Eleanor Roosevelt once said that ‘One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes … and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.’ To be honest, there was a chance that she wasn’t talking about our automotive cultures, but for the sake of this story, I’m going to presume she was. She did once take ownership of a rather splendid looking ’33 PD Plymouth convertible so she may have been a dab hand on the spanners in her spare time.
Thankfully, we are all very different as people.
We like different things, have our own opinions and values. One person’s pleasure is another’s poison and all that.
I’m writing about choices and tastes for a good reason – it seems every time we run some VW / Stance / Lifestyle coverage, that people are up in arms over it. ‘This is SPEEDHUNTERS not STANCEHUNTERS’ they cry.
They are right, the site is called Speedhunters. But you may have noticed that us Speedhunters never disregard or hate on anything. We love cars and everything about them with no exceptions. Speaking personally, if there is something that I’m apprehensive about, I’ll take the time to learn about it and appreciate it.
We don’t have to like everything. But why waste energy on something you don’t like when you could turn that energy into something positive for something you love?
I might get crucified for this but, I honestly believe that people who hate on other automotive sub-cultures are not real car fans.
If you don’t like something, that’s fine. Just don’t be that guy who rushes in to unleash his fury at people who like different things than he does.
My first ‘hardcore’ dub scene event was Edition38 some years ago. I had no expectations going in but I left inspired and full of ideas.
I don’t own anything from the Volkswagen Group these days, yet I still find myself reading through the pages of Performance VW every month.
Subtle styling cues, an amazing attention to detail, appreciation for a finished product and a good sense of humor are just some of the reasons why I love the VW scene.
All of this before I even mention how those involved with the scene are some of the most friendly and welcoming in the industry. You always get the sense that the only reason these guys build cars is for themselves and no one else.
Some people like to go fast, others like to look good. Sure, you can have both but I always find that there’s always some sort of compromise between the two.
There are the rare exceptions to this but I’d rather not include those as they might weaken my argument *cough*
None of us know what’s around the corner.
Don’t get caught up in relatively pointless arguments. Take it easy, relax and enjoy everything. This is the way to automotive nirvana.
–
Words by Paddy McGrath
Photos by Bryn Musselwhite
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
i think people get up in the air about the whole stance thing because speedhunters up load so much covrage of events that the slammed stance style is huge at. I dont like the slammed ride i just dont se ethe point in not being able to push the car because of how low it is but i do like to look at them but i feel speedhunters are just goin crazy with it and 80% of the updates are full of it. Speedhunters is till the best overall site that I have found.
@BryanMcKaySavage Of the 15 stories currently published on the front page, only two are VW scene / stance related. That's a long, long way off an estimation of 80%? From my current event calendar for this year, I've only three (including Early Edition which I unfortunately couldn't make) VW events scheduled. The other 87% are motorsport / performance related.
If anything, we don't do enough of these stories IMO ...
Dont mean to sound rude but where these pictures taken on an Iphone? I mean common...
"We don’t have to like everything. But why waste energy on something you don’t like when you could turn that energy into something positive for something you love?"Thank you for stating this. If people don't like the stance-based articles, then don't view them. Personally I am not overly keen on VW's but I appreciate the work that goes in to them.
DO A FEATURE ON THE RED CARRERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Variety is the spice of life, if all car fanatics did the same things to the same types of vehicles, it would be like eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do your thing, and don't be mad at anyone else for doing theirs..
These cars are all really badass, but I feel most of the VAG gatherings that get covered here are severely lacking in diversity...I guess my point is, try to find cars that push the boundaries of the scene?
"I honestly believe that people who hate on other automotive sub-cultures are not real car fans." Amen to that paddy !!!
im not a VAG owner but still think the VW scene is by far the most light hearted ! maybe many people outside of europe just dont get it !
My god, i want them all!!! Or at least one
@sixtone REALLY? Grow up.
I don't hate on VW culture.
I dislike the fact that all you cover is the VW scene.
thank you sooooooo much. that's actually one of the best things about this site. none of you hate on a car culture that might not be your cup of tea
@JDMized Ah, Mr. JDMized, I'm glad to see you've migrated with us to our new comment friendly home.
