No high-performance cars for buyers younger than 28

[snopes]

Comment: An acquaintance has informed me that it is illegal for a high
performance car, such as a Corvette, to be sold to anyone under the age of
28. Is there any truth to this assertion?

[diddy]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: An acquaintance has informed me that it is illegal for a high
performance car, such as a Corvette, to be sold to anyone under the age of
28. Is there any truth to this assertion?

Why? What makes a 28 year old any more capable owner of a HP car than say a 27 year old? Or any other legal driver?

[Errata]

I've never heard of this legend, but its definitely false.

The kernel of truth to this may be that if you're under 25, insurance companies will charge you an arm and a leg, especially if you have a high performance car. And some car rental places won't rent to you if you're under 25. But you can buy whatever you want. Lots of used Corvettes in particular end up going to younger buyers.

[DoubleNaughtSaleen]

Totally FALSE. I bought my 2000 Saleen Mustang (V8, ~300 hp) when I was 25.

[diddy]

Originally Posted by Errata

The kernel of truth to this may be that if you're under 25, insurance companies will charge you an arm and a leg, especially if you have a high performance car.

That I can vouch for. I just got an Audi Quatro Turbo just last winter (I am 27). It caused my rates to go up about 50 bucks.

[Beachlife!]

I friend of mine had a Cobra which had a specifc insurance clause excluding anyone under 30 to reduce her rates.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by Beachlife!

I friend of mine had a Cobra which had a specifc insurance clause excluding anyone under 30 to reduce her rates.

Over here you generally get some sort of reduction in premium when you reach certain ages - so it goes down when IIRC you reach 20, then 25, then 30 then 35. THe exception is for new drivers (less than two years with a full licence) so if you've never driven a car before and decide at the age of 35 to learn to drive, you will probably pay the same premium aas a 17 YO (driving the same make and model of car that is.)

IIRC some years back one European car maker brought out a muscle car, but wouldn't let anyone take delivery of one until they had passed a course and a test run by the carmaker. That was company policy though, not law (yes we do sell a car that can do over twice the legal limit, but look we are responsible) and I don't recall it being age restricted - if you were 17 and could pass their test, then you got your car.

While it certainly isn't illegal for any kind of car to be sold to anybody under a certain age (providing that they are above the legal driving age), young drivers may have difficulty getting any kind of insurance at all for powerful cars (the insurance company may decide that the risk is too high and brand the car 'uninsurable').

So while they may legally buy the car, there's a chance that they may not legally be able to drive it (providing that car insurance is mandatory in their part of the world).

[Errata]

Originally Posted by SALAManda

While it certainly isn't illegal for any kind of car to be sold to anybody under a certain age (providing that they are above the legal driving age), young drivers may have difficulty getting any kind of insurance at all for powerful cars (the insurance company may decide that the risk is too high and brand the car 'uninsurable').

Do you have any evidence of that happening though? Some individual insurers may decline them, but there are lots and lots of insurance companies to choose from, and some of them have pretty low standards and will cover anyone. They just charge a lot more money for a young person with a high performance car (something experienced by people in this thread). But such cars are more expensive anyway, so you just factor that into the cost of ownership when deciding whether you can afford it.

[robbiev]

Originally Posted by Errata

But such cars are more expensive anyway...

That depends. For instance, when I was in my early twenties, I decided to buy an older model Camaro. The car wasn't very expensive...about $2000 IIRC, but was very expensive to insure (even though it wasn't actually all that fast, it was still considered a "performance" car by the insurance company).

It's sort of a shock to buy a $2000 car, then find out it's going to be $1900 per year to insure it.

Lotus Elise - with 141 kW/190 hp, but only 1777 lbs curb weight, it definitely falls under the category of a rocket on wheels.

$40-$50k, if I recall correctly.

Right on mark. $47000 and change, in my area. I looked at a couple a few months ago.

I had a BIL buy a 67 Camaro SS, over 300 hp, at 23 years old. Then bellyache to anyone who would listen about how unfair insurance rates are for under 25. He could buy it, and insure it, it just cost money. A lot.

Under discussion presently here is the insurance rates for motorcycles. Rates are generally based on the cc's of the engine. Base at 250 to 749 cc, next level 750 to 1199 cc, and so on. Problem is, a lot of cruiser motorcycles, even those with 1600, 1700, or even more than 2000 cc's will be blown off the road by a 650 cc sportbike. So, the discussion is to base the rate on the motorcycle's performance, which makes more sense.

[Eddylizard]

Do you even have to be of driving age to buy a car of any sort? If a rich ten year old goes into a dealership with a wad of ash and wants to buy a car, then surely it's not illegal to sell one to him. It's a silly thng to do, he'll have to arrange delivery, and all he could do is look at it. But he can still buy it.

[Recklessmess]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: An acquaintance has informed me that it is illegal for a high
performance car, such as a Corvette, to be sold to anyone under the age of
28. Is there any truth to this assertion?

Such a law would most likely be found unconstitutional, under even a rational basis review test.
The law has to be related to a legitimate government purpose. OK, safety, right? But why 28? Why such an arbitrary age? Besides, can't a person cause the same amount of damage with any car, let alone a performance vehicle?

