A question for the boys about cars...

A ferrari or Porsche comes to mind, or if he is as rich as you say maybe a Bentley.

OctoberRain said:

Not sure if this is the best place to ask, but I need help!

In my novel, one of the characters is a male in his mid-thirties. He's a real estate developer, good-looking, well-dressed, successful, rich, a tad cocky but he's still got the same friends he's had since elementary school. He's worked for everything he's got, and he has no problem showing it off. He lives in a penthouse in the heart of a large city. He's single with no kids. He's never without a girlfriend but tends to be serial monogamist rather than a ladies man.

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Your description tells me he is different from his friends, likes to stand out (somewhat). So the rest depends on the city. If it's a big city not known as a place for the super-rich or celebrities to hang out, sure, you could use anything from hi-end Acura NSX?? (forget the model number--it's the one that goes for six figures) to Porsche or Beamer or Ferarri.

But, if it's Miami (particularly South Beach) or Los Angeles where you get the ridiculously rich and famous (and everything--like which car you drive--is a competition), then he wouldn't drive a Porsche or Ferarri. Too common in those parts (I counted six Ferarris in one hour this spring in South Beach--all within three blocks, even two different pair parked one behind the other on two different blocks). Bentleys are also fairly common (relatively speaking), but not as much as Porsches or Ferarris. So you could go with Bentley but I think the nicer ones start at 300 Gs. Hmm... the top-line Hummer is over 100 Gs, and not as metrosexulized as its H5 cousin. Don't see too many of those, probably because they look like they just came out of Iraq.

I think nothing says rich playboy like a Lamborghini--still don't see as many of those in MIaimi as I do Ferarri and Porsche. Those other two usually scream "older guy with E-D trying desperately to get laid".

I'm 39, like expensive things, am a clothes whore ($350 for a pair of New Religion jeans--I was drunk, don't ask, sore subject), and have gone from serial monogamist to skirt chaser, back to one gal (the poor woman). Though I don't have the kind of cha-ching your MC does, if I did, the Bentley Coupe would be mine ($300,000????). And I would enlarge my living room so I could park it next to the 60" LCD and stare at it whenever possible (and prevent rain from falling on it and dulling its shine). I would drive it primarily on the highway between 10am and 2pm so as not to get stuck in traffic and have exhaust spew on it or another driver (God help him) smack into me. As little city driving as possible. My girl would have to not smoke, do her lipstick, eat, drink, fart, or wear corduroys while in the car. And she would know never to ask if she could drive it... unless she was willing to "withhold" from me. If so, I'd have to decide which I could do without more.

A BMW M3 lightweight. Only 85 made it to the US.

A guy like this needs 3 cars (as do we all).

Driving to work, he takes his Aston Martin DB7.

When he's going out with the guys he drives his Dodge Viper.

When he takes his current squeeze out for a spin in the country to impress her, he shows off his racy little Lotus Elise.

-Derek

A Pinto. Those are all the rage among the wealthy.

(the answer, of course, is that "he's wealthy, whatever he wants to drive," really. And probably a motorcycle.)

It really depends on your character since his car will be a part of his character.

One type might have a high-end Mercedes or BMW.

Another a high-dollar Cadillac or Lincoln.

Another a top-of-the-line SUV.

Yet another a Porsche or Ferrari or european sportscar.

Another a Viper or Corvette.

And yet another might have a saliva-inducing 60's-70's Musclecar (my personal choice.)

These are all going to say something different about your character. It's up to you and him to decide who he is and which of these fit him.

OctoberRain said:

In my novel, one of the characters is a male in his mid-thirties. He's a real estate developer, good-looking, well-dressed, successful, rich, a tad cocky but he's still got the same friends he's had since elementary school. He's worked for everything he's got, and he has no problem showing it off. He lives in a penthouse in the heart of a large city. He's single with no kids. He's never without a girlfriend but tends to be serial monogamist rather than a ladies man.

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all this makes me think he likes nice things, but not quite show-offy enough for the viper/ferrari/hummer/lotus route, or stuffy-executive enough for the bently. i'd pin him for an audi or bmw kinda fella, clean but still practical, blends in a little but still isn't shy about driving his bank account's worth.

or a high-end suv.

I vote for the Viper. Very distinctive. It looks wicked scary coming up in the rearview of my Honda.

I'm sighing at the thought.

But I do agree, a guy like that would have multiple cars.

This describes my ex-boss.

Doge Viper.

Maybe Corvette.

Chris

brokenfingers said:

And yet another might have a saliva-inducing 60's-70's Musclecar (my personal choice.)

These are all going to say something different about your character. It's up to you and him to decide who he is and which of these fit him.

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My vote is there, nothing says manliness like classic muscle car. Gets my engine purring just thinking about it. mmmmmmm. That might or might not be what you want...but I am a sucker for horse power.

One of my ex-neighbors was a real estate loan guy, and just like you describe he was (relatively) young and cocky and still hung out with all his yuppie frat boy friends from high school and/or college. He drove an Acura NSX.

None of the above. From your description, this guy is an iconoclast among the nouveau riche, more likely to have a one-off classic than an in-your-face sports job. If it's recognizable around town, it's probably a street-legal racer such as a Ford GT40 that won the Le Mans in the 1960s, or a vintage Mercedes 300SL Gullwing ca. 1955. In those two you have class, expense, quality, show, and of course speed.

