Volvo drivers have often been tarnished with a reputation of being careful, slow and decidedly unexciting. Quite where this has come from I don't know, but even if it is true, is it a bad thing? Quite frankly, I'd prefer anyone driving a lump of metal at speeds faster than I can run to be on the careful side. Understandably, the sport of motor racing is surrounded by the need for speed and has a reputation for being sexy, dangerous and exciting. But are Michael Schumacher and co actually as exciting as we like to think?
Anyone who can drive a formula 1 car at 200mph clearly doesn't spend much time doing anything other than driving. Road geeks, as I think I shall collectively name all professional drivers, do not devote much of their spare time to doing exciting things, or non exiting things either. Eddie Irvine does not crochet; Jensen Button hasn't got a passion for playing the recorder and David Coulthard hasn't perfected the art of calligraphy. They do all drive very well and are renowned for their ever so careful driving on the public highways and byways. Are these masters of the road ridiculed for sensible behaviour and accused of being 'Volvo drivers'? I think not.
The absolute antipode of the Volvo driving reputation is something known as Boy Racers. These young lads (and lassies) are also road geeks, but of an entirely different calibre. Just like F1 drivers, all these folks do is live and breathe driving. Unfortunately, they have taken the excitement of motor racing and tried to inject it into their street cars through car modification and an attitude akin to a 3 year old after a bag of Haribo; dangerous!
What seems to have been overlooked on their part is the true geek nature of those involved in motorsports. What the Boy Racers have done is try to emulate the likes of Lewis Hamilton, but instead missed by a mile. In fact, James May is a lot closer to imitating the giants of racing than the guy with a Burberry cap and matching Peugeot. Mr May is also the epitome of what the general public envisage when they think of a typical Volvo driver. So how could we narrow this gap in opinion and bring about a reputation where road geeks and boy racers unite.
I think the secret lies in car modification. Here, the two sides unite. The professionals can only achieve their status as road gods through the mechanical genius behind car parts, and the amateurs attempt to have a slice of the action by adding skirts and neon lights to make their hot hatch go faster. If there could be some sort of mass celebrity endorsement by professional road geeks to bling up a Volvo and then drive sensibly, would the street racers take notice?
It's a long shot, but possible. Volvo parts would be used to add style and sophistication, and better performance at a steady 60mph. Neon lights would be shunned in favour of really nice hub caps; spoilers would be rejected but extra safe brake discs would be fitted. The irony of it is that the professionals live and breathe the driving, and are orientated to improved performance, quality and comfort.
These factors are paramount, and a true sign of a road geek seeking excitement the subtle way. On the other hand, those who spend every waking moment choosing the next shade for a re-spray and fitting extra turbo exhaust features to a mediocre motor, are spending precious time not driving whilst pretending to be exciting. Which is a bit dull in my opinion.
Author Resource:-
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the motoring industry.
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