Quote:
Originally Posted by Jlevi SW
Don't know if I'd start my kid off with an M3 but I definitely wouldn't have a problem putting them in a BMW. I'd rather have them in something well made than some Prius that would disintegrate upon hitting a pebble.
If I felt the child could handle an M3, deserved it, and I had extra cash to blow I have to say I'd consider it. Regardless of how much care we take with our lives the sad truth is no one is guaranteed tomorrow, and I'd be just as devastated if my kid wrapped themselves around a tree, than if they were being perfectly safe and got T-Boned by a drunk driver.
Just my 2 cents.
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My father applied the logic above and gave me his NSX, in 1996, 1 year after I got my driver's license. I loved the car. I had the NSX throughout HS, college, grad school.
Its over a decade now but I don't remember doing anything in the NSX that I wouldn't have done in another car.
In HS just too and from school. Rarely went out with the car, I spent nights and weekends studying and at track/cross country races [running], I was a honors student by effort in a competitive HS, and hoping to get into a good college.
To be honest, yes I did speed in the NSX, but not any faster than I did in much lesser cars. For the most part, getting the NSX made me realize, that I had to work extremely hard to justify my father's generosity towards me and not to let him down, because of that I did spend most of my time doing the best I could in school, and rarely went out. Also I learned that material possessions shouldn't be the focus of one's life from my father's willingness to give me his toy car. For the sake of full disclosure though, I did get pulled over once in HS for having two girls in the passenger seat, that I wouldn't have likely done in another car. There wasn't anything crazy or salacious about it, just giving them a ride after school.
In college I drove the car less, I had it with me used it maybe once or twice a month. Rinse and repeat of above, spent most of my time in the library. I did almost wreck it once. It was late at night and I almost fell asleep driving. Was too tired, and not used to going out late. This would have happened in a beater as well. I will say though, one reason why I never drank alcohol was that I didn't want to disappoint my father's trust in giving his NSX to me.
For grad school, I didn't even take the car with me, by this point I just realized all the misconceptions that are drawn about a young person in a sports car. That and I also realized what a god damn pain in the ass it is to drive a sports car for commuting and daily uses. I did track the NSX though with my father which was fun and humbling at the same time. In summary I'd say getting a NSX at 16 was very much like a strings attached guilt trip for me that kept me in line.
So I don't think one can say categorically that a 15-16 year old can't be given an M3. Statistically, its not a smart choice, but its really dependent on the kid. If you can manipulate the kid to do what you want him/her to do with his life using the M3 as a gift why not lol.