From a bit of a sports car fanatic who doesn't even currently own a car, I share your feelings of admiration, though I must admit there are some negative feelings present as well. Jealousy, and a bit of contempt.

Sometimes I'll say to my dad, who drives a 2003 Hyundai Accent, "Hey dad, you know you could buy 18 Hyundai Accents for what that car costs?"

In my journalistic pursuits I have had the opportunity to drive some pretty mean cars. Nothing like the McLaren, but a couple real fast BMWs and whatnot. I have also owned a couple of very fast pocket rockets. There is nothing like the pure visceral feeling of driving a very fast, very clean car. My ultimate feeling has to say hey, if the person has it like that, I hope they are taking it to the track or getting good use out of it.

It depends on the car. An SLR McLaren, while gaudy as all get-out, is a purposeful machine. A Rolls Royce Phantom is much more about showing off wealth than having a supercar for enjoyment. I would never give the finger to another drive purely on account of their car, though I must admit I have a little more contempt of drivers of those cars for which the upgrade to calfskin leather costs more than many mainstream new cars.

It's funny you should say this. The other day--and I must preface this with saying I'm really not one to judge people like this so it was odd I did this--I saw a nicely dressed young man (early 20s maybe?) very clean cut, nice dress shirt and tie, nice expensive watch, in a very fancy sportster BWM type care, and my immediate internal reaction was negative.

When I see men, no matter how they are dressed, in little muscle sports cars that I know cost a small fortune (I'm into cars), I tend to think they are 'compensating' for some inadequacy they feel.

My husband drives a 60,000 dollar dually fancy pick up truck. It's a nice truck. I don't think anything about him. But show me a sports car costing 60k, and I react.

I am not sure why that is, though.

Now, luxury cars, like nice town cars that I know cost a lot, I don't react to the same way.

Anyway, I think it's an interesting look at human nature, and I'm going to examine why exactly I do that. My mom used to call sports cars 'mid-life crisis' cars. Maybe that's where I get it?

actually, when i se ean unusual car my first reaction is to point it out to my kids because they so enjoy anything out of the norm. might say wow, i bet that guy paid a lot for that, he must have a passion for cars. i don't think i ever think about how or why the individual came to posess the car or it's effects on the environment. i gues i just appreciate it at face value. "hey look at that neat car"

VERY interesting question! I think positive thoughts first, because it’s really cool to see someone succeed. Besides, if nobody could afford the car, the company wouldn’t make them, so someone has to own them. :)

I’m not one of those “I’m jealous because you have better stuff than I do” type guys. I just can’t do it. Sure, I want them, but those things are earned, not gifted by some unseen entity (usually).

I’m hoping to be a successful author someday. If I ever get there, I’ll probably drive a snazzy car. Why? Because they are cool, that’s why. Are some folks going to look at me in disgust? Sure. Will I care? Not in the least. We gets what we earns, after all!

My only thought is admiration of the car. I don't think either way about the person. Most people that have sports cars have them because they like the way driving them makes them feel, and they can afford them. That means nothing bad about them.

Some people look at the guy with the sports car and think he/she is trying to make up for some inadequacy with it. More likely the person looking at the guy is feeling inadequate about something and projecting that feeling on this guy they don't know and their car. Everybody is inadequate in some way, and everybody is also perfect, and some like nice cars, and some are lucky to be born rich, or with the work ethic required to become so.

I wonder if the car was built in North America.

If it was, then fine... it means the driver had money to burn, and by buying a made-in-America vehicle, he's recycling his money through his own economy which ultimatly just means that his neighbors working at the auto plant can now eat and pay rent, which means they're less likely to do crime to make ends meet, which means he's made his own world safer and easier to live in by spreading some money around, and he wouldn't be buying a classy cart like that if he didn't have the money to spread around.

If, on the other hand, it's an import... I don't think that.