Written by Austin M. (Ferrari F4 0)
Many of us like to go spotting. We may walk downtown, sit on a curb for a few hours or even chase down cars. The problem is, you never know what you might see. Some days you may have a good day, with lots of spots, or some days you may be out there for hours and not even see a Corvette. Here is my guide of where to spot.
Car Wash:
Car washes are great for spotting, because everybody wants their cars looking nice and clean. The best time to go is on a nice, warm day. Sometimes you may have to wait, but hey, it will be worth it if a Gallardo pulls up.
Spotted by JesseStephens
Fancy, Expensive or Famous Restaurant:
The more money you have, you can eat at some famous restaurants. If you are ever driving around with nothing to do, check out some restaurants on the weekends. Sometimes the owner has an exotic, when I was in Switzerland the owner of a restaurant had a Aston Martin. Every night I would walk down to the Restaurant, some nights an Evora, some nights a Ferrari F430. You never know what you might see.
Spotted by FerrariF4 0
Hotels:
Hotels are a great place to spot, every night there might be something different. If you live in a place where the exotics only come around on the weekends, go on a Saturday evening. Also look for big name Hotels, not a $50 per night hotel. Some hotels don't like people walking around taking pictures, so be careful.
Spotted by andrewo
Spotted by FerrariF4 0
Certain Street:
Every town/city has that one certain street where an exotic car is always parked. These streets are either:
1. A very busy, popular street where people will see his/her car and get attention or
2. The opposite of the above, a side street, where its not very busy and people don't see his/her car, so people don't take pictures, or touch the car.
To see these cars in these places, you often have to go a certain time of the day, usually on the weekends.
Spotted by FerrariF4 0
Spotted by DjShift
Major Highway:
Highways are a great place to spot, but they often require lots of patience. I like to sit and wait for cars to drive by, as I find that if you wait long enough, the cars will come. It also depends on where you live, maybe sitting beside the highway just doesn't work for you. Another option is if you are a passenger in a vehicle, always keep your camera ready, pointed at the opposite side of the highway. If that's a great way to spot for you, always keep a spare pair batteries handy.
Spotted by ferrucio
Spotted by Bugattifan15
Golf Courses:
Golf courses are a great place to spot. Here you are more likely to find a luxury car, such as a Bentley or Rolls Royce, but you never know what you may find. Try to go on a weekend. Every man loves his golf!
Spotted by PaMotorhead
Spotted by Bugattifan15
So please keep these tips in mind, but remember, you are never certainly going to spot a car in these locations, because we have good days and bad days. Good luck!
But aside from the various kinds of places to check out, I'd recommend getting to know your territory. In every major urban area, there will be a few hotspots. Until you find them, your spotting will be slow. Yes, they tend to coincide with fancy restaurants, but ask yourself, where are the biggest, most expensive homes concentrated? Usually out in the country a little bit. Then, where is the closest concentration of fancy restaurants and shopping that all the people in the expensive homes will be driving to? What roads will they therefore use? Drive up and down these roads, and you'll see a lot.
Also, time of year, at least for me in a northern climate where salt and snow keeps exotics off the roads for a good part of the year. The very best spotting of the year will be the first few nice days in March-April, after some rain has washed the salt off the roads. A sunny 65 degree Saturday is perfect, and head out in the morning. Also the last few nice days of the season, Oct or so for me, when owners fear it may be the last chance they have to drive their cars until next spring. I find, looking at my Flickr uploads, about 3 times as many spots on those early and late days than midseason days.