There are so many different ways to be a car fanatic. Whatever rabbit hole you choose to dive down, you can get sucked into a lifetime of losing yourself to the intricacies of a particular subculture. There are depths to some subcultures that become all-consuming, to the point where everything that is important to you is completely unknown to others, even to those as deeply car-devoted as you.
Autocross. Donks. Lowriders. SoCal Porsche R-gruppe. Air-cooled Volkswagen drag racing. Drifting. Swangas. You name it, there’s something for everyone. And yet we all get lumped into the same “car people” group in the eyes of non-car civilians.
I look at it as akin to personal tastes in comedy or music. Walk down the street in a big city and you’ll inevitably bump into a sidewalk sign reading “Live Comedy Tonight.” All comedy isn’t the same, though. You might like Jim Gaffigan, but if you went to an Andy Kindler show there’s a chance you would not enjoy it. In the same way that not all comedy is the same, not all car culture is the same.
Maybe you’ve already found your niche, and you’re happy to stick with it. That’s where your friends are, and that’s where you’ve found people who appreciate your sense of style. Maybe that’s where you win awards or racing trophies. That’s awesome — tell us all about it. Maybe you don’t know where you belong, or haven’t found your club yet. That’s cool too, tell us what you’re into.
I have a hard time choosing one, as I love all of my weird car children equally. If I had to force myself to pick, I’d say I’m way down the rabbit hole of Porsche 912 ownership. There’s even a registry for all of us weirdos to hang out.
So go ahead and tell us. What’s your favorite automotive subculture?