[IvanE92]

Went for a drive today, pulled the car into the garage, and couldn't help to wonder - why? Why do I shell out a considerable chunk of change each month to drive a car once a week, if that? Maybe this post is me speaking rhetorically - but lately I've been doubting the joy-to-price value proposition.

Context: 37 years old, wife, 2 kids, no other major hobbies, blah blah. We both have comfy SUVs as daily drivers.

I've had fast cars in the past. Sure, the feeling of torque and acceleration is fun - but 600 and 800+ HP cars hit 100MPH quickly. Makes for a bad ticket, or worse. That, and I quickly would get used to the feeling and always ended up wanting more power.

I've also had cars that handled well in the past. Sure, hooning around backroads can be fun, and I have awesome roads close to where I live - but to be honest, ripping around some local corners is no where near as fun as being able to go flat out on a track. Even going 6/10s on a public road can be considered quite reckless. I currently don't track my car because I learned early on "if you can't afford to fix it, don't race it." That, and the cost and time of tracking is $$$ and I ain't that rich.

And then we have modding. Strategizing is fun. Getting that mod delivered and installed is immensely gratifying. But the dopamine hit seemingly wears off fast and I'm back to wanting more. Inevitably, this path has always led me to building a car that was either too noisy, unreliable, loud, squeaky, uncomfortable... you name it.

Then there's cost. I've grown to desire increasingly expensive cars. Back in the day I thought my $2,000 CRX was perfect. Fast forward to today - and I'm quick to find that "next car" - and guess what, it's always more expensive than what I have now.

So, that brings me to this post. Sports cars - why do we own them? And is the hobby loop for me "broken"? Could use some words of wisdom here, friends. Honestly, some days I wish I wasn't a "car guy".

Please and thank you.

Updated thought #1: I'm realizing my fondest memories with cars were the drives with my friends. Those moments are so few and far between these days. The solo cruise just isn't the same.

Updated thought #2: I tried the rational-only car thing before... was miserable after 1 month.