Tuesday, March 25, 2008
the road forks...
I wanted to throw this in as a side note to my little thesis there. If anyone reading this has questions about a car, or make, or more importantly, wants me to tackle a car I haven't though of, let me know. I don't have a big interest in comparing the benefits of a Honda Fit to an F350, so don't ask about that. But if you're thinking of checking a new Nissan Murano and want some input, write me and I'll see what I can do.
Paving a new road.
As my first blog posting on this site, I feel some sort of mission statement is necessary. You can find blogs on everything from "how to knit your cat a bowtie" to "the hair gel that Dave Navarro had was soooo last year. " The problem with stumbling onto blogs like that is while you look them over in total bewilderment as to why someone would waste their own time writing such a thing, let alone reading it, your blood pressure hits 300 and your head explodes on your new iBook.
This blog, if you are able to read the title, will be about, simply; cars. But I'm not just going to be commenting and reviewing the latest super car, retro hot rod wannabe, and modified fantasy mobile. I intend on talking about everything. From super cars to minivans, trucks to modified imports. This blog is intended to inform the reading on a variety of subjects in the automotive world.
I am completely consumed with cars, I am totally addicted to everything about them. From how they drive, to the build quality, to what strength bolts they used on the door handle, I want to know. My interest is not limited to the newest orgasm inducing Ferraris or Porsches either. I like knowing about family sedans, slow wagons, sub compacts and SUVs as well. Sure if I had to pick one to stare at on a desert island it's not going to be the new Honda Odyssey, but I guarantee I would be sitting on that island wondering aloud whether the cup holders in the Honda can hold both a 952 oz. soda cup from Arby's and a 5 shot energy drink without either spilling.
I enjoy reading and learning about what the market is doing, where it's come from, and where it's headed. VW has started building it's Toureg SUV in Slovakia, and I wonder how that will affect their build quality when compared to their Mexico factory. When I see or even hear a perfomance oriented car, my heart skips a beat, and when I see that Subaru hasn't killed it's design chief, it sinks.
But my passion for beauty and performance that far outweighs my knowledge of remote-activate glove boxes and swiveling kid's seats. How a car looks is more important than how many safety ratings it's gotten. It drives the consumer, it sets the market, but most importantly it stirs the soul. You can look at the Prius and marvel at it's amazing gas mileage, spacious interior, and slippery aerodynamics. But it's popularity is based on it's resume and what's inside, not it's first impression. Look any Aston Martin, and your heart will skip a beat and you will immediately focus on it's beautiful curves, the aggression it conveys, and you won't think twice about asking how many cubic inches the side pockets hold. A Prius is an example of what a car can be when our logical, boring, efficiency-oriented minds are in control. An Aston Martin is what happens when you couple you heart and your brain together, and just try to combine emotion, beauty, and an engine.
Up until now the only people unfortunate enough to be caught under my wave of seemingly useless facts were my friends and family. My friends have grown tired of hearing about sodium filled valves, and my parents have no idea why that is a good thing. 99% of the time the words that come from my mouth are used solely to carry on endless conversations with other gearheads, often at a bar. Not only did these conversations go in circles ("No, you're wrong, a turbo minivan would sell like hotcakes!"), but they deterred any girl from talking to us for more than 2 seconds. We might as well have had Charles Manson's face tatooed on our foreheads with a "Heaven's Gate the 2nd" t-shirt on.
But. On rare occasions someone will seek out my advice for purchasing a new car, or a used car, or building up their current AMC Gremlin, and I think "maybe I can use these powers for good". I get a huge sense of satisfaction from giving someone advice about cars, and thus helping them go into the big scary world of car shopping with a bit more knowledge, and more confidence.
I want this blog to be informative but funny. My brain is happiest when it's making fun of something else. And I want it to be honest. I have subscriptions to four different car magazines, and the biggest ones are also the softest. If a spade is ugly as sin, slow as a snail, and made by mentally challenged blind men, some magazines will try to find some mythical niche' market it fits in; "Sure it's a bad car, but if you're a man who is 4 feet tall, with uneven legs, looking for a car you can buy brand new and forces you to experience the bliss of a service center, this is for you." If the car is garbage, you will know it. And I will convey that with the subtlety of a jack hammer and sometimes in words you won't show your 5 year old.
