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I dont know if I can call myself a car enthusiast.

I love cars. Period ! Its always been my first home !

I love to learn about the mechanics of whats happening inside (Jargons like DSG, SH, RS, AWD, RWD ...)
I have and am still owning a FIATlol:
I waste my time watching all the new car reviews over the web because I love it.


I don't know if the above qualifies !



When I was young, I bought a FIAT Punto in India and had time to attend to the car when it threw its tantrums on me. The grin on my face when I drove her over the corner was priceless. Those days were with time and money.

But I recently moved to Canada and its a super expensive country to live in. I could not afford to buy something enticing and lets say I settled for a Honda Civic/Toyota Corolla/Nissan Sentra types.

I love talking about cars endlessly to my friends over here and colleagues. After the discussion, the inevitable question of

"So what do you drive now ?"

Me blushing: "Honda Civic"

They: "Oh. Is it the turbo charged one?"

Me Blushing: "No. I like VTEC better"

Apparently the guys who asked me these questions were owning the big players like the B's and the M's.

I know one does not have to own a good car to appreciate one. But sometimes I feel like I talk too much without much in action. Given a chance I would like to own a Acura TLX SH AWD or an Infiniti Q50. I even draw inspiration from these vehicles to push myself forward when I am lacking the zeal in Life.

Not to mention, my US counterparts owning Maserati's and Alfa Romeo's because it is affordable due to various reasons I am not going to dwell into.

Have you been in this situation before?

Is it Ok to talk about cars even when I own one which is a commuter car ?

It should be fine to talk about cars when you love cars. You learn something new each when talking cars. Even if you discuss something that you already know, you feel satisfied discussing what you love. It has nothing to do with what you can or cannot afford to own.

Absolutely not! Only owners of Rolls Royces may be granted the esteemed privilege of car enthusiast chatter - everybody knows this.

Passion and enthusiasm for cars transcends brands and budgets and insecurity about what you drive is entirely subjective.
Being prideful of what you own and drive is what makes you a car guy.
There’ll always be someone with the bigger better machine and that doesn’t make you any less of an enthusiast.

I read/talk about cars everyday

Do I have a car? No
How about motor cycle? No
At least a gearless scooter? No
How about parents/family? No

:)

Shift your focus from how much can you add to the discussion, to how much can you learn from the discussion.

And enjoy the company of the same B & M friends. :thumbs up

If you are passionate about Cars it's all that matters which I feel. :)

I was talking to my wife and my son about the feature differences in 2012 Toyota Camry XLE Vs SE. I have never owned a Camry, and my son asked me - why do you have all this info in your head, why have you memorized the features? My wife added " You will probably never buy a 2010 Camry, don't you feel you are wasting all that brain power?"

I responded with something like, all this info is accumulated not on purpose, but by frequently going to auto shows and reading/watching reviews. But, I did not get the feeling that they understood my reasoning. Which is why I spend time on online car/bike enthusiast websites. So, you are not alone, most people here probably feel the same way as you. lol:

It really does not matter as long as you are passionate about it. If what you think has to be followed then there would be no critics in this world. Does one need to play like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram to be able to discuss about cricket? Does one need to be like Linus Torvalds, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates in order to comment about Linux, Apple or Microsoft? I can give many examples but I think you will get the drift :)

Yes. I'm in the same boat- I finished graduate school and I'm saving up for an MBA. I bought myself a pre-owned 2012 Ford Fusion (with 75k miles) for about $8k but see my friends affording fancy Mercs and Audis.


Everyone has financial priorities in their lives and can't own a fancy car. Owning a particular car model doesn't define your passion. If people look down on you for owning a Honda Civic, I think their passion doesn't align with yours. On this forum, we've got members on this forum who:
1. Don't own cars
2. Own mass-market cars
3. Own high end BMWs, Audis, Mercs etc
4. Own some vintage/old cars (Chevys, 1100Ds, Ambys, Mahindra CJx)
5. Own Taxis

But we're united by a passion that defines us. We all believe in learning and sharing our knowledge on the forum without any discrimination.

