I just thought I'd share a neat little experience with the LFS community, as it relates directly to this game. Kind of long, and you don't have to read it, but I thought it was neat.

About a week ago, as it was getting towards the end of winter break, I was sitting around the house, bored, and ready to go back to college. My dad asked me if there was anything I wanted to do before I went back, and I came up with the idea to test drive the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe. So off we went to the dealership, and we're looking at the car outside, and some sales lady comes up to us. We talk for a bit, and we make as if I am very interested in purchasing the vehicle, and long story short, it comes time for a test drive. Unfortunately all they had on the lot at the time for me to drive was basically a base-model 2.0T with no options other than an automatic transmission. I figured it's better than nothing, and the lady (who at this point I've discovered is completely clueless about the car, and just about everything in general) insists that while this car might be the base model, it "still pretty fast, and I don't think it really needs any more power." She says she's never driven the 3.8. So in the end I take it for the drive, and it wasn't all that impressive. It didn't seem all that much faster than my current car (a 1998 Subaru Outback) which is not a good thing for Hyundais RWD sports-car.

Bla, bla, bla, two days later I get a call from her saying that they just got a 3.8L Coupe, with the track package, and in manual. Basically the complete opposite end of the scale. It's impossible to price the car out any more. Hands free, nav, leather, keyless, moonroof, Brembo brakes, sport suspension, etc...

So we head back over (on my 21st birthday) to take it out for a spin. I should mention at this point that, a year ago, I would never have known how to drive stick. All the cars my family has ATM are automatic. Luckily some guys in the car club in school decided to change that, so I've had a little practice here and there - enough that I know how to drive stick, I'm just not very good at it. We get in the car and I proceed to slowly let the clutch out to see where the friction point is, and not being used to a NEW clutch in a SPORT car, I stall it, (LOL). Get it going again, and from that point I was fine. She's sitting there, impressed because I tell her I'm a noob at a manual, and basically I THRASH the car down the road. ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ANIMAL. This car is a helluva lot faster. Anyway I'm doing everything, hitting the rev limiter (for fun) and basically just beating the crap out of the car. A normal sales rep would have told me to slow down, both for the car's sake, and for safety, but she's so clueless about everything that she's just sitting there, obviously terrified, but not saying a word. I notice when I put my foot down, all sorts of rough lurching and the T/C light coming on.

Bla, bla, bla, long story short, we get back, and I tell her I'd really like to show my dad the car. Here's the fun part. She gave me the keys, and let me take the car out ON MY OWN. Now, I've heard stories where people go to that Genesis Coupe Autocross Event and even there they sometimes don't let people turn the T/C off, much less on a dealer's test drive of their only top-spec model in stock. So my dad gets in the car, and I immediately turn the traction control off. I should also mention, that until that day, I'd never driven what people would consider a proper "fast" car. I've driven all sorts of cars and trucks and busses, but I've never driven what is supposed to be a true sports car. I've also NEVER driven a RWD car, and yet here I am in my first SPORTY, RWD, MANUAL car. Get on the highway, get to the u-turn, pull off and wait for the light. I tell my dad when it turns green, I'm going to floor it as I turn back onto the highway. Next thing I know, I'm 30 degrees sideways, screeching the back tires, drifting the car back onto the two-lane highway, facing the concrete divider in the middle, and basically having the most fun I've ever had in my life. In hindsight, probably not the smartest thing I've ever done. I've drifted my Subaru in the snow, but that's not quite the same thing, lol, but I was 21 and I figured **** IT, I'm going balls to the walls. Anyway the long and short of it is I did that a few times, and beat the car to hell some more before coming back in.

Now, the way this relates to LFS, is simply that I've never driven a car in that fashion other than in this game. I've always maintained LFS (as everyone does) to be a very good representation of real life. I have to say, though, I expected the first time I ever drove a car like that, that holding a drift in real life would be ENTIRELY different. In some ways it was (like for example, in being the most exciting thing I've done in many, many years) but in terms of actually controlling the car, I didn't freak out, I just kind of held it, and I must say I did a really good job at it. I've always had a knack for anything with wheels, anyone I know will tell you that, but I must credit LFS, because I basically went into "racing mode" when that happened and I think the main reason I was perfectly calm was simply from having done that many times on my computer, lol. It may sound ridiculous, but in the end, I couldn't help smile and think, "wow, this really IS just like the game! It's EASY!"

