Buy a cheap supercar? Do supercars have high road clearance? What is the best supercar in India? Where can I drive supercars in India? Do supercars make sense? - These are common questions asked by most Googler’s today. Big Boy Toyz, the nation’s most prominent and coveted pre-owned luxury car dealership, has around 40,000 unique visitors on their website, daily. Some have a daily ritual to log into BBT’s website and fantasise about buying cars, I know this because I do it myself. Question to ask here is - provided money wasn't completely an issue - would 40,000 people buy supercars daily? Sure, there are some data spillovers and disputed numbers here - but I’m hoping you catch my drift.
Supercars Make Sense - to some.
Who wouldn't want a Ferrari right? The thrill, social recognition and joy that would come from owning one would need to outweigh the issues like maintenance cost, depreciation, running costs and finally utility. Rationally thinking minds need to dig deep and find good reasons before they can actually buy one. This is mostly an emotional decision but there are many streams of thinking, mindsets and beliefs in people who actually do end up investing in one, and we’re going to explore a few of those mindsets and reasonings here.
PHILOSOPHER’s Reasoning
Does it makes sense to buy a supercar you ask - I say, Does it make sense to do anything at all? I mean really, the true bread-winners of every home are on an endless path of sacrifice, hard work, hardships and disappointments. Life is all about curve balls - One day is good and another bad. When we think back on a decade gone by and realise what could have been, would have been, all while wondering, did we really do things that were important to us? What made us happy? - This kind of thought spiral usually ends with the purchase of a Supercar.
Mental Deep Dive - “Sure, supercars are fast, but they wont spin the Earth backwards and turn back time. So it’s important to realise what’s important and what’s not. It might seem frivolous and excessive, locking in heaps of money into an under-utilised asset that’s constantly depreciating and so on, but the heart wants what the heart wants” - So I'm going to buy a Ferrari 812 Super Fast - and I'm going to love myself for it”.
ACHIEVER’s Reasoning
An Achiever always knows the priority, with a constant bulls eye focus on the target, achievers go deep and stay committed. This kind of behaviour needs constant recognition and rewards, because it isn't easy. And while these minds feed off short-term goals, achieving them again and again can become boring. Boring to the point they start setting bigger goals. Primarily subject to some supercar fantasies, we come back to the point “Who doesn't want a Ferrari?” - except in this person’s mind the question is - “How far away am I from my Ferrari?”
Mental Deep Dive - “It’s been hard to get where I'm at already, and i'm promising myself that if I can achieve my next set of goals - I'm going to reward myself big-time - It’s going to be the biggest dose of adrenaline my minds seen yet - and I’m going to do it only to prove myself right” - An ambitious and driven person needs a light at the end of the tunnel - lucky these are adaptive bi-xenon lights at the end of this person’s mind-tunnel.
OUTLIER’s Reasoning
Outliers are ones that believe in standing out, taking a different path, and not following the herd. This mindset is all about uniqueness. A constant debate of “Why would I do this, that everyone else is doing, instead of doing THIS?” - Usually a creative mind - this mindset is all about finding something unique and then standing by it. A supercar purchase to this mind is a commitment and the bond will last forever. Equal amounts of effort and cost will be put into maintenance, polishing and detailing, searching and ordering accessories and secretly taking pictures of the car (With no intent of posting online, or showing anyone) - It’s a moment between man and machine, one no other machine can replace.
Mental Deep Dive - “I’m finally in the position to get what I want. I want it to really stand out, no one should have it, it should feel significant, to me and to others. I’m doing it because it’s going to remind me of my uniqueness everyday, every moment I spend with the car. It’s going to give me bragging rights and unique problems that no one else faces, and that gives me experiences that no one else has, but wants” - Armed with the capability to handle creative and innovative problems - This kind of mindset wants a supercar thats even rarer than supercars. A Super-supercar.
CRAVER’s Reasoning
Cravers are the most passionate set of people from the supercar buyers mindset - They desire things into being. They will things at their command. They obsess, research, imagine, culminate, hallucinate about almost everything that entails owning a supercar. What it feels like, what it would be like. Sounds desperate and a bit creepy - I know - but that's the power of attraction that moves the universe into their benefit - or so they think - and let's give credit where credit is due - Passion is hard.
Mental Deep Dive - “I want it, I want it, I want it so bad, Im going on Youtube, I'm researching the interiors. Now, Im mentally driving it, Fuck! That felt so good. Now, I’m going to get it painted - but should I use Plastic-dip paint? or should I wrap it? Let me see how Wrapping is done (Watches 3 hours of car wrapping videos). Now, I need a body kit on the car, DMC? Or should I manufacture the parts myself, Let me understanding injection moulding and carbon fiber a bit more (18 hours spent researching new technologies and 3D printing), Now, this car is feeling slower even in my fantasies, I'm going to need to upgrade the performance of this car to at least stage 4 (Spends 48 hours researching performance mods and dyno clips). Man, this is turning out so well, I want it, I want it, I want it so bad.”
-I wish this person a supercar as soon as possible - so that all that energy spent in to fantasising and craving is actually rewarded - They truly deserve one and let’s also hope not most of you guys aren't living like me. :)
Summary
There are various paths of thinking and mindsets that result in the investment into a supercar. People with lots of affordability don't get one, and People with barely a means-to-an-end get even 2 supercars. All we know is - It takes many justifications, rationalisations and several battles that need to be won amongst family, friends, self, the bank account, the loan agent, the dealer for a supercar to finally culminate into your home, and stay there. It doesn't happen willingly, you have to fight for it. - But the fruits of that labor are so so so sweet, that once you choose torque, you’ll go broke, and love every moment of it as well - It all depends on which side of the looking-glass you’re looking from.
Author - Aditya Arora - CEO - Boit Club
A supercar owner for 10 years and a driver in India for nearly 30 years, Fatman as we affectionately call him, started driving at a young age of 9 and has owned some special cars through his years. With a strong hold of the supercar market, dynamics and a vast network, Aditya founded Boit Club in 2017- the one place for everything supercars - made easy, transparent and financially sensible. Follow him on twitter here..
