What is happening to the car scene?
The car scene is one where enthusiasts alike come together to show their pride and glory – correct? Not in the slightest bit. It’s a shame what is happening to the tuner world. Hate, trash-talking, discriminating, and fighting is the common trend in the car place today. It is a world where domestics hate imports, 8 cylinders hate 4 cylinders, and facts hate opinions.
American and Japanese rivalries go far back in the car scene but with the creation of the internet the lack of appreciation is at an all time high. What happened to showing respect for another’s creation? Clearly it has disappeared. If someone owns a car which another thinks is inferior they often have something bad to say about it instead of a simple congratulations. When a USDM enthusiast sees a fast 4 cylinder, instead of being impressed they are disgusted. Quotes can often be seen around the world-wide-web following the lines of something like “It’s still a piece of shit Civic,” or “Ricer! My 6.0L V-8 would kill that!”
Trash talking really disgusts me when it comes to cars. The term “ricer” seems to be as common as the word “the.” For every import that is modified it seems that the word ricer is used twenty times (no matter how clean the car actually is).
This lack of respect is changing the car scene into one that true enthusiasts cannot endure to witness. With TV, internet, and a consumer world the status symbol tends to play a large role. If a car does not have the name Ferrari or Lamborghini on it or lacks the presence of a Corvette symbol many people deem it not worthy. What happened to the fun and pride in modifying a car to make it perform better and represent you? To me, what makes a car is its character. I shall forever tip my hat to someone on a tight budget who turned a cheaper car into something that can perform or reflect that individual’s personality.
Maybe others will not agree with my statements but this is just a rant about how I see these things. Millions of comments are also posted on issues such as FWD vs. RWD. I for one cannot stand it when people say “What is the point of modifying a FWD car?” People put money into cars for different reasons. I for one am in university and I wanted a fun car that still got good gas mileage. For that reason, I bought a FWD Honda Civic. The common saying is that FWD cars under-steer and are horrible to drive, but that is simply not true. Many things can be purchased to help rid of under-steer such as LSD, sway bars, new suspension, etc. Yes, RWD is fun to drive and might be a bit better on the track, but some knowledge and investments can go a long way and a FWD car can compete with a RWD car. I understand that I may face some harsh comments for that, but I simply could care less about what you say. This is my opinion and I am a believer that whether a car is ff, fr, rr or what have you, does not make a large difference. What matters is the driver, and the person putting the time and sweat into making it better.
Cars need character. If time did not go into making a car its own, then why should it be deemed worthy of a nice car? I will forever salute those who make a car their own instead of buying a $300,000 car and acting as if they are superior. Sure, they may have more money but we all know that they are not an enthusiast. Instead, they are someone who is looking to be a status symbol and reign superior over the rest.
To me, cars are art. They are more than a way of transportation. They express emotions, creativity, individuality and expression. For those who really put up arguments over issues of import vs. domestic, horsepower figures over power-to-weight, FWD vs. RWD, and which car is better, you disgust me. Respect everyone’s creation. Each person is unique. They modified their car for a number of reasons. Just because they may be different from yours or have different tastes does not make them inferior. If you are really going to judge on such small issues then you are a very stuck-up and ignorant person. If a car makes you happy, then keep to it. Don’t listen to others because in the end sweet ol’ karma always strikes. Any car can perform with any other select car, as long as the time and investment is put into it. So for all you true enthusiasts out there, way to be living your dream. And for those of you picking fights and putting down others, I say you are not worthy to represent the car scene.
Written by,
someone who really loves cars.