Lol, end of pointless, non-interesting, stupid rant about my idiotic real-life risk-taking.

jealous

When you die in a road crash (and you will) please try not to take anyone else with you. Have you not noticed the other thing about LFS... That the game is played on race tracks.

Yeah, I should mention at no point did I do that with any other cars around me. The road was empty, lol. Wouldn't be stupid around other people.

You're still in quite a bit of danger to yourself though.

Never try to slide when you don't have to, even on a track.

Regardless of the risks involved (hurting somebody, crashing the car, etc), you certainly don't seem to care about the poor guy who will buy the car from the dealer someday... the same car that you "beat to hell" on your testrive before. :thumbsdow

Quote from jibber :

Regardless of the risks involved (hurting somebody, crashing the car, etc), you certainly don't seem to care about the poor guy who will buy the car from the dealer someday... the same car that you "beat to hell" on your testrive before. :thumbsdow

Stuff (sort of) like this really annoys me...

My dad sells used cars. Some people come along to have a look at a car. They climb all over it, get mud and dirt all up the interior, and then thrash the nuts off it on a test drive. After about 4 hours of wasting your time with them, they tell you're that they're 'thinking about it' and then don't even bother to phone you back. You're left with half the day wasted and a car that needs about an hour of cleaning done again.

Long text, but worth it

Anyways, sounds awesome. I cant wait until i get my licence, will go start with it so i can get them on my 18th birthday. Just ... cant wait!

Quote from Becky Rose :

When you die in a road crash (and you will) please try not to take anyone else with you. Have you not noticed the other thing about LFS... That the game is played on race tracks.

It just wouldn't be such a nice place, this forum, without people declaring that someone else will definitely die.

I ride a motorcycle - knock yourself out. There's a thread or two about it with lots of people who ride motorcycles. You could start a thread or two yourself, "post your hobbies here, and I will tell you that you will die doing it".

Anything you enjoy doing yourself that might kill you (before karting inevitably does, of course)?

It's understandable. I fully expected some people to call me an idiot. It's hard to gauge over the internet the situation, and I would probably yell at someone if they posted this too. I'll just explain that I wouldn't do anything I felt entirely uncomfortable doing, I also wouldn't do that in the viscinity of any other vehicles (I was the only one at the u-turn) and I am also against people completely tearing a car to shreds, but to be honest, if I'm buying a new car, I'm most certainly not going to buy one that's been out for test drives because there's only one way to really gauge how much you like a car, and it doesn't involve puttering around at 20 mph.

That said, I just felt like sharing the experience, whether you appreciate it or not, I don't really care, but it was absolutely worth it for me, and the most fun I've ever had in a car in my life.

And sinbad makes an excellent point. Everyone enjoys doing something "stupid." I don't consider what I did to be any more stupid than those people who like to really speed on roads, or who tailgate people by 1/2 carlength at 80 mph. It's all relative. What I did SOUNDS ridiculous because of what it was, but when you think about it, you probably do more dangerous stuff every day.

Quote from Stang70Fastback :

It's understandable. I fully expected some people to call me an idiot. It's hard to gauge over the internet the situation, and I would probably yell at someone if they posted this too. I'll just explain that I wouldn't do anything I felt entirely uncomfortable doing, I also wouldn't do that in the viscinity of any other vehicles (I was the only one at the u-turn) and I am also against people completely tearing a car to shreds, but to be honest, if I'm buying a new car, I'm most certainly not going to buy one that's been out for test drives because there's only one way to really gauge how much you like a car, and it doesn't involve puttering around at 20 mph.

That said, I just felt like sharing the experience, whether you appreciate it or not, I don't really care, but it was absolutely worth it for me, and the most fun I've ever had in a car in my life.

They weren't there. We all enjoy driving, we all decide what is stupid and what isn't for ourselves.
Saying "be careful" is one thing, telling someone they will die based on some excited scribblings is quite another. It's not like you said you were doing 140mph past schools is it....

Quote from Stang70Fastback :

I fully expected some people to call me an idiot.

