Supercars are the ultimate dream of any petrolhead, for these machines are created to thrill the heart, mind and soul. A body made from “exotic” carbon fibre, filled with sensuous curves and motivated by an enormously powerful engine with an equally enormous appetite for high-octane fuel, is how we’d describe the supercar of our dreams.
I’ve often imagined what it would be like to own a supercar and the reality is a sobering one, indeed. Even if I had more than enough moolah to acquire (and maintain) my dream ride, I’m not sure I’d actually go for it. Supercars are too impractical for me.
To begin with, I wouldn’t want the attention that a supercar brings. Park outside a hotel and passers-by will take selfies of themselves with your car. You’re also likely to come back to a car with fingerprints all over your windows, or worse, scratches on the paintwork.
Second, parking itself becomes an issue. If the supercar in question is extremely wide and ridiculously low, I’d have to compile a list of carparks that my car could fit in. Since multi-storey carparks with steep ramps and tight spaces are a no-no, I guess I’d be limited to hotel driveways.
Apart from planning where to park, I’d also have to ensure that all my activities that day are suitable for my supercar. Going to the office is okay, but supermarket runs and heading to the driving range are a no-no. So, if I suddenly remembered that I needed to buy rice and eggs, I’d either have to go home and switch cars or postpone the grocery trip.
Then there’s the fuel consumption problem. Now, you’re probably thinking, “If you can afford the car, you can afford the petrol!” True, but the point here is about convenience, not cost. High-performance cars I’ve test-driven already have terrible economy ‒ we’re talking less than 5km per litre. If I drove my supercar daily, I’d probably have to satiate its thirst for unleaded every two days.
Supercars are fantastic machines, indeed. Maybe I should be glad that they’re just a dream for me, because I wouldn’t want to deal with their (impractical) reality.
