You described your wife as having a "E36 M3-eating grin on her face" and you have survived. I salute you, sir.
By Tim Suddard
Dec 18, 2023
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Column,
Driving Pleasure
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| From the Nov. 2017 issue
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Photography Credit: Tom Suddard
Driving Pleasure: Almost every one of us seeks it, but does it mean the same thing to everyone? Sure, there are some cars that are universally acknowledged as pegging the joy meter–no one gets out of a Ford GT or Ferrari 275 GTB and says that driving it wasn’t a great experience–but it gets a bit murky as you move away from universally acknowledged super cars. Driving pleasure can mean different things to different people and on different days.
I realized this earlier this summer as I drove the Tail of the Dragon in a new BMW M2. Margie and I were pre-running our Smoky Mountain Tour route, and although I have difficulty putting true driving happiness into words, I am 100 percent positive we found it that day. Even Margie had a shit-eating grin on her face, demonstrating that there was enough fun to extend into the passenger’s seat. A new M2 offers more driving pleasure than most of us deserve.
The next weekend, we had some friends over and I took them bar-hopping to all our area’s beach bars in our 1959 Edsel Wagon. While I was our designated driver, I still had a hell of a time cruising down the sunny Florida beach roads in that old Edsel full of crazies. I think you could ask anyone who was in the car that day and they would tell you they experienced driving pleasure. I know I sure did, but then, I do every time I get behind of the wheel of that wagon.
Obviously, these are two very different types of experiences. What made them both special?
You could argue that true driving pleasure takes just the right amount of horsepower, howling exhaust and pleasing ergonomics, but I would counter that this is not always true. When my son and I drove our 1971 Alfa across the country last year, I was shocked at how much joy that inexpensive, relatively underpowered, and mechanically tired Alfa offered. We spent almost 3000 miles taking turns saying, “Damn, this thing is nice to drive.”
The Alfa proves that a quality experience is not something only money can buy. Sure, a more expensive car like an E-Type or 289 Cobra is an absolute blast to drive, but so is a Triumph Spitfire or TR3. I would even go so far as to argue that on an autocross course, the Triumphs would best their more expensive brethren.
The Edsel, like my 1967 Shelby Mustang, proves another point: While ergonomics do play a very important part in creating a top-notch driving experience, the very lack of creature comforts can somehow also contribute to joy behind the wheel. While it is tough to enjoy one’s self in a car that is uncomfortable, there is something very pleasing about experiencing the more visceral effects of piloting a vehicle on the road.
One of the best riding cars I have every driven is a Lotus Elan. If “driving pleasure” had an entry in the dictionary, it would be accompanied by a picture of an Elan. The Lotus offers superb ride comfort, more than adequate scoot, and incredible shifting, braking and handling. If it was a smidge bigger and better made, it would be a million-dollar car now.
Naturally age, rarity, pedigree, and a host of other factors weigh in on a car’s value, but if it had a bit more power (which a turbo or supercharger quickly provides), an early Miata would be another million-dollar car thanks to the experience it provides.
Of course, a lot of what each of us perceives as driving pleasure comes from something deep inside us. Our moments on the road are all mixed up with our hopes, desires, neuroses and memories. Our cars call up something deep within our own physical and emotional makeup.
When I was a kid, growing up as a Ford dealer’s son, I often traveled with my dad to deliver new trucks to customers as well as to the custom body maker who turned them into fire trucks, stake bodies, or even haulers like the one I found recently. So it’s probably no surprise that I love our Ford F-350 ramp truck. I love the big-block Ford sound, especially through the Hooker headers and custom exhaust I installed; I love the huge four-speed shifter that sticks up nearly to the roof, like an old Rat Fink cartoon; and I thoroughly enjoy the indestructible, king-of-the-world feeling I get behind the wheel. Most of all, I love the way that memories of how I felt as a young kid getting to hang out with my dad come flooding back to me when I drive this truck.
Okay, enough about me. I want to hear what you think offers the most driving pleasure, and why. If we get some good answers, we might even be able to put together a feature on this concept. Please shoot me your thoughts at tim@ClassicMotorsports.com.
You described your wife as having a "E36 M3-eating grin on her face" and you have survived. I salute you, sir.
I don't have a good way to quantify it or even describe it but I've been thinking about driving pleasure a lot lately.
