What's the fascination with people and their cars?

OK this is something that's been on my mind for a while. I really don't understand what the fascination is with people and their cars. I mean it's a stupid car!

I mean not that I don't mind nice cars but some people take their obsession with them to unhealthy levels in my opinion.

This is how view cars, for me a car is a tool that helps me get from point A to point B and back, that's all, no more no less. But some people talk about their cars as if it where their girlfriend/boyfriend or something. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

Oh and another thing. Why do people keep buying gas guzzling cars? I’m willing to bet you that 99.9% of the people that buy SUV's don't really need and SUV. They just buy because it's cool and big, or their neighbor got one so we need to get one too or whatever. With gas prices being at an all time high it would make more sense for people to buy Hybrids so they can save on gas money, but no they keep buying Hummers!

Oh and that's another one..... who the # needs a Hummer (I mean the car you dirty bastards!) in the first place? The other day I saw like a 50 something woman driving a brand new yellow Hummer and I thought to myself WTF is wrong with people? What does a 50 something woman need that big a car for? Probably because her husband thinks she drives like a maniac so he bought her a tank so she wouldn't kill herself.

I mean seriously sometimes I just want to slap people.


[edit on 5-4-2005 by Ocelot]

Real men have real cars.

Originally posted by Croat56
Real men have real cars.

No, its "Men who buy cars like that to overcompensate for having a small penis"

Originally posted by Ocelot
No, its "Men who buy cars like that to overcompensate for having a small penis"

What are you insinuating?

Originally posted by Croat56

Originally posted by Ocelot
No, its "Men who buy cars like that to overcompensate for having a small penis"

What are you insinuating?

LMAO!!

Despite my DEEP DEEP love of cars, I share your sentiments Ocelot.....It's probably only b/c every car I've ever dreamed of owning is the cost of five lifetimes of work at my income level But I agree - A car is for getting around, and there's a bunch of fools out there who obsess WAY too much over their precious little piece of #.....

For me though, a beautiful car is a piece of collective art.....It started in someone's mind, they drew it on paper, Someone created a computer model of it, someone sculpted it from clay, A group of people designed an engine to be the centerpiece of the car, Another person built a working prototype, on and on and on.....And as a consumer, we are left to view and drive these incredible machines.....

I've had the chance to drive a few luxury cars and dozens upon dozens of chances to simply stare at them......Hop inside a Bentley Continental GT and you're eyes will stay busy for hours just looking at every aspect and attention to detail they put into their cars....

But then you have friggin "Ricers" man....Those kids are a breed unto themselves.....Why anyone wants to put a 6 inch radius exhaust tip and a 5 foot metal spoiler onto ANY car, much less a Geo is beyond me......

I can't stand the Hummer Whores myself either....They flood the streets here in Tallahassee....I look to the left of me at the stoplight and there's a hummer, I look to the right and there's a hummer.....It's endless....

But when I look ahead and see a beautiful, glimmering, brand new Corvette or if I'm lucky, maybe a sleek and stunning Gallardo.....Oh, It's pure joy!

See? Nothing wrong with liking cars it's like I said before the extremes people take it too. Like a friend of mine who races cars he has an $8,000 car and he put over $15,000 in it for "modifications", now how #en stupid is that?

Originally posted by Ocelot
...now how #en stupid is that?

Hehe.....You need to tell him there's a few more modifications he needs to make:

Originally posted by EnronOutrunHomerun

Originally posted by Ocelot
...now how #en stupid is that?

Hehe.....You need to tell him there's a few more modifications he needs to make:

LMAO!!!

Originally posted by Ocelot
See? Nothing wrong with liking cars it's like I said before the extremes people take it too. Like a friend of mine who races cars he has an $8,000 car and he put over $15,000 in it for "modifications", now how #en stupid is that?

So I guess your not a fan of pimp my ride?

Originally posted by Croat56
So I guess your not a fan of pimp my ride?

Well I guess It's cool seeing them take a car that's falling appart and "pimping" out making it look all shiny, but with the thousands of dollars they spent on equipment "fixing" those cars they would be better off instead of pimping the ride, buying the person a new car LOL! But then again that would defeat the whole purpose of making the show.

