Car buffs - please explain this to me!

[Tanith]

I just don't get it at all!

We are sitting in the car on a motorway - doesn't much matter which. It is freezing cold, the rain is pelting down and the air conditioning is working full pelt (just setting the scene, you understand).

Suddenly, DH winds down the electric windows. An arctic blast from the Great Outdoors rushes through the car and, as we sit there shivering, a Ferrari/Porsche/Lamborghini/Lotus/Whatever roars past.

DH shuts the windows and breathes reverently: "Did you hear that?"

AIBU to be totally baffled by this behaviour? I mean: it's a car. It has 4 wheels and gets the owner from A to B without breaking down (well, ok, maybe not the Lotus ).

Sounds nice Mr Gin! We had a S2 Europa with the same 2L turbo that's in my Astra. It was a blast to drive as the turbo kick was immense! It was my wife's car and she got rid of it when she changed jobs and started taking the train to work. The boy arriving just sealed the deal. Hopefully we'll be able to get another someday.

I'd love a Europa. Certainly more than an S2 Elise or an Exige < checks to make sure I'm not on SELOC >

She drove both the Elise and the Exige and enjoyed the power response of the Europa more. I unfortunately wrote off her first purple one and we had to get a sliver replacement.

I do that the sounds of classic cars is lovely - Healeys, MGA's good old classics!! you can smell then too if you wind down quick enough - Hummm lovely - I drive an austin Healey frogeye sprite myself and have witnessed the window rolling and almost been crashed into many times where people drive close to see the badge or drive sideways into me while looking!! and it's only a 948 engine!

wildfig, please do elaborate.

I would open the window too (assuming I didn't already have the roof down). I regularly turn off the stereo to fully appreciate the sound of an engine. And I'm not even a petrolhead.

I think we should have an MN school trip, to this where we can hear the unique melodies created by the multi-cylinder engines of some of the world's most prestigious supercars.

I ran a TVR for 5 years, sounded bloody marvellous!

TVR's are the best for noise. Not sure I'd want to run one though :o

I learnt to drive in a Mini Metro

Now that was noisy...just the wrong kind of noisy

Doesn't it just mean that you married a man that likes cars??

some men like sport some men like cars some men love golf some men like fishing bird watching train spotting etc

I like cars not a fan of ferrari, porche etc so wouldn't have been impressed

I do this to cars and bikes, although im not as much of a nerd as DH who at a bikers cafe on Sunday stood behind an old bike as it revved and sniffed in saying mmm smell that two stroke! I draw a line somewhere

...ahh... Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious ;)

Twas expensive in terms of servicing/petrol, but cost me very little in depreciation, and only let me down once when I didn't drive it for 3 weeks and the battery drained.

I now have a civic diesel, oh the joys of parenting

Oh god my DH is the same. He'll run out of the gate if he hears a particular engine go past. Which is mad, as he owns both a V8 and a V12 himself. Or maybe it isn't, as the bloke at the end of the road has a whole stable of really beautiful 1960s supercars. Even I like those. I however do NOT appreciate engine noise. Especially not the V12. That one actually hurts.

checks to see which glass house MrGin is throwing stones from

:o

The Elise was a bit better. I blame Rover for the HGF

Your DH is totally normal. Me and DH are the same. We are complete petrol heads
My current car is a Focus RS, DS calls it "Mummy's fast car"
It's got a fabulous sound to it.

DH killed off the 3dr Cossie at the anniversary shoot for Fast Ford Magazine (blew the head gasket doing 160mph on the airfield they use for a well known car show)

That's proper "nerdy"

Such a strange desire, though. I mean, was it learned behaviour, d'you think? Or is it an inbred desire to hear that noise?

I can imagine a prehistoric DH, dressed in furs, rushing to the mouth of the cave: "Did you hear that Brontosaurus let rip?? Whole valley must have heard it!"

Erm, I'm guilty of this as I love fast cars too. The monsters can recognise porsches, subarus, ferraris and astons by sight on the motorways - not bad for 4 yr old petrolheads!
Captain Kirk, we have a VXR too. Doesn't make quite the racket our scooby used to.

Love the reference to engine sounds are to (some) men what shoes are to (some) girls!

Most of the men I know are the same. DH has a Ferarri and he loves the sound and will wind down the window in a tunnel to listen. Have to say though the best sounding engine we've had has to be the TVR he had.

I'm the same...even the thought of the sound of an F1 car gives me goosebumps...! not sure about shoes tho...does that make me a man?

People always wind their windows down as I pass them in my Bugati Veyron otherwise the sound would shatter their windows. vrooooom>>>>>>>
How far to the next petrol station???

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