What's Your Hottest Automotive Take?

The Airing of the Grievances comes early this year

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Photo: Honda

Have you ever had an opinion? Judging by our comments, I think you certainly have. But have you ever had an opinion that everyone disagreed with? If so, you’re in luck: Today, we want to hear it.

That’s right, today we’re asking for your hottest car takes. Do you think all racing series should only use showroom-stock cars? Do you want a mandatory minimum of 500 horsepower on all new production vehicles? Do you want anything larger than a kei car banned from American roads? Now’s your chance to let those takes out.

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My hottest take, for the curious, is that the whole “car” thing is kind of overrated. I’m not going to say they should all be banned, but I do think that plenty of enthusiasts would have a lot more fun swapping four wheels for two. Allow me to explain.

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My enthusiast cars have run the gamut, from a Lexus GX to a Wrangler, then a Miata, to a Subaru Legacy GT wagon, an FR-S, and a Miata again. The most applicable here, though, is the Miata/Legacy/FR-S swap. See, I loved my NA, but I traded up for my moves to and from college. Yet, I realized I rarely used all those cubic feet behind my head. Most of the time, that whole wagon transported only me and a backpack.

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So I sold it and bought the FR-S. I traded raw horsepower for nimble handling, and it was good for a while — years, in fact. But, still, the FR-S began to feel too large, too imprecise out on the road. I missed the Miata, but tried out something new instead of searching for that old NA again: Motorcycles.

This, I found, was the apex. Two wheels, under 500 pounds — this is true nimble handling. It’s more connected, more exciting, than any car I’ve ever owned, and you don’t even need triple-digit horsepower to have a good time.

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My hot take is that more car enthusiasts should give bikes a try. Give it a shot, see how you like it — you may just find that it’s more entertaining than your car could ever hope to be. Your hot take, though, is likely something else entirely. Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll collect our favorites later in the week.