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Using Yellow or Orange cars as daily drivers

11K views 37 replies 21 participants last post by  Fabspeed Motorsport 
#1 ·
Hello All,

I'm close to making a decision on one of the few 570S cars that I have shortlisted. None of them match ALL of my desired config, but they are all pretty close and I am OK with all of them from that perspective.

So now, I have the luxury of choice, but with that comes having to make decisions. Among the shortlisted cars are a yellow, couple of orange and a few others with white, silver and blue colors.

The yellow one checks the most boxes - but I'm new to owning a bright colored exotic. Even more so, this will be drives every single day - rain or shine. My current cars are a white F-Type R coupe and a red F-Pace S - so they can just merge into the traffic without garnering much attention.

While color choice is up to each one, I wanted to hear some thoughts on anyone who drives a bright colored exotic everyday - orange, yellow, green. Not red - that is a bit subtle as far as exotics go. Thoughts not only from attention perspective - but in general - anything thats on your mind. Its good to learn the unknown.

Thanks in advance!
 
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#2 · (Edited)
somewhat depends on where you live i think. in my town (and pretty much everywhere i've driven in the state) my VY 570S gets massive attention. i cannot stop at gas station, sbux, etc without a flock of people gathering. most of the attention/questions are ok/well intended. every so often it's a little much and i just want to get away. i'd imagine in an area with slightly more exotics being prevalent the car may blend in slightly more. around here even my ymb m4 gets quite a few comments.

also, never owning a yellow car before i had no idea how many insects it attracts. during summer especially. if i let it sit outside for even a brief time it's covered in flies, ladybugs, and other random bugs. that said i cannot see owning a mclaren (or any exotic really) in a bland color and i love my VY! green or purple will likely be my next color.
 
#9 ·
also, never owning a yellow car before i had no idea how many insects it attracts. during summer especially. if i let it sit outside for even a brief time it's covered in flies, ladybugs, and other random bugs. that said i cannot see owning a mclaren (or any exotic really) in a bland color and i love my VY! green or purple will likely be my next color.
I love my Tarocco Orange and wouldn't change it because maybe it gets some extra attention. A plus is that people can see you easily in traffic, which is helpful if you are traveling a little faster than average.

The surprise was the bugs! Mind you, I've only had one significant issue. It must have been the one day in the year for these particular bugs, because it has not happened like this again. When I pulled into the parking lot., the bugs abandoned the vegetation they were swarming on and made straight for the orange McLaren (with plenty of different, drabber colored cars parked nearby). I wanted to put the car cover on, but the only way to do this was to use a leaf blower to dispatch the bugs first. Many hundreds of them! :eek:

Anyhow, I think those bugs died happy.
 
#5 ·
From an attention perspective, I don't think it matters. My 570 is black. When I picked my color I thought similar tings, "Oh, it will blend in better, it won't be as noticeable." Yeah, lies... All lies... My experience is the same as rutiger said above. The attention is nearly all positive, but be prepared for stops to take longer, for your arrival at places to start a pop-up car show, and for people to ask you about the car.

The thing is, unless the person is into cars, McLaren is still widely an unknown. Even not knowing what a McLaren is, looking at a 570 it's pretty obvious that it might be something out of the ordinary and maybe a bit special. I mean, it kinda looks like a spaceship. Then you have the people that know what McLaren is. More people have asked if mine is a P1 or a 650 than have actually guessed right that it's a 570. Since there still aren't many McLarens out in the wild, seeing one for a car person is nearly unicorn-like. I say this because one kid, who incidentally did know it was a 570, said something to the effect of, "Shit, this is my car in Forza! Seeing one in real life it's like... Like a fucking unicorn. Shit."

So yeah, plan to leave a little extra time. The color won't matter from an attention perspective so get whatever you like best. That said, the attention is nearly always people that are just curious or that are seeing something they never expected to see in real life. I would hazard a guess that all of us that buy these things were those folks before we were lucky enough to put one in the garage.

