What was your first experience with a truly amazing car?

"TheJWT" (thejwt) 01/04/2014 at 23:37 • Filed to: None

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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about the first time he saw a Miura got me thinking about what was the first car I saw that took my breath away. The earliest example I can think of was when I was about 10, and going down I-480 near Cleveland. We were going over a bridge, and across the median, I caught a glimpse of my then-favorite car, a rosso corsa Ferrari Testarossa. I only knew of it through books and a lone black hot wheels, but I loved the crazy side intakes, the wedge shape, and the massive rear lights. After I saw one in person, I started lusting after one, determined that I would one day have one in my garage. My tastes have changed many times since then, but I still have a soft spot for Testarossas, as well as Ferrari's in general. What about you guys though? What was the first car you saw that had such an impact? Bonus points for pictures!

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AM3R > TheJWT 01/04/2014 at 23:41

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I saw a 996 GT3 when I was really young, I didn't even know what kind of porsche it was, just knew it was a porsche. Guy downshifted and flew by us. There was some backfire and I thought it was the coolest thing ever haha.

Jonathan Harper > TheJWT 01/04/2014 at 23:42

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Truly amazing is a relative thing. The very first manual car I drove, an E46 325i, would be considered truly amazing by few, other than I. The first real sports car I drove was an automatic Porsche Boxster S, owned by a lady friends' mother. It was awesome.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > TheJWT 01/04/2014 at 23:54

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I was about 10 or so riding with my mom on a two lane road into the suburbs, still in the country at this point. Traffic was fair, but not heavy enough to be a burden. A 911 and a Gallardo screamed passed on the left before darting back into the right-lane convoy. The Gallardo made the biggest impression on me, and I remember dramatically asking my mom to try and catch up with it in order to get a better glance. She did the best she could with a 4 cyl truck on a two lane highway. We eventually caught up again at the next stoplight. The man in the Lamborghini was chatting with another man on a pizza bike.

TheJWT > Jonathan Harper 01/04/2014 at 23:55

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I totally agree, something amazing doesn't have to be exotic or expensive. I was amazed when I floored it in a 10 year old Mustang just last week, because I'm used to driving a Honda with 1/3 the HP.

RacecaR > TheJWT 01/04/2014 at 23:56

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I watched a Testarossa being dynes on.certain. When they got on it, the sound it made gave me goose bumps.

TheJWT > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/04/2014 at 23:57

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That reminds me of a time when I saw a Shelby Cobra getting off the highway, and making my mom follow it. I was probably 7 or 8 at the time...

Flat Six > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 00:22

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I lived on a Naval airbase when I was 8. The kids were pretty used to being around cool machinery like Blue Angels and U2's, but not too many awesome cars. A bunch of us were walking home from the school bus stop when we saw a red Ferrari parked by the tennis courts. Everybody freaked out and swarmed. This was mid 80's so it was probably a 308. Some guys went home to get a camera. I went home happy :)

Here's another more recent story from last weekend actually. My wife and I were arguing rather heatedly in the car. We were stopped at a light when a brand new Ferrari F12berlinetta made a left turn right in front of us. Our jaws dropped and we shut up.

JohnPlayerSpecial > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 00:40

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When a Murcielago showed up next to me on I-5 near Bakersfield a couple years ago. There was an accident, the police had not arrived yet, and everyone had to slow down and move to the two leftmost lanes. I was in my 4Runner with my friends, then that beautiful Grigio Telesto spaceship downshifted, actuated its air intakes, then took off at triple digit speeds until it was a speck in the distance. That V12 rumble was orgasmic...

Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 01:01

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When I was six, we were staying at a resort that had a privately owned but open to the public car collection. The cars included a Ferrari F355, Aston DB7 Vantage, 2 911 Turbos (a 1986 and a 2001),and countless Rolls and Bentleys. But the star was a black with red interior Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. To this day, it is the rarest and most expensive car I have ever seen. It was sold a few months after I saw it.

911e46z06 > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 01:09

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I was like 10 when my brother bought a busted-up primered El Camino with a blown 454. I'll never forget the first time we pulled out of the driveway and left what felt like about 5 miles of rubber down the street. The noise was deafening, the cabin filled with smoke, and I realized pretty much immediately that this moment would affect the rest of my life.

71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 01:18

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My mother brought me home from the hospital after I was born in a 300ZX Twin Turbo

my dad took me on a deserted freeway at 130mph in his V10TT diesel Touareg when I was like 7.

Then when I moved to Cali, I found Supercar Sunday: on my first time there, I saw the Lamborghini Reventon and the Lexus LFA

I heard them start up and rev: It was glorious

Then there is getting behind the yoke of an airplane and flying it for the first time on my 3rd birthday, and going to the Oshkosh airshow 6 consecutive years starting when I was 1

I guess that I've always had Octane in my veins

Ian Duer (320b) > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 02:12

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Two experiences came to mind. Cant remember what order they happened in.

Merc 300SL gullwing: Happened to look over and see one about to take an exit ramp. Silver. Driver totally unperturbed by the fact that it was about to start raining. It struck me as weird that he was so nonchalant about the approaching rain.

Lamborghini Gallardo. The guy was unbreakable. Everyone was trying to goad him into opening the thing up and he wasn't having it. I'd been stealing glances in my rearview for a while and noticed car after car doing the same shit. I really wanted him to pull up parallel or pass so I could get a good look but it wasn't happening. We were on a state highway that just happened to skirt a town in a way that resulted in a stoplight with two lanes in each direction. I decided to brake late and heel-toe to the stoplight. I was not trying to pick a fight, an E36 325i was not even close to a match. I was kind of shocked when I earned a "not bad" face and a nod of approval. I grinned stupidly and pointed at his car and gave a double thumbs up. He just smiled and looked back at the light. When it turned green he launched pretty hard and I actually got to hear the engine at WOT. It was beautiful.

JDMatt > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 02:27

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Since we are talking about first experiences, my first experience with a great car happened on my first night as a valet. I was full of nervousness and excitement, because I was looking forward to becoming a valet parker all my life. My first couple cars were nothing special: '05 civic, '13 sienna, and I forget the rest. But later on that night I got to park a new Mercedes S65. my experience lasted about 6 minutes total because 1) I needed to find a space big enough for an 18 foot long car and 2) it was 28 degrees outside and I wanted to stay in the nice, warm Benz.

Hindered23 > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 04:30

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mine was the first time I ever felt real speed and power. one day I went out with a friend to meet some car guys and hang out. I got a ride in a 550 hp 03 cobra, which was absolutely terrifying but exhilarating. next was a stage 3 AMS Mitsubishi Evo that the guy had set to 32 lbs of boost. boost was a feeling I couldn't even define. I have craved speed ever since

timateo81 > TheJWT 01/05/2014 at 12:24

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I'm sure there are multiple testarossas in Cleveland but the last time I saw one IRL was 2003ish in that city. it was black. it was awesome.

take that back, there is a red one in Raleigh I've seen a few times in 2013.

point of post: wonder if we've seen the same one in cle