I've recently been behind the wheel of a real instigator, a complete troublemaker on the road – and I swear I had nothing to do with that reaction.
And it got me thinking: Certain cars elicit deep visceral reactions from other drivers on the road. The beige Toyota Corolla instills fear and loathing in all; whereas any Rolls or Bentley immediately commands respect and keeps other drivers at an awed distance. Civics are mere annoyances, like flies buzzing around; and Ferraris and Lambos, well they're just intimidating and generally admired by all.
Then there are cars like the one I’m riding this week: the Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible. Black with burnt-orange stripes down the middle of the hood and trunk, the Camaro SS is simply asking for trouble every time it leaves its parking spot. No matter how it's driven (fast, slow, considerately or haphazardly), the Camaro garners a reaction on the road.
Perhaps it's the racing stripes, or the V8 rumble, but something about the Camaro brought out the worst around me on the road. Every second car wanted to race, wanted to prove to me how macho they were by revving at a light, peeling out first, slicing through traffic to get up alongside me; really, anything they could to “prove” to me they could be just as cool as the Camaro I was piloting.
I've driven cars that garner thumbs up, scowls, even laughs, but there are few that instigate other drivers to behave differently on the road. Perhaps the only other one (lately) has been the Nissan NISMO 370Z, but it wasn't the same.
There's something about the Camaro's devilish look that really gets under other motorists’ skin, apparently. The moment I give the car a bit of gas to pass on the highway or change lanes, I'm instantly met with someone in my rearview trying to keep up and egging me on to push it again.
Back when The Fast and the Furious was first released and modification and sport compact tuner cars were all the rage, it was all about instigation on the road. I think those days have long since passed us by and we've reached an age of commanding respect and awe on the road instead with refined power, modern, sleek designs and understated performance. However, cars like the Camaro SS harken back to the good ol' days of outrageous paint jobs, flashy rims, aftermarket exhausts, short shifters and 1/4-mile times.
But is that a bad thing?
On the one hand (my sportier, sport-compact-loving hand), no. It brings another level of excitement to driving. You never know what's going to pop up out of the traffic alongside you and offer up a bit of intrigue on the road.
And on the other hand (my more refined, civilized hand) it is a bad thing, because generally the type of behaviour the Camaro instigates is far from favourable and it causes other drivers to pull some pretty spectacular (not always bright) moves on the road around me. I'm all about having fun behind the wheel, but not at the expense of others on a packed, traffic-laden highway.
So, what is it really about cars like the Camaro SS that makes other drivers feel the need to prove their masculinity behind the wheel? I'm still trying to figure it out... perhaps I need to book some time behind the new Mustang Boss 302 to bring out the best on the road again.
And it got me thinking: Certain cars elicit deep visceral reactions from other drivers on the road. The beige Toyota Corolla instills fear and loathing in all; whereas any Rolls or Bentley immediately commands respect and keeps other drivers at an awed distance. Civics are mere annoyances, like flies buzzing around; and Ferraris and Lambos, well they're just intimidating and generally admired by all.
Then there are cars like the one I’m riding this week: the Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible. Black with burnt-orange stripes down the middle of the hood and trunk, the Camaro SS is simply asking for trouble every time it leaves its parking spot. No matter how it's driven (fast, slow, considerately or haphazardly), the Camaro garners a reaction on the road.
Perhaps it's the racing stripes, or the V8 rumble, but something about the Camaro brought out the worst around me on the road. Every second car wanted to race, wanted to prove to me how macho they were by revving at a light, peeling out first, slicing through traffic to get up alongside me; really, anything they could to “prove” to me they could be just as cool as the Camaro I was piloting.
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| Photo: Miranda Lightstone/Auto123.com |
I've driven cars that garner thumbs up, scowls, even laughs, but there are few that instigate other drivers to behave differently on the road. Perhaps the only other one (lately) has been the Nissan NISMO 370Z, but it wasn't the same.
There's something about the Camaro's devilish look that really gets under other motorists’ skin, apparently. The moment I give the car a bit of gas to pass on the highway or change lanes, I'm instantly met with someone in my rearview trying to keep up and egging me on to push it again.
Back when The Fast and the Furious was first released and modification and sport compact tuner cars were all the rage, it was all about instigation on the road. I think those days have long since passed us by and we've reached an age of commanding respect and awe on the road instead with refined power, modern, sleek designs and understated performance. However, cars like the Camaro SS harken back to the good ol' days of outrageous paint jobs, flashy rims, aftermarket exhausts, short shifters and 1/4-mile times.
But is that a bad thing?
On the one hand (my sportier, sport-compact-loving hand), no. It brings another level of excitement to driving. You never know what's going to pop up out of the traffic alongside you and offer up a bit of intrigue on the road.
And on the other hand (my more refined, civilized hand) it is a bad thing, because generally the type of behaviour the Camaro instigates is far from favourable and it causes other drivers to pull some pretty spectacular (not always bright) moves on the road around me. I'm all about having fun behind the wheel, but not at the expense of others on a packed, traffic-laden highway.
So, what is it really about cars like the Camaro SS that makes other drivers feel the need to prove their masculinity behind the wheel? I'm still trying to figure it out... perhaps I need to book some time behind the new Mustang Boss 302 to bring out the best on the road again.