There’s a photography trope that says, “the best camera is the one you have with you...

There’s a photography trope that says, “the best camera is the one you have with you.” The idea is that the best photographs aren’t always the ones that are sharpest, or have the most accurate color, or the most megapixels; but rather the best photographs capture a moment that moves you, and those moments pass quickly. This flies in the face of the cargo cult that is so endemic to photography culture, but it is absolutely the truth.

I think automotive culture suffers from a similar paradox. There is so much focus on horsepower, acceleration, and lap times, that the actual enjoyment of driving gets overlooked — or at least takes a back seat in the broader context. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that these objective metrics are straightforward to measure and publish in cool infographics. Meanwhile, the way a car actually drives requires expressive language. The latter is far more challenging to write in a way that draws in audiences.

The other major contributor to this dysfunction is that most people don’t have the opportunity to drive that many cars. At 40 years old, I’ve owned eight cars, but most of them have been of the similar types (2 Rabbits, 3 GTIs, 1 MR2, and 2 BMWs). I’ve learned a lot in the course of owning these cars, and my beliefs today are 180° from the beliefs I held in my twenties. I cannot, however, blame my twenty-something self for holding those beliefs, because I didn’t have the experience required to form more nuanced feelings.

So, my message to you, young enthusiast, is this: Drive as many cars as you possibly can. Save your money and get yourself to a racing school. Learn what it feels like to balance a car on the edge of grip. Armed with that knowledge, seek out an automobile that rewards your senses, not your ego.

Stop being a fag and post more automatic vs manual, m3 vs mustang, corvette vs gtr

But grandpa, how does a not poverty tier, but still very budget minded enthusiast experience driving many different types of cars on the (relatively) cheap?

Miata is always the answer

Work harder and Work smarter. I believe in you user.

I think you're wrong. The enjoyment of driving has had a come back in recent years. And it's never about lap times to most that like these cars. Like manual brings that extra connection and feel to road and car. The late 70's-80's was a dull time for most cars. Majority of them were anemic, floaty, fwd and cheap appliances. The modern audience want to be "sporty" and even to normies the car is a symbol of status, a checkpoint in life. Buying a nice or new car is an accomplishment.

i like where you're coming from OP

i've driven F458s, Gallardos, GT500s, Aston Martins, etc, but I gotta say that it's nice to be able to enjoy a back road romp in a small Civic for my personal adrenaline rush. The speeds are lower, but the performance is so much more accessible. I can start to lose grip (understeer mostly...) without worrying about a $1000 insurance deductible, or telling my boss that the car is scrapped, and with just a bit of brake it all comes back into line. it's nice to drive a slow car fast, and it's much much more fun than it is to drive a fast car slow

Any exotic car owner that isn't a smug bastard will admit that exotic cars are shit to drive and enjoy a normal car better.

That was very well put. I think the online car community could benefit as a whole from focusing more on the common joys of driving than arguing about which car is "best"