[epicchris]

I attended this event for the first time last Saturday. While I enjoyed the entire “show”, I would have to say that I’m pretty disappointed with the elitest douche-bag mentality of a lot of the attendees, as well as those members of this forum. Last I checked, this pseudo-organization was called “CARS and coffee”, not “Super Cars, Rich Guys, Elitest Jerks, and Crying Children”. If people whine about not getting to park in the main lot, like a 5 year old that didn’t get the toy he asked Santa for, WAKE UP EARLIER. Or maybe there should just be an application process right? You have to submit your specs to a council to be voted on whether or not you get a space in the main lot. Hell, let’s put a premium on the spots up at the front too — only for cars worth 500k+, right? I say change the name of this get together to “Douche and Coffee”, and the rest of us Car enthusiasts can find another lot/location to use. Or better, if you want to go see some super cars up close and personal, and don’t want to wake up at 5am, you can go here! http://www.ferrariofnewportbeach.com/ or http://www.lambonb.com/ The crazy thing is, they’re both open until 6pm! OMG!!! Leave your entitlement at home when you attend FREE events like this…

[JOYCEjr5]

@Notorious 75399 wrote:

Hey, that’s great that you guys have an event, which I see is geared more toward the classic Z’s as I thought. Maybe I should rephrase, why aren’t there events dedicated to the modern Z car?.

Yes it is great. Is it geared more toward the newer cars? f*ck no! I’ve been there and I’ve been there across multiple generations of Z’s. That event is as much relevant to the GTR/370z right now as it is to the Datsun Fairlady 1600/2000.

@Notorious 75399 wrote:

Heck, since you brought it up, why don’t you go there then where people want to see those cars?

This is where you depart from being a humble person and start sounding like an elitist douchebag. So you are basically saying, “I don’t like your car. Take your POS somewhere else”. To that I say, I have gone there, but I come here for variety…of which these cars happen to be a small band in the wide spectrum of cars. We’re not going away just because you’re pissing and moaning about it till you’re blue in the face.

@Notorious 75399 wrote:

Or better yet, how about when you have one of those Z events, let’s have a whole fleet of late model Mustangs and Camaros take up all the parking spaces for Z enthusiasts to see? I would ask the same question. What purpose is served by the Mustang/Camaro owners by doing that at a Z event?

I’d like to see someone try that because that is a really bad example to try to compare. Considering it is a paid event that you register for in advance, you pay to show your car and you are judged accordingly. HUGE difference, Z-car event/paid/judged versus CnC/free/not judged. These two are not the same and not even remotely comparable.

@Notorious 75399 wrote:

but the new gen Z’s? They are about as interesting as any other car you see everyday, if for no other reason than the mass production which is what it is.

I love the S30 and S31 as well, but….they were mass produced then. These are mass produced now, the same DNA flows through the chassis, the body lines and the spirit of the original car. Your opinion is just that, YOURS and YOURS alone. What you are saying is completely subjective. Just because you don’t like the latest iteration of the Z doesn’t mean we can’t show up. Christ it’s not like we’re there every weekend filling your precious parking spaces that belong to Mazda i might add…a mass producer of japanese cars.

@Notorious 75399 wrote:

Put it another way, I just want to clarify if you guys are doing it because you think your cars are interesting and should be an exhibit item or you doing it just because you can?

Well it’s both. Both conditions need to be satisfied….if i didn’t give a **** about my car, I wouldn’t bring it, period. If the organizers said sorry we’re full or we can’t let you in…then I can respect that, because they run this thing. If i get in and some other car doesn’t regardless of it’s value/rarity/modifications…then that is the price of having an informal event.

@Notorious 75399 wrote:

Heck, if you have an interesting car, by all means, but nobody seems to be able to answer that question

If you knew anything about car culture here you’d know that explaining why one person is passionate about their car to another is truly a waste of time. Words are never sufficient, it’s something you can only gain an appreciation for by experiencing it. So what WE do as car enthusiasts is we sit back and do our best to appreciate all enthusiasts and their cars (even you)…it is possible to do that you know, even in the illustrious domain of the sacred cow that is Cars and Coffee. On another note not everyone has access to all these cars, all the time…so even though to you seeing another Z is like seeing yet another butthole. It might not be that way for someone who hasn’t, hell there are lots of people out there who still think Nissan is making the 300zx/350z.

