For me it was a female coworker complimenting my Q50 Redsport. Interned at a 3 letter fed agency last summer and one of the other interns who I became friendly with was a mid 20’s former sorority girl - someone you’d never expect to be a car enthusiast. Gave her a ride after work one day since her car was in the shop and immediately after walking up to my car in the garage, started complimenting it. Talked about the VR30TT engine and asked me if the turbos were giving me any trouble, then talked a little shit about how it’s still slower than her car. I asked her what she drove and she had an M2 lol
Whenever I used to get compliments on my old Juke Nismo RS. With how polarizing of a car it is, I expected that to be rare (if ever), but a surprising number of people would give a compliment to me at the gas station. From the general consensus, people enjoyed that it was a car that absolutely did not take itself seriously - nor did I, since I usually referred to it as a “fast frog”. A fun car, and I do miss it sometimes - the manual trans was definitely a “make it or break it” for that car, and I’m glad I got to experience it’s full blown ridiculousness with the stick.