A vintage Rolls or Bentley...
- Ray
Not likely...

If I HAD to show off; it would have to be either the Bentley GTC or Aston Martin DBS.

That said; I wouldn't show off to try and impress the former classmates. To me, such behavior is for those who are insecure and desperately needs to convince the world of something.

That said; have fun at the reunion. Let us know how all the ex-girlfriends and jealous buddies respond to the Ford GT.

"If you could pick any vehicle, what would you drive to your high school reunion?"

Yikes, what a question. I'd probably take the Aston Martin DBS as well, but more just because I personally want to drive it. For the pure sake of showing off, some form of Lambo would likely be better. If we want to be really ridiculous, the Koenigsegg CCX is probably the most badass car out there today.

http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2007/2007-Koenigsegg-CCX-Front-And-Side-1280x960.jpg

In all seriousness though, I'd be quite happy with my Mini Cooper.

Ten years ago, I did just that for my 30th class reunion: Rode my Harley Springer, walked in to the reunion with my club colors on my back (to absolute shocked, dead, silence).

Within five minutes of getting there, the class bully who'd made my junior and senior high years absolute misery had apologized. From that point on, it was an evening that couldn't have gone better - including taking one of the cheerleaders back to my motel room when the evening was done.

Discovered that I'd lived a lot more interesting 30 years than 99% of my graduating class, and the old saw "living well is the best revenge" is probably one of the ultimate truths of mankind.

So much for my reputation as the class dweeb.

Not going back this year for the 40th. What's the point?

I was not available for my 20th class reunion but maybe for the 25th class reunion. I'll take a beat up taxi cab.

a Delorean.....straight up...I do not lie...
and I graduated in 1996 too....... so I'm not from the time when DMC's were "the car to have"...

the only detail I would need to have met is that the car would need to be stick...that is all..

PEACE
ISAAC

I know the common thing to do at a high-school reunion is "show off" by arriving at the reunion with some really nice classy car (kind of a cliche, I think)...

But I say to hell with that (why just be another predictable cliche?). If I could show up to my class reunion in ANY car, I'd show up in my 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger 2 dr that I had while I was in high school, and drove it there every day during my junior and senior years, no matter how bad it was snowing - it never once let me down, and everyone knew me by that car (for better or worse lol).

That car is unfortunately long gone now, but if I could find (or borrow) another one just like it, you bet that's the car I'd arrive in.

Since my 20th is well in the future- perhaps a ZR1.

If there's beer there, probably a taxi.

Showing off...sounds like someone needs to get past high school mentality...nomatter how much cash he has. It's fine to do unless you're there to prove some kind of point to people who just might not care.

I choose to show up in my Toyota.

Karl,
Thanks so much for reminding me that 2011 and my 20th is just around the corner! Darn me for buying that 07 Civic instead of holding off -- a couple more raises and I could have justified an A4, at least!

But I'm certainly in better shape than I was in high school (skinny then)... so I'll just show off by looking better than the other guys. ;)

Lotus Elise. It's rare (no one else will show up in one) yet simple, nice, but not too nice.

Any luxury car equivalent to or above the E-class would do the job. Or a Range Rover.

If I wanted to make a splash with a new car I would go with the car I most covet - a red Ferrari F430 Spyder. It might be fun to go with the cars that were my dream cars back in high school: Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer or a Lancia Stratos.

Rental car. 100% of my graduating class of 200 attended college. Of that group it'd be really hard to impress anyone with a car - especially when you consider most of them had brand new cars at 16-17 (Porsches, 300ZXs, Camaros, 3000GTs, etc).

I sure wouldn't drive any of our cars to Sacra-hell-o, anyway. 1100 miles even in the Cooper = $170 in gas. Heck we could practically fly there for that much. Combine time savings of about 12 hours and I can't see a viable reason to drive v fly.

Of course, why anyone would go to a high school reunion eludes me. I left town and left them behind for good.

I'll probably end up going to my 10th in my Miata. It was a snobby school and I ended up being known for my anti-brand bent, and for switching between serious and silly modes in class. If it's inevitable to be judged by the car you pull up in, the Miata would do well, in my case.

To those sniffing that showing off at one's class reunion is childish behavior: Why the h*ll not? That's the whole purpose of a class reunion. To see who's gone where and done what.

When you went through school as the class geek, the guy who no girl would be caught talking to, much less going out with, overcompensating badly and trying to fit in (you know, that stock character in all those teen movies), it feels d*mned good to go back having had an interesting and enjoyable life and discover that all those cool kids got stuck on the mommy/daddy track decades ago - or even better, peaked on graduation day.

