It Doesn’t Matter If You Don’t Like My Car
As long as I do.
A weekly newsletter by Ryan K. ZumMallen | @zoomy575m
Happy Race Day, especially to Ryan Symancek and his new show about ‘80s and ‘90s cars. Remember when everyone hated stuff like this? Anyway, it looks hilarious.
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Here’s this week’s top article:
This is my car. I bought it new and it’s served me faithfully. In fact it’s been perfect. It’s fun, it’s safe and it asks for nothing. Most importantly — it’s paid off. I have literally no complaints.
Here are the specs (or lack thereof):
2009 Mitsubishi Lancer ES
152 horsepower
Something-or-other torque
The dreaded continuously variable transmission
Some wheels and tires I added
But there are no options. And no, it’s not an Evo. If anyone asks what I brought to the car show, at best I say, “Just my old Lancer.” At worst I say, “Oh nothing.” I bought this car fresh out of college because I needed something cheap, efficient and fun to get to my first journalism job. It’s been with me for 125,000 miles. And seven jobs, ten years of marriage and hundreds of school drop-offs. It’s never failed me once.
And all I ever do is: shit on it. Why?
Well, it’s not a performance car. It doesn’t scream “Hardcore auto enthusiast.” It pales in comparison to the cars owned by the people I’m interviewing, who live and breathe horsepower, Porsches or Alfa Romeos or GT-Rs, et cetera, and if they find out I’m not “real,” or whatever, maybe they won’t talk to me. Shitting on my own car serves as an acknowledgement that I understand it’s not actually cool. So they don’t think I’m posing, and they don’t think I’m lame. Like we’re all fourth graders, I guess.
It’s not rational. But it’s completely natural. I started really thinking about it after the video I shared in last week’s newsletter. That video, “Cars Won’t Make You Happy,” is about immediately taking your dream car for granted — largely due to the pressures of social media.
This has been a problem in the car community far, far longer than Instagram has been around. For the longest time, for many, the culture was all about comparing. It consisted of bragging about horsepower or quarter-miles with whoever made eye contact. If it wasn’t that, your dedication was measured by the dirt under your nails.
Why did we do that? To each other? We don’t expect every basketball fan to dunk, or every Marvel fan to draw. We shouldn’t expect every enthusiast to wrench. What matters is your ideas and your own enjoyment. That’s it. A healthy culture doesn’t shun people who fail to meet impossible standards.
We’re getting better. This generation has come a long way in terms of welcoming newcomers and appreciating all makes, models and styles. Not long ago, an NSX among supercars would practically get spit on. Today we’re more mature as a culture. Now the struggles are mostly internal. I struggle constantly with how and where I fit in, and what I’m bringing to the table. And I’m okay with never being Ayrton Senna or Chris Harris. I have my spot — it’s to document and evaluate. Not to race or build. I’m good at what I do, I’ve worked hard for it and I don’t take it for granted.
As in life, you can never win the comparison game if you’re always thinking about what you want. The joy comes in enjoying what you have. I’ve come to realize that the reasons I chose the Lancer in the first place way back in 2008 — low cost, great handling, cool looks — are still valid today. It still suits me. I still love this car.
It could be better with a stick. Or a turbo or AWD. But some nights, when I’m mashing the throttle just to hit 40 mph, fighting the understeer and getting unsettled on the brakes, I catch myself smiling like an idiot. I tell myself I should sell it because it’s not what I want. But in reality, it’s exactly what I need.
Let’s be as nice to ourselves as we are to others. I’ll start with my own little shitbox.
Want to see more of my writing? Click the link below to buy a signed copy of my book, Slow Car Fast, available now. If you’ve already torn through it, visit our Bookshop.org store for a curated list of great automotive nonfiction books.
Culture
I’m tough on NASCAR, but the growing list of diverse owners and sponsors is encouraging. NFL running back Alvin Kamara is the latest investor.
Here’s a fascinating read from our friend Peter Nelson, on competing in Gridlife with modest, affordable cars. The whole point is to make entry easier, and competing more fun. “Don't overlook the fact that it's a lot of fun to drive something slow and grippy at its limit,” he writes. Millennials and their crazy ideas!
I laughed really hard at this piece by Business Insider writer Kristen Lee, on sleeping in the back of an Audi RS6 wagon for a night. It felt good after so much bad news.
This video from iRacing captures the full experience of sim racing we saw last year, from the meteoric rise to tear-jerking narratives. Plus, it’s just fun.
Hot Wheels is doing an excellent job highlighting Black auto pioneers during this month of reflection. I especially love this piece on builder Bisi Ezerioha, founder of Bisimoto, whose influence really cannot be overstated to young enthusiasts these days.
The racing organization Women In Motorsport is launching its own podcast this weekend. Follow them here!
Ask A Millennial! Jorge Merino, 34
Yet another pop-up cars and coffee meet gaining a lot of momentum in the Southern California area is the Brekkie Car Club, a loosely-affiliated collection of enthusiasts who are into cars, but are defined by their seemingly endless swag.
At a recent Brekkie in Orange County I met up with Jorge and, surrounded by thumping trap music and the aroma of langostino breakfast burritos, we chatted about the club, his recently-purchased 1975 Porsche 911 and the changing nature of car meets. Here is an edited version of our conversation:
I’m the dot connector. I know quite a few people and I lend my help where it’s needed. Brekkie is ever-evolving and with the new Brekkie Talks series we saw an opportunity where influential people can share experiences and advice. It’s supposed to be somewhat like a TED talk for people in the car industry.
I respect the purists, but I like to see people’s interpretation. A car is a good reflection of how you feel. You may not have the money or the means but you feel included. It brings all these different people together. Thats what brings me out every week. Who am I gonna meet? If it was us just sitting there, looking at cars, it wouldn’t be that fun to me. Today I talked more about restaurants and sneakers than I did my own car.
The Brekkie at Rodeo39 (an outdoor market in Stanton, Calif.) was a light flex. People said that one was sick. Compared to other meets they say the vibe, the music — it just hits different and appeals to people to come out. I like the cohesion of all the genres. It’s different but that’s what makes Brekkie so great. The next one will stick to that format, for sure.
I always drive my Porsche with the windows down. I don’t know, it’s just different. At 6:30 in the morning it’s nice and cool. The sun’s coming up. I don’t even need music — I just chill. It’s the silence before the storm. I just prefer that morning drive. Driving my car in the afternoon during sunset is perfect too. Not the middle of the day, really. Obviously my A/C doesn’t work the best, haha.
And Finally…
Rest In Horsepower to Bruce Meyers, a true original in the automotive world. He gave us the Meyers Manx, organized off-road racing through Mexico and so much more. Please do read this incredible testament to his passion and determination.
Drive hard and be safe. Black Lives Matter.
Want your event included? Shoot me a note with subject line “Race Day” at ryan@carrarabooks.com.
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