What happened to driving a car the way it was built to be driven?
The million dollar luxury garage queen: a common occurrence in the automotive world today. I can no longer count the number of times I have gone to an event, and after having spoken to a car’s owner was disappointed to hear the car is never driven and is simply babied. While I can understand cars that were specifically made for family cruising or hauling purposes, I can not understand, however, why one would buy a car like a Ferrari F430 or Lamborghini Murcielago and never take it to a track to unleash all that it is capable of. One can almost hear the motor in the engine-bay begging to be opened up. It almost feels as if the essence of the sports car has been lost, even in cars marketed specifically as such. Nowadays, it seems that the world of ridiculous bling, pompous showboating and extravagance have taken over from the true purpose of the expensive luxury exotic: sheer automotive brutality, speed, elegance and an adrenaline rush like no other.
Vehicles like the Porsche 911 GT2 and the Audi R8 exemplify what the early days of automotive love used to be: an understated, respectful appreciation for style, speed and engineering all the while respecting those with other cars or purposes for them. People would compliment one another on their performance in an endurance race or passion for a car, rather than how many hours a day one spent changing the dial in his or her temperature controlled garage. It is one thing to be proud of the car one owns and to take care of it, but keeping it pretty and showing off is simply the wrong reason to buy a performance vehicle.
I recently spoke with an owner of an old Ferrari 308 GTB. While the car is around 30 years old, and is usually relegated to the garage when the man needs to do something with the family, it is still put to good use. The car, in pristine condition, is still tracked at least once a month at Ferrari Car Club of America track days around northern California. After the track day, the car is driven home, not trailered, then washed, polished and vacuumed. This combination of caring for his car and using it for what it was designed, is the treatment a proper enthusiast driven exotic car deserves.
This being said, obviously some cars are not made to be driven at the track, but simply for comfortable driving on trips and corporate events. The separate cultures in relation to those cars, are a valuable and respected part of the car community, as it thrives on diversity. The difference is, however, that these cars would almost look out of place on the track compared to the exotic sports-car. It is completely understandable that a person buys a vehicle like a Bentley Continental Flying Spur or BMW 7 Series specifically for the purpose of comfort and amenities, as, quite frankly it is rather difficult to drive a sports-car with carbon-ceramic clutch and shocks that will turn kidney stones into sawdust on bumpy urban streets. It is important then to recognize the pedigree and engineering intentions of a car before buying, because otherwise the whole point of it is lost, and the car becomes just another showpiece in a millionaire’s enormous garage full of other neglected beauties.
-KF
