It doesn’t have the soul. It doesn’t make the noise. It doesn’t have the right smell, the right feel, the right sensation that takes you back to the year your nostalgia level peaks out and peters off into nothing. If you listen long enough, you can be convinced that what is made today is garbage, what was made ten years ago is even worse garbage, and what was made fifty years ago is the ultimate form of the automobile from just about any viewpoint. “The end is near”, some cry out. And honestly, it’s never looked nearer than it has the last five years, with self-driving technology on the horizon, robo-ride taxi services following up, and certain countries looking to do everything within their power to eliminate the internal combustion engine. It’s not the automotive apocalypse, but you can see it from here, right?
Before I begin my side of the coin, I want to show you the post that started off this chain of events in my head that lead to today’s question that we lay at your feet. It comes courtesy of Mike Musto:
Listen to me very carefully: I don’t disagree with Mike at all. In a sea of crossovers that are about as bland as vanilla pudding served from a government-supplied source, brick-like SUVs and super-sized pickup trucks that are supposed to inspire aggression, masculinity or a sensation of being more powerful than anyone else on the road and six and seven-figure cars for the elite to roll around in Instagramming the hell out of the driver’s personal brand, the automotive landscape is bleak. It sucks. There are bright spots, yes…but they are fading out in many forms and the ones that stay are so vital to the brand they represent that nobody within the company with a self-preservation instinct would dare try to take them out. The Mustangs and Camaros and GT-Rs and the like will all still sell. But I’m not here about the looks of the car.
The lines of the car are subjective. Love new stuff? Hate new stuff? That’s on you. But here’s a thought: what about the driving factor? What about cars that you couldn’t wait to drive, cars that enticed you into the cockpit and ordered you to have a blast? And not just the usual suspects, either…any Shelby, Hellcat or ZL-1 will take you for a ride you’ll never forget. What about the more everyday option? Take for example, the car I hoped and prayed that FCA would build: the all-wheel-drive, six-speed, turbocharged Dart SRT-4/GLH. The SEMA concept that appeared wearing the GLH name was nothing more than body bits and some paint. Visually, it looked good, but performance wise it was a sad offering compared to what the GLH nameplate used to mean to Dodge: “Goes Like Hell” was slapped on the backs of Dodge Omnis that Carroll Shelby had tuned to within an inch of their econobox lives, and while there was a good chance the torque-steer would crack thumbs, if you got it right the little 175-horsepower pocket rocket would royally f**k up the day of the local Mustang GT driver. What happened to cars like that? It isn’t a Hellcat, but surely for a daily driver, a 270-horsepower six-speed Dart SRT-4 wouldn’t be a bad call, provided the bastard didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Instead, it’s a sea of automatics, powerbands that work better than Ambien, and styling that makes you want to just LS-swap a Monte Carlo and be done with it all.
I’m very curious to hear your opinions on the subject, so let’s hear it.
I get Musto’s statements. I’d rather jump in my 71 Olds with Flowmasters and a 4 speed just for what that sound does for me.
On the other hand, some of the new cars are sounding pretty good too..but, a different kind of sound.
I also find it funny that Musto made the statement…since he has a Demon. I’d have a hard time not getting excited about a 9-10 second daily driver…that sounds pretty cool to boot.
I’m just happy we aren’t reliving the mid-70’s/early 80’s…and hope we don’t again.
I’m 61 years old and haven’t bought a new car since 2004. Check that: wife wanted a mini-van a couple of years back, but that doesn’t count. My every day is that 2004 Dodge truck and a used 2006 Town Car pushing 200,000 miles. There’s $$$$ burning a hole in my pocket, but nothing new does it for me. A full size, rear wheel drive, V8, two door coupe would make me open my wallet. Guess that’s why I’m now shoveling a 600HP Poncho into my 1968 Catalina.
It may not be “brand new” but I keep trying to buy a Cobalt SS that is on blocks because of a rear axle problem. I have zero experience tuning computer cars, but I would like to play with one. And where better to start than with a beater? If I break it? Oops, I learned something. Let’s try again. That’s how hot rodding started, right?
An older car can be interesting just by having survived a half-century, even if it was just a boring transportation appliance when it was new. As boring as a new four cylinder Camry is, you can reach back into the ’60s and ’70s and find plenty of cars with slower acceleration, more Novocain in the steering, and mushier handling, but far more more cruise night glory.
