All I know is that this thread makes me feel old. All this talk about "what young people are doing" and "the kinds of cars young people are buying"... and realizing I no longer fit into the category of "young people", or at least I don't follow the stereotypes.
Another person here that owns a Tilley hat and several sports cars.
Kids today don't care about spots cars? Who cares? As long as I can drive mine they are free to drive Honda Civics.
TheRX7Project said:All I know is that this thread makes me feel old. All this talk about "what young people are doing" and "the kinds of cars young people are buying"... and realizing I no longer fit into the category of "young people", or at least I don't follow the stereotypes.
This thread is proving the point! The median age in this thread must be 45+!
Dave M said:TheRX7Project said:All I know is that this thread makes me feel old. All this talk about "what young people are doing" and "the kinds of cars young people are buying"... and realizing I no longer fit into the category of "young people", or at least I don't follow the stereotypes.
This thread is proving the point! The median age in this thread must be 45+!
I'm 41, so I must be driving it down.
And now comes the point where the thread devolves into a debate over whether he meant "median" or "mean" and which is more relevant. All I know is, the mode age probably is not 45.
In reply to volvoclearinghouse :
Arguing math terms adds a modifier to your age.
Old fart now.
Dave M said:TheRX7Project said:All I know is that this thread makes me feel old. All this talk about "what young people are doing" and "the kinds of cars young people are buying"... and realizing I no longer fit into the category of "young people", or at least I don't follow the stereotypes.
This thread is proving the point! The median age in this thread must be 45+!
Younger here lol
Dave M said:TheRX7Project said:All I know is that this thread makes me feel old. All this talk about "what young people are doing" and "the kinds of cars young people are buying"... and realizing I no longer fit into the category of "young people", or at least I don't follow the stereotypes.
This thread is proving the point! The median age in this thread must be 45+!
G-Body and myself I think are the only low outliers here.
oh boy 
monkeyodeath said:Speaking as a millennial who loves cars...
It's ironic to me that older generations could pretty much care less about catastrophic climate change, out-of-control income inequality, and reduced life/income expectancy for younger people...but wring their hands with worry that millennials don't have the same hobbies.
Different generations are going to do different stuff. So sports cars die off, a few golf courses get closed. Is it that much of a tragedy? Bigger and more important things going on in this world. Young people will find new ways to have fun, as they have for all of human history. Nobody's out there wishing they could race a chariot instead of a sports car.
By the time all the sports cars rust away all you guys will be dead anyways, so why do you care? (that's the excuse I hear all the time about the climate!) If you're looking to help out the younger folks, there's things this generation needs a lot more than a driver's license and a healthy appreciation of fast cars.
I'm a hell of a lot sadder and more scared about living on a planet where there aren't any more fish in the ocean, or where people are fighting wars over what's left of the fresh water.
And if the young folks move on from cars? More power to 'em. I hope that they find even more awesome and wild ways of going fast and having fun. I just hope I'm not too old to try it out.
In a few billion years as the sun dies, it will swell up and consume earth, so why do you care?
Great job at taking a thread about sports cars and making it political.
I do agree with one of his points, which is that hobbies change, and it's not really that big of a deal in the end if sports cars do die out. Our penchant for sports cars was viewed with a suspicious eye by those from a couple generations back just like rock and roll was. And now rock and roll is old and quaint and we wring our hands over hip hop and electric cars.
Daylan C said:Dave M said:TheRX7Project said:All I know is that this thread makes me feel old. All this talk about "what young people are doing" and "the kinds of cars young people are buying"... and realizing I no longer fit into the category of "young people", or at least I don't follow the stereotypes.
This thread is proving the point! The median age in this thread must be 45+!
G-Body and myself I think are the only low outliers here.
OP here - I’m 29 (30 this year) so considered a “millennial” but on the older side. Definitely starting to come to grips with the idea that I am no longer really a “young person.”
27 here. Most of my friends that have graduated have student loans in the 25k range. So that is an issue with buying a new car.
Issue 2 Imo is lack of affordable new rwd sports cars or really any enthusiast car. I'm talking sub 20k.
Issue 3 is we do care about gas mileage since gas is so expensive now.
I would be interested in a sporty hybrid but those dont exist in actual consumer price points.
What I want is an affordable rwd coupe that could seat 4 that has at least 25mpg city and is at least 12lbs per horsepower and runs on 87. For under $35k
In reply to MrChaos :
100% with you there. I have 30k in student loans and a 95k mortgage but spend 2 hours in the car a day, so I ended up buying a CPO '16 GTI because it was one of the few cars that was a) fun, b) sub-$25k, c) gets more than 30MPG on regular 87 octane gas and d) has a hatchback.
