Soul Cars: The 'driving emotion'

For Drivers Only!

People who use and see their cars as a means of daily commute and consider it as a commodity need to look away, this one is for the true drivers who love to drive their machines! Or love to collect them! Cars have always inspired emotion in the hearts of petrolheads all over the world. Each new car release is done with some pomp and show and the enthusiasts wait for new models excitedly every year! Then there are a few, who can actually afford to 'buy' all the new desirable cars or their variants which are offered every year. Jay Leno, for example.

1966 Lamborghini Miura

Jay Leno's Duesenberg Collection!

Soul Cars

When I say the word 'soul' cars, it actually does not exist. It has been concocted by people who adore certain cars. They treat those cars as though they are actually living things, which can communicate with their owner. Sounds crazy? Allow me to expand!

A 1931 Duesenberg

The story of any  car begins with a plant, where its various components are assembled. Now, until Henry Ford came up with the idea of an 'assembly line' to aid mass production of cars, people used to make them by 'hand'. Each and every car was put together by mechanics and technicians in a plant. Due to this 'human element', each car was unique as human beings do not display the consistency of machines (an automated assembly line). Sheets of metal were sculpted by hammer and wooden dies in some extreme cases, where the required lines on the body of the car were simply not possible to make with machines. Or perhaps just for the heck of it! (certain modern cases).

The Jaguar E-type: the best ever?

The automobile shown above, a 1961 E-type is considered to be the most beautiful automobile ever created! And you can see why, the curves are simply mesmerizing. That long bonnet gives the car its typical stance, which has made it a legend. In fact, metal workers at famous auto manufacturers became legends, like Sergio Scaglietti who worked at Ferrari in Maranello. Ferrari named their 612 as the Scaglietti in his honour!

Ferrari 612 'Scaglietti'

Some of Ferrari's racing cars possessed a character, which is hard to match by their current range.

1967 Ferrari P330

Not to mention, the legendary 250 GTO!

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

And the Dino!

1974 Ferrari Dino GTS

No discussion about 'soul cars' is complete without Alfa Romeos in it! So here is one:

Alfa Romeo 8C

Alfa Romeos are notoriously renowned for their terrible resale value, rust and reliability issues and sometimes are even terrible to drive! Yet, each and every Alfa finds itself close to the heart of every petrolhead in the world, because look at it....and keep on looking at it! Its beautiful, fantastic, superb. People who made it really knew a thing or two about aesthetics. That's not all, even the engine bay is something to behold.

The chromed pipes on a GT

How many cars have you seen that have chromed pipes beneath the bonnet! None, right? That's Alfa Romeo for you, distinctively Italian. Its not much of an auto'mobile' as it is a work of art! No wonder people love it.

Yet, you may ask why people chose this particular car when there were many other slightly better looking ones?

The fact is, that question has many answers. And they re as varied as the people themselves. How a car appeals to a person lies deep in the psychological aspects, which I can't really delve into. But the superficial things are obvious to everyone. The looks, sound, interiors and in some cases, ergonomics (which was nt really there in earlier cars like the E-type, they were difficult to get into, and get out!). What's more, that long bonnet meant coming out of a tight bend, a 'T' would be impossibly scary as one can't see what's coming the other way. But who cares when you have got a car that looks like this!

E-type: The domesticated cat

Curiously, in many cases, the more a car behaves in an erratic manner, the more people become attached to it! People are nt looking for machines which are ruthlessly efficient and never break down, they want something that has to be taken care of. I own a Royal Enfield and it breaks down all the time (mostly the clutch wire, its hopeless!) but I love it as I would love a family member. Why? Because I like it and liking a motorcycle or a car has got nothing to do with its efficiency or quality or anything else. That is where the 'emotion' aspect of an automobile reaches the 'driving' part.

The 'Driving Emotion'

Again, I will stress upon the fact that whatever I am going to say will make sense only to the people who don't consider cars as a commodity!

We experience various types of emotions everyday. Happiness, anxiety, sometimes sadness etc. But there's none quite like the one one experiences while driving his/her car (or motorcycle for that matter). Leisure driving is very limited in modern life style, one generally drives for some 'purpose', something serious, to 'complete' an activity.

Not many consider 'driving' in its purity, like a drive along a beach, on an empty stretch on the highway or in the city (generally after midnight, when the streets are mercifully less crowded). The sheer pleasure of driving an automobile can be explained as conducting a symphony, only not with musical notes and instruments, but with various parts of an automobile itself! The engine, gearbox, pedals, the gear stick (sorry, no paddle shifts here) are operated in harmony and coordination and its a pleasure to see the instrument cluster's various meters and gauges respond to your inputs.

Speedometer on an Audi R8 V10

Then comes the slightly focused stuff-track days, karting and the like. Enthusiasts with all sorts of cars turn up at a track to gauge their capabilities. The less fortunate ones go to the karting tracks and test their skills with smaller, but nimble go-karts. Karting can in fact be called as 'mini-track' racing where one can visualize himself/herself as a real pro racer without actually being one.

Go-karts can be good fun!

The responses of any car make up most of what it 'feels' like. Good sports cars respond at the slightest prod of the throttle, their engines growl as if straining on a leash. The driver likes to anticipate the reactions of an automobile. However, some sports cars are notoriously 'twitchy' i.e. over responsive to inputs. These cars are generally given a wide berth by the enthusiasts.

Koenigsegg CCX: You have been warned!

The Koenigsegg experience: Dark forces at work

But then again, it is more rewarding if you can control beasts like the one shown above. Supercar owners have varied preferences or everyone would just turn up and get a 911 or a F430. There are certain beasts, which are hilariously tail happy, like the CLK-AMG Black series or the XKR. These things were meant to slide around the bends and plaster a big grin on their owner's face. Most of the Ferraris sometimes fail to achieve this, because they re too good! And because their drivers know the capability of those Ferraris, they drive it seriously and the fun bit goes out of the window.

The CLK-AMG Black packs brutal punch

Jaguar's XKs have always been tail happy

I ve always wondered why drop tops appeal to people? A roof above the head is much better! Firstly, it makes the car more rigid so that it does not flop around during hard cornering and secondly, it looks much better with the roof! Drop tops are primarily meant for posers, for people who want to cruise on boulevards with the sun shining down on them or something like that. I do respect the emotion they experience, partly due to the blaring engine which is either ahead of the windshield or behind the cabin in mid/rear-engined cars.

For me, the proper layout for an automobile is a longitudinally placed engine ahead of the windshield and rear wheel drive with a decent weight distribution. Mid-engined cars are too focused, even though they have an excellent weight distribution, but somehow I can't imagine an engine being 'behind' me!