Topic: Love for cars : genetic or cultural?

[Mitlov]

IMO, anyone who doesn't regularily take their car to the track or spend serious time modding/fixing up their car can't really claim to be enthusiasts... they're more like me; enjoy talking about cars in general...

Someone who routinely carves up backroads in a (stock) Mazdaspeed3, M3, or Cayman isn't an enthusiast in your book?

[tpl]

^^^  

Mitlov.  Who on this site would you deem to be an enthusiast?

Arthur Dent, Ovr50, Wing, Rrocket  are obvious.  Any Porsche owner past or present.

and who else ( past or present) ?

Railton, Snowman, Vmango (see sig), MDX5, Top Gun, Dave in his three-pedal 135i...I know I'm forgetting more than I'm remembering.

But it's kind of telling that the question is even being asked.  

Yes it is.  I agree with your list.   I guess I was an enthusiast and stopped being so as I got older.  Still am interested in cars, still read one car magazine ( CAR) but care a lot less than I did... after all my GTI is the first automatic I have owned since 1975 and I rarely bother to use the  paddles.

[Leviathan]

There is sometimes too much political "correctness" for any real enthusiasm here.   
It's getting so anyone driving with enthusiasm is a suspected street racer, who voted for Harper, driving drunk in a taxpayer subsidized Corvette, spewing needless greenhouse gas while running over your children with all-season tires.

That's about right nowadays.  Although more likely to be an "entry level luxury car" with an automatic transmission than a Corvette.   

Will that "entry level luxury car" have acres of cheap plastic for a dash? 

[tpl]

What cars don't?   My "entry level..." BMW had aluminium in amongst the acres of plastic but could have had wood.

REAL Luxury cars can have proper bookmatched wood veneer with the customers choice of wood. Rolls, Bentley, Maybach and Bristol  would be about it nowadays, possibly Aston Martin as well.

[Shnak]

IMO, anyone who doesn't regularily take their car to the track or spend serious time modding/fixing up their car can't really claim to be enthusiasts... they're more like me; enjoy talking about cars in general...

Someone who routinely carves up backroads in a (stock) Mazdaspeed3, M3, or Cayman isn't an enthusiast in your book?

I enjoy carving roads in my Accent... does that make me an enthusiast? Where's the line? Is the price of the vehicle what makes a driver an enthusiast?

[Turbo Bob]

^^^  

Mitlov.  Who on this site would you deem to be an enthusiast?

Arthur Dent, Ovr50, Wing, Rrocket  are obvious.  Any Porsche owner past or present.

and who else ( past or present) ?

Railton, Snowman, Vmango (see sig), MDX5, Top Gun, Dave in his three-pedal 135i...I know I'm forgetting more than I'm remembering.

But it's kind of telling that the question is even being asked.  

Ahem...

Le Mans



Trackday




OK so I'm crap at maintenance but I'd still call myself an enthusiast.

 

[ovr50]

How could Bob not be an enthusiast - he had an Exige which must be one of the most performance-to hell with comfort cars owned on this entire site.

I don't think we should name who is and who isn't an enthusiast since it's a tough one to define anyway. I consider myself an enthusiast (or a fool  ) but I never do anything but clean up/wash/wax etc myself.

I think most of us on here a while know who qualifies and who is just passing through on their way to the Sierra Club site.

The differences is what makes it interesting. However, I still don't know why some posters are on here as they seem almost to dislike cars, especially fuel eating performance cars which are the nirvana of life IMO. 

Fill 'er up, mate. Premium plus. 

[rrocket]

C'mon Bob....you can't fool us.  That dirt isn't from a track day...you just didn't wash you car for 2 months!

[No H2O]

- he had an Exige which must be one of the most performance-to hell with comfort cars owned on this entire site.

I first saw one a few weeks ago at the Porsche dealer. I had a close look. Talk about tiny and no frills...almost kit-carish in finish. There were no plates on it. I guess someone traded it in on a Porsche.

[blur911]

I enjoy carving roads in my Accent... does that make me an enthusiast?

No.

[safristi]

..maybe if you type the post inna GERMAN ACCENT...............

[Julie]

IMO, anyone who doesn't regularily take their car to the track or spend serious time modding/fixing up their car can't really claim to be enthusiasts... they're more like me; enjoy talking about cars in general...

Someone who routinely carves up backroads in a (stock) Mazdaspeed3, M3, or Cayman isn't an enthusiast in your book?

I enjoy carving roads in my Accent... does that make me an enthusiast? Where's the line? Is the price of the vehicle what makes a driver an enthusiast?

Euh, I don't track my cars nor do I add any mods to them (I much prefer OEM equipment) but I definitely consider myself an enthusiast.  Driving my TSX brings a smile to my face everyday.  Love the way it's nimble, agile, with precise steering.   When I was looking for a 335i on a lot, sport package was a non-negotiable option.

So, in my book, if you love carving roads, regardless of what you drive, you’re an enthusiast.  No need for a set definition of “enthusiast” that everyone has to agree to either IMO – do you just love cars, for whatever reason?  (even if it’s not the driving aspect per se – you just wouldn’t be what I’d call a “driving enthusiast”, but you’d be some other type of automobile enthusiast). 

[No H2O]

I don't think we should name who is and who isn't an enthusiast...

Simply because there will always be one who is more of a "so-called" enthusiast who will look down upon you as an old fart or granny.

People...always wanting to place themselves in a higher circle.     

Just look at the text under anybody's user name. These classes are based on a number of posts..."more" isn't always better, but it is always most certainly "more".

[No H2O]

Euh, I don't track my cars nor do I add any mods to them (I much prefer OEM equipment) but I definitely consider myself an enthusiast.

Plus I take pride in the mint condition of my vehicles...including my daily driver, a ten-year old Honda CR-V.

[gosteelerz]

IMO, anyone who doesn't regularily take their car to the track or spend serious time modding/fixing up their car can't really claim to be enthusiasts... they're more like me; enjoy talking about cars in general...

More than anything, it's the community that I enjoy here. There's a wide array of opinions on just about anything, and it makes things fun. The subject of these discussions, the cars, almost becomes secondary... 

Couldn't disagree more.  Track time and modding cost money that a lot of people can't afford.  Even the most economical form being AutoX still basically forces you to buy dedicated tires to even have a chance of a good place finish.

IMO racing and car enthusiasm are mutually exclusive.  The biggest racing fan I know drives a Dodge Caravan.  With few exceptions (Old BTCC and Rally) watching racing bores me to tears.

[Turbo Bob]

Ah old BTCC... awesome racing.

Silverstone and Thruxton used to be great fast tracks for those races, plus I saw a few at Oulton Park.  I remember taking a Porsche Boxter and a Ferrari 360 around Thruxton for some hot laps, what a great day that was.