When I was younger/in college I drove a lot of 2-seat sports cars with hatchbacks (Supra, RX-7, 300ZX) but that market has dwindled down to nothing (I think the 370Z is the only one left and it is EXPENSIVE to buy and run). I was so excited about the Toyota SF-R concept; it was like a junior, cheaper to run FR-S/BRZ, but it sounds like it will never see the light of day.
I would also definitely be onboard for any kind of "sports hybrid," it sounds like VW is planning on making the next GTI a 48v hybrid which should be interesting. It's a shame the Honda CR-Z was such a dismal effort on that front, I hope it didn't poison the well too much for the OEMs to try a similar product because I love the idea.
In reply to pointofdeparture :
I really want a Mk8 Golf R. However, if VW brings it over with a 48 volt hybrid motor, that's an immediate "Nope!" for me. I don't trust VW to come up with a hybrid powertrain that's reliable and durable, especially in the first generation. Plus I don't like the way they drive. I'm really hoping they either build the current 2 liter and plop ona big turbo, or use the 5 cylinder motor from the RS3.
If they do release it with the hybrid motor I'm going to buy a Toyota Land Cruiser instead, as there really aren't any other awd hot hatches that are on the market, let alone that I care to purchase.
The Supra ad during the Super Bowl used music by The Who.
As a member of GenX, I'm probably in the target demographic for the ad, but I immediately associate using Classic Rock in an advertisement with Baby Boomers, and I immediately ignore it.
MrChaos said:27 here. Most of my friends that have graduated have student loans in the 25k range. So that is an issue with buying a new car.
Issue 2 Imo is lack of affordable new rwd sports cars or really any enthusiast car. I'm talking sub 20k.
Issue 3 is we do care about gas mileage since gas is so expensive now.
I would be interested in a sporty hybrid but those dont exist in actual consumer price points.
What I want is an affordable rwd coupe that could seat 4 that has at least 25mpg city and is at least 12lbs per horsepower and runs on 87. For under $35k
I hear you on the loan debt and other financial pressures, but gas prices? A lack of sub $20k sports cars? Are those really issues?
Gas prices are incredibly low right now relative to inflation. Like cheaper than they were 40 years ago. Since the last fuel price spike, the US has become a net exporter of petroleum. There's enough supply to meet current domestic needs and then some. It would take a paradigm shift or huge disaster for fuel prices to see significant spikes again in the future. This is evident by the assload of trucks/SUVs that are selling right now while more fuel efficient cars go unsold or get canceled completely. Fuel efficiency is much more about environmental concern for most people now than it is costs. Buyers, even Millenials, are prioritizing other things over fuel efficiency and voting with their wallets.
Also, nobody sells anything under $20k. It's not the year 2000 anymore. Car companies have to make a profit. I get wishful thinking and all, but your expectations or desires aren't the least bit realistic. You want everything for nothing, which is fine, but you'd better be prepared to be disappointed if that's your approach. A modern 4 cylinder pony car does get fairly close to your stated desires though. $20-25k buys a RWD, 4 seat coupe with roughly 300hp/300tq that gets 30mpg on 87 octane.
frenchyd said:In reply to llysgennad :
The $600 cash, was it given to you? Or did you earn it?
Maybe I’m biased and just wrong. But are younger people no longer taking those teenager entry level jobs?
The whole subject is worthy of development.
Full disclosure, it was a surprise gift, purely to keep me from buying the cars I was looking at. I was only interested in ratty muscle cars at the time*. But I had my own money, earned from age 12 or earlier, all kinds of jobs. I paid for my first new bike, stereo, tools, etc. I even loaned (at 15) my older sister the money to buy her first car.
Entry level jobs are nearly extinct for younger teens (<18), at least around here.
*I had already passed on a 68 Camaro, a 70 Nova, and a 2nd gen Z28. I was looking at an unbelievably rough 63 Corvette that week if I remember right. Should have bought them all.
37 here.
As I said before, lots of young people interested in cars. Maybe not in Manhattan or Seattle, but in normal parts of the country, young guys love cars just like they have for generations.
Interestingly, my millennial brother in law (who owns a 2005 350z) was quite taken by the Supra commercial and seemed to think that the sub 50K MSRP was reasonable even though he doesnt have the income to swing a Supra
pointofdeparture said:OP here - I’m 29 (30 this year) so considered a “millennial” but on the older side. Definitely starting to come to grips with the idea that I am no longer really a “young person.”
Older millennials are pushing 40. The millennial generation is right after Gen X, and begins with birth years in the early 80s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials
36 here, while technically I am a "Millennial" I definitely identify more as a GenXer. I was in a leadership class at work the other day and was shocked to find out I was a millennial, it was almost like finding out I'm adopted.
dculberson said:pointofdeparture said:OP here - I’m 29 (30 this year) so considered a “millennial” but on the older side. Definitely starting to come to grips with the idea that I am no longer really a “young person.”
