How do you create a car person?

I really enjoy The Car Podcast with Chris Harris and Friends.  These are car-obsessed folks about my age, so unsurprisingly, I connect with many of their opinions about cars.  They recently recorded a live podcast during which they took questions from the audience.

One question I really liked was, "If you had 24 hours to turn a non-petrolhead into a petrolhead, what are you doing, where are you going, and what kind of car are you driving."  While the answers were all reasonable, I thought they were reasonable if you were predisposed to liking cars.  

For example, taking a 964 RS to a race track is fun if you like driving cars on race tracks.  Passengers, especially if they're not predisposed to that experience.  Driving on a race track is exciting and fun.  Being a passenger on a race track can make you nauseous.

My answer is much different.  My answer is simple - let the person experience a car where the roof disappears.  Why?  Because I think almost everything is better outside.  There's something about infinite space in your peripheral vision that is appealing.  I like being outside, as it lets the eye wander and explore:

You don't even have to be in a place of particular magnificence, just walking through a park is a delight:

An open top car is simply magic.  Speed is irrelevant.  You can be going 20 mph or 120 mph, and it's equally magical.  Pottering along slowly, you are immersed in your surroundings, kind of like riding a motorcycle.  You smell flowers, feel the chill in the air when you drive close to a lake or through a grove of trees.  You can't help but smile.

I honestly don't think it matters which convertible you put a person in.  Without a roof, everything beyond the windshield's frame extends your visibility to infinity.

While all open top cars are magical, there's something special about a two-seat roadster.  It's whimsical, frivolous, and fun.  It's potent, powerful, and purposeful.  It's sleek, svelte, and sexy.  You end up with faces that look like this: 

 So, how would I create a car person?  I'd slide them into the driver's seat of a convertible, have them put the top down, watch them smile, and go for a drive.  The destination wouldn't matter.  Of course, a drive by the ocean or in the mountains would be magnificent and enhance the experience.  But even something as routine as dropping a kid off at school or getting groceries is transformed into an adventure.

If you need a car, plan on making a convertible part of your life at some point.  Trust me, it will be as transformational for you as it is for the car as its top disappears from view.