When I reviewed newer cars, I made a point of sampling every feature of a vehicle, not just its throttle pedal. That meant becoming an expert on automated text messaging replies, lane departure warning, and self-park systems—basically a lot of the stuff you’d never turn on in your own car but hope everyone else is using.
In 2004, I had to review an Acura TL fitted with a DVD-Audio system, so I decided to drive as far as The Who’s Tommy would take me.
This meant actually buying a (hilariously overpriced) DVD-Audio disc to sample the ELS 5.1 Surround Sound system, but moreover, designing a scheme in which I could actually enjoy the music. Leaving at around 10pm from Toronto one evening, I pointed the car up Highway 400, set the cruise control, and listened to—let’s be honest here—Keith Moon tearing it up on the drums.
(If there are audiophiles among you, the remastered 5.1 mix on this particular album, particularly with the recording session outtakes, really highlights Moon’s drumming because it’s no longer mixed in with the other instrument and vocal tracks.)
It wasn’t the most ridiculous reason to take a long drive (I once drove alone, five hours each way, for a Montreal smoked meat sandwich), but certainly one of the more enjoyable.
What’s one drive you’ve taken that may have seemed odd at the beginning but left a lasting impression?
Photography by Afshin Behnia, Bryan Joslin, Chris Gonzalez, Jonathan WC Mills, and Kika Vigo-Behnia
