The so called "Dream car" - by Jeremy Hampson

Here’s the thing,
Let’s talk about what is in the mind of every single person reading this, every single enthusiast, every single person that never even thought about picking up a wrench, the ever elusive dream car. Why should we talk about this? Because, when you really think about a dream car, what it is, what it means, what it represents, it deserves more thought and discussion then simply, “my dream car is a 308 Ferrari!” or something to that tune.

Slowly getting older, not growing up mind you, I’ve noticed that my tastes in cars has changed. Not for the better, or for the worse, it has just simply, changed. Now of course having a young daughter and a wife does change your priorities, but my tastes in vehicles always remains the same. Or so I thought. Stay with me here.
When I was growing up, my dad bought me a 1989 Honda Civic DX, a nice little 3 door hatchback. It looked something like this but with a nice fade to the red.

It had power nothing in it, yet was a joy to drive in. Before I got my car, what I wanted was either a lifted truck of some sort, like an older Tacoma, or like what my friend had at the time, an 1988 Chevy Camaro with the 5.0L V8 in it. It was fast, mean, and quite an enjoying experience to drive. But I got my car, with it’s little 1.5L inline 4, didn’t have quite the punch. However, after a while I didn’t mind, I began to like the little thing more and more. This is where I got my first lesson in power to weight. As in, even though it’s not as powerful, it’s also lighter then a third generation Camaro, it won’t beat it in a drag race, but it won’t feel as slow in the Civic as opposed to another car the same size/weight as the Camaro, but with just not as much power. This was my thinking at the time anyways, it’s not like I was doing freaking physics calculations in my head or anything.


 (Pictured, freaking physics)

So, even though I had this car, I still wanted my “dream car”, which was something along the lines of a Tacoma that I could build up, I wanted something that I would show off my personality, which, in high school was that of an overly aggressive asshole. And I tried multiple times to get a truck, it never worked out, because I slowly realized that, at the time, my dream car wasn’t some stupid truck that I kind of wanted, it was the very car I was driving. The car did what I wanted it to do, it represented my personality, it was fun, I enjoyed it, and most importantly, it was a car that I could handle, because so often, you’ll get way ahead of yourself, jump into a car you don’t properly understand, and something bad happens.

And then I went and picked up my 300, my wife picked it out because it was going to be her car after I got a car for myself. Even just a few years ago when I bought it, I still wanted a truck or a certain type of suv. After I drove the 300 for a while, keeping In mind it was my first RWD sedan, I started liking it more. And also realized that if I don't have a reason for owning a specialized type of vehicle like a truck there is no point to owning one. My commute usually averages a good 30 miles one way. Yeah I could have had a truck but a buddy of mine made the same commute and had a Ram 1500, he filled up twice a week, that's painful.
So when I bought my 944, I thought,  you know I finally accomplished one of my car dreams, get a RWD sports car that I can wrench on. Well that was before I realized if you own a 944 you really own two cars, the 944 and the car you drive daily while you work on the 944.

So, the search began, in the meantime I drove my roommates 89 corolla GT-S, it was a decent car. The gearbox had that very satisfying 'click' every time you put it into gear. So when I found a car I immediately jumped on it, it was my 86 Honda Accord LX-i. For a while I just used it as as car I drove, and then I realized that I really liked the car, it was was a fun ride, had a decent amount of horsepower, and didn't quit on me until the parts literally broke in half.

However the car had over 200,000 miles on it and it wasn't maintained nor did it have it’s 200,000 mile interval servicing, it was having so much repairs that it was like having a car payment. Again, the search began. I didn't really know what I was looking for, my wife and I would have liked a new car, but we wanted to pay off the 300 first. So I decided I was going to try and get a car off craigslist for 5,000 or less, a decent starting position for an early 2000's that runs well.

I must have run through a hundred listings for cars that I replied to. One had a good seller, and that's the number one thing I look for. So I started talking to him, the car? A 2001 Volvo S80 T6. Had the color I wanted, had a turbo. Just one problem, the 99 to 2004 Volvo S80's, among others had a fatal flaw. The transmissions were GM sourced transmissions, and failed very early, but this guy had a rebuilt transmission put in. He had it done by his mechanic who used to be a Volvo tech, but not in a Volvo dealership shop. Anyone who's owned a Volvo you need their computers to program stuff from the tip tronic to the window buttons.

