The 6 W’s: An Introduction
Editor’s note: Today I am introducing tehcarblogz’ first guest writer, the infamous Patrick Hodges. Patrick is a man of many talents and opinions, and a genuine Grade A USDA Certified hoon behind the wheel of… well, anything. He’ll be writing a regular column here. If you want to get in touch with him, fire an email off to hexadec0079@yahoo.com. Enjoy his writing and thanks for visiting!
-James
Words: Patrick Hodges
The 6 W’s
Who~ Let me introduce myself on these hallowed pages. I am a car nerd. I love anything peculiar with an engine and wheels. German, Japanese, or even (gasp) American. My love for the automobile goes to primal and almost spiritual level. You try driving a Ferrari without invoking some spiritual figure and then you can declare yourself as car crazy as me. I am twenty-something working in the car industry as a Service Advisor. I have a history as Salesman, have driven on the track, and wrenched my own cars. I have some perspective on the whole Automotive and try to be honest when I drive cars.
What~ Cars. Anything with a motor and wheels to be more accurate. Karts, lawnmowers, ATV, trucks, bikes, and boats if the mood strikes me.
When~ Sometime in the early 21st century.
Where~
Why~ There in lies the rub. Why is an eternal search, rather than mere question. The simplest answer I can provide is for escape. Some people scrapbook, I do donuts, powerslides, and e-brake turns.
The last W must have you scratching your head by now. It is for W8. Volkswagen’s attempt to catch up to AMG, BMW’s M division, and many other manufacturers in designing a quick road car. It has a 4.0 liter W8, AWD, 4 piston front calipers, lowered suspension, and nice interior. It is very close to the ultimate car I can imagine at the present time. It is a large sedan, goes like stink, looks classy, stops well, and people think you are a responsible adult. Not some fool hooning around in a 300hp Passat. And with so few people realizing what they are, cheap to boot.
On a grander scale, the W8 Passat is representation of the car market as a whole. It is an evolution of a base model that satisfies both the hoons, enthusiasts, environmentalists, and soccer moms at close the same time. Subaru has done it with the Legacy. Ranging from utilitarian Outback to simple Legacy, to rally car GT B-spec, Subaru has done a fair job at satisfying the market with changes on the same basic form. Mitsubishi is now trying the same with the base Lancer, Ralliart AWD turbo variant, and the epic Evolution X. These cars reflect the current trend on complex concerns over emissions, cost, appearances, and speed.
My take… hell yeah! And at the same time, no. While these variances make sleepers much more accessible they also cut down on specialty cars. Why buy a STI when a Legacy GT Spec B will do much the same job and be more comfortable? Manufacturers need to expand lines and fill niches- no matter how imagined the niche may be (I’m looking at you BMW, I mean X6, really?). They also lose perspective when the do. For all hoons sake I hope some manufacturers make some more distinct sporty models. Ideally following BMW’s old plan. 1 series sports cars and small cars. 3 series normal cars and sedans with pretty good performance. 5 series executive sedan, 6 series grand tourer, 7 series large limousine, and maybe a M1, all out performance car.
Next time~ my dream 10 car garage.