What do the people with expensive cars do? (Miami, Miami Beach: apartment, rentals)

[HappyinCali]

Hello, I just got done visiting your beautiful city for a conference. I was in South Beach, on Collins. Something really made an impression on me. I saw a LOT of expensive cars. A LOT. I am from California, so I see them all the time in the Bay Area or LA, as well.

However, the people with the expensive cars here largely look clean cut i.e. working stiffs. In Miami, I saw a ton of 20 somethings with sleeve tats, facial jewelry etc. driving really expensive cars.

The older ones i.e. 40+ looked like total sleazeballs, aged meatheads etc. i.e. open chest shirt, slicked back hair, massive gold chain, pin strip shirt or coat with some meaningfully younger blonde bombshell or some woman his age, but with solid surgery

In my 3 days there, I honestly did not see one person in a really expensive car and think to myself, "yeah this guy is probably a doctor, or a lawyer. I understand where their money came from"

Please, don't interpret this as trolling. If someone gets offended, please notify a mod and feel free to delete.

It was just an observation I made of a lot of wealthy people, who obviously had a lot of money, but didn't look like the corporate type.

So where does the money come from? What do they do for a living?

[ruski]

Rentals. With drivers being tourists from all over the country, trying to impress everyone on South Beach.

There are professionals who drive expensive cars in South Florida, but they don't go cruising on Ocean Drive.

[LordHomunculus]

Many of those people who drive expensive cars are probably living in a small house or apartment. A lot of broke people in Miami end up being more materialistic than the wealthy. LOL!

[Enigma777]

Might be a leased car and the kids live at home so pay no rent. I have actually noticed this phenomena also--lots of young owners with BMWs galore.

[miami_zed]

Rented cars. One thing that I saw that made me laugh was how this black dude giving off that rich rapper vibe parked his convertible lamborghini on ocean drive while smoking a big cuban cigar. These european white girls were taking pictures of him as if he was a celebrity lmao.

[saintlaz1]

What do you considered expensive you left that ? Most people here drive BMW 3 or Mercedes C, or Lexus iS or es. All three are entry level luxury vehicles that anyone with good credit, 3000 down pays 399 month. So this is very unimpressive to people most people or at least most people that have normal paying jobs,

Now if you tell me all you saw where. 7 series, s class, Bentley, Ferrari etc....I would call bs because even in south beach where people show off the most it's not like there is one at every light

[Coconut1]

You saw them on Collins because that's a big tourist spot, and one of the places the posers go to be seen. Ocean Drive is another spot.

Make no mistaken, there are plenty of professionals in Miami that drive very expensive cars, but they're not the ones you saw hanging out in South Beach.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by HappyinCali

I was in South Beach, on Collins.

?

That explains it right there.

What do they do?

1. Rentals, plenty of tourist spend some money and rent those cars and go ahead and cruise around.
2. Foreigners, who knows what they do. Tons of Europeans and South Americans who have lots of money have a nice exotic car here parked at their condo or home. Cars are much much cheaper in the United States. What would be considered a nice Upper Middle Class car like a BMW 328 or Audi A4 can be almost twice the price in Europe. $36,000 BMW in the U.S. is close to $60,000 in Europe.
3. Kids with rich parents who are the Doctors, Lawyers, Bankers etc.. Kids of wealthy parents have really nice cars. Even 100,000+ cars.
4. Entertainment industry, club industry, hotels etc.. where people may look like that and still do well. Also other industries which may not be legal of course.
5. People here care about having a nice car more than most places, even LA. So someone who should probably just buy an E350 instead of the E63 may stretch their dollar a bit more than they should for the E63.
6. The luxury used car market down here is HUGE. For example even my car might be seen as some crazy awesome rich car. Don't get me wrong my car is awesome that is why I drive it. Its been in my family for almost 14 years though, and has 130,000 miles on it and is worth no more than $25,000 but to the average person a G-Wagon is a G-Wagon and no one can tell the difference between an old one like mine and a new one. I don't know how well you know cars but many of these cars could easily be 3-5-7 years old. Still very very nice cars. But not as expensive as many people might think.

Also there are plenty of rich lawyers, doctors, bankers etc.. in Miami and they will also drive really nice cars but they are not cruising down South Beach as much. But go to Coral Gables and Brickell and you will still see a ton of awesome cars but driven more by guys who look more like the Lawyer or Doctor you speak of.

A good place to see where real money people in Miami are and what their cars are. Miami Heat games. The AAA Parking lots are like car shows.

Originally Posted by saintlaz1

Now if you tell me all you saw where. 7 series, s class, Bentley, Ferrari etc....I would call bs because even in south beach where people show off the most it's not like there is one at every light

At every light? No. At every other light? Yes. The amount of ultra luxary cars I see on a daily basis is insane. I am used to it. Been seeing it my whole life. But especially the past 10 years or so. Unless it is something like a Porsche GT, Fort GT I don't even flinch. I have seen three McLarens in the past week! I am often driving around Downtown, Brickell, down US-1 to UM, around Miami Beach etc.. Seeing a Bentley to me is nothing. Daily occurrence in Miami. S-Class, 7 Series, that I will see on pretty much every single drive I take.

[ruski]

I have only seen *one* Spyker. Ever.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by ruski

Rentals.

Originally Posted by miami_zed

Rented cars. One thing that I saw that made me laugh was how this black dude giving off that rich rapper vibe parked his convertible lamborghini on ocean drive while smoking a big cuban cigar. These european white girls were taking pictures of him as if he was a celebrity lmao.

Don't be so sure. The Lamborghini dealership here sells more Lambos than virtually every other dealership in the country.

Lamborghini Miami & Foreign Buyers - CNBC