16 Year Olds and their BMWS

[SDKCM3]

I do not think it is the price of the car that matters. I think giving an inexperienced driver a high performance car for the first couple years of driving is asking for a problem. It could be a old ass mustang. horsepower + young males = them putting there lives at risk. So if I had cash I would have no prob buying my kid a 30 or 40 k just not a high performance one. Cuz it's like a gun if you have a gun you will use it. A kid can be a great kid but if he has 250+ hp he is gonna haul ass no doubt. I would not want a dead kid on my concious. That being said it feels damn good to work for something and earn it.

[vodomagoo]

im only 17, had the oppertunity of getting and model 3 i wanted ie e46, e36 e30 and chose the e30 and have a hell of alot of money invested in mine, alot of it is what i worked to get and alot is my parents being nice, now i did not pay for my car and hell if any teen can afford a e46 on there own then power to ya cause ur set. some are lucky some are greddy and dont know what they have but it is there partents money not any of ours i say lets not pass judgement at all

[LITEWAITM3]

If the kid is nice, let him have what he can have. If hes a dick he'll most likely wreck the car, and that will be more problems then he can handle...So dont even waste time discussing this. I know a bunch of kids who can afford $300K cars as first cars when they are 16yrs old, however they get $10K like jeeps, and whatnot, because thier parents are smart, and responsible, no matter how responsible you THINK you are, a 16yr old with a license is never responsible enough for a $50K 333hp M3...I am not jealous, more dissappointed, b/c the people who know me, know I drive a Vw not an m3 b/c my parents are smart, instead of buying me a 355 i bought my self a VW. I like working for my own stuff. NO BETTER FEELING THEN WORKING YOUR ASS OFF AND GETTING SOMETHING GOOD IN RETURN.

Anyway, of the 10 or so kids I know from DTM who have e46 pimped 330's or E46/E36 M3's most of them have been half decent, and not a prick about thier car...But Most people are nice enough, compared to the VW guys, a lot of the VW guys are a lil crazy, the vortex is getting a little out of hand, so I am only looking at vortex now really, only chime in once in a while. BUt I think its because DTM is still largely 22 yr olds+ (college graduates able to afford bmw's, kinda smart) Other forums are KIDS just trying to make a living, and who think they are smart, but really are kids trying to argue online and wste peoples times. I dont know what I am saying its 2am on a friday night, not in the right state of mind

Whatever this is a weird topic> PEACER!

[Nick]

Be prepared for a ramble here, folks. Sorry

I'm 17... so I feel like I should respond in here. Perhaps not by my own standards, and it's very hard for me to admit, but I am spoiled. When I was 16, my first car was a four-year-old Explorer V8. Not exactly a cheap beater POS. I hated it because it was scary to drive on the highway and my parents were worried about my safety in it especially since at the time the Firestone fiasco was not over yet.

I can't believe that they were willing to help me out to buy a M3 as a replacement... and in honest hindsight, I am glad that I didn't buy it. For some reason, I chose the VW GTI, for reasons that varied from being a new car with a warranty to the fact that I felt like it would be a little strange for a 16 year old to have a M3. None of these reasons were rational. This has little to do with being spoiled, more with the fact of whether or not inexperienced drivers should have crazy cars. I paid about a third of the price of the GTI, as the Explorer was considered a gift. My parents helped me out with the rest, which I am going to pay back when I sell the car. After having a couple close calls in the GTI and one "fauna-related incident"... I am soooo happy I didn't buy the M3. I probably would not be here right now if I had. I did some stupid shit in the GTI... I survived because it wasn't a crazy fast car like the M3, and I have learned so much from those experiences. Luckily I didn't injure myself or others along the way, somehow. I consider myself an above-average driver for my age, as I've driven more than most people my age and have been to autocrosses, autocross schools and know how to physically handle the car. Now that I have driven for almost a year and a half and over 20,000 miles, I realize how truly lacking in actual driving ability I was and still am. Sure I knew how to correct a drift if I went into a corner too fast, but did I know how to react if something happened on the highway? Did I know what could happen if there is a car in my lane when I'm driving too fast? I've been in two friend's M3's when they had wrecks in similar instances to the previous sentence... and those two instances were some of the biggest eye-openers in my life.

