OK, I get that the 2008 Audi R8 is a totally hot-looking car. Even as I saw it while sitting in another car caravaning behind it, I couldn't help but drool, and I've already ridden in it for over 1,000 miles. And I know that of course people are bound to be curious about it. You don't see many of these on the road. But we've encountered sooo many a-holes on the I-5 because of it. I'm talking people who are cutting off other motorists just to drive beside it, who tailgate us, who squat in our blindspots while on the highway so we can't switch lanes when we need to.
So I thought I'd create a wall of shame, if you will, of said motorists who gave me a glimpse of what it must be like to be a celebutard being hounded by paparazzi. These are only the worst of the offenders.
Jetta GLI driver on the way to Seattle:
We encountered this douchebag on the I-5 after leaving Corvallis, Oregon. He just came out of nowhere at full speed and nearly rear-ended the other car in the lane beside us. He then cut us off, swinging past our front end pretty close. Basshole!
But that wasn't the end of it. He stayed in the left lane and then adjusted for a slow cruising speed. But every time we ended up in front of him, whether in another lane or in the left lane, here he'd come again, driving erratically and unsafely. We didn't know what to do. We couldn't get rid of him. He'd always drive just slow enough so we'd end up passing him and then would seem to get angry when we did.
Finally, when a long stretch of highway opened up before us, we accelerated deep into the triple digits (after we turned onto a closed track of course) putting a lot of distance between us and Le Douche. Unfortunately, before we could sigh with relief, here he was again, going full speed and aiming for our rear. Wtf? If he was in a sports car, I could sorta understand what he was getting at, but in a Jetta? So I turned around and shot a couple of pictures of him with my Canon G9 which I guess looks more official than a point and shoot because he veered off quickly to the right lane and took the next exit.
7 Series driver on the way to Eugene, Oregon:
This guy with his wife and small daughter started off as an eager admirer of the R8, committing those offenses I had mentioned at the top of the post.
But then things inexplicably went in the other direction when, after pulling off on a closed track and flooring it to get away, the 7 Series driver came tearing out of the bank of cars behind us, gunning for us. I could see him from miles away dancing around the other cars as his bright xenons gave him away. He finally reached us and sat on our tail for miles even as we switched lanes.
So we tried another tactic and dropped our speed to 60 mph, a crawl in the 70-mph zone, especially in this car. He zoomed past us til he was a little bit ahead of us and then applied his brakes, trying to match our slowww speed. And then he blipped his windshield wipers so that the cleanser sprayed us. "I don't know if he did that on purpose," said Jay, "but I don't know what we did to anger him." "You think maybe it's because I took his picture?" I asked meekly. "Ohh yeahhh. Hm," he replied. We were finally able to get rid of him by exiting toward Eugene.
In any case, if you see our R8 on the road, it's OK to look and admire but please keep your eyes on the road, too.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor
slickersdrip says:
04:55 PM, 07/ 9/08
Suddenly it doesn't seem so awful to have Integras, Civics, and Celicas riding my ass all the time and revving their grapefruit launcher exhausts at my SRT-4 at every stoplight.
xbjay says:
05:24 PM, 07/ 9/08
It doesn't require sports cars to attract douchebags. I drive a first generation xB and I drive over speed limit, yet still manage to get tailgated on day to day basis. i kinda lost a passion for driving.. it must be that i live in douchebag-ville (San Jose, CA) or either i guess 55mph on city streets is not fast enough.
m_thrizzle says:
05:27 PM, 07/ 9/08
Wow, those are some weird people doing weird things.
lazyhater says:
05:47 PM, 07/ 9/08
Don't worry, I won't even look at any R8 if I come across one on the street, it is the ugliest semi-exotic car on the market in my opinion.
That side bandaid looking trim piece is vomit inducing.