There also has to be legitimate conceivable purpose to this law. Safety again. But still, at 28, what can you do that a 27 year old can't? Alcohol isn't a factor, or at least it shouldn't be.

I think such a law *could* be constitutional, but only if it was related to reasonable age, like people under the age of 21 cannot operate a motor vehicle larger than 350 cubic inches or whatever. There is no conceivable legitimate purpose to preventing 27 year olds from operating such vehicles.

[Meka]

Originally Posted by Recklessmess

Such a law would most likely be found unconstitutional, under even a rational basis review test.
The law has to be related to a legitimate government purpose. OK, safety, right? But why 28? Why such an arbitrary age? Besides, can't a person cause the same amount of damage with any car, let alone a performance vehicle?

There also has to be legitimate conceivable purpose to this law. Safety again. But still, at 28, what can you do that a 27 year old can't? Alcohol isn't a factor, or at least it shouldn't be.

I think such a law *could* be constitutional, but only if it was related to reasonable age, like people under the age of 21 cannot operate a motor vehicle larger than 350 cubic inches or whatever. There is no conceivable legitimate purpose to preventing 27 year olds from operating such vehicles.

A couple of points here.

First off, yes, any car can be driven recklessly, or beyond the limits of safety and common sense. But it's easier to do so in a high performance car. Some have handling quirks that make it easier for a driver, particularly an inexperienced one, to lose control; mid- and rear-engined cars, for example, are noted for being easy to spin. Even if the car doesn't have any handling issues, the simple act of being behind the wheel of of a high-end auto tends to bring out the inner race car driver in many people. Yes, the results of losing it at 100+ mph aren't going to be pleasant whether you're driving a Ford Taurus or a Ford GT, but most Taurus drivers aren't going to be tempted to break the 3 digit mark when they turn the key.

Secondly, why tie the law to age at all? Or at least, why tie the law to age exclusively? Any age specified is going to be unreasonable to some - one could easily argue that handing someone the keys to a high performance car on the same day that (in theory) they'll be having their first beer - and that in any case is traditionally a night for drinking - is just asking for trouble. Look at the Australian law. Whether you can drive a sports car isn't simply a matter of your age; it's also dependent on your driving experience level. A system like that would be good, or one where the privilege (not right) to drive a high performance car was dependent on passing some form of advanced driving school.

[PallasAthena]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: An acquaintance has informed me that it is illegal for a high
performance car, such as a Corvette, to be sold to anyone under the age of
28. Is there any truth to this assertion?

Not true in the least, in the US anyway. DH and I bought my Mazda RX8 new and from the dealership when I was 22 and he was 25. This was back when they had just come out and were fairly hard to come by. We bought the Subaru WRX (again, new and from the dealership) when I was 24 and he was 27. I think both the RX8 and the WRX could probably be classified as performance vehicles. Dealers don't care how old you are. All they care about is getting that car sold.

For the record, both cars do handle differently from other cars, and I typically don't let my friends drive either one because if you aren't accustomed to shifting them, it makes things a little more challenging (among other reasons).

Also, I would like to point out that age and vehicle type have nothing to do with whether or not a person is a safe driver. I'm young and I drive performance vehicles. However, I drive a hell of a lot safer than most of the mini-vans, SUVs, and sedans that I see acting like dumbasses in St. Louis. For example, I maintain safe following distance, stay in my own lane, and *gasp* actually use my turn signal!

[Meka]

Originally Posted by PallasAthena

Not true in the least, in the US anyway. DH and I bought my Mazda RX8 new and from the dealership when I was 22 and he was 25. This was back when they had just come out and were fairly hard to come by. We bought the Subaru WRX (again, new and from the dealership) when I was 24 and he was 27. I think both the RX8 and the WRX could probably be classified as performance vehicles. Dealers don't care how old you are. All they care about is getting that car sold.

For the record, both cars do handle differently from other cars, and I typically don't let my friends drive either one because if you aren't accustomed to shifting them, it makes things a little more challenging (among other reasons).

Also, I would like to point out that age and vehicle type have nothing to do with whether or not a person is a safe driver. I'm young and I drive performance vehicles. However, I drive a hell of a lot safer than most of the mini-vans, SUVs, and sedans that I see acting like dumbasses in St. Louis. For example, I maintain safe following distance, stay in my own lane, and *gasp* actually use my turn signal!

So - autocrosses or track days?

I can't really argue with the rest of your statement (I applaud it, in fact) but I do think that inexperience, as opposed to absolute age, does factor in to whether or not someone is a safe driver. I'd much rather get a ride from a 22 year old who's been through one or more pro driving schools than from a 35 year old who's just gotten his or her license. And while giving someone the keys to a high performance car isn't in itself an unsafe act, it can be if the person doesn't know the car's limits, as you pointed out.

On the other hand, being "too cautious" can be equally unsafe - going all the way up an on-ramp at 30 mph, or waiting, in the traffic flow, for a mile long gap in traffic in order to turn left can be just as dangerous as someone weaving recklessly through traffic. Especially when these two drivers encounter each other...