Now my dad bought a M5. I drove it for about 500 miles in the first week, and it scared me to see how fast the car could go. I am now reluctant to drive it until I have more experience with the car itself and with driving in general. It sounds stupid and like I'm a pussy, but I'm scared of what I might do with that much power.

So now, I have a BMW, I am selling the Volkswagen, and actually moving up and down at the same time. My new car is a '98 528i, which while it is actually slower than the VW and an automatic, is a BMW and that includes the quality, style, and that je ne sais quoi that just goes with BMWs. I love it so much despite those two downfalls. I am so glad that I waited until I had been driving for a year before I moved to a car that I really like. And on the same token, I am happy that I am still driving a not very fast car for another year or two. I am going to do autocrosses, highway safety schools, and track events. Hopefully by the time I have done some schools, driven the "slow" car for a while and really developed my schools, I will be of great enough ability to trust _myself_ with a high-powered car. Right now, I am dying for a 540i 6-speed or an E36 M3. I am glad that I can't afford it because I want experience first.

So I'll answer some of your questions. I think kids should be given a safe, semi-fun (so that the kid isn't disgusted with it and embarassed to drive it), relatively inexpensive car to learn on for a year or even two. During that time they should take at least one driving school. At that point, if it were my own kid in the question, it's time to spoil him rotten I hope I am of the means to be able to buy my kid a new M3 when he can drive up to the level that is a necessity with such a machine.

Is there hate for owning a nice car at my age? So far, I have only noticed mild jealousy or envy... just as I envy my friends who have crazy BMWs all carte blanche from the padres. A great idea to think about for EVERYONE (was mentioned above as well) is this: Someone will ALWAYS have more money, more things, be more privelaged, be more "spoiled" than you are. Learn to live with it. I know people who drive cars $60k and up at my age. I can't believe it, and I'm only jealous because I love the cars. I don't lose one ounce of respect for the person just because they have nice things, and I don't believe it's fair for others to generalize in that manner either.

Now, I will add another thing for the people who have a never-ending stream of cash from mommy and daddy. As nice as it is to be able to buy things on the parent's bill, it's so much more satisfying when you can do it with your OWN money that you EARNED. I paid for the part of my car that I bought with money that was in the market from summer "odd-jobs" that I had done for several years. I am about to get my first "real" job and I have to say that I am really excited. The prospect of being able to afford the car that I want in a year or two and being able to modify it myself is almost as exciting as the prospect as actually owning the car. Even if you don't HAVE to work to own your car or do mods... you might benefit just by getting a job, so you can say "this mod/car/etc means something to me... I worked hard for this money."

I have more to say, but I'd probably just be repeating myself Hope this makes sense, and that I don't come off like a spoiled-ass punk

[ultim8DTM5]

yesterday i went to a salvage yard where nicot's wrecked 7-series is (had to pull out the stereo), and had a lil chat to one of the guys who worked there.

Nico: so, is this pretty bad you've seen? [pointing to 7]
Guy: nah that's nothing...
Nico: yeah, i saw that corolla over there, it was baaad..
Guy: the worst are the p-platers [being 17yr old cars with permits], we have to hose them out...


Nuff said.




Edit: Nick, you're spot on there, great post.

[Mikedav]

Originally posted by ultim8DTM5
Nico: so, is this pretty bad you've seen? [pointing to 7]
Guy: nah that's nothing...
Nico: yeah, i saw that corolla over there, it was baaad..
Guy: the worst are the p-platers [being 17yr old cars with permits], we have to hose them out...
Nuff said.

Best post on this thread

[Inaux]

EDIT: Sorry lol, didn't even see the 5th and 6th pages, going to read those in a sec. I'm replying to this post:

Estoril Blue:
"holy shit, INAUX, your car is the ****ing car i lusted for!!

i remember almost a year ago or so, albert posted pics of a 330ci with the full hamann treatment that was brought in to wheelpower and paid for by the grandparents, and that guy is u!! sick car!!

as with me, im 17 and have had my m3 for about a month now, and my parents worked really hard to afford the best for us, they came from another country and had to learn a new language and now they are successful, and they are happier now that they bought me the car because to them ive become a better person, go figure

as with the shit i get, mostly from classmates, and especially from teachers kinda sucks, but in a way it makes me proud of my family and their hard work.....

i mean if you had the choice between wearing a K-mart brand clothing or Gucci, and you could afford the gucci, why the hell not go for it?"




