Character

No, I'm not talking about people, because as we all know, almost all have lost theirs' a good while ago... I'm talking about cars; not bikes - which seem to only get better, apart from the ones who would have a vintage look suit them better; cars that we drive today. Apart from the really expensive, exclusive ones, it's all a jungle of color out there. Most car companies have identical looking models - the Honda Civic started the single-toothed smile trend that passed on to the Jazz, the Hyundai i10, i20, i30 and so forth, the new Ford Fiesta internationally, and the Ikon in India. Side profile wise, the Indica Vista joins the list with it's petal-shaped headlamps. Sedans, too, are losing their beauty, with restricted curves. Why now?

The new "safety requirements" are to blame, obviously. The whole point being that pedestrians, when hit by a car, shouldn't burn or break their face when they fall on your hood; nevermind the broken limbs then, the safety people surely don't want you losing your good looks!

Car safety is a matter of discretion. It almost wholly depends on the class of driver. Be it a Humvee or an Alto, the risk is (near about) the same in the event of a crash. the Alto will take out a couple of people if it fails to stop on time. The Humvee will, well take out a bit more; but properties have their own insurance.. My point is, a safe driver will, in ANY car, be safe. When will the authorities responsible see the light? Thorough tests should be conducted on the person about to be licensed to drive, rather than extensive, and very expensive, crash and pedestrian safety tests on cars, that in most situations, will keep their occupants safe and sound.

Another issue brought out by a rather well-known automobile enthusiast, on an even better known automobile show, is this - big cars, or more precisely, SUVs.
Picture this - you're a parent of two little children, who by the way, mean the world to you...
Your choice of cars is (A) a Toyota Prius - practical, medium sized, basic creature comforts, very "green", sips fuel like a lazy old man sips his tea, and doesn't cost the earth (or so they say..);
and (B) a BMW X5 3.0 Diesel - large, comfortable, well-built and almost as economical as C-segment car when not driven with a lead foot..
Which would you pick when the safety of your prides and joys is at stake... Forget the X5, I'd pick the Humvee...

That was off-topic, I know, but now back to what I wanted to say... What defines a car? What sets it apart from the rest? Why is the Audi A4 the car of choice when compared to the Honda Accord Inspire V6? They have almost identical features, power, build quality and are equally good looking in their own respects. Is it heritage? Honda and Audi both have that, so do Toyota, Mitsubishi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, other Japanese and German manufacturers, and so too, many, many others... A car need not be as exclusive as a Bugatti Veyron or a Pagani Zonda, it can be one which costs 1/100th of those, like a Mini, a Golf or even an old Mahindra 4x4. They've built a name for themselves, a reputation of icons, and all those for the simple reason of character. The companies that launched them, built them with the sole intention of sale. Even iconic marquees like Jaguar, who make cars for more than just sales, can make absolute rubbish like the S-type. What matters is, when you drive them, you can feel the car speak to you, not actual words mind you, but the way it responds with every little, almost involuntary, input that you give it. That is the precise reason I adore the TVS Apache RTR, a bike oozing with character; but, back to cars..

They needn't be the fastest, the quickest around corners or even the biggest engined. When you get behind the wheel, it should make you feel good. It should make you look forward to the drive, even if you have nowhere to go... There are many cars the can do that to you, and yes, it could be said that almost all cars are special to their owners.. That is a special bond that develops. It is what justifies us and our choices. But it's not what defines the car. You may agree or disagree, but was I wrong to talk about character? It isn't about how the car looks, or drives, or even how it makes you feel.. It's all those those things, and a whole lot more...