The List: Car Enthusiasts' Fantasies

It’s inevitable that while you’re watching your favorite television show, you see one (or more) car commercials with drivers conquering dangerously sloped roads, driving like a daredevil through muddy waters, or even a car being dropped from a helicopter on to a mountaintop. Another big element to those commercials is the disclaimer saying “Professional Driver on a Closed Course. Do not attempt.” While I don’t want to experience the death defying odds of being dropped from a helicopter on to a mountain, I do appreciate a good, but safe-ish, adrenaline rush. No matter the type of vehicle you drive, there are probably a few crazy stunts you’d love to try or even some not as crazy driving activities and events you’d love to attend.

Autoblog.com/Speed TV's show: The List
Hosted by Jessi Combs and Patrick McIntyre 

Many people have a bucket list – a list of things you’d like to accomplish in your lifetime. Sure, everyone has different items on their list, but some of us car enthusiasts have a separate list for our automobile fantasies. In fact, AOL’s car site, autoblog.com, has a list and an accompanying web series and Speed Network TV show called “The List: 1,001 Car Things To Do Before You Die”. The hosts have done things like complete the Rubicon Trail, bought a car for European delivery, even worked as professional stunt drivers. My personal list was largely inspired by theirs, but a few of the items on my Car/Driving Bucket List have been a dream of mine for years. So, what’s on my list, you ask?

• Participate in the Gumball 3000: Never heard of this? It’s ok, I’ll catch you up to speed (no pun intended). The Gumball 3000 is an annual British road rally that takes place on public roads and is 3,000 miles long. The route changes every year and typically includes about 120 cars, most of which are exotic, expensive, and speedy sports cars. The Gumball 3000 isn’t a race, however, and there are now awards for being fastest or the first to complete the 3,000 mile circuit. The rally is more of a road trip for those that participate. I’d love to be a passenger in one of these flashy cars and experience the speed, as well as the sights and sounds of the adventure.

Kia's DC Comics Justice League vehicles
[photo via LAtimes.com]

• Attend SEMA Show: Surely you’ve heard of or seen pictures from SEMA in Las Vegas, but SEMA actually stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association. This huge conglomeration of aftermarket manufacturers, car dealers, retailers, media, restoration specialists and more consists of over 6,300 companies worldwide. The industry surrounding SEMA makes an annual $27 billion and covers everything from SUV’s, luxury vehicles, classics, sports compacts…you name it. SEMA Show is annually held the first week of November in Las Vegas but is only open to media, manufacturers, buyers and exhibitors. In 2012, Kia showed off their superhero line of cars inspired by various DC Comics superstars like Superman and Flash.

• Drive on the German Autobahn: Many people have terrifying stories regarding the national motorway of Germany. Thanks to having no general speed limit, it’s almost every drivers dream to put the pedal to the metal and fly. The autobahn isn’t just one highway, though, it’s a large network of coordinated motorways. Also, don’t be fooled by the lack of speed limit; while there is no general speed limit, they do have an advisory speed limit of 81 MPH.

• Attend the Geneva Motor Show: Looks like I just missed my chance to head over to Switzerland for this year’s event, luckily it’s an annual show held in March, so I can start saving my pennies for next year (or five years from now). This international auto show hosts a plethora of the world’s automakers, which is ironic as Switzerland has no auto industry, and typically boasts many concept cars and is an event in which automakers reveal new styling and features on their standard cars. If you haven’t noticed, I love concept cars. This year’s Geneva Motor Show featured two Kia concept cars.

Doc's "Time Machine" - The DeLorean
[photo via fastcoexist.com]

• Take a ride in a DeLorean: “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” If you haven’t ever seen the famous 1985 movie Back to the Future then stop right here, bookmark this blog, go watch, then come back and tell me how awesome you thought the DeLorean was (and how great the movie is). The Delorean was the only vehicle ever manufactured by John DeLorean’s DeLorean Motor Company. The sports car was produced for the American market in 1981 and is immediately recognizable by its “gull-wing” doors. I’m not sure that these things would drive like a dream, but it’d be so awesome to ride or drive in a “time machine” like Doc and Marty McFly.

My list isn’t the most glamorous, bold, or dangerously adrenaline fueled list, but doing these things in my lifetime would bring me much happiness and satisfaction. So, what’s on your list? Will you be the next famous drift star in a movie, build your own car, drive the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway – also on my list, just further down), drive over 200 MPH? Leave a comment and let me know what’s on your list!