Dear Mr. S2000

Like a clairon bell, so were the dulcet tones of Mr. S2000 as he flew off on argentine wings into the night (Image Credits: Honda USA).

Dear Mr. S2000,

As I was running a few days ago, I was just beginning to think about how it was a nice, and peaceful, and cool evening. I was enjoying the feeling of running in the cold once again, and I was thinking about how it's even a bit nice (if a bit scary) to be running after dusk. It was the first run in gloves, cap, and running pants for me. Just then, I could hear the rising bass track of Radio 1 coming from behind. Who could be approaching but you? You, in your silver chariot, streaking by with the top down... in the 40 degree weather.
I applaud you and your British optimism, Mr. S2k. Weather be damned, you'll have that roof off because it's what you paid for. In fact, according to Tom Ford on Fifth Gear, Britons buy more convertibles than any other nation in Europe. If that isn't looking at life on the sunny side then what is? Maybe you bought your convertible because you thought it would be an investment in the future; in the macabre hope that, should global warming continue at its current rate, England will have a climate the same as Southern France does currently. Well then you won't look such a fool, will you? And besides, if you can drive around with the roof down in winter you'll be ready for anything.
I know what you're thinking: Americans are so narrow-minded. We only buy convertibles to drive them in nice weather. We don't want to get the leather wet; heck, we don't want to get wet, let alone cold. Now, with financial times what they are, convertible sales are under threat. But you, you Mr. S2k, you are enjoying a broader motoring experience than even we can dream of. Like a quicksilver beacon of light in this dark epoch, you are reminding us that consumption can still be conspicuous. Forget the fact that most convertible drivers own convertibles just to be seen in them, or that driving a Honda sports car is like having a performance refrigerator. You drive around with your music loud enough for us to identify you even at night. So kudos, Mr. S2k. Thank you for showing us that happiness is more than an illusion, if it may be perhaps, delusional.

Yours Most Humbly and Sincerely,

Will

The Car: An Human Perspective

The Soccer Mom to Her Soccer Mom Friends About Her New Escalade Hybrid:

"It's because I care about the planet."

(Image Credits: General Motors)

Buying a car is an entirely irrational exercise. Anyone who goes into it saying that he has "carefully weighed the pros and cons" and has done (my personal favorite) a "cost benefit analysis" on all the potential models in his price bracket is either a German actuary or, more likely, a liar. As humans, we carefully craft an image for ourselves; be it in clothes, in homes, and in what we do for a living. Nowhere is this brought most glaringly and obviously into light than in the case
of car buying.

Many of you are probably wondering why there are so many SUVs trundling along the highways and byways of the USA. Don't worry, there are plenty of them trundling along the roads in Europe, as well. The explanation for the SUV is found entirely in the squidgy bit behind the wheel. See if you can follow this thought process:

Need: 'I need something that can carry my family and our luggage.'
Want: 'I want something that I would draw on the margin of my 3rd grade homework.'

Need: 'It should be relatively safe.'
Want: 'It should be capable of subduing a small third-world, pre-colonial country single-handedly.'

Need: 'It should be comfortable.'
Want: 'It should have six TV screens so that my kids are quiet.'

Need: 'It should be economical.'
Want: 'It should have more horsepower than the assembled Rohirrim on the Pelennor Fields.'

...and so on.

People's car buying habits are perhaps the most vivid representation of their values. Never are one's wants so clearly juxtaposed against one's needs when personal transportation is on the menu. There is a grand unwillingness to compromise in America these days. This isn't a political blog, so I won't go there (granted, you can't expect the government to give you stuff if you don't give the government money for it first). It is not possible to have a vehicle that gets 60 miles per gallon, can seat 12 like oil sheiks, and can go 0-60 in less than four seconds. It's not pessimism saying that, it's realism.
I have no problem with people driving what they want to drive; I just wish that they would be honest about it. You didn't buy that Land Rover because you thought it was safe; you bought it because you wanted it. You bought it because you wanted to know that, if given the opportunity, you could bushwhack across the Congo on your way back from Tyson's. If you wanted something safe you could have bought a Volvo wagon, but that's Swedish and boring, It's that simple. Don't try and tell me that you bought that Porsche because it's an investment. Sure, they have great resale value, but there's more value in the enjoyment that you'll have while you own it than what you'll get back for it when you sell it. If you wanted resale, you would have bought a Honda.
As long as people are imperfect--and I can't pretend to know how long that will be--they will always be dishonest. I think that we can all do well to try and be more honest with ourselves and with one another if we start with car buying. So if you'll excuse me I've got to take a look at the cost benefit analysis for that Ferrari I've always wanted. I think the credit crunch might make financing a bit more difficult.

An Old Driver's Adage

The other day I passed a brand new Mercedes E63 AMG on the road. It was colored in that stark Mercedes silver and, of course, decorated with AMG badges, so as to let the next guy driving the E350 know that this car will get the kids to soccer practice and back before the cake is done baking.

The E63 is but one of the many horsepower-packed cars offered today. Many car companies have moved towards offering bigger engines throughout their model line. The numbers are staggering. Mercedes, for instance, offers a 604hp engine in their S65 AMG, coupled with a frightening 738 lb-ft. Honda even offers a 271hp 3.5-liter V6 in the Accord sedan. These numbers are far and above those of the new cars being produced just ten years ago. It is truly shocking that a S65 will do 0 to 60mph in less time than, say, a Ferrari 360 Modena, which was first produced just less than a decade ago.

It seems to me that car companies have missed out on what constitutes “fun” driving with their insistence on offering bigger engines throughout their model line. An enjoyable time behind the wheel has nothing to do with how quickly you can reach 60mph, or how effortlessly your car can leap from 55mph to triple digits. In fact, having fun while driving is not something a car company can even build into their models, which seems to be their aim in many instances, as evidenced by their marketing strategies that emphasize how much fun you will be having behind the wheel of their newest over-powered beast.

There is an old driver’s adage: there is nothing more fun than driving a slow car fast. Borrowing mom’s Chrysler Town and Country and slinging it around an empty parking lot may very well be equally as fun as beating some punk kid in a Subaru WRX at a stoplight while driving your Audi RS6 to the office in the morning.

Most every car enthusiast started off driving a piece of junk when they first got their driver’s license, and we all remember well how much fun it was to drive that car…

A couple pictures to decorate the site...