The GTI only gets attention from other people in GTIs. It also has this odd habit of attracting other VWs when parked. Most people just don't know what it is and that's fine with me.
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Nov. 1, 2009 10:20 p.m. skruffy Dork
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Nov. 1, 2009 10:47 p.m. 02Pilot New Reader
friedgreencorrado wrote:
02Pilot wrote:
People seem to genuinely like my yellow 2002; in spite of a fairly raucous intake and exhaust tone, and a willingness to use the higher rev range, it doesn't seem to get any unwanted attention from the boy racer crowd, while plenty of people smile and wave.
I hate, hate, really hate, HATE to say this (I've probably owned five or six 02s over the years-still wish I'd hung on to one of them), but...they finally look like antiques. The things were twenty five years ahead of their time, but that was thirty five years ago.
As long as the lineage was still a clear part of BMW design, the 02s seemed current. After the E30/E34 era ended, the 02s became more and more distant from the state of the art BMW design. The tall greenhouse and narrow track look increasingly old-fashioned, but I don't care. I've owned it for 15 years, and I'm keeping it - I don't care if everyone else is driving hovercars or riding around in those Logan's Run monorail things.
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Nov. 1, 2009 11:03 p.m. gamby UberDork
Not for nothing, but being a "normal" dude in a modded Civic is no picnic, either. Constantly getting revved on, flipped off, hell--even mooned once.
I might be going to pick up some takeout and the rest of the world thinks I'm looking for a race.
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Nov. 2, 2009 12:42 a.m. Appleseed Dork
wayslow wrote:
I think I've been driving old British cars for too long. When I read the title I immediately thought of this.
Just finally figured out "roundel." I was thinking British, too.
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Nov. 2, 2009 1:19 a.m. moTthediesel New Reader
My son has a E30 325is and he has noticed that people do react to it. "Smartazz rich boy in his Beemer" is a common sentiment, even though it's an $800 Craig's List wonder
In our family we also keep an old E28 524TD as everybody's "reserve wheels". It's a well loved family member by now, like an old eccentric German uncle, and we'll keep it till it enters Valhalla. Funny though, nobody seems to react to that car at all, it's just as if it's invisible.
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Nov. 2, 2009 1:26 a.m. skierd Dork
The only car I've ever gotten much attention in was the 98 accent (when it had all of its Solo stickers on it) and my 00 Si. I get the occasional asshat who wants to race me on the bike, usually in a redneck wannabe in a lifted mid 90's silverado with dual exhaust and something obscene printed on the back window. Its a dirt bike folks...
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Nov. 2, 2009 6:42 a.m. White_and_Nerdy Reader
I didn't get so much asshattery in my E21 320i, but maybe that was because I lived in Massachusetts where so many people drive like that anyway.
That, and BMWs were common in the areas I lived in.
What I did get a lot of, though, was ooohs and aaaahs from friends, acquaintances, strangers, etc. just because I was driving a BMW. Never mind that at that point in my life it was the cheapest car I'd ever owned!!! (I've since had my $300 Saturn and a free Civic wagon...)
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Nov. 2, 2009 4:59 p.m. SupraWes Dork
I take pleasure in the fact that its pissing them off that I am not racing. Unless theres a clock involved I'm not wasting my gas.
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Nov. 2, 2009 5:08 p.m. Buckhead Reader
i have had pretty good luck in my bmw. i do catch the bird often in my girlfriends lexus sc430.
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Nov. 2, 2009 5:09 p.m. Buckhead Reader
also people never let me over.
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Nov. 2, 2009 5:44 p.m. RexSeven Dork
My old Subaru never got any looks from other drivers, but it was a Grade A+ Cop Magnet. I got followed everywhere in that car.
Luckily that isn't the case with my FC. I got my plates run once by a cop and I get the occasional revving from a Honduh-boi, but for the most part I get left alone. Past owners love to talk to me about it when they see it parked.
I haven't had my MS3 long enough to pass a judgement, but so far I've had an E30 full of kids and a middle-aged man in a Ridgeline block traffic because they were gawking at it (seriously)!
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Nov. 2, 2009 6:14 p.m. Bobzilla HalfDork
I get the ricer fly-by and constant revving in the Swift. It's loud, it's stickered so they think it "races"... it does, just not on the street. Bring your hunk-o-junk to an event sometime and I'll "race" you.