Lol, Estoril Blue, thats funny, thanks for the compliment :P Its weird to look around on some site then randomly see pics of yer car. Its going to be so hard to get rid of it...the trade-in is really bitter-sweet. I must say though, I can't SDLKJSLDKSJ wait for the M3. These past few months have been horrible. An m3 is in at least 90% of my dreams... the other 10%.. well.. /cough *looks around* aaaanyway. Yea I can't wait.

[vfr-rich]

My last words on this subject.

To Inaux, your grandparents are doing you no favors. It is only a matter of time before your ego is going to write checks that your limited abilities can't cash. At least they will know that you were driving a nice car when you crashed at 160 mph.

Kids are stupid, I was one. The kid that is pisses because another kid at school got a 330, but it's ok because he modded his and now his is faster... I rest my case.

It's not a question of if they can afford it, why not. It's about that every young person ( boys and girls) are at sometime going to explore the performance envelope, and they don't have the skills, and or, judgment to actually assess the situation.

When you are driving a high Hp car, (any ///M qualifies), your margins for error are significantly reduced, because you will be carrying much more speed. That one time when you go canyon carving and you get into a corner too hot, lift your foot off the gas because you just got religion, and you learn the realities of trailing throttle oversteer.

It does and will happen.

I know this doesn't apply to all teenagers, Andretti's and Unser's come to mind. There's something genetic going on there. But, even my nephew, a terrific kid, worth over a MILLION $ in his own right, (great-grand parents, steel mill) has explored the top speed limit of his mom's minivan for god sakes. Of course he had 3 friends along for the ride. He's just an average kid, they will all do that...

There really is a reason insurance companies charge more if you are under 25, and not married.

[djbeemer]

Originally posted by M5Dreamz
im 18...i drive a 2000 323ci...when i was 16 i drove a 93 honda accord...payments i have made zero, insurnace i have paid zilch...how much do i love and appreciate my parents for it a whole shit load..its the little things like when ur pops asks u to mow the lawn..u do it without arguement..if a kid has a BMW when hes 16 more power to him..but youre not going to understand his relationship with his parents over a forum...its all an individual basis..some kids get spoiled out the ass but deserve every penny of it and some dont....and for those kids that are paying for their own cars and are paying 300-500 bucks a month...i find it very ridiculous..unless you work full time, paying that much a month plus insurance for a car should not be a priority..

damn shit i guess i should start mowin my dads lawn...

i grew up in a family where there was maybe 100$ between us a week
in our pockets.. (of course thats all changed now)

now im 21 and look where i am now.. 3rd bimmer, my second
job as a designer at a world famous automotive manufacturer, (porsche and now benz)
qualified in mechanical engineering, and a couple MCSDs
and i did it all myself. and when i see a little shit roll up in a
e46 m3 which he got for mowing his dads lawn or taking out the trash
i find that ridiculous... whats so rediculous about kids paying 300-
500 a month for their car with their own money.. thats called EARNING
your damn car...

and as for you people who say but i did work for it i got straight A's in school
you should get straight A's regardless if you get a car in the end..
shit..

if my parents did what some of your parents do id have a lambo and
ferrari by now. maybe a yacht too...

just like this one kid here.. (you get your license at 18 here in germany,
i got mine at 16 in australia). he just turned 18
and his parents bought him a modded 97 m3.. with 420hp and SMG.
2 months later it was at the crash shop.. 3 months later it
was sitting in a junk yard... was a nice toy, i got to drive it once.
i wish i got m3 with smg for mowing my dads lawn..

[vjlax18]

Originally posted by vfr-rich
There really is a reason insurance companies charge more if you are under 25, and not married.

I get married in October, and I'll be 23. My insurance only goes down a little! SUCKS!!!!!!!!!! While her insurance dropped way the hell down when she turned 25, it also only drops a little when we get hitched.

