Huh? Social status? Who is impressed by a $23,000 car (when new)?

If you are buying a car to try to impress your friends or a girl... Why are you trying to impress your friends? Are you in some sort of "competition" with them to see who has the best "things"? And you surely don't want to date a girl that is interested in what kind of car you drive.

I own both types of cars that you mentioned. I have a 2001 Acura Integra GS-R with the basic bolt ons (no coffee can exhaust, that's for sure). I plan on driving that car until the wheels fall off. And I have a highly modified 1995 Pontiac Firebird Formula that I bought brand new when I was 22 years old. I will never sell that car.

Granted... the Integra is a cool little car and is a blast to drive. I'm no ricer by any means and my car is far from riced out. That is the last thing I would ever do to it. When I drive my '01 Acura GS-R, some punk kid driving his LS1 Camaro SS wants to race me and hammers it off the line... always.

When I drive my 770 rwhp '95 Firebird Formula, I always get the standard "ricer fly by" by some punk kid wearing a visor upside downs and backwards.

I get a good laugh at both situations and I just go on my way. You have to enjoy your car for whatever your reasons are and you should not be bothered about what others may think. I have seem some riced out cars in my day... we all have. I wouldn't do those things to my car, but I can appreciate the fact that the owner enjoys his or her hobby and no matter if he has some big wing on his or her 4 door Accord... it's his or her car and not mine. Yeah... I'll laugh, but I don't get bothered by it.