10 things only car lovers understand

Every car lover is different. Still, the true car enthusiasts share a secret language of shared experience and inside knowledge. There are some things only car lovers understand. 

Keep reading to explore the fantasies, pain, and genius that all real car lovers share. 

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The 10 things only car lovers will understand 

1. True romance

You experience love at first sight—at least twice a week. From online dating (Carsales) to relationship advice (Drive magazine), car lovers are constant flirts.

• There is no sweeter fragrance than the smell of high-octane fuel. Oh baby. 
• After you’ve parked your car and are walking away, you always look back over your shoulder for another glance. 
• You know exactly which cars you would buy if money were no object. And you update your wish list nightly. 

2. Wifey and hubby

She’s your car. There are others like her, but this one is yours. She’s your best friend. Your life. 

• Your car has a name. And not just a cute nickname like baby or hunk. From your first high school sweetheart to your daily-drive, every car you have owned got a proper first name. 
• You’ve posted a picture of either your actual car or your dream car as your Facebook profile picture. And you take more photos of your car than your family. 
• If you had to go live on a desert island and could only take one thing, it wouldn’t be a boat or even a raft. You’d take your car. 

3. Sixth-sense

Car lovers are born with a sixth sense. It’s eerie how accurate they can be about cars with little to no information. 

• When a car revs three streets away you can tell what make and model it is. You can sense the difference between the growl of a Ferrari F8 Spider and the rumble of a Lamborghini Urus. 
• A quick glance and you can diagnose what’s wrong with other people’s car. More often than not, they don’t even realise there’s a problem. 
• From one hundred metres away on a cloudy morning, you can instantly tell whether your car’s dropped suspension will make it over a speed bump or curb. It’s a superpower you were born with. 

4. The hurt

The pure love and infatuation are things only car lovers understand. But there’s a dark side to that passion. And it fills car lovers with pain. 

• Appreciating nice wheels is a pleasure of admiring other cars. But that pleasure turns to pain when you see they’ve curbed the wheels and they’re scratched. People—learn to park! 
• Car lovers can recall every tiny flaw in the cars they have owned. The flashbacks never stop.
• Worst of all is seeing an abandoned classic. They’re haunting. When somebody lets a timeless piece of art succumb to rust and degradation, it’s heartbreaking. Collectors start collecting cars, but over time, they also collect the guilt from seeing abandoned classics they could not save. 

5. Obsession

Labelling it a passion or an obsession seems extreme, but in reality, it’s putting it mildly. Car enthusiasts don’t have a weekend hobby. Car lovers have a 24/7 obsession. They love retro cars, muscle cars, supercars, and most of all, they love their own car.

• Washing the dishes is a chore, but washing your car is pure pleasure. 
• The only things you want for Christmas and birthdays are car-related.
• Netflix marathon? Nope. Brunch? No time. The only things you do in your spare time is research cars, work on cars, and hit the open road. 
• The only time you’re not driving your car on the weekend is when you’re either modifying it, fixing it or go-karting. 

6. The black hole

Every blessing has a curse. For car lovers, their passion hurts their hip pockets. 

• You always save your money—so you can spend it on your car. 
• You purchase high-end tyres (obviously) and have as many tools as your local spanner monkey. 
• You can’t help changing your oil more than is necessary. 

7. Religion

To car lovers, some things are a matter of faith. There’s no arguing about it. It’s just the way things are. 

• Manuals are better than automatics. 
• Front-wheel drives suck. 

8. Cultured 

Car lovers are cultured people. To car fanatics, the only difference between high and low culture is the suspension. Money can buy cars, but it can’t make you a true car lover. There are things only car lovers understand about car culture. It’s not where you were born or even what car you drive that matters most—it’s how much you love them. 

• Car lovers consider carbon fibre a greater achievement than penicillin.
• The most important lessons in history come from retro cars. 
• A movie can have no plot, terrible acting, and poor camera work—but if it has a great car chase scene—it can still be a classic movie.  
• Art shows? Please. The real culture awaits at the Auto Shows.

9. Genius

Inside every car lover is a secret genius. There are many technical things that only car lovers understand. They’re some of the only people in the world that:

• Actually understand what torque is.
• Can read octane ratings. 
• Know that technically only rims with tyres mounted on them can be called wheels.
• Can use the heel-and-toe technique outside the safety of an empty parking lot. 

10. Mates everywhere

Ten-second-cars create friendship faster than you can cook instant noodles. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you go, car enthusiasts find friends everywhere. 

• There’s no entry requirement to be a car enthusiast. Only passion.
• An 85-year-old Grandma with her beloved Buick can befriend a 29-year-old Beamer owner—as long as they both have cars. 
• Your creed doesn’t matter. Only your love for cars. 

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