-Jamie.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I thought about that too, mine's a daily driver and I went for Storm Grey. Sure the car does attract attention but most people don't really notice it until it's close up which is works fine for me. I feel a lot happier about parking it for example as it really doesn't stand out. The response has been favourable 99% of the time, people seem to like the colour too. NH4's so right... endless people have said this is their first McLaren sighting, for the most part people are genuinely interested and excited to see one close up.

The only negative reaction I've had in 4 months of ownership was in a tile shop I'd visited before in the wife's car. First visit the sales guy was friendly and helpful, second visit the he saw me arriving in the Mac and all but ignored me, when we did talk he threw in some sarcastic comment and couldn't care less. I guess you're going to find those sorts of people around regardless of colour.
 
#7 ·
The only negative reaction I've had in 4 months of ownership was in a tile shop I'd visited before in the wife's car. First visit the sales guy was friendly and helpful, second visit the he saw me arriving in the Mac and all but ignored me, when we did talk he threw in some sarcastic comment and couldn't care less. I guess you're going to find those sorts of people around regardless of colour.
Whenever we go out to a place to buy something where price might be a bit negotiable, I never take the 570... The 9 year old Toyota garners a lot more sympathy!

-Jamie.
 
#8 ·
I guess I’m surprised that “Color” would even enter into a daily driver decision.:confused:
I can understand ease of ingress-egress/storage/parking/visibility/weather drivability/etc. concerns, but color….”REALLY”?
I have a very bright, very beautiful Volcano Orange 570S which I purchased because I love the color and how the 570 looks in that color! I could not see me compromising on my color choice simply because the car is going to be a daily driver.
As others have stated; I too encounter gas station delays, but I don’t think that is solely attributable to the color; the fact that the 570S has a very striking curb appeal design and not many non-car enthusiast have ever seen one before has much to do with it! My prior sports car was a 2015 Daytona Grey R8, a pretty color but not a very flashy color and it too attracted gas station attention delays.
Color is extremely subjective and I’m certainly not going to live my life by what others may or may not approve of….my advice is: if the car checks all of the boxes and “YOU” like it….buy it!
By the way, I’m old enough to remember when red was considered a flashy color and you were advised not to buy a red sports car because it would attract the attention of LEO’s, but yet my silver 911 seemed to acquire just as many tickets as any of the red sports cars I've owned….dam color blind Cops.>:)
Good luck,
Jim
 
#11 ·
I think the current fashion has trended far too much towards unobtrusive colors. I am personally guilty of this as two of my three cars are white. (The 570S and my SUV are white and its only my wife's Fiat 500E that is colorful. Its their version of volcano orange...)

I was talking about this with a friend the other day and we did an unscientific test. We picked the parking lot of the restaurant we were having lunch at and counted the cars. There were 32 cars in the lot, of these 26 were shades of grey (white, silver, grey, black). Of the 6 that were not monochrome, 2 were dark blue, one was a dark red and one was tan(Lexus beige). Only the remaining two had brighter colors (one bright red and the other was bright blue). So, overall, the cars were almost all dull/sober colors.

I think that more color is needed. We may not want to go back to the early Seventies colors (anti establish mint green, anyone?) but we definitely need more color on the roads. The current monochrome trend is just dull.
 
#14 ·
I think one of McLaren's best differentiators in the marketplace is their phenomenal color choices. They do paint so much better than any other high-end manufacturer that I think it would be a waste to get a white car (no offense to those with white Macs). The fact that you're going to daily drive it doesn't merit a watering down of the color choice in order to attract less attention, IMO. I love volcano yellow and pretty much all the oranges, you can't go wrong (unless you go white ;)).
 
#15 · (Edited)
I "daily" drive my Volcano Orange 570S and that color attracts so much attention. I hope you're ready for that and you have a personality that likes that. People absolutely love the color and you'll love it too.

