Winning at Cars and Coffee

March 01, 2025

How to you win at cars and coffee? You win by knowing it's not a competition.

For years I have judged my cars by the praise I received, photos taken, magazine articles published. It started innocently enough. Just a surge of pride and validation when other appreciated what I had built, found or bought.

Whomever sits here may be the coolest car guy in the world.
Sir, I envy you.

As I grow old I face many existential truths, like that my cars cannot be perfect. I can't afford perfection but also lack the patience to find it anyway. I certainly know I can't buy new cars, that's just too stressful waiting for the value to drop. So what they hell do you do when your a mentally ill car-guy?

One of the few Loti with a back seat.
You can shove a very small child back there. .

Get over yourself, and enjoy being an enthusiast in a different way. Expand your appreciation for others cars and stop looking at your own shit. Look and see details that tell you about another's passions. Pat yourself on the back for seeing the details other miss. Seems simple enough but in the past I simply spent time at shows yearning for cars, instead of enjoying them. We are all pretty sick, but I'm sicker.

I appreciate the effort it must have taken to get this into the country.

There is always a newer car. There is always a faster car. Hell, there's always a weirder car too. But what you've done and where you've been in yours is 100% your own. So stop waxing and start driving people.

Nothing is centered here,
because I cannot decide what is cooler in this photo.

If it was a competition who would win?

The Winner of Cars and Coffee this week is the owner of this Porsche 911 Turbo. It spoke to me in a legitimate way. This is the prefect personification of what I'm talking about. The stories this car and owner could tell. FANTASTIC. Who wouldn't appreciate this car?

We all claim our imperfect cars are "Drivers" but this is LEGIT.

The significance of the RUF wheels is not lost on me.
nor is the failing body work and holds in the fenders. EXCEPTIONAL

No obsessing over the cosmetics here, but pure passion and dedicated use.
Not even a collectors plate.

I quick scan show more small flaws and imperceptions that one can count.
This leaves you to digest the magnificence of a car enjoyed.

To see a car like this one is truly an event.

Here are some examples of why there is not a best, fastest, newest, oldest or weirdest car, there is always more. But don't die of envy like me. Taken in poor lighting w/o regard for quality and perfection, like I hope to enjoy my own cars going forward.

Let's call these the honorable mentions.