It really makes my blood boil when people don't know the road rules, like 'never try to beat a guy in a red sports car'
It's a little bit different here in Texas. As an ex-girlfriend of mine once put it, it's the law of biggerness. Whichever car is bigger has the right of way. Driving my little Z3, I have to always be aware of some monstrosity of an SUV that just doesn't seem to notice that I'm there.
In New York, from what I've seen, it tends to be more related to how beat-up your car is. An old 1970's station wagon with fake wood paneling, dents all over the car, and a coat-hanger as the radio antenna is going to gain the right of way every time, because you know the driver just doesn't care.