Slowly and methodically, Toyota’s upscale brand has been pursuing a course to make themselves relevant in the eyes of the young and restless. When the LFA came out of nowhere, it signaled the beginning of this strategy. Here was a no-compromise poster car done in a way only the Japanese could have conceived. Then came an expanded F line, as well as a trio of sleek concept cars that the public begged to buy. Begged to buy? A Lexus?!?! This then, was a turn of events.

Now we enter today with their affinity for Testarossa fins and angular bodies, their cutting edge electronics and lighting, and their increasingly modern interiors. Lexus is becoming cool, and I suspect will be the next “it” brand sometime in the next decade. BMW is increasingly pursuing SUV’s and leaving behind their “ultimate driving machine” persona. Mercedes lost the plot years ago and seem content to sell to golfers and retired dentists. Sure there’s a GT or Black Series here and there, but all that lipstick does nothing for this pig. Audi might be the cool car of the moment, but their recent designs have shown that they have no idea where to go forward and with the billions lost on the VW diesel scandal, Audi will likely see their development budgets slashed dramatically. The space is open for Lexus to occupy it – the crown of “It” car is ready for the taking. I think they are going to do it.

Whether the new Lexus will make it into the annals of boy racer legend remains to be seen. It seems unlikely that it will sit in the pantheon of greats like the original Golf GTI or even GM’s Nova – a classic back in the day. The car certainly has that type of appeal and looks like the sort of vehicle that young drivers would use to get into trouble with the law. But these things are inherently unpredictable. It is usually only after the fact that you find out that a vehicle was something special and had a cult following. Hindsight is a wonderful thing in the automotive world.

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Our rides tend to be rare and complicated to maintain than the modern world of Jiffy Lubes and engine error codes is used to. We have strange things called carburetors and drum brakes. We have to change our oil seemingly every other day. Our cars cannot go for years without lifting the hood. For all these reasons, and the absurdly high worth of the rarer iron, has led many to lock away their vehicles. These owners choose to enshroud them under dust-proof covers, and only actually drive their machines a few miles a year.

These garage queens are indeed beautiful and pristine. Many look like they leapt straight off a poster, and more than a few are in even better mechanical condition than when they originally left the factory. They are nearly perfect pieces of art. Nearly, but not quite. You see, vehicles are not art. Cars and motorcycles have a purpose; they were engineered to do something. This violates art’s central tenant that it can have no use other than simply being art. No matter how beautifully or lovingly a vehicle has been designed and crafted it is not art.

It is, however, meant to be driven. From a Volkswagen Bug to a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, regardless of their current value or mystique all vehicles were built to be enjoyed and *gasp* used on the open road. This is their raison d’être. It is just wrong to lock them away in dark garages and deny both them and yourself the pleasure of barreling down the blacktop. Teams of engineers devoted their careers to working on and perfecting your ride. You owe it to these men and women to truly experience their hard work and use the cars in the real world.

My vintage car is a daily driver. She has spots of rust and the chrome is not so bright anymore. I often get a loud crunch when slotting into reverse and the carbs are currently dismantled on my kitchen table. It may not win any concourses, but it wins my heart every day. No, I’ve never done a frame-off restoration on her or caressed her sheet metal with a silk square, but I would venture to say that I know my car better than those that have. I’ve driven my car on the limit. It has disappointed me and overjoyed me. We have a relationship and memories that can never be matched by simply looking at it longingly every night over a glass of dry Syrah. My car and I are more connected than any garage queen and her owner ever could be.

If you only want a perfect example of your model, or simply want to protect your “investment,” I get it. If you don’t want to see people’s faces light up as you drive by, bringing a touch of beauty into their lives, so be it. If you want to lock you vehicle away from the world except for special occasions, fine. But me, I’m going to drive.

The post In Defense of the Daily Driver appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

We do it because it challenges us.
We do it because we feel like owners working on their own vehicles is becoming a lost art.
We do it because people look up to us for being able to fix the oft quoted but mystical “blown head gasket.”
We do it because we think the old ways were more beautiful and have a feeling of soul.
We do it to customize our rides and be unlike anyone else on the road.
We do it to gain confidence, to gain friends, and most importantly to gain time to think away from the distractions of this future world.
We do it because as children we recklessly and foolishly decided that this is what we wanted to be like when we grew up; because our 8-yr old selves fell in love with a rat rod, an ancient Indian motorcycle, or a custom Impala.
We do it to feel in control. Despite the rest of the world, no matter what happens to this mechanical beast we can fix it. We can deal with it and make it right again.
We do it to proudly proclaim, “I did this.” To drive and show the world what we are capable of doing – a mobile trophy case to our skill, dedication, hours, and personal taste.

We do it because this is a craft that we can always work toward, always learn more about, but never master. The beauty is in the journey not the destination, in the task not the output, in the time spent rather than the miles undertaken. This hobby, this craft, this life is in us. As much as we have bled and sweat on our machines, they have leaked and spread into us in kind.

We do it because we are it.

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