As a mechanical engineer, I love cars! Functional art. My favorites (cars I have owned so far): Nissan 300z, Jaguar XJS. I hope to get a Chrysler Crossfire soon-this is a cool car that most could afford (its like 40G's, but used ones are in the 25 range). Cool car, been a long time since a good new sports car came along, with all the SUV's and Family Trucksters out.

I hate SUV's and Hummers! What a gas waste! And boring, too! Why the hell would some Suburban Breeder need a vehicle equipped with a winch?????

to hoist their mother in law around, of course.

Originally posted by Ocelot
See? Nothing wrong with liking cars it's like I said before the extremes people take it too. Like a friend of mine who races cars he has an $8,000 car and he put over $15,000 in it for "modifications", now how #en stupid is that?

...considering one of my friends bought a $8,000 car...and then spent over $120,000 modifying it...I'd say the $15k was a small start. Personally I've sunk 4,5, even 10 times the purchase price of car back into it through modifications. Once purchased a car for the measley sum of $1,200 and stopped looking at the receipts when they crept over $30k. Its easy enough to do...when you look at just how much various mods can cost.

Its like anything...it costs money...and you make the choice, do you spend that money on a house or things for your house, or going out and partying or flash clothes or whatever...or do you put it into a car. Suppose there could be worse things you could spend extra cash on.

I agree car worship is stupid.
I used to be that way myself, I've owned Camaro's, Trans-Ams, fast motorcycles. Now to me they are just gas guzzling, wallet raping, Earth destroying wastes of space.

We've been turned into a society that measures a persons worth by what they own. Of course the car is a major one, that and what you live in.

But it's all a scam, perpetuated by the corporations to keep their mega- profits rolling in. And the shallow population eats it all up. People are scared of falling behind, of not being "worthy".

If you have nothing in this World, it matters not what kind of person you are, who cares? Your friends and neighbours, at least most of them, only care about what you have and what you can do for them.

I'm not a Christian but even the Bible warned about materialism.
It creates a society that is uncaring, where your property is all that matters.
We spend so much of our time working to build that little world around us, so that we can impress people with how "valid" we are in society because we have a lot of flashy "things".
It's very unhealthy for society to be more concerned with what a person drives, or what they wear, or where they live, than the nature of their character.
Am I any less a person because I don't have that flash car anymore?

If only society could change it's focus from materialism to Humanitarian issues we could do so much to alleviate our World problems. But it won't happen as long as the corporations are holding the rains. Their very survival depends on our most shallow and base desires. Flash that shiny object in front of our eyes and most ppl are gonna fall for it because we want instant gratification. We rarely think of the long term consequences of our actions.

(BTW I went from an 85 loaded TA (port fuel injected) to a diesel VW Golf to a Diamond Back mountain bike. I will not own another car)

I have a truck.
Me luvs me truck.
All standard, no mods. (except the parking sticker on the windshield)
It takes me where I need to go.
AND it takes me where I WANT to go.

Today I brought home 4 20 foot trees.
Most of the Mods I do, are to my house and yard..

Better, resale value..LOL

well, i can see some of your points but i will explain my passion for cars,

i much prefer vintage cars and classics- i own one of the dream cars i wanted,my AC Cobra....the fun comes from the mind warping power and that feeling of blasting through the mountains where i live on a sunny sunday....stop off at a nice little restraunt...chat to adults and children who want to know what it is and how fast it goes etc.....but i think my real love for these cars is the people that raced them back in the 30s,40s,50s,60s,...these people and the cars were different from present day....the racers were 'Balls out' nutters with passion and spirit....pioneers and adventurers...to me its the romance and the splendour and trying to live a little bit of that by gone era.

My all time Hero.....Tazzio nuvalari

OK then

Optimus,

Yours is the most convincing post.
If I were to trade in my truck, what
car should I buy? keep it under 60,000k.

My first new car, was a sporty little Toyota Supra.
No Muscle car, but it was fun..zoom zoom..
It was Black, and Shiny, and NEW...The dealer let me drive
it right out of the showroom into the parking lot.
I was a grinning young kid that day.

Now, Are there any cars produced recently, that remind you of those old days?

hi space doubt,
i would recommend a Lotus eliese.....fast fun,seat of the pants driving,awesome handling and nearly practical...+ youll get a fair bit of change out of your 60,000k

Regards.

Holy crap!
That car is smiling at me..
I'm sure it is.
Really looks like fun.
I may have to show my wife a picture of it.