[topazz]

after reading through this topic i felt compelled to post

i am almost 21 , when i was 17 years old i got an ac schnitzer kitted 2.8 z3 for my birthday as my first car and i now have a 3l z ,my second car and while i understand that some people dont appreciate or look after what they have i think some people need to realise that not all young people with nice cars screw them up.for the record ive never crashed or been crashed into by anyone else but i have had my car keyed on numerous occasions by people who hate the fact that i have a nice car.

the sacrifice for me having that nice car though is that my family see my dad maybe once every three weeks for a weekend,he works seven days a week,14-15 hours a day every day of the year except for christmas trying to improve on a business he built by himself from nothing in a country with an economy that doesnt exactly help those trying to excel,i used to be very shy about the fact hat i have a nice car but not anymore because after seeing what he puts himself through to give us the nice things in life i say screw the people that dont understand,when theyve walked a mile in my dads shoes then they can say whatever they want to.

i guess my point is this:there are two sides to every coin and amazingly this forum is probably the only one ive seen that has alot of very level headed individuals who dont hate and have a pretty good opinion on things and i comend all of you you are from what i can see all good people.

thanks for reading this hope i didnt bore the shit out of everyone

[Weibchenmeister]

Hm....everyone is talking about the money standpoint. What about the maturity standpoint. There is always gonna be exceptions, but i think at 16, someone without prior car experience shouldn't be given a fast car...regardless if it is an '02 M3 or a '90 Honda CRX on the bottle. It's not just a stereotype that kids phuck around...they DO!!!! And it's not whether or not these drivers are "BAD drivers"...it's more of a matter of "BAD decision-making". Also, you think you know alot about driving at 16...17...but truth is, there's always more to learn and experience can be the only teacher.

Just my opinion, but i don't think ANY first-time driver (regardless of age) should be given a fast car. It's like letting a lunatic run around with a loaded pistol. And it's not jealousy, because i own a 98 M3.

Now if the kid wants a nice car that isn't rate "S-license"...that's great. There's no harm in getting a kid a nice car...but i do believe getting him/her a powerful car isn't in the best interest of the kid...and i think most people realize this AFTER-the-fact.

[Madd96///M3]

I think 16 is too young to have a nice BMW, because you'd mess it up learning on it. Drive at least a few months, but more like a year before you go getting a Bimmer or other nice car. I know some of y'all will be like, "I learned on my parents car while i had my permit" or something along those lines, but until you drive a car everyday for a while, you wont be flawless, which is how you want to be drivin' a Bimmer. Ive seen too many nice cars go sliding off the road at my high school.

[oober]

Originally posted by Weibchenmeister
Give a kid a kart, a helmet, and a race track. He wont EVER need a bimmer then!

I agree with that! I was ten when I started racing gokarts. I raced every weekend till I was 16 when I, not my parents bought my first car (90 talon TSI) I proceeded to put that car in a ditch 2 and a half years later showing off for some girl. I was almost 19 when I did the stupid thing and totalled my car. I had spent a lot of time and money on that car, but as everyone has said, Teenagers are stupid. I bought another Talon afterwards, and this one was a 91 AWD Turbo. That car ran 12.96 @ 105.6 MPH in the Quarter. I very rarly raced it on the street, and racing on the street consisted of who can get to the speedlimit faster from a stop light. That car's Timming belt went sitting at a stop light.
After flipping a gokart, sliding on my head with that gokart on top of me and finally catching on fire, all when I was 15. I still put my car in a ditch. Regardless of if the kid pays for it or the parent, the kid needs to learn respect for it, and for the others on the road. IMHO. The street is for getting from A to B. Not racing. If you want to look good on the street, Drive with in reseaonable limits. (no one does the speedlimit, but drive with traffic, Slow down for stop signs Etc. ) Look at it this way, Those that you are tring to impress, prolly aready know what the car is capable of and don't really care to see your poor attempt at doing what the pro's can do. Don't give the rest of us enthusists a bad name by flipping your car on a on-ramp, or drag racing.

Those that are not fortunate enough to get the new car when they are 16, might not ever get a new car if they don't respect it and they end their lives OR SOMEONE ELSE'S in the proccess of showing off.

Not everyone walks away from a car accident.

[Dado]

Originally posted by SaBiH
Ive seen soo many new m3s at the junk yards...these cars arent kidding around. its a very fast and dangerous toy if not used properly....

how do you know those cars were driven by young kids? Are you just assuming that because it was wrecked then it a little kid was driving it?

Take this one for example. It has 27 miles and was wrecked by a mechanic from the dealer that took it for a little "test".

http://www.dtmpower.net/dado/blue%20...ed/page_01.htm