Why cars?

Since this is a car blog, I decided my first post should be about why I love cars.

For most, cars are but a means of transportation. For me, they’re so much more. I’ve loved them basically since birth, so it’s something very deep and emotional, without any basis in reason. But today, as an adult, I can try to rationalize why.

In short, cars are the most sophisticated consumer product ever. They are, to me, the perfect mix of art and science.

As we approach a vehicle, art will manifest itself first. And in particular, sculpture. In the early days, just getting a car to work properly was enough. But soon, fierce competition made it so that buyers demanded more. And hence styling became the ultimate product differentiator, something that lasts to this day.

Getting closer, we open the door and slip inside. The textures, the smells, the combination of materials and colors, don't they elicit an emotional response? Isn’t that what art is all about?

Cars are designed to be functional but also appeal to the senses. Some cars are so pretty you wouldn’t even mind if they didn’t move at all.

But hopefully move they do, and this is how we get to another art: music. Some growl, some sing, but one thing is for sure, the best internal combustion engines produce an inebriating sound that competes with the best symphonies man has ever written in terms of how much they stir your soul.

We are now rolling along and a corner approaches. As we move the wheel the final art shows reveals itself: dance. You drive a good car like you wear a comfortable pair of glasses: after a while you forget you’re wearing them, they’re part of you. Your hands can feel the front tire’s grip through the wheel. The rear end, you feel through the seat, and the engine is telepathically connected to your right foot. You are now one with the car, a cyborg, part human, part machine, and you dance together on the stage that is the road.

Smiling, you drive back home and park. Maybe you should do some maintenance now, you reckon. And this is where science comes in. Chemistry and physics applied through engineering are at the heart of cars. As you rebuild an engine you appreciate the intricacy and precision of its design. For instance how timing and quality of combustion affect power. As you play with the suspension settings you realize how small geometry changes can have a big impact on ride and handling. It’s a whole new world.

Whether you’re just looking at them, driving them, or working on them, cars are fascinating. And this is why I love them.