[ZR1] A minor in a ZR1?
03-19-2008, 10:12 AM
#21
Drifting
Member Since: Mar 2007
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I'm 23 and am one of those that don't think kids should GET cars like vettes....it should be something they BUY...themselves. Theres a 22 year old around where I live that constantly gloats about his dad buying him a new C6. It kind of upsets me that he just get's something like a vette, when I worked hard for mine. I would never have my parents give me a corvette.
03-19-2008, 10:21 AM
#22
Team Owner
I think that's great. My favorite part of the story is when his parents lose their fortune paying restitution to the family of the victims involved in the fatal crash.
03-19-2008, 11:02 AM
#23
Last edited by RUBYREDVET; 03-19-2008 at 11:03 AM. Reason: spelling
03-19-2008, 11:12 AM
#24
Team Owner
I'm 23 and am one of those that don't think kids should GET cars like vettes....it should be something they BUY...themselves. Theres a 22 year old around where I live that constantly gloats about his dad buying him a new C6. It kind of upsets me that he just get's something like a vette, when I worked hard for mine. I would never have my parents give me a corvette.
03-19-2008, 11:30 AM
#25
Race Director
I was talking to my friend's younger brother the other day and he told me that his parents will be getting him a ZR1 as a high school graudation present. The guy is only 17 years old at the moment and he told me that his parents are first in line at one of the Chevrolet dealerships in So Cal. I don't know if he may be lying to me but his older brother drives a BMW 3 series, a Lexus IS, and a Mercedes E-Class. They belong to one of the wealthiest suburbs in So Cal so anything is possible.
03-19-2008, 01:25 PM
#27
Safety Car
Good for the kid. If my parents could have given me the world I'm sure they would have. But don't hate the kid. I know plenty of adults who still are idiots behind the wheel.
03-19-2008, 02:32 PM
#28
Drifting
This thread is funny; it's the epitome of ignorance!
Whether driven by jealousy or stupidity, many of the previous comments made me laugh. Thanks!
03-19-2008, 05:54 PM
#29
I'm 23 and am one of those that don't think kids should GET cars like vettes....it should be something they BUY...themselves. Theres a 22 year old around where I live that constantly gloats about his dad buying him a new C6. It kind of upsets me that he just get's something like a vette, when I worked hard for mine. I would never have my parents give me a corvette.
If you were 17 and your parents brought you home a brand new Corvette you would have told them to take it back? haha yeah right!Anyway, it's just BS that people are on here talking about how he's going to kill himself and such when he is not even here to defend himself. Jealousy is a bitch.
03-19-2008, 06:32 PM
#30
Instructor
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I don't really care if he's a good kid, a spoiled kid or a smart kid.
He hasn't been driving for more than 2 years and a ZR-1 is Way too much car for any 17 year old. If it's true, I hope he doesn't kill or hurt himself or someone else. The parents are not thinking clearly.
He hasn't been driving for more than 2 years and a ZR-1 is Way too much car for any 17 year old. If it's true, I hope he doesn't kill or hurt himself or someone else. The parents are not thinking clearly.
03-19-2008, 06:38 PM
#31
Team Owner
Ok I'm throwing the BS flag here! If you were 17 and your parents brought you home a brand new Corvette you would have told them to take it back? haha yeah right!
Anyway, it's just BS that people are on here talking about how he's going to kill himself and such when he is not even here to defend himself. Jealousy is a bitch.
If you were 17 and your parents brought you home a brand new Corvette you would have told them to take it back? haha yeah right!Anyway, it's just BS that people are on here talking about how he's going to kill himself and such when he is not even here to defend himself. Jealousy is a bitch.
03-19-2008, 06:41 PM
#32
Melting Slicks
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A better graduation present would be a loaded hand gun.
He might as well kill 2 or 3 people before he puts a bullet in his own head.
There isn't much difference in giving him a ZR1 or a loaded handgun.
The results will be the same.
LEX
He might as well kill 2 or 3 people before he puts a bullet in his own head.
There isn't much difference in giving him a ZR1 or a loaded handgun.
The results will be the same.
LEX
03-19-2008, 06:47 PM
#33
Melting Slicks
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For those of you lamenting (some rudely) the concern that others are expressing about a 17 year old potentially being behind the wheel of the most powerful production car ever built by GM, let me just offer something I can speak abut with accuracy. Me. Bear with me, I am going somewhere, but it will take some explaining.