I used to enjoy driving my '01 F250, 6 speed, PowerStroke. It was slow, noisy and heavy but something about running it through the gears, heal-toe downshifting for corners, working the throttle and clutch to pull a heavy load smoothly from a start and all the other involvement needed to make it do all the things that was capable of was enjoyable and satisfying.
My new to me 2015 RAM 3500 is by pretty much any metric a better vehicle but driving it is just not a pleasurable experience. It's not bad. It's just kind of blah. There's something missing and I don't know what it is.
I totally agree,When i was driving my Elan it always gave me a tingling feeling,just like the first day i put it back on the road after the restoration.I get the same feeling when i drive my 78 F150 with that huge stick shift. The first car i got to steer when i was 2years old was my Gramps 49 Merc Monarch(Canada Car only),and every time i get into a Merc of that era the memories flood back.The Same thing happens when i drive a 66 ford Galaxie 2 dr hardtop. The first car I drove getting my Licence....and on and on!
Lester 64 Lotus Elan S2
Old air cooled 911 is my idea of driving pleasure. The sounds, the smells, crazy long throws on the shifter, telepathic steering, ridiculously powerful brakes, surprisingly compliant ride for how stiff it feels.
yeah
In reply to Tim Suddard :Great article, driving pleasure for me is my new Nissan 370Z that I picked up a few weeks ago. It replaces an 83 Datsun 280zx that I bought new. So far, the 280 was a better overall experience..probably because of the fact that my wife and I went on our honeymoon in that car. It had better visability and the tranny was slicker plus I totally loved the looks. On the other hand, my 68 mustang fastback was a hoot to drive even though once you got into the corners we have here in Nova Scotia it became very challenging. Drove with a club, great experiences. I had a 70 mustang convertible before that, different feeling but still great. For me it's what experiences come with the car though there is a basic level of visceral driving pleasure and overall visual appeal of the car that I s necessary. My 370z just needs the experiences which my wife and are working on.
I took my new wife to her first car show .She was not married to a gear head guy the first time ,so it is all foreign to her .My son ,who is an auto body paint and fabricatror guy was visiting with our new grandson . We walked around , chatting, messing with the grandkids, and occasionally looking at the cars .We saw a black 63 avanti for sale , my son says , hey dad it's like your avanti . My wife liked it . I remember my car ,It was a very american muscle car feel , hefty ,torquey, noisy , .I loved it .It was a hammer in a fancy loewy suit lol. She would not love it as it was, she wants comfort , quiet , smoothness.I can do that now with the modern options we can add .I will miss the hammer when i get one , but a smooth quiet comfy faster hammer is ok too . Now my 87 alfa is a hoot .Immediate , direct , tactile , very Italiano,with comfortable seats , nice stereo , power windows, 4 wheel discs and the exhaust note a 2.0 alfa is famous for .It does need some suspension help. bushings, shocks ,limit straps , decent tires, but it is fun and frugal .i picked it up for 800$ in a won't start state ,with burned clear coat on a black car ,and dirty torn seats , easily fixed, except the 4th time i have had to buff the hood is making me sick of that part lol. Think light , small, responsive , it all works better than a rocket that only goes straight to gas stations ...
Thanks everyone for your great comments. Nice to hit a nerve and get people thinking about what really gives them driving pleasure.
I am pleasantly surprised that that you don't want to hang me for suggesting that the old F-350 is cool to drive.
And someone asked about the Volvo I dragged home for my son. We have a few of them now we are going to write about in our sister magazine; Grassroots Motorsports.
I have a '66 F-100 with the heavy duty four speed transmission, manual brakes and manual steering. It's just as much fun to drive (I love that big tall shift lever and how it goes click-click when changing gears) as my BMW, just in a different way.
After 21 years and 187K miles together, I still love to grab the keys of my 97 BMW M3. It has seen many mods over the years, most of which have contributed to making it a bit less comfortable ( track suspension, fixed Recaros, etc) but has made the driving experience exponentially better. I have a 7 cars to pick from in the fleet these days, but my M3 is always the one true love. Never selling.
Before third gear gave out in my SBC powered Safari minivan I thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I'd make excuses just to. Despite its thirst for gas I didn't care. Brought a smile to my face every time. I get it. My 88 Alfa Spider Veloce was the same. And I hope it's replacement, my 75 Vette with LT1 from a 9C1 Caprice, will too once running.
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