Among the many terrible things about the current pandemic (besides the obvious) is the lack of automotive interaction. Yeah sorry but I miss driving places, seeing people and doing car things like meetups, press events, and even the car shows. It’s been a solid year since I’ve done much of that. Sigh…
What I am enjoying is spending time with my family, relaxing at home, and dreaming of a day when we’re all out of this mess. For literal better or worse, I’m locked down with my husband, another automotive enthusiast and which is both awesome and terribly dangerous. We spend WAY too much time searching the Internet for our next MUST HAVE vehicle. Many of these hunts have admittedly been alcohol induced. And sometimes they end in a purchase. I’m only human.
But as I drive around my neighborhood, I notice that I’m not the only one filling my spare time (and driveway) with post-Covid dreams. Sometimes the decisions are good. Sometimes they’re questionable. And sometimes, they’re full-on Dbag moves.
Let’s take a look:
How about this guy who got himself an E36 M3..and you bet your sweet street parking it’s a manual. That’s fantastic. In less thrilling news, the kid next door also bought himself an E36 M3 complete big, earth-shaking aftermarket exhaust. However, this new college grad is so in love with his car that I don’t have the heart to tell him.
Other people making questionable car buying decisions include this fella I recently spotted in the Valley:
While I can respect his desire to claim some originality in the BMW i3, the Pepto color scheme just isn’t buttering my biscuit. That car was almost starting to look good before he pointed out its uneven lines with a pink highlighter. Now I can’t unsee it.
However, making an ugly EV stand out isn’t always a bad idea. Check out what Bradley Brownell (co-founder of Radwood) just posted on Twitter:
It’s his new Nissan Leaf and it’s 100% dude. Rather than take this naughty girl home and hide her in the corner in shame for her huge tail lights, now she’s out, she’s proud, and she’s here to stay. Some would say she’s RAD.
Speaking of rad hatchbacks, who wants a Subaru Impreza WRX STI..manual? This one is courtesy of Tim Stevens (Editor of CNET’s Roadshow) and every automotive enthusiast’s worst drunk dial, Bring A Trailer:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2012-subaru-impreza-wrx-sti-14
I honestly can’t decide if Tim is a Dude or a Dbag for selling this masterpiece:
I’ll make that verdict once he announces its replacement. What I can tell you now is that whoever buys this is a Dude. Here’s why:
- gold wheels
- manual transmission
- Stevens has it together. So much so that he still has the car’s original window sticker. I can’t even find my Costco card.
Speaking of me not having my shit together, let’s talk about what I’ve bought during the pandemic. I’ve bought two cars. Why? Because I’m an idiot. Sorry a Dbag, in this context. Here’s my #1:
Yup. A semi-vintage P38 Range Rover. I actually love it, so much so that I’ll be making a video about it next week. But was it a smart move? Hardly. If I weren’t its owner, I’d be making fun of me. Hard!
Bu I will not mock this Dude:
Oh my goodness, it’s just so beautiful. It could belong to someone who just moved it. But I prefer to believe that this is a pandemic act of brilliance by one super cool Dude whose parents offered to buy him a Lamborghini, but instead he said, “Nah, please just donate that pile of cash to charity. I’m gonna pilot this Grand Wagoneer instead.”
Regardless of the situation, the car is perfect and he’s a Dude. Which is more than I can say for myself. Have you made a questionable Covid-related automotive purchase. Show me in the comments! Or hit me up on Twitter.