There is not a day I regret changing from Silica White to Volcano Orange. I remember debating colors with my artsy friend. I was concerned that Volcano Orange was a gimmick color and wouldn't age well. I was thinking about going with a more timeless color. My friend said, "worst case, you'll look back at the pictures when you were young, when you first got this car, and say that color was so hot back then." That sold me.
 
#17 ·
Oh, double offended Kutsuki! In all seriousness, I'm just kidding. All the colors look fantastic. I happen to love the storm trooper look and didn't want the attention a bright/unusual color draws from law enforcement. But kudos to everybody who buys one. I personally think John Galt's fistral blue is one of the best looking colors out there. And Volcano Orange looks amazing every time I see a McLaren wearing it.
 
#19 ·
Thanks very much everyone! This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I dont know if I am the kind of person that can handle this well (that probably implies I am not). When I got my white F-Type R Coupe, it did get attention initially because it was new and not common, but as the 2 years passed, its become more of a quick glance and not a stare + occasional nice car comment. I can handle that. I want to not think deep about others perception here, but it is what it is.

There arent as many exotics as I think we should have (Seattle / Bellevue WA) - at least none that are seen too frequently on the road. But I have also noticed that folks here dont really stare a lot at the cars. So may be its ok.

Fortunately or unfortunately, someone beat me to the yellow car :-( So now, I want it even more.

I'm now choosing between a McLaren Orange and Ventura Orange. Red, Aurora blue, dark blue, white and storm grey are the backups. Options galore! Hard decisions to be made. May be its time to invent color changing cars that match the occasion.

Thanks again!
 
#20 ·
Thanks very much everyone! This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I dont know if I am the kind of person that can handle this well (that probably implies I am not). When I got my white F-Type R Coupe, it did get attention initially because it was new and not common, but as the 2 years passed, its become more of a quick glance and not a stare + occasional nice car comment. I can handle that. I want to not think deep about others perception here, but it is what it is.



There arent as many exotics as I think we should have (Seattle / Bellevue WA) - at least none that are seen too frequently on the road. But I have also noticed that folks here dont really stare a lot at the cars. So may be its ok.



Fortunately or unfortunately, someone beat me to the yellow car :-( So now, I want it even more.



I'm now choosing between a McLaren Orange and Ventura Orange. Red, Aurora blue, dark blue, white and storm grey are the backups. Options galore! Hard decisions to be made. May be its time to invent color changing cars that match the occasion.



Thanks again!

Ventura orange is a remarkable color. You've got some nice choices in front of you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#28 · (Edited)
Call me old fashioned, but I just don’t get this trend of painting the calipers any color other than the body color. To further my confusion, someone orders stealth black wheels and paints the calipers flashy color that screams “LOOK AT ME”! Why not just go with black calipers to complete the stealth look?
Jim
 
#29 ·
Call me old fashioned, but I just don’t get this trend of painting the calipers any color other than the body color. To further my confusion, someone orders stealth black wheels and paints the rims a flashy color that screams “LOOK AT ME”! What are you trying to say...hay I got brakes? Why not just go with black calipers to complete the stealth look?


That would be Jim's ideal world of 570S specs.
Jim
I don't think our ideal worlds are too far off... I have a black 570 with black calipers. In the case of the Aurora Blue car though, McLaren doesn't offer blue calipers, and honestly, if they did, I wouldn't want that either!

Ultimately, I'm glad there are as many options as there are. In my opinion, buying a car like this is an opportunity to make a statement. It doesn't need to be loud or gregarious, but spending this kind of money and not making it somewhat personal, to me, is a missed opportunity. I know not everyone will agree with that, but those people are wrong (just kidding).

-Jamie.
 
#30 ·
If you are at all OCD (and these cars will make you be OCD) silver is your best friend. Particularly for a daily driver, it hides dirt best. Also, it's one of the more 'invisible' colors. Black is likely the most invisible color in that if you are in the corner of someones eye, or towards night time, you can some times skirt out of attention. Silver closer to the "can skirt by" side of things.