I hadn't intended on going to mine, but got back in town the same weekend to meet with my brothers in the old club. What worked out was sheer kharma - six years of misery was balanced out in one night. A Hollywood scriptwriter couldn't have plotted a better evening.

I guess I have four years to save up for my Bentley Continental GTC. If my husband drives, I guess will be taking his M-B S-class. If it were tomorrow, I guess we would opt to take the minivan over the Scion. At the ten year, we showed up in my new Nissan Altima.

My 10th was in 2005 and I drove our then new to us 2002 S2000, it only had about 3500 miles on it at the time.

If I could pick any car currently available Id have to go with the Carrera GT. That car gives me SERIOUS goose bumps.

Syke, wow. I attended a private catholic college prep so we didn't really have much that mirrored any John Hughes' movies or Grosse Point Blank. No hard feelings toward any of the peeps. I assume most of the guys did as well or better than their parents. Either way, their success or lack thereof will neither invalidate nor bolster your life. Show up and peacock but the next morning you're still the same person.

If anything it might be more fun to go and just lie like crazy about prison time in Canada, losing your virginity to a 300 lbs Sandinista in a hut and working as a litter-carrier for a wealthy Greek woman who referred to you as Mooni.

Besides the obvious fact that this is a company owned car, you should google what psychiatrists have to say about people who feel they need wealth displays to gain respect. You might decide to take the Mazda3 instead.

Seems like 20 years isn't enough to get some people past high school, mentally at least.

It isn't a company car, but you'd have to be a long-time addict to know that.

"......Either way, their success or lack thereof will neither invalidate nor bolster your life. Show up and peacock but the next morning you're still the same person."

Very true, blueguy. And if I had a high school reunion NOW I'd just go with my Protege5.

But Karl's question is "if you could have any car"..... If I could have any car, I would definitely take a luxury car.....S-Class, Range Rover or Escalade Hybrid. RS4 and M3 would be strong candidates too! I really like these cars, and it doesn't hurt that they offer lots of prestige too! ;)

blackadder,

Prestige from cars that just about anyone can:

1. rent
2. lease
3. buy used and/or sporting the sexy salvaged title

Mercury Comet GT
1972 vintage
Orange
black interior

Blueguy, let's see:

1. Rent. Well, there is no prestige in renting the car because it just shows the renter can't afford it. And besides, most rental companies rent out only Lincolns and Cadillacs......I'm yet to see a 3-series for rent.

2. Lease. Accroding to the STRATEGIES FOR SMART CAR BUYERS, a BMW can be leased for "as little as $429 a month". That's the price of many new cars. Personally, I'd rather buy a loaded Mazda 6 with that money, but if anybody is willing to spend that kind of money on a luxury car they won't own then they must be rich!

3. Buying a luxury car used is just like renting.....it just shows the buyer can't afford it! Personally, I think it's better to buy new car (when one can afford it) so I'd rather buy a "lesser" car new than buy a BMW used! As in Case 2, I'd opt for a loaded new Mazda 6 instead. The only case I think buying a used BMW makes sense is if the buyer is an enthusiast and is buying it for the driving experience........

Well, there's no denying that luxury cars offer prestige. Will you ever see Donald Trump driving a Nissan? No, because it's not prestigious enough......it's "below" him. When I see a person driving an Escalade, I assume he/she bought it.

Anyway, like I said earlier, I really like those cars I listed. Prestige in not the only reason I listed them.....

Seeing as my 5-year is coming up in two years, and I'm not eligible, allow me to dream...

I figure, if your going to drop money to attempt to show off ... why not go all the way? I'd love to roll up in any modern Lamborghini, heck, I'd even take a yellow E-gear Gallardo.

If you do actually have millions in your Dutch back account or are a Hedge Fund Manager, why bother showing up? There must be more important things to worry about. Having just proven that both extremes are moot, I find it hard to find middle ground on this subject, I mean, who rents an early 90s Ferrari 348?

Clearly I still have some kinks to work out. But again ... my 5-year is still two years away.

I couldn't afford most of the cars....

but in some cities, cough chicago, I coudl rent a lambo, sure its ~1-2 grand a day. But considering I haven't seen most/all of the people in high school, who are they to know any better.

then again, i'm skipping my 10 year reunion. I didn't care for most of the people there, The people I liked and was friends with, I still talk to. The others, I feel no need to prove anything to anyone.

Pulling up in an outrageous vehicle to impress people I haven't seen in twenty years just smacks of effort, which is sooo uncool. One would hope that we'd have more to talk about than what kind of car we drive. Unless, that is, you're an automotive journalist. Then you kinda have to pull up in something completely off the hook.

