[LawrenceM-Sport]

Is anyone recieved attitude for just having a nice BMW? I blame the f@cking chavs!

[PeteJ]

Oh yes... a few guys at my work have BMW's and half of us have the drop heads and to be honest we have been called everything under the sun. However at the end of the day, they get into there Golf TDi's and Honda Civics and we get into our fine BMW's...

Stuff 'em

[Dr Dave]

"Must be earning too much money" is one comment I've overheard from someone in our street......

Perhaps I am? So what? But I live knowing I work bloody hard for it. No 9-5 job for me, it's more like 6 - 6 and sometimes later.

I used to let it wind me up but I don't now.

[Em135eye]

Had ours under a week - total mix of people going out of there way to be polite (maybe because it's an estate), a few sad "racing" attempts (not interested unless it's safe - which is rare) and the odd bit of aggro.

Our other car is a rather amusing late 2005 Suzuki Jimny softop (we got it to tow our little boat, for green laning, great in snow - the 335d won't be - and for very easy parking!) and the attitudes are definitely quite different - quite amusing at times.

[PhilL]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Perhaps I am? So what? But I live knowing I work bloody hard for it. No 9-5 job for me, it's more like 6 - 6 and sometimes later.

+1

My clients don't seem to mind what I drive, but they do appreciate it when I respond to them at all hours of the day.

[Bimmer Nerd]

you grow up people think you are having bad comments ?? try driving a BMW at your teenage years, my brother works 4 days a week after skool + sunday, every day he says people give him nasty looks and make shity comments like "your in a hurry ?? " when my brother is doing a speed limit and many more. Haters are everywhere just gotta learn not TO avoid them.

[Em135eye]

I think we need to be careful though - the poor image of BMW drivers is what put me off them for ages. They are brilliant cars but so often driven badly - and this might invite the wrath of the board but - especially the small engined ones.

While it's nice to have a great car, it's only a car - we should not over congratulate ourselves for running a BMW, superb as they are.

Luckily as spotted by me ages ago and Top Gear more recently, the poor driver image seems to have shifted to Audi now but the BMW image will always remain.

So really it's best to drive safely and courteously but enjoy our cars whenever we can.

Down here in Cornwall, financial "status" gets you nowhere - I know doctors that drive old Skodas, lawyers that have boggo Mondeos, successful restaurant owners that have a normal Golf - which is a breath of fresh air after Surrey (where I lived until I was 14) where it's ALL about image - what car, what house, etc.

I have some very successful relatives - we are talking very wealthy indeed. Sure they have nice houses, one has a decent yacht, etc, but they don't feel any need to flash their cash with top end cars.

Anyway, sorry for the mini rantlet but I do think we, as BMW drivers, need to try and watch how we drive.

[R80TER]

i am used to it now in what is now my 5th BMW, worst one was my Z3M roadster in estoril blue, with eisenmann race exhausts... thats attracted a lot of unwanted attention.

I think all of my BMW's have been vandalised to some extent, 328 sport had the windscreen smashed, Z3M got graffiti'd with spray paint, current E90 was recently key'd.

i give up caring,

[the_rangdo]

I'm finding the reverse (mostly).

Apart from the odd sad attempt to encourage a race on the m-ways I find I get much more 'respect' and less hassle in my 3-er

By comparison, went out a couple of weeks ago in my wife's 1.4 Mazda2. It was as though I had a target painted on me, scrotes had to try to get past at all costs, e.g. I change lane to pass a parked car, scooby driver has to try (and fail) and undertake before reaching the parked car instead of just 'normally' changing lane himself.

And I wasn't driving any differently to normal.

[MalM3]

i remember the ZM from E36coupe forum, it was nice

on topic, i get unwanted attention also

People always trying to race me?? wtf !
I like doing 70 on the motorway.. so go around ffs

fair enough i take bends and roundabouts faster than the speed of light, but thats BMW speak for "my car can, and yours isnt a bmw"

[Em135eye]

R80 - I had my Golf R32 for 8 months in London - no problems. Then we moved to Bristol and didn't have off street parking. Total of £3500 in damage from failed attempts to nick the alloys (so they kicked it in). At the time all I wanted to do was find them but looking back, I'm very glad I didn't or I'd be serving time now.

[CardinalZeus77]

I think you get used to it when you own a BMW.
I just ignore the comments and racing is a definate No No unless its on a track!

[PhilL]

Actually the only negative comments I've had were when I visited my parents;

Dad (on first seeing my car): "Let's see the boot then.. ooh it's not much bigger than mine" (he drives a champagne beige Megane Estate)

Followed soon after by;

"Can you just park over the road, don't want the neighbours thinking I've got a pretentious son"

Mum: "Ooh I'll have to change my view of BMW drivers now"

Parents eh

[Em135eye]

Phill - that's a bit off! My folks are chuffed to bits that we have a decent Beemer!

[creepy coupe]

Originally Posted by PhilL

Actually the only negative comments I've had were when I visited my parents;

Dad (on first seeing my car): "Let's see the boot then.. ooh it's not much bigger than mine" (he drives a champagne beige Megane Estate)

Followed soon after by;

"Can you just park over the road, don't want the neighbours thinking I've got a pretentious son"

Mum: "Ooh I'll have to change my view of BMW drivers now"

Parents eh

Dads can be funny, I remember showing mine a very tidy MK2 Astra many years ago, my dad did nothing but criticise it, my Sister said he was just jealous. the strange thing was, he was happy driving round on old shite boxes anyway.

[Mr.N]

I came out of my house the other day and saw two chavvy little streaks of piss stood at the end of my drive, eyeing up the car.
As soon as the door opened the started backing away but I asked them if I could help them and they just said "This is the nicest car round here" and f**ked off. Made me feel good and bad all in one!

I'm sure I'm like most on here in that it's taken me a good few years of bullshit and hard work to be able to afford this motor and so when people make comments about being "Posh" or "Loaded" or even "Wanker" or whatever I just give em a smile and a wink.

Even so, I'm very glad of my nice secure garage sometimes, I wouldnt be able to sleep at night if I had to park it outside!

[Em135eye]

We now live in the middle of nowhere - a 1 in 3 gradient drive (gravel) is the only way in (surrounded by impenetrable woods and brambles in 5 acres of land) and we have a dog. Have never felt safer with a car.

Bristol is so bad that unless you have very secure parking, don't bother with a nice car.

But let's not forget that although we have decent motors, plenty of others work very hard for many years but don't get the rewards.

Again I think self congratulation is a nasty trait.

[Mr.N]

Originally Posted by 335diesel

self congratulation is a nasty trait.

I agree. What I feel is a mixture of pride and sincere gratefulness.

[dxb335d]

Never had an issue, no direct BMW comments no wanker signs etc, got the motor booted once by a Chavez who didn't like me nowt to do with BMW the same chav lobbed something at me when he saw me driving a TTS AUdi. Only ever had admiring glances and few people come up and ask about the car

[lolololol]

I work hard, I also studied hard in order to get a good job so I can buy a flash car - if others don't like it then f*ck em - I live for me and my family not anybody else !

[MOB]

I dont get much in the way of crap in the BMW, but the Cayman is a different matter.

"Flash c*nt"
"Prick"
"Wanker"
"Cant afford a 911"

All part of the ownership experience lol

[doughboy]

Posted this before, but it says a lot really....

(BTW I fitted in between other badly parked cars, but when they left it was just my 330i left straddling 2 spaces)

The person who left the note obvously did so even though there were loads of empty spaces around....