So – how are we looking for new car options that are less boring than a Camry, but cost about the same and have some practicality? Well, I wouldn’t kick that new Civic Type R or Si out of my garage, even if it looks like it belongs in Macross City and might transform into a robot. That Toyota / Subaru “Frisbee” looks fun, but I’d need a more functional back seat for a daily driver that might need to tote around the whole family in a pinch. (I’d probably say that about a Triumph Spitfire if I had been an adult in 1978 writing this.) I’m currently driving a 21 year old Buick Regal GS, which isn’t a bad blend of sporty, practical, and invisible to cops; the current version is supposed to be the same but more so.
I don’t disagree with any of the previous comments. I wonder if the same things that make driving a new car so much better might be the same things that make it boring? All of the refinement has removed any edge from even the most interesting new cars.
Don’t get me started on the electronic “infotainment” gadgets that you can’t even turn off in some vehicles. The big shiny touchscreen in the middle of the dash and the always illuminated digital gauge displays seem to only be a distraction, removing you from the immediacy of the task at hand and diluting any feeling of a real connection to the driving experience.
I have a had a number of desirable older (60’s-70’s) cars and trucks. I have had a number of brand new vehicles since my first new car purchase in 1989. My current tuned SHO will run 13 flat and it may be a pretty damn good car all around but I would trade it today fro a 1965-6 Mustang coupe 6 banger with a 3 speed manual. The new stuff is truly incredible compared to the old but it feels as if there is no character, no personality in the cars in the past 30 years. I am a Ford guy and I feel the last great car with character and personality was the Buick Grand National. Ford hasn’t had a “classic” since, I don’t know, the 70 Boss? My Taurus offers more than anything from the 60’s or 70’s but it is, after all, a Taurus..
While I’m on the retail side of the car business and my job is to excite people to spend money on new cars, from a personal standpoint, I’m in agreement. I think that the advent of direct-injection has brought factory performance and economy to places the industry has never seen, but with all of the government mandated safety and NVH standards the cars have lost a lot of soul. I feel that some connection with the sounds, feel and smells of driving a car has been watered down to piped in noise.
I’ve been lucky enough to drive Shelbys, Hellcats and a rowdy Z/28 due to my job, but I think I got more actual enjoyment from driving a 944 Turbo I once owned.
I had a 68 Mustang with a 289 auto. It was a fun cruiser but I never trusted it enough to push it around, and my wife never wanted to drive because it was either too nice to park or too hot to sweat. So I sold it. I have driven my share of 80’s-00’s junkers. For a daily driver it’s hard to beat my couch on wheels aka 03 towncar. It’s even fun to drive in the mountains.
My 87 5.0 five speed mustang is fun to beat on but I am not sure I would want to go back to daily driving it 70 miles. Maybe if I took the spool out and put something with less drown than the flowmasters.
I have been watching the local mega used car lot hoping that one day when I have some free time they will have a 2010-2014 mustang GT 6 speed I can go test drive. I really want to see it I like it as much as I think I will.
I think that’s what I want for my next DD. When I am not doing daycare drop off every day. Hopefully the 6 speed will give it enough soul to be alive, but refined enough it will not be annoying to commute in.
As far as a late model 4 door car (in my price range) I am not aware of any with any soul.
I’ve got a little bit of everything in the garage (40 Ford Flathead, a few classic fire trucks, a drag car, a Mini Cooper, and a 17 Mustang GT). All have there place, all bring different levels of excitement and cool-factor, but you can’t be mad at a 17 5.0 that makes 450 HP, gets 25+ mpg, and is trust worthy to drive anywhere. There is a lot of blah out there, but there was a lot of cars that weren’t cool that have changed with a bit of revisionist history. Todays reliability and power makes up a lot for older stylistic designs that are not aero friendly but look cool.
I’m one of those wierdos that likes malaise mobiles. I think the problem with new cars is the super fat A pillars and high window seals. You can’t hardly put your elbow out the window anymore. All new cars look the same, bad ass pony cars and v8 trucks are available if you have at least 60K laying around. Old Cordobas and turbo Omnis are looking better and better everyday.
My family has a 2018 Silverado and a 2009 X5 for daily drivers and a 1985 Z51 Corvette and 1970 RS Camaro for corners and straight line fun. So yeah, I guess I believe late model cars are for transportation and older stuff is for fun.