But if I had to pick a car that strikes a balance, an S6 is my ideal car. It's understated, is pricy but not obscenely pricy. And it has a Lambo engine, so it impresses guys who know about these things but is under the radar of everyone else. Women like guys who drive Audis, regardless of the engine.

Can I borrow the '70 for my 10 year? Everyone knew that I was the MOPAR guy in my small town. (I now work for MOPAR, Do what you love!) I don't have a classic yet. Although I have a mud runner that is great. Any classic MOPAR and yes I will say that an Orange 440 powered 68 or 69 Charger would probably take the cake. 727 transmission or 4 speed, I'm not picky.

blueguydotcom,

While driving up in something impressive, or walking through the door as a gennuwine bad-ass em-effer is a cool showoff, the height of the evening was what started out as a quiet conversation with my female equivalent in the class.

Comparing notes over the prior thirty years, I'm talking about getting blitzed backstage with Iggy Pop at the Agora in Cleveland (Raw Power tour), learning traditional folk music from John Renbourne of Pentagle at an after concert party, and she's coming back with two years on the Alaskan whaling fleet, various mounting climbing experience both in NA and Europe . . . . .

. . . . . . . and we suddenly realize that every other conversation within thirty feet of has stopped and we're being listened to with jaws wiping the floor. At which point we smile, figure "not bad for the class dweebs" and have another drink.

At that point, the Harley was pure counterpoint.

ne1butu2, isn't BMW is the car that gets all the attention from the ladies? Especially here in the US where Audis are relatively unknown/unpopular.....

blackadder5639:

You'd be surprised at the types of cars you can rent. L.A. is full of companies that rent the usual exotics.

I work in Lebanon, a country with a huge diaspora. Most of the young men work in the Gulf, which is ever more full of oil money. Anyway, these guys come back for the summer and rent Ferraris just to show off in front of the girls and family. I was at my coffee shop a few weeks ago, and a yellow F430 was parked outside the car rental company next door with a huge "RENT ME" placard on the top. I love Ferraris...but it would just feel too high school to drive around in that thing.

Warren Buffet always drove unflashy domestic sedans...Lincolns, Buicks, etc. I think I recently heard he recently moved up to a Cadillac DTS. If I ever went back for a reunion (unlikely), I'll just show up in a slightly used Town Car -- in my case, with two child seats clamped in back.

I've always been more of a nerd/geek/dork than car guy honestly but I do love cars just the same. Hoping I have some money by then (I graduated 2 or so years ago) I'd like to be driving a ferrari/lamborghini or something along those lines. I could always rent the local rolls royce (guy rents out his 60s rolls) sweet car.

Assuming that showing off in a fancy car is proof of deep psychological issues would be like assuming people who dislike the idea are the people who know they'll never have that option...

Since I'm going in both the car I owned in high school (and was known for) along with another car I own now (note the word "rent" doesn't appear in that phrase) I think I'm confirming that I'm still the car guy I was 20 years ago - and I've done okay at it.

Some classmates will be surprised, some will be fascinated, and some won't care. Don't know the percentages of each group, and I don't really care myself. It was a great excuse to drive the car across a big swath of this great country while it's still under warranty, and it will be great fun to rap with the classmates who are fascinated by the car - even if it's only two of them.

Let's not try to attach so many deep-seated "issues" to it, hmmm?

Hello Karl:

I think it's possible to show up in a fancy car and not seem as if you have psychological issues....but the fancier the car, the harder it is to pull off. But some people can do it. For some, a fancy car really does seem as if it's a natural extension of their personality, while others will seem as if they're trying too hard.

I'm sure you'll "wear" both of your cars very well. Enjoy that reunion!

Hello Karl:

I think it's possible to show up in a fancy car and not seem as if you have psychological issues....but the fancier the car, the harder it is to pull off. But some people can do it. For some, a fancy car really does seem as if it's a natural extension of their personality, while others will seem as if they're trying too hard.

I'm sure you'll "wear" both of your cars very well. Enjoy that reunion!

I'm so used to highly modded cars that my standards for acceleration and handling are far beyond most production cars. I just don't feel safe in anything much less, so I will likely always drive something crazy. So, I can always pull off a fast car like a Ferrari. Now something like a Rolls Royce Phantom, I'd have to pass on... definitely NOT me! I'd be the biggest poseur if I rolled up in that.

Given that my 20-year reunion will be in 2021, I'll perhaps take the latest BMW hydrogen hybrid hover car, or if I'm the most optomistic, how about driving either my BMW Z8 or Aston Martin DBS.