Notice how none of us question why you park in the lot? It’s because we don’t care what you drive…it could be a Jaguar XJ13 or it could be a 2013 Honda Civic, you’re allowed to do what you want and show your car if that happens to be your desire.

[Anonymous]

As usual, perhaps a bit of perspective would be beneficial. I encourage everyone with an opinion to read this post from 2009.

While doing some digging, I found several items I found interesting, so I started a new thread on history/origins of Cars & Coffee. I think many here will find it of interest too.

On an unrelated note, why the heck does this forum not add any kind of indicator to hyperlinks? I have to add my own formatting if I want people to know there’s a link embedded.

[Anonymous]

To address the current topic more directly, since the organizers don’t seem to be active on the forum anyone seeking “official” answers is probably only going to get opinions with varying reliability. The bottom line is who gets in is determined by the nice lady that seems to be always working the entrance. All other discussion is just opinions on what the gathering should be, not necessarily what it actually is.

[epicchris]

@Evan78 75426 wrote:

read this post from 2009.

Well, that does put some things into perspective. Reading between the lines it basically says that this is public show for exotics. I was under a different impression and will not be bringing my car back since I’d rather that space be used for Royalty and not the general Serf population.

[Anonymous]

@Neckmeats 75430 wrote:

Well, that does put some things into perspective. Reading between the lines it basically says that this is public show for exotics. I was under a different impression and will not be bringing my car back since I’d rather that space be used for Royalty and not the general Serf population.

That’s not what I took away from it. I found this paragraph most relevant:

What makes it “of interest?” How to define “unusual?” You’d get lots of opinions on that. One suggestion we’ve heard is… cars that aren’t driven to work every day. If it’s a car that is driven every day, odds are, it’s not a car that will get people out of bed at 6 a.m. on a Saturday. Of course there will be a few exceptions (we won’t penalize you if you drive your Talbot-Lotus to work), but that can be a general guide. If you remember the original Crystal Cove gathering, they did get to the point of excluding cars. We are trying to avoid that and we have only turned away cars when we are full. We rely on people to “self-police” in their awareness as enthusiasts that a car you’d see in the shopping center parking lot on a Tuesday is probably not a top priority for the exhibitor lot at C&C. Such a car shouldn’t be taking a space on Saturday morning that would require us to turn away a Goggomobil, a Jaguar XK-120, a Bugatti Veyron or a Ferrari 599. It shouldn’t prevent us from allowing a manufacturer to reveal their latest hotly-anticipated model like the Honda Clarity, Fiat 500, or Nissan GT-R, or perhaps a manufacturer’s concept car(s) or a ????? because the lot is full. Those cars DESERVE to have an exhibit spot. We’re all about interesting AND unusual cars. We’re discussing a lot of solutions including using the spectator lots more creatively.

I think the part about not being driven everyday is a decent indicator of how special or interesting a car might be. He uses several examples that are not exotics. They are examples of cars not commonly seen on the road (at the time of his statement of course).

[epicchris]

@Evan78 75437 wrote:

I think the part about not being driven everyday is a decent indicator of how special or interesting a car might be. He uses several examples that are not exotics. They are examples of cars not commonly seen on the road (at the time of his statement of course).

Well, my car is a daily driver and if I owned a MP4-12C I’d probably make that my new daily driver. It just seems like the implication is that if the car is collectible or extremely expensive, than that’s what one would bring to CnC. I have no problem with that, and it makes sense, however I was told that any and all cars were welcome. A lot of people on these forums mention that variety suffers when people bring their unexceptional cars, but I fear that if the entire lot was full of super cars, it would achieve the same level of monotony. But, like I said, it makes sense that if original idea of the gathering was for viewing of rare and extraordinary cars then people really shouldn’t bring their crunkers. Instead, they should gather with other owners of said crunkers some place else. For instance, I will probably bring my car to events that are more friendly for my make/model rather than take up the precious highbrow space that makes up the Mazda lot. No love lost, it’s still a really cool event 🙂

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the snootiest people are just a vocal minority. I’m not part of the CNC culture since I’ve only attended about a dozen times over several years and haven’t made any friends there. I’ve chatted with people occasionally and found everyone friendly, but since my sample is so small, I have no idea what the typical attendee is like. As I said before, you might find the experience at the driveway to be different than here on the forum. It sounds to me like lots of the posts on this particular subject might be more “What I want CNC to be” than “What the rules of CNC are“. I also think it varies by day. The bottom line is it is subjective, so one day you may get in and another you won’t. It would be great to say “we have unlimited space, everyone is welcome”, but that’s not the reality. Would you be happy to learn that one of your favorite cars had to park in the structure and you missed it because a fairly common late model car is parked in the display lot, maybe dressed up with aftermarket wheels and window tint?