Older millennials are pushing 40. The millennial generation is right after Gen X, and begins with birth years in the early 80s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials
Yeah, I know - the textbook definition has always struck me as off, someone born in '81 and someone born in '01 are supposedly both millenials but have surely been through two completely different life experiences! I feel like you could draw a line somewhere between '90-95 and divide "millenials" into two completely different generations.
I mostly say "on the older side" as your average trash thinkpiece articles about how millenials are ruining the job market, the world, etc seem to describe a group very different than what I know of myself and my immediate peers...
This is why I like the "Xennial" description, roughly 77-84 birth years. I turn 37 next month.
We grew up without social media in high school or cell phones. I didn't have a cell phone until my sophomore year of college, and I still didn't really need one. But also grew up with technology..........Oregon Trail anyone? :)
z31maniac said:This is why I like the "Xennial" description, roughly 77-84 birth years. I turn 37 next month.
We grew up without social media in high school or cell phones. I didn't have a cell phone until my sophomore year of college, and I still didn't really need one. But also grew up with technology..........Oregon Trail anyone? :)
I will have to use that. I was born in 83. Technology was a huge part of my upbringing, video games and otherwise, yet phones and social media weren't a thing until college/post college years.
I admittedly didn't read this entire thread, but I'll throw in my two cents.
As it stands, I'm a 37 year old, dyed in the wool car enthusiast. My dad was a car enthusiast, so my exposure to cars has been there since the very beginning. Growing up in the 80's and 90's, the Malaise and Rad Era cars were what I coveted, and I had a strong reverence for the older Musclecar and Pre-War Classics eras as well.
Cars were "cool" when I was growing up not just because I was indoctrinated into the culture early; just look at the media and toys of the day. Hot Wheels were going stronger than ever, Transformers were all the rage and transformed from cool vehicles into robots, every toy line with action figures (And even Barbie!) pushed the availability of cool "vehicles", and companies like Tyco blasted commercials with cool stuff like their awesome 9.6V RC line and slot car tracks that climbed walls while glowing in the dark! Cartoons, kid's shows, and movies of the time all perpetuated car culture as well. Inspector Gadget had a weird Japanese van that transformed into a sweet sports car complete with louvers and pop-up headlights, Knight Rider had a 3rd Gen Trans Am that was faster than anything on the road at the time, Back to the Future featured a time-travelling DeLorean... I can go on and on. And I wanted to be part of that. Almost every kid at the time did as well!
Fast forward to today, and I have two nephews (aged 16 and 21) that are growing up in a different time. There is certainly less exposure in the mainstream, yet there's more overall exposure to cars and car culture due to the existence of the internet. Are kids today even aware of cars? They sure are. The 16 year old has taken a keen interest in anything mechanical, and the same goes for just about all of his friends. He and his friends are just starting to get their licenses, and while he has a 2004 4Runner, he has a friend with a 5th Gen Camaro, another has a 90's Ford with a 7.3 Powerstroke, etc. He's also into small engine-powered stuff, and has put together multiple go-karts and minibikes over the past few years. He's shown interest in picking up an 80's Z car, a F-Body, and/or a Fox Mustang in the past few years. While he's straying away from video games, the cars he's idolized in Forza Horizon and the like are the ones he covets, just like the cars in the early Gran Turismo games for my generation.
The older one is a more complicated case. He doesn't have his license yet, and it's not for a lack of trying. I've gone driving with him a few times, and while he's interested in it, he's going to college right now and doesn't have time to get his stuff together to pass the test. He definitely needs some more practice. That said, he likes driving my Mazda 3 with a manual more than driving any of the other vehicles he's driven, all with automatics. He tells me that he feels more connected to the car, and likes having the added control over what the car is doing. He is into things with style and "aesthetics", so I can see him turning into a VW guy once he sorts out getting his license. He already looks the part of a young kid with a GTI, or even a Miata.
Last year, I went to a national NHRA Top Fuel event. There were kids EVERYWHERE which I did not expect, and the place was sold out for the entire weekend. Following the awards, kids were going up to the drivers and asking questions. And not just a handful; there were a ton of them! The drivers and crew identified this and were very accommodating. The winning driver even gave a kid a crankshaft from one of his race engines! Since there's basically zero advertising for this kind of thing these days in the mainstream media, it was refreshing to see.
Where does any of that leave the fate of sports cars or car culture in general? It's hard to say. In this day and age, just about any interest can be satiated through the click of a button with the amount of information on the internet, but sparking that interest is the hard part. The closest thing we have to car culture in the mainstream are racing video games and whatever the Fast & Furious movies have turned into. Even so, walk near the toy section of your local Walmart or Target and you'll likely find a giant Hot Wheels standee in the center aisle promising cheap thrills. As long as those things are still there, you can bet on a kid digging in there and grabbing their future as a car enthusiast.
At the autocross I attended yesterday, there were plenty of young people driving Miatas, Golfs and Civics. 101 total entries.
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