Yellow or Orange SCREAMS LOOK AT ME, whether you want it to or not, and even at night, its easier to pick up. And even during the day out of the corner of someones eye, they will track you.

That said, we are talking relatively here. This is a super car. You WILL get supercar attention no matter the color. It just will be a bit more so in the bright colors. Personally, for the 570, black is my favorite color (but is tougher to keep clean). If I were shooting for practicality, silver is the no brainer winner. If I had it to do again, I might have gone for ice silver on my car. But I just love it so in black.

And in the end, this is about that, so just pick what you love the most. That really is the most important criteria! Let us know what you go with and post pics when you get your new ride! Good luck!
 
#35 ·
Go bold, go orange!

Thanks all once again!

Its been a good 1.5 months since I got serious about getting this car and made a 48 hours 7 state (only 4 dealers though) trip to see all the cars that I had shortlisted. Folks at each of these dealerships were very welcoming and I was super happy about all of the interactions I had.

Chris Blank at Park Place McLaren Dallas TX,
Jackie at The Collection, Miami FL,
Ron at McLaren Sterling, VA,
Navin at McLaren SFO (though I did not go to this place in person),
Joe at McLaren Beverly Hills.

I really wish I could buy one from each of them, but my salary and the banks are not as emotional. Big shout out to all of them.

I started with the idea that I will buy a used one in the $180K - $190K range. But the used car selection is either poor or they are priced so incorrectly. So, I started looking for sub $200K new cars with discounts that would put me in the same price range as a used one. This was in my opinion a good option as there were plenty to choose from. However, the more I saw the cars, the more I felt some more options are required to make it a good daily driver and have it hold its value relatively better. So, I moved to the $210K cars and finally ended up with a $216K car.

I chickened out at one point and decided Blade Silver or Silver was the way to go and remain relatively low profile. But then I thought to myself - if you are going to do it, might as well do it right! So, I paid for a new 2017 well equipped Ventura Orange about 10 days ago and the car arrived at my place this evening. As you can imagine, I am super excited to get this car.

1000s of daily driver go-karting style miles start today with the first one backing it out from the enclosed trailer myself (the driver was scared!) and driving it to its spot in the parking garage! Drool time....

//Ravi


Some tips:
Ask and you shall receive!
If need be, find cars on the lot - pick your best compromise and work on a fair price that is win-win for all parties involved.
Get financing beforehand so that you dont end up dejected in case dealer's financiers deny your applications.

Some notes:
I found that having fewer dealers in West Coast implies its hard to find a lot of cars to pick from and hard to get equivalent discounts.
Being late winter in North east also meant dealers were willing to hold on to their cars for better prospects in spring.
I think used car values are dropping significantly. I've seen plenty of cars listed at very high prices only to be reduced by $10K, $15K, $20K over a few weeks. I felt bad about this as I think some are not realistic about the value of these used cars.
There are plenty of discounts to be had for brand new 2017s that are arriving on the lot - its just about finding the car that suits you and the dealer that is willing to help you out. (This is not applicable to all dealers).
Not all dealers are happy about other dealers giving new cars at large discounts. There seems to be some dealer meet to rectify this.

Some concerns:
Way too many cars on dealer lots, way too much discounts => Not good for depreciation. I worry about this, but I decided $35K - $40K a year has to be allocated for this car to drive it 5000 - 7500 miles a year. That way, those miles can be put without further worrying about the sinking value of the cars.
 

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#37 ·
Thanks all once again!

Its been a good 1.5 months since I got serious about getting this car and made a 48 hours 7 state (only 4 dealers though) trip to see all the cars that I had shortlisted. Folks at each of these dealerships were very welcoming and I was super happy about all of the interactions I had.

