Driving Passion or Technology?

Consider the the weight of the clutch pedal and awesome mechanical click of the transmission as you move through each gear. Feel the curve and bumps of the road transmitted through the steering wheel. I love the feeling of driving a true sports car. It's a full sensory experience. So much connects your body into the car. Sport driving is the art of that connection and our ability to interpret what we sense and respond. When we respond, right or wrong, what an emotion!

50 years ago the fastest drivers understood how to make a purely mechanical machine perform outstanding feats. They knew how to feel the car and control it like a wild horse. Can you imagine the excitement of this experience?

As a society we have discovered the power of the computer chip. It has the ability to make decisions in milliseconds that us mortals could never process. Computers are monsters of efficiency. They do exactly what they are instructed to do based on the measurements they make. Other then the initial programming, no people are required.

Did you know that the average car has more computer power then NASA had when it launched the

Apollo missions? Microchips have invaded the modern ride with electronic stability control, drive by

wire throttle, electronic steering, and advanced multi-clutch automatic transmissions. Just like a high school driver's ed instructor, those computers are

constantly watching your driving and making little corrections along the way. If a tire starts to slip, the computer moves power from that wheel to another to ensure traction. If you apply too much throttle, the system adjusts and feathers on the power. Slow to shift, no problem just pull the transmission flap and you move through the gears like a professional racer. You, the driver, need not be aware or skilled in any way.

If you are interested in the safest possible commute on a rainy or snowy morning, be sure your electronic stability control is on. If you have no proficiency and want to ensure you have the absolute quickest 0-60 time, buy a car with a multi-clutch push button transmission. All of this technology is great when your objective isn't fun. You will feel nothing, but hey, that wasn't the point.

I'm all for technology but not when it changes the experience. I want to feel something when I drive. I need that weight on my left foot when shifting. I want to sweat as I heal-toe to downshift and brake into a curve. How can someone have passion for driving but not feel anything when you do it?

That said, look for me in the grass at the curve with a smile from ear to ear.