I do not mind buying a car to put in the family 'pool' of cars for the teen to drive, but he does have to pay to help operate and maintain the car. I am willing to do this because of labor laws as it is hard for a teen under 16 to get any degree of steady income, at least where we live. Now if he wants car 'X' than that is his to purchase and operate. Granted our teen driver would really like the idea of a performance car, but he is quite contend driving the two W123's. To a teen boy any wheels is better that no wheels. He knows that his friends think it is a bit odd, but he knows how good a W123 is. I think that he is waiting for is first day to drive a Mercedes to go golfing with the school golf team.