Are you planning to use the car as a pick-up accessory, or are you just planning to use it as a car in which you will occasionally have female passengers as you drive them home after a date?
If it’s the former, the type of car is important, if it is the latter, as long as the car is clean, I doubt the type of car will have much bearing on the subsequent proceedings.
Honestly though, do you really want the kind of woman who wouldn’t be with you if you had a crappy car?
I’ve just finished reading Alex James’ autobiography (he was the bassist in Blur, one of the biggest British bands of the last 20 years). He talks about how people didn’t think he and his wife could afford a £1million house because they drove an old BMW with a piece of cardboard where the passsenger window should be. His point? “It’s just hard to care very much about cars when you have an aeroplane”.
Okay, you wanted women’s opinions. I googled the Porsche Boxter, looked at the picture, and “vapid” was the first word that sprang to mind. If I got to know the guy that drove that car, I might date him in spite of it- were I single- because the type of car one drives isn’t the be all, end all determiner of class (thankfully).
I’m the kind of girl who takes performance/high-speed driving classes, and I can certainly appreciate a sexy/badass car. But while something pretty might catch my eye, I’m definitely more impressed by the man who knows how to handle his car and who bought it for more than just its looks. At the track, I’d rather talk to the guy in the Dodge Neon who kicked ass in the turns than the guy in the Porsche who spun out into the gravel and caused everyone’s track session to be cut short.
(How I wound up in love with a guy who drives a Chevy Cobalt – an automatic, even! – and isn’t a very good driver, I’ll never know. ;))
Seconded.
How about 126hp? I love a sweet car as much as the next guy (girl?), but my daily driver is a 2002 Nissan Sentra sedan. And I have a freaking blast at the track with it!
I’m That Girl. If the car was created for the American market from 1966 forward, a British import, or shipped from Japan and converted, I more than likely know what is under the hood, and how to drive it. I love quick cars, but I love cars that are made to handle curves even more, and I can spot an Elise from 1/4 mile away. When I look at a car I don’t see either a wallet or a potential date, I see the car. And if I approach a man and ask about his ride, I am more likely to flirt with the car than the driver.
Defective Detective, I think your Porsche will get some attention from women who are interested in pedigree, and you might find that a few are turned off by the implied status that car suggests. But you might just find a girl who shares your interest in performance and one who can double-clutch and downshift in a hard curve.
If I see a man driving a car known for performance or handling, I just assume that he enjoys driving and has a cool toy rather than a transportation device. I am not at all interested in a car notorious for status and prestige rather than performance. (like Cadillac, Mercedes, BMW) However, if that car has an AMG or an M3 badge, see my previous answer. And though I find the Cayenne a little boring, Porsche is known for cars that fly and handle, and all makes and models speak performance to me rather than status symbol.
My vote is get the kind of car you will love to drive, and don’t be concerned with the opinions of anyone else.
Unless you like the hippy granola type of girl… if so, Volkswagon van might be a better choice.
I would notice Mr. Ferrari, for sure, but Mr. Celica is the one I’m more likely to want to talk to. Flashy cars will catch my attention-- it would be difficult for them not to-- but that doesn’t translate into positive regard for its driver. I like guys who are humble, reliable, stable, and comfortable. Driving a Ferrari just doesn’t jive with that. Mr. Ferrari might identical personality-wise to Mr. Celica and have a better, fancier life, but based on his car, I would say he’s less likely to have a temperament and priorities that fit with mine.
What’s most important, of course, is that your car is safe, reliable, and reasonably clean, and that you take care of it. Pretty much everything else is negotiable.
FWIW, my idea of a nice car is something modestly nice, like a new Mini, VW, Honda, etc. My idea of a really nice car is an Aston Martin. I’ve oohed and aahed over the fancy cars I’ve seen here in LA, but on the whole, I don’t really care for cars built for speed. My SO drives a beat-up Ford truck.
If a guy has a great classic it’s fun because I love classic cars. Other than that? I don’t really care about the type of car he drives. I care more about what’s behind the car he drives, if that makes sense.
For instance, is it a BMW? A BMW because he needs to have that status symbol? Is it a rusty wreck that isn’t maintained? Is he just lazy, or does he spend all of his money on beer instead of maintenance?
That sort of thing. Is it his “baby”? (even if it’s a classic), to the point where it’s number one and on one else need apply?
I guess the short answer is yes, it matters what a man drives. But for different reasons to different women. Some are the gold digger type and won’t date men who don’t have beamers or hummers or whatnot. Some, like me, aren’t too impressed and in fact are a bit turned off by men who appear to have such a need to compensate.
I drive a Subaru Forester. I guess that means I’m a lesbian.
Seriously, I don’t think I’d look a bit out-of-place in Colorado or New Mexico, but I do feel a bit odd being a man driving a Forester in northeast Ohio. However, if I get a spare few thousand dollars, after the house renovations, I’d like to get an Alfa Romeo 164 - against my better judgment. Owning an Italian sedan in Cleveland means it’ll probably rust away even if I keep it garaged through the winter.
A Boxter because it’s the cheapest of the Porsches. And just because it has a little less power than other Porsches doesn’t mean it’s for pussies - it still has more power and far better handling than most any car at that price.
Don’t pay attention to the Sopranos. That comment about the car is just a random opinion from some un-named guy who wrote that particular piece of the show.
Don’t worry about me getting hair plugs. For fuck’s sake, I’m only 27.
They make automatic Porsches?? What a sad, fucking, pathetic shame. Someone tells me they make automatic Miatas now, too. First the Twin Towers, now this; what is the world coming to?
Actually, I drove an automatic Porsche. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works (the first car I’ve met that shifts better than I do). But I’d still get a manual shift, don’t worry babe. (Are you a babe? It’s my fantasy to have a girl who would enjoy detailing my car with me…)
Bingo! That is exactly the reason why I take good care of my car, whatever it is - I wouldn’t go out in dirty clothing that hasn’t been ironed, and I won’t go out in a dirty car that hasn’t been well-maintained. It’s exactly the same thing.
Without devolving into a sad unwinnable debate on the topic, there’s several automatics now that don’t suck too awful much. (Some of them from folks like Ferrari.) But I see your point.
I guess you can call the Tiptronic an automatic, although it blurs the line about as well as anyone could expect. You can leave it up to the car or you can choose either with single gate bumps or with well positioned, small paddles on the steering wheel. While it took a bit to get used to, now I almost prefer it and understand that in the hands of a competent driver it’s actually faster than the manual.
Also, Darryl, I misspoke earlier. The Cayman and Boxster S models have a 3.4 compared to the Carerra’s 3.6. The 3.8 is in the Carerra S. Sorry. Also, the first two gears in the Boxster and Cayman aren’t near as agressive as the 911’s. Those two can be replaced by more fitting aftermarket ratios, again making performance more even across the board and your choice to be based on other aspects of each that appeal to the individual.
Usually when I see a guy driving a fancy sports car, I immediately think he’s compensating especially if he’s driving like an ass. Of course sometimes I’m just jealous that someone can afford a vehicle that has a monthly payment of more than I make in a month. I’d like a nicer car myself.
Clean car. Bonus points! Seriously, if I already had met you and was smitten, I wouldn’t care what you drove as long as it went to where we were driving to. If you could teach me how to drive a stick-shift, even better. You’d share, right?
I’d be more concerned that a fancy car would attract a gold digger. I’ve known a couple gals who wouldn’t seriously consider a guy if he didn’t have a fancy schmancy car.
I love a sweet car as much as the next guy (girl?), but my daily driver is a 2002 Nissan Sentra sedan. And I have a freaking blast at the track with it!