A Breif Description of My Car

I know what you're thinking and you're right, it does seem ridiculous to have a whole page dedicated to my car. It would seem ridiculous to write about a car that outsiders might deem as unreliable, a money pit or a "P.O.S." And, some might see my car as nothing more than a "car" - but to me, it's so much more than that.

The average Joe uses a car as a means of transportation or even a workhorse, but there are those of us that simply enjoy a particular car for its technology, craftsmanship or aesthetics. Me, I'm in the second category.

I'm not really interested in a status symbol, horse power or power slides and donuts. I enjoy a car for "the feel of it;" a renaissance car. As a renaissance man is someone who is well rounded, I feel a car should meet a similar criteria.

 What is a renaissance car? To me, a car that is well rounded is a machine that boasts of a tri-fecta of looks, performance and comfort, where all types of car enthusiasts respect it and would consider such machine an acceptable replacement to their current favorite. In other words, such a car should be interesting. It shouldn't merely capture the attention of others or turn heads, but I think, it should maintain curiosity and initiate the "tell me more" or the "I want to know more" gut reaction. (view more pictures)

I own a Mazda RX-8.

Looks:

 I think that my car is beautiful. And judging by compliments that I get, I think that others would agree.

It has an aggressive stance and each of its angles compliment the next. For it being a smaller than average car, it is able to maintain a level of intimidation you don't normally experience with similar cars. Also, because of its aggressive stance and overall chiseled look, it separates itself from the flimsy, fiberglass, "all bark and no bite" Asian market. It refracts pre notions and reflects two decades of technology. (view more pictures)

Performance:

 There is no shortage of get up and go. The RX-8 comes stock with 260-270HP. I personally haven't made any performance modifications to my car, simply because I have found a necessary reason for more power. It can keep up with most unmodified cars and most "sleeper" performance cars. (view more pictures)

Comfort:

The interior of my "8" is something of a work of art. I think that the aesthetics and ergonomics of the interior of a car plays a huge part in maintaining a steady comfort level whether on a 15 minute cruise or 8 hour trip. Personally, I like a clean console filled with knobs and buttons. It adds depth to the inside of the car, making it cozier, also if designed correctly (like the RX-8), it takes less effort to accomplish regular tasks and thus adds luxury to the car - even if it isn't marketed as a luxury vehicle, you feel a peg higher. (view more pictures)

The Rx-8 portrays itself as "your car." When you sit in its seats, it hugs you. It was made for you!

Modifications:

( Beginning Spring '09)

I have a few plans for my car; geeky things - most of which revolve around a "carputer." A carputer is a computer inside your car, or a Car Computer. It's a pretty involved installation, to make it looks like it belongs in the car. Think about the computer you're on right now; if it isn't a laptop is pretty clunky with the large tower (Computer) and big monitor, not to mention all the little tid-bits like the keyboard and mouse, speakers, web cam and microphone. As it is, it doesn't seem like it would marry well to ca car - where would you put all that stuff? This is where the geeky part comes in.

Take a look at your keyboard...not that big - what if you could fit most of your computer components into that small space? Seems more suited to fit in a car, right? Maybe the glove box? Trunk? Under a seat? Well, that's the plan...to make a computer small and enough to fit easily into the nooks and crannies of a car.

What about the monitor? Right, that would help. My car came with a navigation system (which I cant get updates for anymore!), and with it Mazda installed a monitor right into the car for me! Unfortunately, there is no easy way to use it as a computer monitor, unless I wanted to get a quick Electrical Engineering degree, so I'm going to have to replace it (requires only a minor in Electrical Engineering). Fortunately, after it is replaced I'll be able to use it as a touch screen! And because it will be a touch screen, I'll no longer need a mouse, reducing my "computer clutter!"