Defining the exotic supercars

[Ghoste]

Since they have come up a quite a bit lately, how does everyone typically define an exotic supercar?  By price?  Performance?  Country of origin?  Practicality or performance?  For example, would you consider a Corvette or Viper to be an exotic?  What about an NSX?

[Musicman]

For me Exotic would refer to "unusual" Styling and/or Performance... an Exotic Super Car would have both 

You can have a car from an exotic country, or one with an exotic price, but that still does not make it an exotic vehicle in my book.

[PocketThunder]

I know what exotic style i like!   

[John_Kunkel]

My insurance company calls my Viper an exotic.

[Brock Samson]

  Small production run = exclusivity + expensive. 

[Magnumcharger]

Anything owned/driven by Jeremy Clarkson!

[bull]

I can't define it but I know it when I see it.

[Ghoste]

John, do you consider your Viper an exotic? (and why)

[aussiemuscle]

i consider the viper exotic, but downunder they are very rare and expensive. i've seen them go for $200,000, and private imports start at 120,000  i'd love a first gen viper.

[Musicman]

Myself, I would consider the Viper an American exotic It's definitely not the status quo... Then again, our vehicles are no longer status quo either. That having been said, there may be those who would say that we are driving American exotics as well

[Ghoste]

So might it be fair to say then that the definition is somewhat intangible?  Personally, I don't know that I would put the Viper as an exotic supercar.  By my own personal definition, the fact that it is somewhat affordable (compared to an Enzo for example), somewhat readily available (compared to a Lamborghini) and perhaps above all, an actual competition vehicle.  For my own ideas, my last qualifier is what sets it (and cars like the Corvette or Porsche) apart from vehicles like the Veyron.  Although both are fantastic performers and both are status symbols I personally tend to think of the Viper as being engineered and marketed with performance and competition as key components of it's "halo car" reason for being.  Whereas when I think of an exotic supercar, I tend to think of the ownership status as being the fundamental reason.
Just me. ( two more being long winded)

[John_Kunkel]

John, do you consider your Viper an exotic? (and why)

Yes. Why? I dunno, 'cause that's the label most often pasted on them. It's looks are exotic to me but it's performance is more like a muscle car....same can be said of a Vette but they're as common as dirt so the low production plays a part in its moniker.

Trying to define the category of any car is probably the quickest way to attract controversy among motorheads, for instance the term "muscle car" is thrown around at random but, in a crowd of a hundred motorheads, I doubt if you'd find a handful that agree on exactly what constitutes a muscle car.

[Musicman]

Trying to define the category of any car is probably the quickest way to attract controversy among motorheads, for instance the term "muscle car" is thrown around at random but, in a crowd of a hundred motorheads, I doubt if you'd find a handful that agree on exactly what constitutes a muscle car.

Right you are John... but at least we can agree on the fact that none of us agree

[Ghoste]

And as long as it's respectful of the different opinions, it's still fun.

[Landonsrt]

I would classify exotics in the price range of $200,000 or more. I would classify cars with a price of a Vette (Z06, ZR1) and all Vipers as sports cars. Jeremy Clarkson also defines them this way. Anything that is super expensive and high hp as supercars, exotics.
Yeah you can get a Viper and a ZR1 with over 600hp. But who would get more attention? A guy in a Viper? Or the guy in a Gallardo?

[Ponch ®]

I agree that it's futile to try to define "an exotic". In my personal opinion though, I think it's a combination of price, performance, and mainly, production/availability. If Chevy only built 200 'vettes a year and priced them at $200,000 they would be considered 'exotics'.

[warmpancakes]

My typhoon  (gmc suv)  is considered exotic by haggerty

[Ghoste]

Okay, now we gotta draw the line somewhere.

[warmpancakes]

when The guy told me they consider it exotic my reply was "ill go with that" it keeps the insurance dirt cheap so im happy

[Landonsrt]

when The guy told me they consider it exotic my reply was "ill go with that" it keeps the insurance dirt cheap so im happy

Really? I thought it would be more. I know we were talking about low production numbers but a truck? Exotic? Hell my insurance on my 2004 SRT4 was almost $300 a month when I was 24! They just put it in the same class a Mustangs and vettes.

[warmpancakes]

265 a year  20k agreed value  theres a huge difference between a used srt and a collector car (only made 4500)plus your 24,  once you hit 25 insurance drops alot.   

[Landonsrt]

Yeah it did drop when I turned 25. And the when I got married it went down to around $90.00 a month.  The biggest decrease was when i got married. Imagine what insurance would cost on a Veyron!

[warmpancakes]

If you can afford a million dollar car does it matter

[Landonsrt]

No. But that exatcly why I cant imagine it..