What about a vintage Mercedes convertible, a toy that he parks in a heated garage and pampers?

What I said.

This is the view of a GT40 most of us would see--going away, fast.

Well, I'm not a boy, but I live in the Los Angeles area and in a beach town where the prices have skyrocketed over the last several years. (Thank goodness we bought our house 11 years ago ) There are plenty of 'those types' around here, though the wealth is more low key in this beach town in terms of obvious display than, say, in places like Beverly Hills. I do agree that location is key and I see a definite different different sort of preference for high end cars here vs. other parts of the country where I've visited.

I would have to go with high end German car makers in this area. Mercedes, BMW, Porsche. There is a perceived air of sophistication with German cars that Dodge vipers and muscle cars don't carry. None of these guys here would drive a Viper. A fancied up Cadillac Esplanade is one of the few domestic cars I see around here, and that's more for the family type. Bentleys are simply show-offy/ostentatious. So it really does depend on both your character's personality and specifically where he lives.

SUVs are pretty popular here. Especially Land Rovers (Julia Roberts drives one.) I've had my own sightings of Arnold Schwarzenneger in his big Hummer when I used to live near Santa Monica. (That was years ago, before they were so popular). Another popular car with the celebrity set is the Mercedes G class SUV - Brad Pitt has been pictured in his and I see them around town frequently.

http://www.mbusa.com/models/class-overview.do?modelCode=g_class_main

Cars like Bentleys are seen more in Beverly Hills where the wealth is ridiculous and people like to show it off.

Convertibles are popular (but the weather here is perfect for them) - Again, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche (Carerra) seem to be what I see most frequently.

Hummers are the most recognizable car around.

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Yeah but it depends what city you're in. Hummers and SUV's are increasingly being banned in NYC parking lots.

My family has Hummers and Navigators and recently began driving Mini-Coopers into the city because of the horrible parking scene and the new laws going into effect taxing vehicles entering Manhattan.

OctoberRain said:

...
So guys, what kind of car would he drive on a daily basis, assuming he spent anywhere between $100K and $150K? It's an important plot point. His car is seen in various places throughout the story and it needs to be memorable.

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Can't you get a Rolls Royce or a Bently in that price range? Or are those cars generally for people who have drivers and don't drive themselves around? I remember Rochester from the old Jack Benny TV show...

I've mentioned the Tesla Roadster before (because I just drool thinking about it) - maybe he wants his acceleration and to also show off to his friends how environmentally friendly he is, and with a decent set of options (and maybe a little grease money if it could get him a better place in the waiting list), the price is well within your character's range:
http://www.teslamotors.com

I just finished a house for a man who is one of the top stockbrokers in Calgary. When his house is finished it will be worth in the range of three million dollars. And he won't have a mortgage on it. Here's what he drives. Keep in mind this is Calgary, but those really special cars? Here? They're leased by wannabes. THe truly rich drive reasonable cars.

Greg's baby is the Harley Davidson fatboy. He's got a special garage for his motorcycle, with a custom-built bar, huge bar, all maple, with a drop down plasma tv, special flooring, infloor heating. Every day he drives a Ford F-150 Harley Davidson edition pick up truck, black, special rims. He used to have a 4x4 SUV but got rid of it for the F-150.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jm/eff-one-fitty-harleyedition.htm

If he's a real estate developer he will be on jobsites even occasionally. All the real estate developers in Calgary drive trucks. It's the choice out west. I've worked on several multi-million dollar homes and not one of the owners ever drove anything as flashy as a prowler, or a viper. They drive quiet sedans, Mercedes, BMW's, Audis. Pick a car that would suit the character. If he's not flashy, he's not going to drive a flashy car. If he's sensible about his money, not a wild spender, he's not going to drive a $100,000 muscle
car.

Don't confuse a boy's wetdream car with the automobile he'd drive in real life.

Well, he's a showy guy but does he like to be different? If not, then a Porche (it's a dime a dozen) but if he likes to stand out, then probably something more exotic, like a Maserati or Aston Martin. But definitely either a convertible or a GT (probably more of a convertible guy if he's into serial monogamy -- to me, a GT guy is about being fast and power, and most likely a womanizer...) A domestic muscle car sounds more like a thing for a married guy

All that, though, seems bordering on stereotypes and cliches... so be careful.


It all comes down to personality. Think hard on your guy, what kind of person he is (despite his money, etc.) and pick the right car for him. A outdoorsy guy may not be driving a roadster, and a metrosexual stud is not going to ride in a Harley Davidson.

OctoberRain said:

But then I liked the idea of the BMW M3 someone mentioned where only 85 were shipped to the U.S. That would be distinctive, but not so in your face. A girl like me probably wouldn't notice it was that special, but another guy would, and that would work.

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My boss of a few years back bought his wife an M3 (heh, heh, yeah for the wife sure). They took it from San Luis Obispo to Phoenix, swapping drivers. On the I-10 straight in western Arizona, he was sort of dozing in the passenger seat while his wife drove, and he glanced over at the speedometer, saw 140, and casually mentioned it to her. Like to scared her to death, the point being, it didn't FEEL fast to her. BTW, that was 140 mph, not kph.

When I was in Germany I loved the Beamer. At 120mph the ride was smooth like butter!