One of the stereotypical pointers that someone is having a midlife crisis is that they buy a sports car.
Now, we don’t really buy into this myth and think that basic economics displaces it.
As people get older, they generally have a bit more spare change from their working life and some choose to buy a nice car with their hard-earned cash. But if people want to call that a midlife crisis then we’re not going to waste time arguing against it.
A new study has come to light detailing which cars are most likely to scream midlife crisis, and it’s bad news if you own a sporty convertible.
The poll says 32% of Britons know someone over the age of 50 who has bought a sports car to ‘recapture their youth’.
In the same survey, motorists were asked to list the cars they thought most resembled a midlife crisis and it was the Porsche 911 that came out on top.
Models from Aston Martin, Jaguar, Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Alfa Romeo also made the list.
When it comes to why people choose to buy a sports car later in life, 52% said they think it’s to make them feel young again and 26% say it's to appear more attractive to potential partners. 38% said it gives the impression of having achieved something in life.
68% agreed that as a society we’re too quick to judge someone who has splashed out on a nice car. One in three say they’re secretly impressed by people who own luxury motors, and over 94% said they wouldn’t judge someone for buying the car of their dreams.
1. Porsche 911 - 39%
2. Porsche Boxster - 34%
3. Aston Martin Vantage - 26%
4. Jaguar F-Type - 23%
5. Audi TT - 22%
6. Ford Mustang - 21%
7. BMW Z4 - 20%
8. Mercedes Benz SL - 17%
9. Audi R8 - 16%
=10. Alfa Romeo Spider - 14%
=10. Lotus Evora - 14%
12. Chevrolet Corvette - 11%
=13. Range Rover Evoque - 10%
=13. Subaru BRZ - 10%
=15. Dodge Challenger - 9%
=15. Land Rover Defender - 9%
=17. Mazda MX5 - 8%
=17. VW Golf GTI - 8%
=17. Toyota Supra - 8%
=17. Ford Focus RS - 8%
