This is really sobering. Options

[KaptKaos]

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Colum...rticleId=124526

Its about that kid that launched the M5 off the runway and died. Evidently, he was on a forum, not unlike this one. The M5 board seems to be down right now.

Since I can't read the forum, and see what people were posting, I'll need to wait until it's online. But I can't help but think that maybe someone could have reasoned with him not to drive so fast. Terribly sad.

[scotty b]

Rick I remember your experience and I like and respect you so please do not take offense with what I am about to post.

I personally feel it is extereme negligence to let a kid anywhere near a "performance" car without adult supervision, and ceratinly am against letting anyone under 25-30 own one. I don't care how well raised you think your kid is, he/she WILL push it to and past the limits of both the car and the drivers ability. It is just human nature. On the other hand a kid who has grown up "restoring" his/her own car has a lot more fear of damaging that vehicle as they have put part of their life into it. That car has become part of them not just a fast ass car. I firmly belive an 18 y.o. who has stripped repaired and reassembled a 74 911 is a much more aware and safer driver then an 18 y.o. who was handed the keys toi an 89 Jetta. There seems to have been a trend since I got out of high school (1991) of parents buying their kids higher end newer cars. I know, I deal with the wrecks on a weekly basis. My first car was a choice between a Datsun 210 or a 72 Beetle. 90% of the kids at my school drove some sort of old Audi, VW, Toyota 4 door etc. and I went to one of the schools in a wealthier area. Parents just didn't give the kids what the kid wanted. The kid got mom or dads old POS beater. What changed?????

[stepuptotheMike]

Rick I remember your experience and I like and respect you so please do not take offense with what I am about to post.

I personally feel it is extereme negligence to let a kid anywhere near a "performance" car without adult supervision, and ceratinly am against letting anyone under 25-30 own one. I don't care how well raised you think your kid is, he/she WILL push it to and past the limits of both the car and the drivers ability. It is just human nature. On the other hand a kid who has grown up "restoring" his/her own car has a lot more fear of damaging that vehicle as they have put part of their life into it. That car has become part of them not just a fast ass car. I firmly belive an 18 y.o. who has stripped repaired and reassembled a 74 911 is a much more aware and safer driver then an 18 y.o. who was handed the keys toi an 89 Jetta. There seems to have been a trend since I got out of high school (1991) of parents buying their kids higher end newer cars. I know, I deal with the wrecks on a weekly basis. My first car was a choice between a Datsun 210 or a 72 Beetle. 90% of the kids at my school drove some sort of old Audi, VW, Toyota 4 door etc. and I went to one of the schools in a wealthier area. Parents just didn't give the kids what the kid wanted. The kid got mom or dads old POS beater. What changed?????

Seems to me that fewer and fewer parents are actually training their kids to drive. Seems they are leaving it up to a seriously inadequate public school driver's ed program. Of course, this is because most parents don't know the basics of defensive driving.

To your question about why more people don't make the kids rebuild the car... well there are a number of factors there. Ranging all the way from parents that don't know the business end of a screw driver to folks with more money than brains. I also think that people are lured into buying newer cars due to the "safety features" that newer vehicles have. Granted they are some great devices, but they can't make up for what is sitting behind the wheel. The sad reality is that STUPID kills.

Mike