[benzjed]

@Z06-LITE 75412 wrote:

If I applied the “waiting for something better to come along” logic to everyday life, I would still be waiting for a wife and I am almost 67 years old. If a car enthusiast is willing to get up early ro show his ABCD or whatever brand car, let him or her in the main lot. The other lots are for late arrivals no matter the brands. Just because a person can afford to buy or pay someone else to build a killer car, does not give them the right to show up whenever and be given priority parking. Just my 2 cents worth…..

Nope, again, you have missed the point. It’s not priority parking, it’s parking your vehicle which suits the purpose of the gathering versus having spaces needlessly taken up by people who just want to “HAVE A PRESENCE”.

[benzjed]

@Neckmeats 75420 wrote:

I attended this event for the first time last Saturday. While I enjoyed the entire “show”, I would have to say that I’m pretty disappointed with the elitest douche-bag mentality of a lot of the attendees, as well as those members of this forum. Last I checked, this pseudo-organization was called “CARS and coffee”, not “Super Cars, Rich Guys, Elitest Jerks, and Crying Children”. If people whine about not getting to park in the main lot, like a 5 year old that didn’t get the toy he asked Santa for, WAKE UP EARLIER. Or maybe there should just be an application process right? You have to submit your specs to a council to be voted on whether or not you get a space in the main lot. Hell, let’s put a premium on the spots up at the front too — only for cars worth 500k+, right? I say change the name of this get together to “Douche and Coffee”, and the rest of us Car enthusiasts can find another lot/location to use. Or better, if you want to go see some super cars up close and personal, and don’t want to wake up at 5am, you can go here! http://www.ferrariofnewportbeach.com/ or http://www.lambonb.com/ The crazy thing is, they’re both open until 6pm! OMG!!! Leave your entitlement at home when you attend FREE events like this…

Again, nobody is saying that but you and the Z crowd. This self effacing to the extreme is nothing but straw man argument at its finest. Nobody set a price limit, but there should be an unusual or curio factor which elicits response.

Are there people who would get up at 5am to see a bunch of late model Z cars? Sure there are. But I doubt it is what wakes people up for CnC, especially the ones who travel from far away or even out of state to come to the event they have heard of.

@Neckmeats 75430 wrote:

Well, that does put some things into perspective. Reading between the lines it basically says that this is public show for exotics. I was under a different impression and will not be bringing my car back since I’d rather that space be used for Royalty and not the general Serf population.

There it is again, the argument that takes it to the extreme that it’s all or nothing. I doubt there are many royalty in attendance and nobody is a serf in America. Nobody is saying that other than you guys.

As for the person who talks about entitlement… sounds like you guys are the ones with the entitlement mentality that if you want to be let in, you have to be let in, no matter what the purpose of the event is and everyone else can suck it.

And for you guys not asking me what I drive, I never brought up what I drive. It’s not the point, because I am not the one that is looking to “roll deep” with my crew of stock late model cars to take up space for no reason.

If you want to explain your passion for your car, I am all ears. However, the overwhelming response seems to be just because you can, and you want a “PRESENCE”, which you still have not explained. I appreciate all cars and those who are passionate about their cars, but that is irrelevant in this discussion. I can be enthusiastic about my Dodge Ram truck which I use as a daily driver because I love the Hemi engine and the utility, and there are lots of truck enthusiasts, but I don’t think I will ever try to park with ten other stock Dodge Ram trucks at CnC just to have a “PRESENCE”.

[epicchris]

@Notorious 75450 wrote:

As for the person who talks about entitlement… sounds like you guys are the ones with the entitlement mentality that if you want to be let in, you have to be let in, no matter what the purpose of the event is and everyone else can suck it.

