freeway (piston shooting out of block) and the one from 2004 we still own, but the amount of faults it has is incredible. Also, I don't like supercars or 'whatever goes fast'. I much prefer classics.
Yeah, I really don't understand why car journalist care so much about handling. People bashed on the 2015-17 Hyundai Sonata for having "subpar handling". It's a family sedan, it's not supposed to go on race tracks. I'm glad my dad got a 2017 Sonata, as they stiffed the suspension on the 2018's, and I can imagine it being even stiffer on the 2020. Also, low profile tires. All tires are getting lower and lower profile tires, even trucks. Not only do they harshen the ride, but you're also more likely to have a blowout. They even worsen fuel economy, so they really only serve the purpose of "looking good" on normal car, maybe give you better handling on a sport or race car.
What regulations do you think are strangling supercars? Also, with the fact that gearheads are only a fraction of car buyers, it's understandable that they only get a fraction of the car market tailored to them - Alfa Giulia, Mini, MX-5, Porsches...
Looking at how quickly the numbers are moving, I don't think these regulation really have an impact. Back at the start of this decade, the supercar club was below 4s 0-60. In just a few years, that four second threshold went down to three seconds.
Maybe so, but lap times only really matter if they're paying the bills. A new Ferrari 488 GTB is easily twice as quick as on old 308, but I know which I'd rather have. Though considering you're the same guy who thinks 160 horsepower is "wildly excessive" for a 2800-pound (at least) mom tank...
I'd have the 308 too. But I'm fully aware of the limitations of a 30 years old car. This kind of selective nostalgia is pretty snobby in my book, Ferrari at the time was manufacturing the same exact kind of cars they are manufacturing now: highly redundant, pointless "dream" cars that only raised the bar of the bragging rights game... Thinking of real progress in the automotive field, sportscars rarely come to my mind, to be honest... And yes, still convinced that for everyday, urban driving - the natural habitat of a "mom tank" - even half that amount is more than enough. That's how it works where thinking about the future consequences of our actions always was on the agenda.