So I go check it out, turns out had a massive problem with the transmission, it would get stuck in gears and not shift right, I was going 5 mph through an intersection.  Next!

Over the next few months nothing really came about, until one morning I decided to look on carmax but with a caveat, for no reason at all I put the price range up to 23,000 dollars. And within a few pages I found a vehicle that I now own, my 2014 Ford Fiesta ST. The strange thing with it is, as soon as I saw it online, I immediately called and made an appointment for later that day to go check it out and ended up buying it - I knew the second I saw it that I was going to be buying it.

That is just the thing, when you find a car you know you like, or love, it can come in all forms, it can be love at first sight, or it can creep up on you. You know you love your car, when you are about to get in and look at the seats and say, “I love this car, I can’t wait to sit in it.” And then say it again as you’re getting out of it. There is no problem with lusting after that one car that seems so far away, but never forget there is a perfectly good car out there right now for you, just waiting to be driven. I don’t like the phrase “Dream car”, because just in those words it insinuates that this car only exists in your head. So get your head out of the clouds, and under that hood, because especially with today’s cars, there are so many to choose from, that finding that perfect one to fit you perfectly is even easier, and that in essence is really a dream car, one that seems built for you.

And that, that’s the thing about having your head in the clouds

- Jeremey

Blue Devils and Green Jaaaaags

Here’s the thing about Colors:

This post is my first attempt to dive into a subject that is not 100% automotive related, but certainly has a larger foot hold in the industry. I am talking about the psychology of colors in marketing and advertising.  Throughout my marketing classes during college we learned about how color affects people’s perceptions of a marketable item.  We even learned how in certain cultures or countries, marketers and advertisers shy away from various colors because of an association with a political party or other group.

This is where I tie this all back into the automotive business: Auto shows and Press cars. Years ago I was at the Philadelphia Auto show and saw the ZR1 Corvette for the first time. It was of course the Blue Devil. And ever since that day, if I ever have the chance to buy a ZR1, it will be blue.  The same goes for a Z06 thanks to the Corvette racing teams I will always remember Z06’s being a bright Yellow that is unmistakable as a Corvette.

This same psychological effect isn’t just limited to specific models or manufacturers though. Last night I was watching Top Gear on Netflix and it was the episode where Hammond talks about racing colors and how each country has always seemed to have their own and he’s right. If I ever see a Jag D-Type that isn’t green it just feels wrong, if I ever see a Bugatti or Renault Alpine that isn’t bright blue I think WTF. And if I ever see a Ferrari that isn’t red I always wonder why, even though at this point there are so many red Ferraris that I don’t think I could ever buy on in that color. 

So I wonder am I the only one who is affected by this? Or am I crazy and should I go find a yellow D-Type, or a green Corvette?

You guys tell me.

-Devlin

Corvettes, Integras, and Blazers. Oh My!

Here's the thing,

I was born in a small town into a GM family. Growing up, the first two cars I remember were my dad's Bonneville and my mom's two-door Blazer. The first memories I have of speed were of asking my dad to go faster down this hilly side road near the house because it "made my tummy feel funny". We had no idea then, but that experience was the clear sign of car junkie in the making.

Being raised in a GM family, my Holy grail growing up was the Corvette. My parents often joke that Corvette was my first word. And it's a love that has carried over into my adult life, so much so that I now sport a "Jake" tattoo on my left calf. For those of you that don't know, Jake is the Corvette Racing Team mascot. Yeah, it runs that deep for me.

However, my true car 'aha' moment didn't come until I was about 15 years old. My brother had gone away to college. And in an attempt to show my dad how independent he had become, he bought a 1989 Acura Integra RS for $700. My father, being the good American car buyer that he was, called it my brother's "700 dollar mistake". But I loved the thing. Even with more than 200,000 miles and a clutch that had seen much better days, I loved driving it even just up and down the driveway. And after watching my brother put it through constant trips up and down the highway to school, running a paper route every night, and just the all around abuse a car receives from a 21 year old owner, it earned my father's respect too. Needless to say, I ended up with a 1994 Integra GS-R of my own a few years later. I'm still addicted to 8000 rpm redlines.