And in my neighborhood, I am surrounded daily by 599 GTB, F430, 512TR, DB9/DBS, Vantage, Vanquish, 997 Turbo, Gallardo, Murcielago, Veyron.........why would I look at a lowly ugly R8?
jaguar8 says:
06:44 PM, 07/ 9/08
lol funny....
cah11705 says:
06:46 PM, 07/ 9/08
i would love to see one of these but wouldnt do something so stupid and selfish
ive been passed by a murcielago and i just watching it fly by and wished i could see it longer...
tmanz says:
07:06 PM, 07/ 9/08
Wow, people seem to be really threatened by the R8. How dare you have the nerve to drive that car on the same road as them. You must be saying that you think you are better than them. They will show you that you aren't. (has anyone keyed it in a parking lot yet?)
I love the expressions on the faces of the people in the VW.
Great example the BMW driver is setting for his kid. Here's a depressing thought, that kid will be grown up someday and raising their own kid, based on what was instilled in them as a kid. They've learned that behavior like that is something that is acceptable and good to do.
Frightening that the idiots of today are raising kids that will be even one generation worse when they grow up.
You probably don't want to attract the attention from them either but did you think of dialing information for the number for the Highway patrol in the area?
the_big_al says:
07:24 PM, 07/ 9/08
If you take the I5 corridor back to Cali you'll pass right through my town in So. Oregon. I might just happen to see you. I promise to swerve in front of you and let one of my ladders fly off. You can test the R8's slalom in real life. :D :D
huyracing says:
07:41 PM, 07/ 9/08
I've had a guy in a car transporter get next to me and pace me for miles to stare at my car, making me miss my exit. (too much traffic to simply step on the gas and lose him) I've had people follow me for 20 minutes from the freeway to my house to try and race me at every light. Usually when its a slow unmodded car in persuit of you, it is simply them wanting to see and hear the car speed away. It is annoying really, but it is the price you pay. On the bright side, if so many people like your car, then so do cops and that means you can get away with a lot. Yes, a beautiful car is the great equalizer if you don't happen to be a beautiful woman or a celebrity...
speeder31 says:
08:18 PM, 07/ 9/08
This is an incredible post. More, please! How about one for the Smart?
BTW, I truly resent 7-Series drivers. Well, most newer BMW drivers...but particularly the ones with full-tilt $60K+ models. They think they own the road, unlike us mellow vintage drivers...lol.
ewilfong says:
08:42 PM, 07/ 9/08
Snapping photos of annoying drivers is a great idea, assuming they don't become paranoid and try to kill you. Perhaps someone should set up a whole wall of shame website.
Regarding the first driver, I encounter the constantly speeding up and slowing down kind of driver regularly on road trips, and I don't drive an exciting car. I usually set my cruise control at about 71 if the speed limit is 65 and traffic is light. I do my best to stay in the right lane unless I'm passing. But inevitably I find some person traveling about 68 (apparently w/o cruise control), only to find him speeding up as I come alongside. No problem, I say, and return to the right lane behind him. Guess what? He slows down again. So I try to pass again. Uh, he speeds up again. This time I kick the cruise up a couple of notches to compensate and pass him. Now he's riding my bumper, and I'm going 74. Eventually he passes. Fine, I say, go on about your business. The distance stretches between us. I return my cruise to 71 and forget about him. Until ten minutes later, when he's in the right lane again going 68, and I'm creeping up on his bumper. The dance begins again. Next time I'll have my wife start snapping pictures.
bemanix88 says:
08:44 PM, 07/ 9/08
I thought that 7 series was an Accord. Yikes. I don't know if that's bad for Honda, or bad for BMW. Or if I just such at identifying cars.
Hey, at least you guys don't seem to have to deal with douchebaggery from cops. It seems like they have all been pretty cool to you. As for me, I drive an orange Honda Fit with aftermarket wheels and springs and I'm a young Asian college guy. Cop douchebaggery > regular people douchebaggery, ANYDAY.
bemanix88 says:
08:45 PM, 07/ 9/08
^^^
That was meant to say "I suck at identifying cars".
speedingclass says:
10:33 PM, 07/ 9/08
Shouldn't they be SO happy! They are famous now! :). But they seem to be really unsafe. Maybe Edmunds should create a article on these people and tell drivers to not be like this.
