It's just a car?

[checkmate]

I wrote this piece in response to a friend's remark about the money spent on owning and maintaining the M3. Appreciate your feedback.

************************************************** *******

Since the beginning of the industrial age-the automobile has been the blunt instrument that has propelled the masses to economic and social freedom. To some-its 4 wheels which represents the screaming anthem of the modern age-to use, abuse and dispose. This ties in to the consumer mentality of the present times which not too long ago was a purely american ideal now has spread wings into the much hyped global village. So where does 'the car' fit into all this?

As with any debate-there's always two camps unless you happen to be an 'independent' activist who believes there shouldn't be a camp/side in the first place. Well-more power to you.Moving on-with regard to the car-the first camp is A which preaches that a car is 4 wheels/seats/gas tank/A-B transmission/trunk that can hold 5 grocery bags/an Ipod connector (I know, I know..such is progress). The sole purpose of the car to Camp A is to move about passively and efficiently to a destination and back. Then there is Camp B-who believe that the car is a representation or a spiritual extension of oneself-where one harks back to the age old days of the horse and rider being in perfect harmony; where the car is not just a mode of transportation to a destination but where the fun begins as soon as you depress the pedal i.e. the journey being equally if not more fun than the destination itself. Considering my choice in cars-its obvious which camp I belong to.

I can or may be singularly ruled out as being a materialistic automobile fanatic who in some cases may have a dollop of consciousness but there is a bigger story to how I got here.You all know how important the automobile is to your lives-its a machine that provides heat/cold no matter how extreme the elements, needs to seats 2 people or more, carry your things, be our home away from home, your jukebox, be your friend on our good and bad days and so on and so forth. BUT-what happens when it moves?

The car for some dictates one's station in life. The badge (you pick) represents a careful consideration of many variables (quality, quantity, affordability, reliability, durability and yes-portability) but where's emota-bility (I made this up). Can/Shouldn't a machine tug your heartstrings at the turn of a wheel or is a machine devoid of a soul that is capable of producing such emotions such as joy, heartbreak and unadulterated happiness? At this point-you know where I am going with all this-yes-you guessed right-I do not believe a car should be a kitchen appliance.

I've driven quite a few cars and usually keep my thoughts/emotions mostly to myself. The reasons being many-its easy to get branded too involved/consumed by a car (to bean counters-its a machine that is dead on equity off the showroom floor/or by religious pundits-who claim all materialistic objects are vanity) but I can get involved/consumed by many things as well that are stationary but why the automobile? or in my case-specific automobiles???

Its because on a bad day or a good day-the machine needs to transform the way you think where in a world thats striving towards perfection-your imperfect self-needs to escape, vent and more importantly let roads built by man move you to an uber state of heightened consciousness usually reserved for the enlightened. Where with every shift, turn and flick of the car your brain goes into warp drive and where in motion your heart beats at a rate fast enough to unclog the arteries thereby resulting in a pulsating moment of faith, fear and joy all leading to the ultimate poetry in motion...

I live those emotions every day with the machine I drive and two days ago-I saw how a machine transformed my colleague's bad day into a damn good one on Hartford Road. In his words-"I've never felt this alive on the road"-this man had braved quite a bad day at the office to (at my request) let loose on an abandoned curvy road in a front engined, rear wheel drive, slick shifting machine that revved to 8400 rpm and yes-it wears an ///M badge. He achieved a state of what the Japanese call the horse and rider being in perfect harmony.

I understand all this is subjective but this is an ode to what a machine built by man can do. An Ipod cannot be loved-its an appliance-but when was the last time a portable machine let you escape to a world where there are no games just sports?

A car is not just a car in the same way- street food isn't the same as your mother's. It demands excellent ingredients and needs to be built and engineered with love and meticulous passion to tug your heart and come back home more.

My friends-life is too short to drive dull cars.

Best,
Sanjay

[M3 Piotr]

Nice write-up!

[Gkap]

great write up!

I should show this to my gf shes always giving me the "its just a car".

[checkmate]

Originally Posted by Gkap

great write up!

I should show this to my gf shes always giving me the "its just a car".

My wifey finally understands me..wierd how it takes written words to convince them..

[Gkap]

Originally Posted by checkmate

My wifey finally understands me..wierd how it takes written words to convince them..

haha ya seriously, hopefully I get the same response!

[Titanium Silver]

It's definitely "not just a car"... You took it to the extreme though

[Seattle S65B40]

My "horse" and I are in perfect harmony.

[Raz335]

Nice writeup. Explains the difference perfectly.

[LateBraking]

I'm passing this along....

[stefan]

The horse analogy is solid.

[dibxna]

anyone who tries to tell me its just a car i let them know that they are just a human being and nothing special at all to anyone else either and they quickly get defensive about their moms and dads and bfs/gfs and everyone else who would disagree with me. then i let them take a quick minute to put that in perspective of how we feel for our cars.

funny that none of them turn down a ride or offer for me to drive though...

[half man half amazin]

Originally Posted by dibxna

anyone who tries to tell me its just a car i let them know that they are just a human being and nothing special at all to anyone else either and they quickly get defensive about their moms and dads and bfs/gfs and everyone else who would disagree with me. then i let them take a quick minute to put that in perspective of how we feel for our cars.

funny that none of them turn down a ride or offer for me to drive though...

I like this

[Addicted2M]

I have concluded that the M3 can be equated to heroin. The car gives you such a high its amazing.

[sameh]

I need a box of tissues, chocolate and 100 octane gas.

[e92zero]

completely agree, nice write up.

[8_is_enough]

Originally Posted by checkmate

My friends-life is too short to drive dull cars.

Love it!! The last line really hit home for me.

I always like having nice cars because after a shitty day at work, I can at least enjoy the drive home.

[dibxna]

Originally Posted by sameh

I need a box of tissues, chocolate and 100 octane gas.

you forgot lotion.

[Seattle S65B40]

Originally Posted by dibxna

you forgot lotion.

[LarThaL]

Beautifully written and all who have made the time to find and post on this website are likely to agree. There are still those who simply don't care. Just like I really don't care what teams win what championships, and yet there are people who live and breathe that kind of stuff.

I don't know what drew me to cars, but I have been into them since childhood. That's all I ever wanted as toys when I was a kid, and once I hit around 14, I started reading all the car magazines. The rest is history.

[1sikbmr]

Great write up

[blublur]

Well said. When I'm going on about my car and get the (it's just a car) line, clearly they just don't get it! BRAVO!

[sameh]

Originally Posted by dibxna

you forgot lotion.

I'm a real enthusiast, I use TWS 10W-60