First GTR sighting in ATL, pissed me off...: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Oct. 3, 2008 8:02 p.m. Raze New Reader

So I see a white GTR rolling up behind me on 285 east right before GA-400, I'm impressed and want to see the car, he passes and I notice the plate is stamped GTR'something or other,' this should have been my first clue not to bother with the guy...

For a bit of history I saw a Vantage outside a Waffle House near where I live w/plates '007 MOM' which stopped me from finding out whose it was until a normal fella in jeans walked out of the House so I went after to ask him if i could snap a few shots and talk to him for a minute, he said "you can take pictures cause it's my wife's car. It's the nicest Aston made but the only reason I'm driving it is because my Bentley and something or other are being washed at my house right now." Needless to say I stopped taking pictures and went back to my meal...

Back to the GTR, in my excitement I roll up along side and give the fella a smile and thumbs up, 99% of the time I get a smile, nod, acknowledgement, or some combo of all 3 because the owner 1) knows what they have, 2) loves their car, and 3) appreciate car admiration, whether their ride or another. After seeing he's 30-something with a baseball cap on and glasses (nerdy dude, swear he could have gone to GT), he looks over and gives me a smile that I can only describe as 'condesending' with a hint of distain, he was more worried about driving like a prick to get off the 400N split at the last second like most jerks in ATL than enjoying what he was driving, honestly my heart sank.

I hope in the future I run into people more like the dude who brought his Ford GT to the Georgia Tech Autoshow and let anyone who wanted to sit and crawl all over the thing or the Ferrari dealership owner who brought his Enzo and let college kids and the public get 'close' (doors open just couldn't get insde) or the recent post with someone autoX'n a ZR-1, those are car owners I actualy 'want' to know I appreciate their car choice.

Enough of the rant, I know not all GTR owners will be like this but It was disheartening...
Oct. 3, 2008 8:35 p.m. integraguy Reader

Yeah, one of the frustrating things in life, at least to many car nuts, is seeing/knowing someone who doesn't really appreciate their car...except maybe for the impression it's supposed to make on other people. These folks are in the same category as those a$$holes whole used to park in more than one parking space (for whatever reason, I haven't seen that in quite awhile). I guess now that you can buy a large, super expensive, gas guzzling SUV that takes up 2 parking spaces, folks aren't parking in 2 spaces...on purpose.
Oct. 3, 2008 10:14 p.m. ArtOfRuin Reader

Ditto. I just saw my first ever R32 Skyline (a black GTS-4) in the Pep-Boys lot while I was getting some fuel line hose Wednesday. Its a surprisingly sleeper-ish car from afar. Sadly, it had blingy Motegi rims and the owner was a dingleberry:

Me: (casually) "Hey, nice Skyline."

Owner: " Is that your car? (points at my Impreza) That's a piece of E36 M3."

Me: "Well, excuse me for being nice. If I had enough to buy a Skyline, I'd buy some manners to go with it. Douchebag."
Oct. 3, 2008 11:11 p.m. Volksroddin Reader

Yea shinny people are fun............
Oct. 4, 2008 2:55 a.m. Travis_K Reader

I have only met one Skyline owner in person. I didnt know what it was, but I thought it might be a Skyline, so I asked him, and he said something like "no its a civic with a skyline tali light conversion" in a sarcastic voice. I just left after that. Im pretty sure most normal people wouldnt want one anyway. lol
Oct. 4, 2008 3:34 a.m. tuffburn New Reader

if i owned a gtr i wouldn't be so shiny and happy, i would be stoked to be driving such a machine. but then again, i can't afford a skyline. so the point is moot.
Oct. 4, 2008 6:59 a.m. TJ New Reader

I saw my first GTR a few weeks ago just north of Seattle. It didn't look nearly as fugly as they do in the pictures. From the pictures of the car I could care less how fast it can lap the ring - the thing just doesn't appeal to me, but as I was at a red light in the pole position I got to see one making a left in front of me...not nearly as hideous.

I was in a rental toyota minivan - lucky for him we were going opposite directions. The siena has some real get up and go.
Oct. 4, 2008 8:39 a.m. Xceler8x Reader

Me: (casually) "Hey, nice Skyline."

Owner: " Is that your car? (points at my Impreza) That's a piece of E36 M3."

Me: "Too bad buying that car doesn't make you any less of an shiny happy person."

-or-

Me: "It might be E36 M3 but it's not compensating for the smallest cock in 3 states."

NEXT!

Me: "Nice car! Is that a Skyline?"

Owner: "no its a civic with a skyline tail light conversion"

Me: "That's what I thought. Rice boys will polish any turd they can find won't they? Enjoy your civic."

I can never think of these things in the moment. [sigh]
Oct. 4, 2008 10:27 a.m. wreckerboy SuperDork

Reminds me of a weekend at LRP back when we were running an underfunded Trans Am team but having tons of fun doing it. Because we're a bunch of club racers we still haven't quite gotten used to the idea of huge crowds watching us, but we're diggin' it.

At some point during the weekend when we actually weren't working on the fool car for a change (long story, two engines went pop at $lots each) and the crowd was walking through the paddock. We're having fun putting various small children into the car when an "older" woman, probably in her '60's comes up. If memory serves correctly, she probably was there with her grandchild. She's obviously interested in the car, so I ask if she would like to sit in it.

She's shy at first, but with a little coercion we get her into the car. That woman's smile lit up the entire paddock! It was easily the high point of the entire race weekend, including the part when the scantily attired race queens came over to pose on the car.
Oct. 4, 2008 2:40 p.m. racerdave600 Reader

Great story! I used to always let kids sit in my car after an event. They never hurt anything and always had a good time doing so.

I also saw my first GTR last week, it looks much better in person, but was a little larger than I was expecting. It also didn't look exotic enough that I would be worried about driving it on the street. Only those in the know would think it was anything other than a sportier Nissian. To me, it was similar enough in appearance to the Infiniti G35 Coupe not to cause a stir among the civilian population! I still want one!
Oct. 4, 2008 5:31 p.m. Duke Dork

integraguy wrote:

Yeah, one of the frustrating things in life, at least to many car nuts, is seeing/knowing someone who doesn't really appreciate their car...except maybe for the impression it's supposed to make on other people.

Yeah, I saw a nice E46 M3 convertible coming up behind me, so I moved over to let him pass. As he drew a bit ahead, I saw that his license plate read KACHING. I really had to fight the urge to PITT him into the jersey wall.