I was a car nut from before the time I could ride a two-wheel bicycle. Buddy-L trucks, Matchboxes, building model cars looking at Car mags, putting posters of cars all over my walls... I knew every model, and which ones were the ones I would own someday.
I had go-carts, mini-bikes, and dirt bikes.
I worked on cars since I was a pre-teen, and was fully trusted to tune and maintain all of the cars of my family and father's friends. I changed a tranny out in the driveway, rebuilt carbs in my bedroom, mowed yard to save money for my eventual first car.
I took autoshop, and rebuilt engines, and during these times, I spent a lot of time behind the wheel on a learner's permit, or on private grounds with no license.
I spent weekends at the base auto repair facility where do it yourselfers could fix their own cars, and usually, I was able to give advice or lend a hand.
I bought my own first car at 15, a '65 Malibu with a 327. I rapidly added custom seats, headers, a new shifter, mags, etc. all earned from hard work. I had to pay my own license, registration and insurance.
I joined the military at 17 years old, and put myself through school at nights. I bought and sold dozens of cars, all of them of some interest -- several Camaros including a big block, a 383 Challenger, a 440 Charger, a 350 Nova, 390 Fairlane, etc. I bought small street bikes, and eventually a Harley.
I took a high performance driving class, and had other experience (and some much later)
All of this before 21. So I was externally perceived, and internally satisfied that I was a mature, adult, capable. My record was clean, except perhaps one speeding ticket for a 65 in a 45. No accidents on record.
Picture sketching done.
Now, I would honestly put the times that I nearly killed myself, a passenger, or another driver, between the time I got my license and my 21st birthday at about 20. No hype, but also no sugar coating it. Probably 20. Each time I was sober, thought I knew my situation and the machine's limits. Each time I was wrong. Each time through the grace of some force other than me, a near certain disaster was averted. I include my fiance, and a friends young children in the lives I could have wiped out in a moment.
20.
I was the same DNA I am now. I had the same hair color, same general build, same everything EXCEPT one little thing.
Experience.
I have now had 27 years pass since that 21st birthday, and I am hard pressed to think of ONE occasion where I had a near miss due to my actions on the road.
I still love cars. My reflexes are not as good. My eyesight is poorer. Anyone's number could be up at any time, and through no fault of their own.
but the fact is that a 17 year old simply CANNOT have the levels of either experience or maturity that will save their bacon in similar situations later in life.
So, while you can't shield them, or molly coddle them, do parents really want to use their youngsters as a way to show off, given the extraordinary risk of misadventure at that age? A car, fine. A sporty car, fine. A safe sporty car. but a 650 HP ZR1, with a button that turns off all active management?
There simply is NO good reason to do that, for a parent that REALLY cares about their kids, and not just keeping up with the Jone's or currying favor with the kid instead of parenting responsibly.
All IMHO, of course. Rant over.
I was a car nut from before the time I could ride a two-wheel bicycle. Buddy-L trucks, Matchboxes, building model cars looking at Car mags, putting posters of cars all over my walls... I knew every model, and which ones were the ones I would own someday.
I had go-carts, mini-bikes, and dirt bikes.
I worked on cars since I was a pre-teen, and was fully trusted to tune and maintain all of the cars of my family and father's friends. I changed a tranny out in the driveway, rebuilt carbs in my bedroom, mowed yard to save money for my eventual first car.
I took autoshop, and rebuilt engines, and during these times, I spent a lot of time behind the wheel on a learner's permit, or on private grounds with no license.
I spent weekends at the base auto repair facility where do it yourselfers could fix their own cars, and usually, I was able to give advice or lend a hand.
I bought my own first car at 15, a '65 Malibu with a 327. I rapidly added custom seats, headers, a new shifter, mags, etc. all earned from hard work. I had to pay my own license, registration and insurance.
I joined the military at 17 years old, and put myself through school at nights. I bought and sold dozens of cars, all of them of some interest -- several Camaros including a big block, a 383 Challenger, a 440 Charger, a 350 Nova, 390 Fairlane, etc. I bought small street bikes, and eventually a Harley.
I took a high performance driving class, and had other experience (and some much later)
All of this before 21. So I was externally perceived, and internally satisfied that I was a mature, adult, capable. My record was clean, except perhaps one speeding ticket for a 65 in a 45. No accidents on record.