I didn’t have a problem getting in since I came early, nor did I say anything about people “having” to be let in. I simply stated that if you want to get your car in, then show up early. I don’t think it’s right to tell others to not show up so that there are spaces available for the super cars that either show up late or MAY show up even later. If you want to see more exotics, get a hold of the owners and beg, grovel, and bribe them to get there early so you can satisfy your status envy sooner. Otherwise, don’t hold the non-super car owners accountable for the laziness of the rich. As far as the entitlement is concerned, I mentioned that I won’t bring my car to the event anymore since the original concept of the meet-up is for cars rarer than mine. I don’t see how that would make me entitled, but you may be talking about the Z owner? Either way, if they get there before the guy in the Veyron, because he decided to show up at 8 – OH WELL! Seems pretty simple to me and shouldn’t warrant a huge thread like this.

[benzjed]

@Neckmeats 75458 wrote:

I didn’t have a problem getting in since I came early, nor did I say anything about people “having” to be let in. I simply stated that if you want to get your car in, then show up early. I don’t think it’s right to tell others to not show up so that there are spaces available for the super cars that either show up late or MAY show up even later. If you want to see more exotics, get a hold of the owners and beg, grovel, and bribe them to get there early so you can satisfy your status envy sooner. Otherwise, don’t hold the non-super car owners accountable for the laziness of the rich. As far as the entitlement is concerned, I mentioned that I won’t bring my car to the event anymore since the original concept of the meet-up is for cars rarer than mine. I don’t see how that would make me entitled, but you may be talking about the Z owner? Either way, if they get there before the guy in the Veyron, because he decided to show up at 8 – OH WELL! Seems pretty simple to me and shouldn’t warrant a huge thread like this.

A few of the comments were toward the Z car contingent… and it appears they may have cross-posted this in their Z forum and gotten a few of their people to chime in since a lot of the posters in this thread are new and only have a few posts, all in this thread. Guess they feel strongly about this, eh?

Any car that meets the intent and criteria of the show should be let in on a first come first serve basis, no doubt. There is no reserved parking inside, ONCE you are let inside.

The whole thing got way out of proportion when I posed a simple question, “WHAT PURPOSE WOULD IT SERVE TO PARK TEN Z CARS IN CnC?”

From that, without any other input from me, it went all out to impute snobbery from me and spiraled to royalty versus serfs and everything in between.

If you get there earlier than me, and you probably do, and you get let in the show because the gatekeeper decides your car is something of interest, and that’s the last space and I have to wait, that’s cool. Whatever. It is what it is.

But more often than not, there is a big row of exotics or classics or whatever that fits the spirit of CnC waiting in line to be let in when spaces become available… and guess what… cars that don’t necessarily fit the mold are in there, taking up space.

Instead of complaining about me or anyone else about car snobbery, why not turn it around and talk about those people and their outward projecting insecurity about their cars or their misguided sense of worth of their cars that nobody else finds interesting but them? Things aren’t always so one sided and they are not always the victims just because they drive mundane cars. It’s not my fault they drive the car they do, just like it’s not their fault that I drive the car I do.

Unlike some posters here, I have never wanted or declared that I am going to roll deep with a whole crew of my people to the event just to “HAVE A PRESENCE”, without explaining how that helps the event. Sounds like a lot of misguided teenage angst and anger at the world for no reason so I am going to barge in wherever I want and show all of you what’s up.

Heck, PriusChat might decide to roll in with 35 of those hybrids to “HAVE A PRESENCE” and those owners are as passionate about their cars as anyone else. What the heck does that even mean? I still don’t get it. It’s a simple question.

[Anonymous]

@Evan78 75413 wrote:

So you married the first woman you dated and are happy you didn’t wait for something better to come along? You’re luckier than most people.

Just playing devil’s advocate here for the fun of it. 😉

Actually, we did not get together until I was 62 y/o.

[benzjed]

@Z06-LITE 75523 wrote:

Actually, we did not get together until I was 62 y/o.

You are a patient man.

[epicchris]

@Notorious 75465 wrote:

Instead of complaining about me or anyone else about car snobbery, why not turn it around and talk about those people and their outward projecting insecurity about their cars or their misguided sense of worth of their cars that nobody else finds interesting but them?

Well, I have a beautiful 2001 Pontiac Aztek that I think would look really interesting and awesome next to an F40. Hey, Aztek owners, let’s take up a few rows at CnC and show em why Pontiac reigns supreme!!! Either that, or I can bring my rusted Datsun 620! It gets lots of looks! Or maybe a 1985 Celebrity wagon – I find those to be super interesting. Ah screw it, I’ll bring my 370Z to the next one. I agree, there just aren’t enough Z cars at the show. Ok, Aztek guys, leave it at home. LET’S BRING THE Z’s!!!!

[Author]

Posts