FUN FACT! About 90% of these peoples who always are crying and complaining, because others do some drift action on streets and other ''OMFG-ITS-SO-DANGEROUS-AND-IMMATURE'' things, come from UK. I have seen that not only in this forum all the time, but in some others too. I just don't get it..

because we have common sense

KIA ftw.

When I opened this up I was thinking it was going to be about the red and white barriers, guess I was wrong.

Quote from Agniz :

FUN FACT! About 90% of these peoples who always are crying and complaining, because others do some drift action on streets and other ''OMFG-ITS-SO-DANGEROUS-AND-IMMATURE'' things, come from UK. I have seen that not only in this forum all the time, but in some others too. I just don't get it..

Because we are from the developed world, you wouldn't understand.

There always has to be someone who tries to be a 'white knight' and defend someone who has done something daft on an internet forum, don't bother, it dosen't get you any credit and makes you look silly.

Quote from JO53PHS :

Stuff (sort of) like this really annoys me...

My dad sells used cars. Some people come along to have a look at a car. They climb all over it, get mud and dirt all up the interior, and then thrash the nuts off it on a test drive. After about 4 hours of wasting your time with them, they tell you're that they're 'thinking about it' and then don't even bother to phone you back. You're left with half the day wasted and a car that needs about an hour of cleaning done again.

Those cars are sold most of the time as second hand or test drive model.

The car will be cheaper, driven in and it's normal for a dealership to have a car to try out.

Quote from BlakjeKaas :

Those cars are sold most of the time as second hand or test drive model.

The car will be cheaper, driven in and it's normal for a dealership to have a car to try out.

Exactly. People who buy those cars know what they've been through, and the dealership also knows. Those cars are driven hard even before the engine is warmed up because test drives often don't even last that long. Anyone who is serious about purchasing a vehicle is going to want to drive it aggressively. Normally, though, they limit you because they don't want their test car to end up in a mangled wreck on the side of the road.

That said, I am actually considering that car as my next car. The only issue is that I'm not getting a car for probably another 6 months at best. But it's definitely something in the near future, and I was actually interested in the car. It is a fantastic little car for the price. I'm just more leaning towards something with AWD, as much fun as RWD is...

I know it's different in a dealer for a specific make/main agent, but I was just saying

Quote from Agniz :

KIA ftw.

Quote from 5haz :

Because we are from the developed world, you wouldn't understand.

You aren't, you just are pussies.

Quote from 5haz :

Because we are from the developed world, you wouldn't understand.

Top Gear has it all wrong...

I have no problem with him drifting on public roads, provided there is no one else around. He already said there's no one else around, so I say carry on. The problem is people that do that stuff in civic centers at rush hour.

I live in such a crowded place that unfortunately I'd have to drive for about half an hour to get anywhere with few people, so I never get to really push it like that on test drives.

PS, test model cars are pretty much written off before they arrive on the lot. Thrash them unabashedly.

"Hyundai" and "proper sports car" in the same sentance?

I just YouTube'd it, my god all the things that annoy me in one go "Hunday" and "coop". ARGH! And to top it all off it's like a Hundia Coupe (the old model) with all the old dogy styling I hate, just more :S

Doesn't look massively exciting - surely you can get a much much more interesting car second hand?

Also the HU looks suspiciously like CentraFuse...

Quote from Shadowww :

You aren't, you just are pussies.

I'd rather be a live pussy than a dead twat.

Pulling off drifts, powerslides and handbrake turns does not make you (or even look slightly) macho by the way, the first thing the average person thinks when they see someone pulling off a stunt on public roads is "what a wanker".

Quote from Stang70Fastback :

Top Gear has it all wrong...

I know I know, England is just as barbaric as anwhere really.

Quote from 5haz :

Pulling off drifts, powerslides and handbrake turns does not make you (or even look slightly) macho by the way, the first thing the average person thinks when they see someone pulling off a stunt on public roads is "what a wanker".

Agreed. However I didn't do it to show off, I did it for my own personal enjoyment. I'm not like those ****s with their Corvettes who feel the need to do a burnout at every light.

Also, Jakg, you can't deny Hyundai is a pretty competent manufacturer. There's a reason they were on the cover of Forbes magazine a few days ago.

And speaking of Centrafuse, don't install 3.0 if you haven't already. What a pain in the ass the new version is.