First dates and your Lotus

[Kimgt]

I'm back in the dating game and was having an interesting discussion with a fellow Lotus owner about a first date that went south. Part of that date was her kind of passing judgement on my daily, Prius C and I did not make it known I also have an Exige. She wasn't a bitch about it, but I could tell the car did not help my image in her eyes.

So here is the question, are exotic cars too much for the first date?

I say yes, showing off is a no-no. I'm not looking for a great lay, at 28 i'm ready to find a nice girl to settle down with and not some gold-digger. Its very douche-like and I can't see how it would help me in the long run.

any arguments for the other side?

[CMP]

finding someone that is into your car (one way or the other) isn't a good find.

Try find someone that is into you.

[Sburke]

Yeah I would never take anything "flashy" if I didn't have to

[ItsThaMonsta]

Yeah leave the Lotus at home. Even if you met her in it, just leave it for a date. They way that a lot of "normal" women think will just complicate things in their own minds. They get intimidated easily. I wouldn't even mention it. Some day along the line a couple months down the road when all things have been settled, then you can randomly go out with her in it. And even at that point she will question why she never knew about it. You can't win lol.

Aside from the obvious type of girls, the only other ones that won't have a problem are the successful women. They aren't intimidated since they can provide for themselves.

Of course there are ones in the middle but they are few in numbers.

[vincesf]

Personally, the focus should be on the both of you and not the car. If you can't survive the first date because you drive a Prius, she is not worth a second date.
But really .... a Prius and an Exige? She'll think you're Bipolar, well at least in your choice of cars.
Sorry, could not resist.

Good luck,

vincesf

[qu1Z]

Don't lay all your cards out on the first date. Show up in a daily driver, be yourself... then surprise her one day with it. If a girl isn't into a Lotus then she's the wrong kind of girl to be dating.

[sprocket3]

Take the Prius. Be a gentleman in how you treat her, but don't act like you have a bunch of extra cash. It's a fine line you need to walk here with this issue. Then after month or so when you know that the "nice lady" likes YOU no matter what you drive pick her up in your other car.

You don't want a "wallet sniffer" anyway, as you will be buying her new shoes with your extra cash, not new tires.

[sturgeongeneral]

I would definitely wait a few dates before unveiling the Lotus. Unless you are just going for the "fun" girl one date type. Or a booty call type of gal....

[Kimgt]

Pretty much the expected responses, I'm pretty confident in myself and don't need to try and impress anyone with cars/money. The date went bad for many other reasons, the car thing was just a minor thing that came up. I just didn't care for the way she talked about it.

It was just interesting to draw the line there, you get so dressed up and stuff trying to be at your best but why not then drive your best car? what's considered making yourself look YOUR best and making yourself look THE best?

[aschen]

when we were going out, my wife didnt know I had any fancy cars until about the 5-6th date.

I think the link to cars and success with women is exagerated by pop culture.

[rijowysock]

I leave the 991/GT-R/Ariel Atom at home and take this:



don't even mention i own anything else till later dates when she comes to my place.



works out well and weeds out the bitches and gold diggers.

[Zinhead]

Originally Posted by Kimgt

It was just interesting to draw the line there, you get so dressed up and stuff trying to be at your best but why not then drive your best car? what's considered making yourself look YOUR best and making yourself look THE best?

This issue comes up every once in a while. Why don't you answer the question once and for all by alternating the car you take a girl out on the first date with. You already have one with the Prius, so for the next nine first dates, alternate between the Lotus and Toyota, then come back and let know how everything turned out. Inquiring minds want to know.

[aschen]

tell her you don't need to compensate for anything .

[aschen]

It is hard for me to talk about cars to any new aquaintences really. Being a car enthusiest huge part of my life and interests. If you just meet sombody the natural thing to ask is about their interests and hobbies. If you say track days or working on cars, the next question will invariably be: what do you drive?

I don't really want to tell sombody I just met that I have a lotus and a porsche (even if neither were really expensive).

[ItsThaMonsta]

Originally Posted by Kimgt

It was just interesting to draw the line there, you get so dressed up and stuff trying to be at your best but why not then drive your best car? what's considered making yourself look YOUR best and making yourself look THE best?

Right or wrong, some women will perceive you to be the type to just try to get other women with your car. There is a lot of negative perceptions about material things. And a lot of other owners play the part to make it worse. I don't really ever approach women when driving or when I'm headed towards it. There have been a few certain occasions but still. There have been a few times when I have been out walking around downtown (I live downtown) and someone who I had seen prior but didn't speak to came up to me and spoke. Eventually in a conversation later down the road they would speak about seeing me out somewhere and was trying to see how many girls I would talk to. It was always none though. Unfortunately, women think the worst when they see material things.

But I guess perceptions go both ways. Almost every girl I meet in a "classy" establishment I don't ever take serious. I perceive them to just be wanna-be classy girls who are probably maxing out their cards to eat at a nice restaurant and hoping to find a good man. Or at a high class club looking for rich guys. Or other things of that nature. If I ask a girl what restaurant she wants to go to, and she picks one of those restaurants where you pay like 40 bucks for a decorated plate and very little food, I stop taking her serious right there. I mean I still take them because at that point my mind has shifted to only wanting one thing from them. And you can get that from women no matter what you're driving.

So yeah, perceptions go both ways. I'm sure every one of those women weren't like that.

[gray]

One of my date rules: don't EVER say anything about the Lotus. I always take women out in my Prius.

One exception: if I was going out with a girl who owned a sports car herself (rare).

[ItsThaMonsta]

Originally Posted by aschen

It is hard for me to talk about cars to any new aquaintences really. Being a car enthusiest huge part of my life and interests. If you just meet sombody the natural thing to ask is about their interests and hobbies. If you say track days or working on cars, the next question will invariably be: what do you drive?

I don't really want to tell sombody I just met that I have a lotus and a porsche (even if neither were really expensive).

This is a good point. I'm very good at making sure that cars don't come up in the conversation, even if I have to tell a white lie about it.

[XHILR8N!]

A woman will eventually cost you at least 20 times whatever car you meet her with.

My used Tundra, a couple hundred.

Pick her up in the Evora and keep her around, count on 2 mill.

[Snake Eyes]

Well lets talk about the lotus Exige and dating
Please read the following review on using the lotus for dates
Lotus Exige S 240: First Drive

and I qoute
"Growing up momentarily, it's hard to deny that at around $70 grand with all the options you might want, the Lotus Exige S 240 is a real commitment. Lotus' own Elise is probably a better everyday second car for much less. If you're looking at combining some grand touring with your track time, the Cayman becomes a real consideration. And if you want to take people on dates in this car, you are most probably an idiot. Still, every seven-year-old knows that dating is gross and icky, grand touring is what stupid grownups do to visit relatives, and faster cars with big old scoops on the roof are always better than slower cars without. So choose carefully. You're only seven once, so you really should try to make it last the rest of your life."

[Snake Eyes]

BTW
pumpkin shopping with your woman however is completely acceptible.


Yes she is a total keeper