The second big car move for me was taking a porter job at a local car lot at 21. It was the second job I ever had, but after throwing freight at a local pet store for 5 years, I was in heaven. For those that don't know, a porter's job is to drive cars. There's other stuff too, like cleaning them or assisting the sales team with presentation, but at the end of the day we drive cars. Thanks to my borderline OCD and constant need for organization, I was assigned lot organization duties. Most days were spent on the lot with a box of keys driving every car we had in stock from one spot to another. Like I said, heaven. My secondary responsibility was as a DX Driver, or doing dealer exchanges. It was through this function that I got a chance to drive my first real sports car, a 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1. For those that don't know, that car is everything they say it is. It's brash, angry, raw, and most importantly, face-metlingly face. Why they let me drive it, I still to this day have no idea.

And that pretty much brings us to today. I'm no longer working at a car lot, though I wish I was, and I'm currently daily driving a 2008 Civic Si. For those of you that don't know, it's the grandson of that poor Integra I tortured through my first 3 driving years. The Civic has the same 8000 rpm redline and can-do attitude, albeit with a better working air conditioner. Most of you know my writing style by now, and you've seen some of my opinions on the different facets of the industry, but I hope this gives you a little bit better insight into your Editor-In-Chief. I'm excited for the things we have in store, and I can't wait to get the wheels turning the way I always knew HTTA could.

And that, that's the thing.
- Shawn

Product Planning

Here's the thing -

I've never worked for a car company. I don't have an engineering degree. But what I do have is a keen eye on the industry, and a degree based around things like logistics, business analysis, and management. That combination wouldn't take me far off the beaten path of your average product planner. In that vain, with a bit of ego, and some serious thought that should've been applied to things like work or, you know, a life, I present you with the top 3 cars that should have been made:

3: A Falcon-based Lincoln LS:
The CTS is the car that single-handedly revived Cadillac. During the years leading up to it, Cadillac was on its deathbed, ironically like most of its customer base. However, with their sites set on their best European rivals, they went back to the drawing board and created what was to be one of the most astounding come-back cars of the century. Love it or hate it, the CTS was the first Cadillac to truly bring the fight to BMW and Mercedes. And now, with their position secure, we can't help but wonder: what's taking Lincoln so long to do the same? Instead of rehashing the entire Ford lineup, just with longer taillights and a split grill in the front, how about we make the Lincoln lineup special again? And you know just the car to lead the charge? The Falcon. I know I've talked about this before, but if you want to gut and remake a Ford, make it a memorable one. Make it one that when you're done can take the fight to the CTS. Make one Henry would be proud to drive, so long as it's black.

2: A new Monte Carlo -
Let's just face facts, the Australian-based GTO was a flop. It's not for lack of ability, or for being subpar. It actually blew everything that it was competing with at the time out of the water. The reason was GM's usual product fumbling. They phoned in a product that was clearly meant to be something else, and put the most legendary muscle car name ever on the side. However, the formula was a good one, and under a different set of conditions, it would have been a huge splash instead of a horrendous belly flop. A luxurious, sporty interior, a decent stack with a real stereo, and the ability to spin the world backwards with muscle car torque. Sounds like a Monte Carlo SS to me. At least the kind that they built before it was just an Impala coupe. If you still don't believe me, here's a picture of a concept of the latest generation of Monaro (what was our GTO):

1: A proper Integra successor -
Full disclosure: I don't hate the RSX. I actually really like it. And I like the generation of Si that took the place of the RSX, so much so, that I own one. But the Integra was bigger than that, bigger than a lineage of just what was capable in a FWD "rice rocket". It was a cultural icon that united the Fast and Furious crowd with serious tuners. They could be made to be as much about show as they could be for go. The name came to symbolize the idea that we can, in fact, all just get along. Whether you were a fan of a clean looking sleeper, or you came for the neon lights and custom sub-woofer enclosures, you were sure to find one at any car show that fit your tastes. And now what do we have? The ILX?! I was so excited to think what that I meant when they first announced the product, and now I fear that it may in fact, in Honda's mind, may be their attempt at being the new Integra. It deserves better than that. We Honda fans deserve a car that will look straight at the BRZ, the Focus ST, and the Mazdaspeed 3 and announce with a natural aspirated, stratospheric redline: "We're back".

So there they are. The best cars that never were. Some, I'm sure, were kicked around the offices, but never saw the light of day. But I can assure you, if ever given the chance, I'll make sure they do.

And that, that's the thing.

- Shawn