Your love of cars has nothing to do with what you can afford or what is available for you to buy. Its all about passion. You can own a Ferrari yet be an "imposter", or drive a beater 800 and be a walking talking rallying wiki.

I know that feeling bro ! Storing all that information for no reason except for some inherent satisfaction !

Yep. Agreed. Its just that I feel like a hypocrite sometimes.

Yes. Satisfaction is the key !

The funniest comment !!


If my B & M friends don't judge me based on my ride !!


Yep.. But someday I need to experience the pleasure of driving/owning one.

Good Analogy ! I am just wishing I play like Brian Lara one day! Until then I will keep harbouring this feeling now and then and draw inspiration from it.


Exactly ! clap:

I agree with the pride. Its just that I keep comparing my past with the present. !!

If you B & M friends judge you based on your ride, it is clear that their passion doesn't align with yours.

I know exactly what you mean, and I have come full circle on this.

As a kid I used to enjoy all cars, bikes, bicycles, roller-skates, lorries, buses, autorickshaws. I even dreamed of becoming a bus driver some day. I used to sit in the seat closest to the driver, just to watch and admire the way he would skillfully turn the wide bus through narrow streets.

This was the enthusiast in me.

Somewhere down the line, this became blah blah cc, blah blah bhp, blah blah torque, sort of spec-sheet enthusiasm. You know what? This is much less enjoyable. Half the cars and bikes got ruled out because they are too "ordinary".

For an analogy, the way my wife watches a movie and the way I watch a movie. She is a movie buff and has the latest on celebrity gossip and all that. When she watches a scene, she has the actor in mind, the director, how they composed that shot, and so on. Me, I am not a movie person. I have no idea who the actor is, so all I see is the character. Guess who is more immersed in the movie. Ironically, more you know about it, the more opinionated you are about it, the less immersed you are and the less you enjoy it.

I can apply the same analogy to food as well, and though I enjoy a cooking as a casual hobby, I will certainly keep it casual and informal. If I learn too much, I am sure I shall stop enjoying it so much.

I have consciously decided to stop being "that" kind of enthusiast. Now I enjoy everything again, from Splendors to Hyundais to bicycles. Every vehicle has a charm, every vehicle is immensely enjoyable. I recently had a great time with a relative's Suzuki Access, and I can honestly tell you it is no less than the thrill I had with a Speed Triple some time back. More, in fact.

Cars are not about spec sheets and performance figures. Each vehicle delivers its own peculiar "feel". For example, I drove a 2011 Alto K10 recently and it instantly reminded me of classic 90s Marutis. That old feel is gone in most cars. I absolutely fell in love it with it.

The childish enthusiast is the happy enthusiast, my kind of enthusiast. The specsheet enthusiast on the other hand will alway be grumpy even if you give him a Veyron, because it is not a Chiron.

What are you trying to say? That one needs some kind of pre-qualification now to be a car enthusiast? Or do you just feel you have an inferiority complex because folks you talk cars with, have bigger, better, faster, more expensive cars?

Car conversations can be at different levels, whether it be discussing new cars, old cars, their features, modifications, accessories, technology, manufacturers, servicing, detailing, travelling, or just the act of driving. Find your own level and a circle with similar interests, and you wouldn't feel like an imposter.

Imposter is the guy who pings me this week on FB Messenger and says: Hai ss traveller - Where is your SCORPIO (sic). So I ask who he is. FB shows we have 2 mutual friends, so I didn't block him right away.

He replies, and I am quoting him verbatim: Before, I see all your scorpio posts on team bhp. all t bhp scorpio owners forum and travelogues. I have a scorpio owner. proud ownership since 2011. but not member in t bhp. all scorpio owners are my heros. wich is your beast? now what will use?

I told him I'd sold it. He asked why, I said NGT rules. Pat comes the reply: NGT full form? Along with that comes a certified imposter reply: You buy a new s11 or all new scorpio totally changed type. next month feb 2020. wait coming soon.

Blocked him. He'll never make it to Team-BHP anyway, but he seems to love stalking members of this forum online. I'm starting to have a seriously low opinion about these 2 mutual friends!