You see, the argument of supercars versus SUVs is pretty thin. While
many supercars
do get taken out on the track, what about the ones you don't see in photo ops and magazines? What about the other half-dozen McLarens, CLK-GTRs, F40s and whatnot sitting in the guy's garage?
Those owners who don't use their supercars for anything but driving fast and on track usually have an SUV to do their daily driving in, don't they? And which is more proper? Trailering your baby to the track with a Chevy Trailblazer, getting mpg in the low teens', or driving it on track and getting similar mileage?
While I've seen EVOs and 911s at the track, what's interesting is those that
I don't see at the track. I've seen 911s being used for poseur duty, in-town cruising. I've seen Vettes and Vipers being driven to work. I've seen EVOs being taken on grocery runs. Is
that how you're supposed to use a sports car? None of these things get very good mileage in traffic.
I used to be of the mind that these cars were somehow more proper than SUVs, but
any car will have its share of poseurs. It's just easier to see with SUVs because
more poseurs can afford them.
If we truly are going back to the age of "cheap" muscle and speed, I'm betting those same poseurs or wasters are going to go buy the cars. They're still going to suffer from poor gas mileage, but what the hey, they'll be in sexier cars.
I
do dislike SUVs, mind you, but only because they're under-utilized on the road, too big and too heavy, with poor handling and braking. I don't feel safe in one or around one. But then, that's my personal viewpoint as a driver. An SUV driver will hate my car because he can't see over the next car, it can't ford three foot streams, climb parking lot curbs or survive a flash-flood. It's also too fast and too easy to get into trouble with. He won't feel safe driving one.
A biker will hate both of them because they're both too big, use too much gas, are too hard to park, and are difficult to thread through traffic. He won't feel safe near either of them.
Personally, whatever you've got, use it the way The God of Motors intended to:
Yay to the Porsche driver with scrapes on his bumper from the last tirewall he hit, and numerous rock chips from doing 150 mph runs on the highway.
Yay to the Land Rover driver with mud up to his windowsills and scratches all over his aluminum hide. Yay for that bent rim on the rear right corner where he smashed it against a rock.
and... if you've got a bent rim, rock chips and bug splatters all over the front of your car, and at least one "memento" of an off-track excursion from the local trackday or autocross... good for you. If your SUV has a scratched cargo bay, stains from wet cargo all over the place, has permanent indentations in all of the seats, and is dirty as hell... good for you, too. You're using your car as God intended.
If it's in pristine shape, no matter what it is... meh, go get a bike...
