Would you buy your child an M3 as a first car?

[James T. Kirk]

I talked to a guy in the auto business who told me about a wealthy lady looking to buy her son an M3. He's 15 years old with a learner's permit and already lining up serious, high-end, performance mods to be done immediately after picking it up at the dealership.

So I think to myself... the kid is a hotdog with no driving experience of any kind, money to burn... he's gonna kill himself!

The next day, as I'm looking to sell my M3, I think about my daughter who is getting her permit soon. She's a responsible honors student. Mellow. Good kid.

And then I think to myself... man, I really hate to see this M3 go. I should give her my M3 and keep it in the family... but then she'll kill herself!

Am I being over-protective about this idea? Money aside, would you get your kid a warp-capable car like an M3?
.

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

Hell No. This is what happens when you give a teen an M3.

http://autoworld.wordpress.com/2008/...a-house-in-la/

[ES_TRADER]

Yea, do it. I would

[positiveions]

no no no. If I had kids, they need to earn it.
This dad had to bust his butt to be where I am at.

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

Originally Posted by eatrach73

no no no. If I had kids, they need to earn it.
This dad had to bust his butt to be where I am at.

But your daughters(if you have any) don't have balls. So they can't bust them. By default, they win. :P

[Edit]: You said butt not balls.

[THE TECH]

I say let them be responsible for a beater first then see how things go.

[MDyDinanM]

No

even if I were rich and had the money to do so...No

I'd rather have my kid growing up not spoiled, have a strong work ethic, who appreciates the value of money, and works hard to earn something.

That and the potential for what can happen when you mix a high performance V8 car and an adolescent driver.

Plus, I'm going to have to pay for his/her college tuition...so college tuition > M3

[M GmbH]

I think a E36 would fine. I think the biggest problems these days is waiting till the kid is 15-16yrs. old before they are behind a wheel of anything. When I was young you could go drive go-karts at 3 different places. I lived for the weekends to drive them and spend every dollar I had. Now they are all gone. My father would let me drive around in a parking lot on Sundays when I was 12 and if a cop came by they would not look twice at you. Today the dicks would put both of us in jail.

[Space Ghost]

There is way to much to learn about driving to start out in an M3. I have two sons 19 and 17 and they will both be getting beaters to learn on and, it is only partially about damaging the car more so about protecting them from themselves.

[Singletrack]

No way.

[positiveions]

Originally Posted by -=Hot|Ice=-

By default, they win. :P

that is if you don't have enough "BALLS" to say no

[OdomPHD]

I'd never buy my child a sports car of any kind as their first vehicle. I grew up driving an old ass manual Isuzu.... THEN got a JEEP, THEN got a sports car.

There is a lot to learn about driving manual and a ton more to learn about driving a manual properly. THEN one may learn about driving a manual SPORTS car. Does your child intend to drive "sport" like? I wouldn't want my kid driving sport like around town in an M as their first car. In fact, HELL NO.

[midlifecrisis]

Kids' cars should be low and slow.

[Grail05]

My daughter is 8 and she hates my car.... although she loves mommy's car its a Honda Fit... LOL... so not to worried about it now but...

[KIS]

It's not about money, it's about brains. Kids think they're indestructible, until they find out they're wrong. Over 400 hp for an inexperienced driver. Are you kidding?

[aaranzabal]

I say it depends on the kid. I'm 18 with an 08 E92 M3 so maybe my view is skewed. I got a Honda CR-V as my first car when I was 16, 2010 Camaro SS when I was 17, and M3 when I turned 18. Maybe give your daughter a beater car for her first year of driving (keep the M3) and then give her the M3 a year later?

My advice is probably not that great since everyone votes "no" so far. I'm just trying to point out that not every teen with a fast car will be wreckless (yes, I agree the majority will be). Plus you have a daughter and not a son, maybe that will help? haha

[Foodle]

No way. My kids are not even close to driving age, but there's no way I'd give them a high-performance sports car as a first car. They are not experienced at driving or at life. Also, a car like that attracts a lot of unwanted attention (e.g., "Hey let's race!" "Hey, let's rob the rich kid" etc).

I think about all the stupid things that my friends and I did with cars at 16 and shudder to think about what would have happened if a fast V8 car had been in the mix.

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by aaranzabal

I got a Honda CR-V as my first car when I was 16, 2010 Camaro SS when I was 17, and M3 when I turned 18.

You got a new (to you) car every year?

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

Originally Posted by KIS

It's not about money, it's about brains. Kids think they're indestructible, until they find out they're wrong. Over 400 hp for an inexperienced driver. Are you kidding?

[emthreeboy]

Originally Posted by KIS

It's not about money, it's about brains. Kids think they're indestructible, until they find out they're wrong. Over 400 hp for an inexperienced driver. Are you kidding?

+1. why do we even have this conversation. Just use your common sense.

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by James T. Kirk

The next day, as I'm looking to sell my M3, I think about my daughter who is getting her permit soon. She's a responsible honors student. Mellow. Good kid.

No matter how much you trust her, remember that she might not be the only 16 year-old driving it (no matter what rules you set). Do you trust every one of her friends behind the wheel of the M3?

Also, she's entering the age when alcohol becomes very prevalent. A very very bad combination.

[aaranzabal]

Originally Posted by Foodle

You got a new (to you) car every year?

Yep. I guess it sounds ridiculous when I write it out like that.