I'd always thought that an expensive late model luxury car also meant a rich lifestyle with all the trappings... imposing house, staff, yacht etc.

But with so many high-end luxury cars available on relatively small monthly lease payments, it seems they're within everyone's reach. In our street - an average suburb with many average houses and a scattering of what you might call low cost mini-mansions - I have seen:

- a late model Ferrari,
- 2 SLK's (one is my wife's)
- Skyline (hmmm)
- 500SL (R107)
- 2 SL500's (one mine)
- BMW wagon

Now, our home is not expensive, but my wife and I love good cars and that's the reason for having them. We don't match the old money lifestyle, nor does anyone else in the area.

So have things changed? Are cars now just a commodity that don't have the exclusive 'rich club' ownership like the past decade?

And with the current rapid depreciation values, are we going to see more expensive cars sitting outside average homes?

Ken Silver
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~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons: http://www.kensilver.com/SL
~1999 SLK 230 Kompressor, silver /black, CD, immaculate (my wife's)
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey / grey leather, best in country!
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5 and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.