Dream Cars
drivemax said:
Hmm... BMW , Porsche , Lambo and even Mit Evo appeared in my dream but how come not Lexus ??
cheers!
When I was much younger, I used to fantasize about the sleek Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis and Lotuses that soared by. I imagined these cars would be powerful beyond my wildest dreams. They would catapult me far ahead of normal cars plodding along the road. I imagined these cars would also be ultra-precision instruments, responsive to the subtlest steering input.
I also imagined these cars would feature the most luxurious seats, plush interiors and high-tech instrumentation. Most of all, I imagined that riding in these cars would feel steady, graceful and refined, like gliding through the air. The interior would be ultra silent so I could enjoy the most minute subtleties in the music. The gear changes and steering would feel effortless to manage. It would be like heaven.
Of course, I was naive to think this way. AFter my first drive of a Porsche 928, the reality hit home that the dream cars were the opposite of what I had imagined. They were bumpy, noisy, rough and strenuous to handle. Eventually I grew to appreciate the thrill of "action" driving, having had the chance to drive the MX-5, Civic SIR, BMW Z4, and 3 series etc. on an extended basis.
During the time I was choosing between the BMW 320 and the IS250, I happened to see a guy trundling along in a Ferrari in front of me. He was being jolted up and down by every small bump or depression on the road. I could not see his face so I could not tell if he was smiling or grimacing (Probably both!) I knew that this would not be the type of long term driving experience I would relish on a day to day basis .
The 320 is very nice because it presents a beautiful balance of raw sporty feel in a luxurious and refined package. Its as luxurious as sporty can be or conversely, as sporty as luxurious can be! As I told my friend after test driving many other cars, including Volvo s40 turbo and Legacy GT, driving the BMW is like riding a live animal. The whole car, including the driver, just feels alive and ORGANIC. It is the dream car of many, but was it be my dream car?
Through all the years however, I never lost the youthful vision of what my dream car would be. The moment I sank into the luxuriously high-class interior of the Lexus IS250, observed the instrumentation light up, got pampered by the quiet, smooth, confident ride, experienced the light touch required to control the precise steering and felt the car surge effortlessly ahead of traffic , I knew that this was the dream car of my youth!. The IS250 did not feel like a living animal, it simply felt like NOTHING. It vanished into thin air, and there was just me and my wish to propel myself along the road: the automobile expression of Zen.
Of course many people, including nearly all automotive journalists, would not describe their ideal driving experience. as Zen. But this is to demonstrate how a dream car can mean different things to different people.
Come to think about it, I will trash any ultimate handling machine in the twisties on my Gary Fisher 