So read on, enjoy, and let me know what you think. I have turned a few people from not knowing what a wiper blade is, to being able to appreciate 400 horsepower. Hopefully that will continue.
Zack
This blog, if you are able to read the title, will be about, simply; cars. But I'm not just going to be commenting and reviewing the latest super car, retro hot rod wannabe, and modified fantasy mobile. I intend on talking about everything. From super cars to minivans, trucks to modified imports. This blog is intended to inform the reading on a variety of subjects in the automotive world.
I am completely consumed with cars, I am totally addicted to everything about them. From how they drive, to the build quality, to what strength bolts they used on the door handle, I want to know. My interest is not limited to the newest orgasm inducing Ferraris or Porsches either. I like knowing about family sedans, slow wagons, sub compacts and SUVs as well. Sure if I had to pick one to stare at on a desert island it's not going to be the new Honda Odyssey, but I guarantee I would be sitting on that island wondering aloud whether the cup holders in the Honda can hold both a 952 oz. soda cup from Arby's and a 5 shot energy drink without either spilling.
I enjoy reading and learning about what the market is doing, where it's come from, and where it's headed. VW has started building it's Toureg SUV in Slovakia, and I wonder how that will affect their build quality when compared to their Mexico factory. When I see or even hear a perfomance oriented car, my heart skips a beat, and when I see that Subaru hasn't killed it's design chief, it sinks.
But my passion for beauty and performance that far outweighs my knowledge of remote-activate glove boxes and swiveling kid's seats. How a car looks is more important than how many safety ratings it's gotten. It drives the consumer, it sets the market, but most importantly it stirs the soul. You can look at the Prius and marvel at it's amazing gas mileage, spacious interior, and slippery aerodynamics. But it's popularity is based on it's resume and what's inside, not it's first impression. Look any Aston Martin, and your heart will skip a beat and you will immediately focus on it's beautiful curves, the aggression it conveys, and you won't think twice about asking how many cubic inches the side pockets hold. A Prius is an example of what a car can be when our logical, boring, efficiency-oriented minds are in control. An Aston Martin is what happens when you couple you heart and your brain together, and just try to combine emotion, beauty, and an engine.
Up until now the only people unfortunate enough to be caught under my wave of seemingly useless facts were my friends and family. My friends have grown tired of hearing about sodium filled valves, and my parents have no idea why that is a good thing. 99% of the time the words that come from my mouth are used solely to carry on endless conversations with other gearheads, often at a bar. Not only did these conversations go in circles ("No, you're wrong, a turbo minivan would sell like hotcakes!"), but they deterred any girl from talking to us for more than 2 seconds. We might as well have had Charles Manson's face tatooed on our foreheads with a "Heaven's Gate the 2nd" t-shirt on.
But. On rare occasions someone will seek out my advice for purchasing a new car, or a used car, or building up their current AMC Gremlin, and I think "maybe I can use these powers for good". I get a huge sense of satisfaction from giving someone advice about cars, and thus helping them go into the big scary world of car shopping with a bit more knowledge, and more confidence.
I want this blog to be informative but funny. My brain is happiest when it's making fun of something else. And I want it to be honest. I have subscriptions to four different car magazines, and the biggest ones are also the softest. If a spade is ugly as sin, slow as a snail, and made by mentally challenged blind men, some magazines will try to find some mythical niche' market it fits in; "Sure it's a bad car, but if you're a man who is 4 feet tall, with uneven legs, looking for a car you can buy brand new and forces you to experience the bliss of a service center, this is for you." If the car is garbage, you will know it. And I will convey that with the subtlety of a jack hammer and sometimes in words you won't show your 5 year old.
So read on, enjoy, and let me know what you think. I have turned a few people from not knowing what a wiper blade is, to being able to appreciate 400 horsepower. Hopefully that will continue.
Zack
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