Why do so many of us find sports cars irresistible? Few objects inspire the emotional attachment that sports cars do among auto enthusiasts. There are always dedicated fans of almost every technology, but sports car fans band together in clubs, spend a significant percentage of their free time preoccupied with their car, and may even begin to create a self-definition that seems to be centered upon their favorite auto.
There is something about sports cars that makes them uniquely attractive to many drivers.
Of course, it would be impossible to isolate exactly what it is about a well-designed sports car that engenders such attachment, but there are some factors that would logically contribute to the commonly seen love affair between men and their sports cars.
Initially, it seems as if much of the attraction is grounded in symbolism. Sports cars have long been portrayed as sources of freedom. Drivers are left unencumbered by the limitations of other automobiles are seen as having a uniquely free and flexible life on the open road. This notion of freedom is intensified when one considers convertible sports car offerings. In such circumstances the driver is not boxed in like others. He can tackle any road while being completely open to the elements.
Additionally, the allure of sports cars lies in their innovative technology. We live in a world that worships at the altar of technological advances. The sports car is a moving amalgamation of technical expertise. Sports cars are a bundling of technological miracles. From aerodynamic styling to compact yet powerful engines, they represent the cutting edge of technological design. In a society entranced by technology and innovation, the sports car has an iconic appeal that is difficult to equal.
Sports cars also represent the flipside to our technological obsession. Although we, as a society, crave more and better tech we also fear these developments will diminish our humanity. Some have even argued we have an underlying fear of losing control over our own advances. The sports car simultaneously represents our technological prowess while reassuring us we retain dominion over our creation. Sports cars are built to respond the driver. In fact, they are sold as being the most responsive cars available. The driver is left in ultimate control. Man creates the new technology and harnesses it. It is the perfect version of our technological dream in action.
Finally, the sports car appeals to mans desire to reassert his strength in a world that no longer requires physical prowess. Humanity has grown softer and the need for violent power to function successfully has been reduced to near zero. The sports car provides an alternative means of expressing whatever hard-wired tendencies toward strength and prowess that may be lurking in the deep recesses of the human mind. The sports car is an embodiment, after all, of the human physical traits once needed for survival in leaner times. Speed and power are combined and become a proxy body for the driver placed behind the wheel.
The sports car, it would seem, is a perfect object of affection. It allows us to explore our concept of freedom. It shows us our continual technological advancement while simultaneously reassuring us that we can keep our new technologies under our control. Meanwhile, the sports car acts a proxy body for us to express a seemingly instinctive need for demonstrating physical prowess. |
