Cars

My posts on BMW 2002 Turbo and Edge's Defender made me dig deeper into my interest in cars as extensions of lifestyles

Like horses and buggies before them, the internal combustion car will give way to a newer, more efficient means of transportation. The recent demise of the U.S. automakers indicates the inevitability of this shift. No longer will cars be the vehicle of the masses, but the luxury of a few. This shift from a transportation vehicle for everyone to a toy for the wealthy is merely a return to a way things were. At the dawn of the automobile age, cars were a play toy for the supper wealthy. Oil prices will dictate the duration of this transition, but the gears of change are already in motion.

Over time the allure of cars and the accompanying culture will gain relevancy similarly to how cowboy and horse riding are popular today. Soon automobile culture will be such a novelty that people will flock to it.

In the not too distant future, leading designers will create romanticized renditions of driving attire and automobile inspired clothing. These designers will look back to classic automobiles and the accompanying culture in the same way that designers like Alex Carelton look to nineteenth century sailing culture for brand inspiration.

So could NASCAR ever be chic? Its too early to tell. However the ability to go faster and farther than ever before and for intimidate independence has enduring appeal to men regardless of time or place.

BMW 2002 Turbo 1973-1974

From 1973-1974, BMW made 1676 2002 Turbo's, with no official vehicles ever crossing the Atlantic. (A close friend, and owner of a pristine 2002 Turbo, told me that there are around 100 in the US imported from Europe.) Although slow and sluggish by today's standards, the car revolutionized the way consumers thought about performance cars by offering the first turbo charged engine in a small chassis. However, the Turbo met mixed reviews upon its 1973 release with most of the negative reviews addressing problems with turbo lag. The majority of the Turbo's power would jump in after 4000 rpm, making it hard to drive.

These imperfections with the Turbo add to its appeal as a lifestyle automobile by making it appropriate for only a few. True lifestyle objects force their owners to make both monetary and functional compromises in favor of intangible appeals. Take for example a fixed gear track bike. By design a true track bike is uncomfortable, dangerous and has limited applications. These impracticalities make the mastering of a track bike (and its accompanying lifestyle) that much more attractive.

A BMW 2002 Turbo is slow, uncomfortable, small, sluggish, dangerous, expensive and guzzles gas, but it sure is cool.

Recognize the red, blue and purple stripes? Today, these same stripes are found on the M3, M5 and M6

Filson Tin Cloth Hunting Jacket with Blaze Orange

A great piece of clothing alludes to an even better idea. The thin wool and simplicity of Pea Coats allude to the classic look of seamen. The waxed cotton Barbour Cowan Commando Jacket was worn by British paratroopers in WWII. The famous Red Wing 875 boot alludes to the simplicity and purity of the American workman. The ruggedness and precision of a Rolex Submariner conjures images of an intense diving lifestyle. A good pair of equestrian boots references an exclusive pastime now engaged in by the wealthy. Although relatively expensive, these articles of clothing give everyday people the image of an exclusive lifestyle without the work or the dirt.

Hunting will always be cool. Few pastimes are more rugged or more American than hunting. A Filson Tin Cloth Hunting Jacket With Blaze Orange details typifies the appeal of clothing representing an exclusive pastime by offering both the appeal of a heritage brand and the practicality of hunting gear.

My Camera Set up

I have always had fleeting obsessions. When I was ten, I was infatuated with remote control airplanes. This obsession drove me to the local library where I read up on everything I could about model airplanes. Years earlier my interest in Ernest Thompson Seton books initiated my compulsion with bows and arrows, and nature. These obsessions change like the seasons.

One day, I decided it would be a good idea to have a camera. I scoured the internet reading all I could about Digital SLR's and eventually settled on a Canon XSI. After five months of using my XSI as much as I could, I felt it was time to upgrade to a full frame DLSR. Here is my set up and some photos that I like.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon 430EX II Speedlight Flash

Canon EF 24-105mm F/4.0 L with Canon EW-83H Lens Hood and Hoya 77mm UV Filter

Canon EF 85mm F/1.8 with Canon ET65II Lens Hood and B&W 58mm UV Filter