I’ll never understand those people that see cars as simply a means of transportation. A way of getting from point A to point B. Cars certainly can function in that capacity, but I would argue that you’re completely ignoring the personality and character of the vehicle in the process. Much like people, cars have their own personality, likes, needs, and wants. The problem is that most people ignore these traits in a vehicle. Likely because they’re not looking or listening for them.
I’m of the opinion that this is in part due to the preponderance of cars being equipped with automatic and CVT type transmissions. These transmissions remove the need for a person to interact with the car and provide a kind of insulation between driver and car. That’s not to say that you can’t listen to a car with an automatic transmission and get to know its personality; it’s just generally going to take more effort due to the insulation it provides. I don’t want this to become a rant on the merits of manual transmissions, so I will just the argument at that.
If you’ve ever had a car that you really got to know on a personal level, you will be able to understand where I’m coming from. Despite whatever flaws the car may have, it’s your friend. Or maybe even your family. I’ve had many cars over the years. Thanks to my parents teaching me to drive a manual, I have gotten to know most of them fairly well. I’m not certain, however, that I have ever driven a car that endeared itself to me quicker than my Honda Beat. It has absolutely no right to be as engaging and fun as it is. The list of flaws in the car is longer than I even care to contemplate. It’s entirely too small, has no power, even less torque, barely enough luggage space for a small backpack (slightly more if you forgo a passenger), isn’t even remotely comfortable on longer trips, and the top leaks like a sieve when it rains. None of that matters to me.
The fact is that every time I get behind the wheel, it brings a smile to my face. The handling characteristics are possibly only second to the Porsche Boxster I used to drive. It drives like it was designed to one thing and one thing only – be the best driving kei car ever built. In pursuit of that goal, everything that wasn’t strictly necessary was sacrificed. In a lot of ways, the car is ridiculous, and hilariously so. But in many ways, that is part of its charm. The remainder of that charm admittedly comes from its directness and superb handling. I seem to have stumbled upon a winner this time around. I have no intention of selling it any time soon.
Latin Rite Motorsports 