BMW 7 Series drivers are somehow mean. They honk and do weird stuff! This is only probably a few of them, but that's how it is for me.
jasond52 says:
05:41 AM, 07/10/08
You know what they say about BMW drivers and porcupines?
dougtheeng says:
06:00 AM, 07/10/08
I like reading lazyhater's posts because every time I see his handle, I laugh, lol. He definitely matches his name to his posts!
Those are great examples of idiots on the road, I think its great that you made this post. If only people would change/learn from it.
stingray454 says:
07:01 AM, 07/10/08
There are some strange people on the road. The problem is, you never know if these weirdos are on drugs, or are just insane. Be careful out there!
lazyhater says:
08:49 AM, 07/10/08
"I like reading lazyhater's posts because every time I see his handle, I laugh, lol. He definitely matches his name to his posts!"
haha.....thank you. I take that as a compliment, I am who I am, I tell it like it is, I don't care what anyone think of how I think or what I do. I am lazy and I do hate everything, even all the things that I own, simply because there are pros and cons to EVERYTHING. NOTHING in this world is perfect, so I make fun of everything. Especially things that people think is so ungodly, so amazing....give me a break, it is mostly hype. So there, I explained myself :)
crowb says:
08:59 AM, 07/10/08
"Finally, when a long stretch of highway opened up before us, we accelerated deep into the triple digits (after we turned onto a closed track of course)"
I love that line. Very entertaining.
You should pick a '98 tan Camry somewhere on the highway and do to that unsuspecting motorist what everyone else does to the R8. Just pretend to drooooooool over that Camry. Gasp, point, stare! Maybe even follow them when they take an exit for fuel. Pull up, ask questions, leer at the car with barely restrained envy.
"Man, that ride is sooooo choice! Does it have the interior pieces that are coming unglued due to age and heat, and what about the broken interior door handles? That is SA-WEET! You, Sir, are one lucky so and so!"
mnorm1 says:
09:47 AM, 07/10/08
"I thought that 7 series was an Accord." At first glance I did too. Not good for either of them.
greenpony says:
10:58 AM, 07/10/08
You get crazy drivers no matter where you are. I've encountered more than enough, very similar to your experiences in the R8 -- although in more plebian automobiles. You find yourself thinking.. What did I do to piss this person off? Are they on drugs, or drunk? Do they have a gun? Are they going to crash into me? It's times like that, when people seem intent on causing a collision, that you dread that even your best driving skills might not be enough to avoid a dangerous situation. My typical response is to slow down and/or pull over -- that usually eliminates any chances of a collision (unless of course they follow you...).
I like your idea of photographing the offenders. I'm going to adopt that idea.
Michelle Magoffin says:
01:28 PM, 07/10/08
On the way to Vegas once, my husband and I saw this crazy looking car we couldn't identify way up ahead of us. Since we were on an straight stretch of nothing for miles and miles, we sped up like mad to catch up, pulled alongside to get a better look, gave him a nod, and then slipped in behind him for the rest of the drive across miles of nothing. I don't even remember what it was now.
zmass says:
04:25 PM, 07/10/08
Why would people do that? I dont understand, why would the get mad and try to cut you off and stuff
sealclubb3r says:
01:19 PM, 07/12/08
heh, sometimes I feel like like I'm guilty of the whole speeding up/slowing down thing, but at least I've got a good reason. I usually don't drive with cruise control and I try to keep a constant throttle pressure while driving on the highway for better fuel economy. So that means in a 60 mph zone I'll usually slow down to about 50 going up hills and speed up past 75 going down hills. I hope I don't piss too many people off doing this!