Picture sketching done.
Now, I would honestly put the times that I nearly killed myself, a passenger, or another driver, between the time I got my license and my 21st birthday at about 20. No hype, but also no sugar coating it. Probably 20. Each time I was sober, thought I knew my situation and the machine's limits. Each time I was wrong. Each time through the grace of some force other than me, a near certain disaster was averted. I include my fiance, and a friends young children in the lives I could have wiped out in a moment.
20.
I was the same DNA I am now. I had the same hair color, same general build, same everything EXCEPT one little thing.
Experience.
I have now had 27 years pass since that 21st birthday, and I am hard pressed to think of ONE occasion where I had a near miss due to my actions on the road.
I still love cars. My reflexes are not as good. My eyesight is poorer. Anyone's number could be up at any time, and through no fault of their own.
but the fact is that a 17 year old simply CANNOT have the levels of either experience or maturity that will save their bacon in similar situations later in life.
So, while you can't shield them, or molly coddle them, do parents really want to use their youngsters as a way to show off, given the extraordinary risk of misadventure at that age? A car, fine. A sporty car, fine. A safe sporty car. but a 650 HP ZR1, with a button that turns off all active management?
There simply is NO good reason to do that, for a parent that REALLY cares about their kids, and not just keeping up with the Jone's or currying favor with the kid instead of parenting responsibly.
All IMHO, of course. Rant over.
03-19-2008, 06:48 PM
#34
Prefacing the following, I agree a 17 year old has no business driving a 620hp car, however, if you stop and think about it - what do we need a 620hp car for when going to the market? Best
03-19-2008, 06:57 PM
#35
Melting Slicks
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No one needs it.
But just like a firearm, I hope at a certain age, most can use it responsibly.
Everyone thinks they know their kids. And mostly, I guess they do. But what some just don't realize (but they would, if they looked back at their own youth) the person we present to our folks at that age is NOT the person we are when we are with friends, or listening to "Detroit Rock City" (hey, it wasn't my fault, it was the times!), or being egged on down at the drive in by the older bunch...or down Telegraph Road...
But just like a firearm, I hope at a certain age, most can use it responsibly.
Everyone thinks they know their kids. And mostly, I guess they do. But what some just don't realize (but they would, if they looked back at their own youth) the person we present to our folks at that age is NOT the person we are when we are with friends, or listening to "Detroit Rock City" (hey, it wasn't my fault, it was the times!), or being egged on down at the drive in by the older bunch...or down Telegraph Road...
Last edited by TrackNoob; 03-19-2008 at 07:03 PM.
03-19-2008, 07:30 PM
#36
Team Owner
03-19-2008, 07:55 PM
#37
Racer
Thread Starter
03-19-2008, 08:01 PM
#38
Safety Car
85 ft high embankment, 200 ft flight distance, weight 4000 lbs (without 5 passengers @ approx. 160 lbs. each).
Too damn fast, and no experience.
03-19-2008, 08:01 PM
#39
Burning Brakes
Mmm.
Bust out the Haterade... Deal with the cards you are dealt to the best of your own circumstances and enjoy life.
If he's like some of the kids at my university with 08 viper's, then I forsee many curbrashing and granny style clutch roasting events in his future. Then again, my school tends to skew the perception to a whole 'nother plateau beyond this young guy from cali.
edit: Joe90, you needn't be really concerned with the weight of the car, the error is to large to even be of a big enough concern with resistances. He'd be going about ~60mph off the end of the runway, I roughed it to about ~33m/s. The drop from the top of the enbankment to impact point was around 70 feet or so.
Bust out the Haterade... Deal with the cards you are dealt to the best of your own circumstances and enjoy life.
If he's like some of the kids at my university with 08 viper's, then I forsee many curbrashing and granny style clutch roasting events in his future. Then again, my school tends to skew the perception to a whole 'nother plateau beyond this young guy from cali.
edit: Joe90, you needn't be really concerned with the weight of the car, the error is to large to even be of a big enough concern with resistances. He'd be going about ~60mph off the end of the runway, I roughed it to about ~33m/s. The drop from the top of the enbankment to impact point was around 70 feet or so.
Last edited by OKsweetrides; 03-19-2008 at 08:07 PM.
