[Shotimes] Mazda 6 s, ME WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ron Nottingham]

"Soul" is truly hard to define in words.  Not many new cars have "soul", but
they are out there.  No, it's not NVH, or 10 years of squeaks and rattles,
or tightness (or lack thereof).  "Soul" evokes emotion from the driver.
When I get behind the wheel of a Honda, any Honda, even 15 year old Hondas,
I don't get certain "feelings" from the car.  Sure, an '88 Prelude is a fun
car, even 2nd gen Integras are fun, but they do not have "something", I
can't quantify it in words, other than "soul".  Old Maxima's are great cars,
but they do not evoke any emotion from me, so there is no "soul".  As much
as I enjoyed driving my 300zx turbos, and over 15 years old, with all the
squeaks and rattles, etc, these cars did not have "soul".  They were
appliances for speed, and nothing more.  My 77 Spitfire 1500, now here was a
car just overflowing with "soul".  At 100mph, it felt like 150!

For a short list of new cars with "soul"...  Try a new BMW 330i, and take it
to the twisties.  A BMW roadster has "soul".  V8 Mustangs have "soul", as do
V8 Camaros and Firebirds.  The V6 Mustangs may have "soul", but I don't
know, as I have never driven one.  300zx twin turbos, Supra twin turbos, and
RX7 twin turbos, while extremely fast, just don't have "soul".  Audi A4's
and S4's have "soul".  I don't know if it has anything to do with look or
feel of the interior or what, but sometimes I get a feeling of a car just
from the interior and layout.

I'm not saying that cars I do not like do not have "soul".  I like Maxima's
a bit better than SHO's, but the Max does not have "soul".  I bought the car
with "soul".  I like the Japanese twin turbo cars more than Mustangs or
Camaros or Firebirds, heck I like the single turbo versions better, but the
cars do not have any "soul" to them.  I never bought any of my Z cars, they
were given to me (I don't pass up free cars just because they don't have
"soul").  The Z cars were an engineering marvel.  I really like MR2's, but
the cars just don't have any "soul".  The Lexus IS300 is a great car, but
lacks "soul".  The S2000 is cool, I'd like to have one just for track days,
but the car does not have "soul".  The NSX on the other hand, does have
"soul".

"Soul" evokes emotions, like passion.  When you go to get in your SHO, does
your heart feel like it flutters?  When you get out of your SHO, do you
still have a grin on your face?  Do you feel weak all over?  Or do you feel
cold and uncaring?  Does your car get you blood pumping?  It doesn't take
allot of horsepower to get those feelings, find a nice example of a
Spitfire, and drive it.  Or any Alfa, or MG, or Lancia (heck, almost
anything Italian).

Ron N. - Dalton, GA
90 SHO


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Kegel" <d.kegel@attbi.com>
To: <shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 12:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Mazda 6 s, ME WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


> I don't know about all of this "soul" stuff.  What defines "soul"?
>
> I think some of you guys equate noise, or ride harshness, or 10 years of
> squeaks and rattles as "soul".  Just because a car is tight, quiet, and
has
> a nice ride doesn't make it soul-less.  It makes it NEW!
>
> IMO, if it has plenty of HP, a manual transmission, and is RWD, it would
> have all the "soul" I need.
>
> Dave
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ron Nottingham" <nottingham@alltel.net>
> To: <shotimes@autox.team.net>
> Sent: December 03, 2002 10:31 AM
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Mazda 6 s, ME WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
>   The G35 sedan is the best SHO replacement, but it has little in the
"soul"
> department.
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