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Nov. 2, 2009 7:01 p.m. Buckhead Reader
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Nov. 2, 2009 8:30 p.m. spider94r New Reader
I have an E46 M3 but it is BONE stock and dark blue in color. I haven't had any problems with asshats around Tampa. I did get buzzed by some dude in a C63 AMG Mercedes on the interstate last week. He wanted to race but I didn't bite.
I had one asshat experience in my C5 Vette, but more often it was compliments and waves. I used to get waves and compliments on my Miata, but people don't seem to see those anymore.
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Nov. 2, 2009 8:56 p.m. confuZion3 SuperDork
Know what's odd? My Z3 didn't draw any attention to itself by racers (except for the fact that almost every Civic made since 1986 has "Z3 fenders").
And yet...
and...
People in Camaros used to try to race me all the time when I had the Mustang.
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Nov. 2, 2009 9:05 p.m. confuZion3 SuperDork
This little bastard gets all the bikes after me. But that's another story...
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Nov. 2, 2009 9:56 p.m. Appleseed Dork
No one will race me in this.
I don't know why. I do get flipped off a lot, though.
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Nov. 3, 2009 6:15 p.m. friedgreencorrado Dork
Appleseed wrote:
wayslow wrote:
I think I've been driving old British cars for too long. When I read the title I immediately thought of this.
Just finally figured out "roundel." I was thinking British, too.
Weird how your own history spikes your memory sometimes. I was a member of the BMWCCA for a few years. When I read the thread title, I thought somebody was upset with the magazine..
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Nov. 3, 2009 6:26 p.m. Keith PowerDork
When I lived in Ottawa, I had a red 1990 Miata with silver stripes. A friend of mine in town had...a red 1990 Miata with silver stripes. They were similar enough that my other friends would sometimes get us mixed up.
He reported that people tried to race him all the time. Never happened to me. Weird, huh? Couldn't be the viewpoint of the driver, could it?
Anyhow, the E39 M5 is invisible. Nobody notices it - except for guys who recognize it. I'm used to driving fairly extroverted cars, this stealth thing is kinda fun.
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Nov. 3, 2009 7:25 p.m. Appleseed Dork
Keith discovers the Sleeper.
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Nov. 3, 2009 8:50 p.m. wbjones Reader
Appleseed wrote:
No one will race me in this.
I don't know why. I do get flipped off a lot, though.
put some antennas on it... should be worth some second looks...
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Nov. 3, 2009 9:40 p.m. patgizz Dork
corvette = all the mustang kids think i want to race them.
p71 = nobody wants to pass me and they all go 5mph under the speed limit in front of me.
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Nov. 3, 2009 9:51 p.m. 96DXCivic HalfDork
The only people who try to race me are other Civics and one Caddy hearse. I don't know why anyone bothers I am probably not going to race them and the Civic DX is so slow I couldn't beat anything anyway.
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Nov. 3, 2009 10:48 p.m. JeepinMatt Reader
patgizz wrote:
corvette = all the mustang kids think i want to race them.
p71 = nobody wants to pass me and they all go 5mph under the speed limit in front of me.
Off topic, but your C4 is a very nice example. The dark red and those black wheels really set that car off.
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Nov. 6, 2009 11:28 p.m. friedgreencorrado Dork
02Pilot wrote:
friedgreencorrado wrote:
02Pilot wrote:
People seem to genuinely like my yellow 2002; in spite of a fairly raucous intake and exhaust tone, and a willingness to use the higher rev range, it doesn't seem to get any unwanted attention from the boy racer crowd, while plenty of people smile and wave.
I hate, hate, really hate, HATE to say this (I've probably owned five or six 02s over the years-still wish I'd hung on to one of them), but...they finally look like antiques. The things were twenty five years ahead of their time, but that was thirty five years ago.
As long as the lineage was still a clear part of BMW design, the 02s seemed current. After the E30/E34 era ended, the 02s became more and more distant from the state of the art BMW design.
I see what you're saying (and agree with it, now that you've brought it to my attention), but I was actually thinking of when I made the comment was how well the cars went down the road. To me they have a suspension & engine dynamic that was much superior than anything else in it's class at the time.
02Pilot wrote: The tall greenhouse and narrow track look increasingly old-fashioned, but I don't care. I've owned it for 15 years, and I'm keeping it - I don't care if everyone else is driving hovercars or riding around in those Logan's Run monorail things.
Hey, if things get that bad, I'll join you! I could use another 02 in my life..