Chris Blank at Park Place McLaren Dallas TX,
Jackie at The Collection, Miami FL,
Ron at McLaren Sterling, VA,
Navin at McLaren SFO (though I did not go to this place in person),
Joe at McLaren Beverly Hills.

I really wish I could buy one from each of them, but my salary and the banks are not as emotional. Big shout out to all of them.

I started with the idea that I will buy a used one in the $180K - $190K range. But the used car selection is either poor or they are priced so incorrectly. So, I started looking for sub $200K new cars with discounts that would put me in the same price range as a used one. This was in my opinion a good option as there were plenty to choose from. However, the more I saw the cars, the more I felt some more options are required to make it a good daily driver and have it hold its value relatively better. So, I moved to the $210K cars and finally ended up with a $216K car.

I chickened out at one point and decided Blade Silver or Silver was the way to go and remain relatively low profile. But then I thought to myself - if you are going to do it, might as well do it right! So, I paid for a new 2017 well equipped Ventura Orange about 10 days ago and the car arrived at my place this evening. As you can imagine, I am super excited to get this car.

1000s of daily driver go-karting style miles start today with the first one backing it out from the enclosed trailer myself (the driver was scared!) and driving it to its spot in the parking garage! Drool time....

//Ravi


Some tips:
Ask and you shall receive!
If need be, find cars on the lot - pick your best compromise and work on a fair price that is win-win for all parties involved.
Get financing beforehand so that you dont end up dejected in case dealer's financiers deny your applications.

Some notes:
I found that having fewer dealers in West Coast implies its hard to find a lot of cars to pick from and hard to get equivalent discounts.
Being late winter in North east also meant dealers were willing to hold on to their cars for better prospects in spring.
I think used car values are dropping significantly. I've seen plenty of cars listed at very high prices only to be reduced by $10K, $15K, $20K over a few weeks. I felt bad about this as I think some are not realistic about the value of these used cars.
There are plenty of discounts to be had for brand new 2017s that are arriving on the lot - its just about finding the car that suits you and the dealer that is willing to help you out. (This is not applicable to all dealers).
Not all dealers are happy about other dealers giving new cars at large discounts. There seems to be some dealer meet to rectify this.

Some concerns:
Way too many cars on dealer lots, way too much discounts => Not good for depreciation. I worry about this, but I decided $35K - $40K a year has to be allocated for this car to drive it 5000 - 7500 miles a year. That way, those miles can be put without further worrying about the sinking value of the cars.
Congrats, my second choice was Ventura Orange! I wanted either Chicane Gray, which I got, or that green, which was not in NorCal. The 570s should depreciate better than a 911 Turbo, which is about 20% when driven off the lot, and about 10% every year after that. Looks like the 570s will go about 15% off lot to 8-10% a year hopefully, which is good for a very uniquely placed car in the market. With 12C prices firming and 650s bottoming, the 570s will be good. All of the good press and new looks help a lot, and when 720s comes out, and if it is performance game changing as the 488 GTB, it will buoy the brand and only help the 570s.

I think they key thing about the 570s is that is 911 Turbo S price and performance, but looks like a car that should cost $100K more. This is really unique and it will take awhile for the secondary market to sort itself out. The 570s is not a 488 GTB, not a 911 GT3/RS/GT4, they are not limited at all so they will depreciate like normal popular car. Probably on curve similar to mid option 911s or R8s, which depreciate better than average higher production cars because of popularity. My 2 cents.
 
#36 ·
First of all congratulations. Great colour choice. Although I would say that, as mine is orange too ;) McLaren orange with stealth wheels.

You certainly did your homework. It seems that you had a greater choice though, from what I had, when I bought mine over the Xmas period.

Your car looks pretty high spec, does it have a lot of carbon?

I have also been following the used car market over here, and I don't see much movement at all. This concerns me, especially if I complete my order on the 720s, as I would need to sell my car.

Can I ask what discounts are offered on new cars over there. Just a ball park figure is fine.
 
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