When you say 'you', are you referring to me personally or Speedhunters as a whole? Unfortunately for you, you would be wrong either way. We cover a lot, lot more than just the VW / Stance scenes.
'I might get crucified for this but, I honestly believe that people who hate on other automotive sub-cultures are not real car fans.' Totally agree man, I think a real car enthusiast can appreciate the time and effort put into the car even if it may not seemed justified to them.
could not of said it any better Michael. Maybe the stance thing isn't for everyone but just understanding the passion put into these cars and every other sub culture is what defines true motor heads.
@PaddyMcGrathSH @BryanMcKaySavage I used to be a Function >>>>>> Form kind of guy. I could always appreciate form, but only when it had some function, and used to only enjoy JDM rides. However, the stance and Non-JDM articles on Speedhunters have really opened my, to be honest, narrow-minded eyes. I can now appreciate any car, built for any function/reason from any country. I completely agree that those who hate on other sub-cultures than their personal favourite aren't car enthusiasts at all.
A real enthusiast can appreciate the amount of work and love that has gone into any build regardless if it's what they would do or not. People have to realise that their opinion isn't the universal opinion and their is no right or wrong when it comes to modifying cars.
@PaddyMcGrathSH @JDMized
I was referring to you, (and SH staff members). You and Jeroen cover mostly VW, while Dino covers JDM (Daikoku parking, TAS, and D1). Mike covers muscle cars, some US drifting, and borrows YouTube vids, and Larry covers primarily FD.
Either way, the way you guys cover those events, lackluster info about many other Motorsport events, forced me to quit commenting on here.
Deja-vu stories, and very cliche boring writing. But you know what? You can't please everyone. Keep doing your thing, while i move onto something more original.
Cheers
I've been meaning to get along to one of these VW shows for a while now .
Its never been something i've been into , but i may go and open my eyes to another subset of the petrolhead psyche.
At least if i end up not enjoying it , i can have a good rip on people who have car-bras.
Stance is one thing , but a car-bra .... nope
@PaddyMcGrathSH @BryanMcKaySavage Paddy, you counted the VW scene coverage/posts. Now please count the Honda coverage? Trust me its as big as the VW scene. Same with US muscle cars. Seriously isn't there a Ferrari gathering, a Lambo, a Porsche track day/meet happening, anything else? I personally like the look but have now seen four million too many CLEAN MKI ON BBS!/MK6 ON NUES! pics. Don't other car scenes happen in Europe? You guys made a huge push to get us to notice the VW scene over the last 2 years. We get it, it exists! What else?
@KipMontgomery And not just that ONE with zero offblahblah that really got noticed for the wrong reasons
It's a love hate thing for everyone.
hey... see an event coverage you're not interested in? stay calm & continue scrollin'!
any into about the 2nd last picture? look awesome!
Part of me wants to say these cars lack performance just to be cool. Then I shake my head and tell myself,"so what?" these cars are awesome.
Speedhunters is the last safe haven for performance minded enthusiast , I'm sure the biggest reason most people get in arms over the whole stance coverage is because they are just so tired of seeing NOTHING but stance everywhere else(most car mags included) , and that's fine because realistically as long as you guys keep running the awesome racing coverage that's all that counts. also mind you I'm a current GTI owner and I'm the exact opposite of most I love to drive my car to the limit but if I don't like something , well my browser has a back button for a reason
Speedhunters is the last safe haven for performance minded enthusiast , I'm sure the biggest reason most people get in arms over the whole stance coverage is because they are just so tired of seeing NOTHING but stance everywhere else(most car mags included) , and that's fine because realistically as long as you guys keep running the awesome racing coverage that's all that counts. also mind you I'm a current GTI owner and I'm the exact opposite of most I love to drive my car to the limit but if I don't like something , well my browser has a back button for a reason
Instead of defending your choices, just tell us about the cars pictured!!!
@JDMized @PaddyMcGrathSH @JDMized
@JDMized @PaddyMcGrathSH Do you actually ever say anything positive? Ever single comment I read on here that you post is full of bile and nastiness. You've actually contradicted yourself with your 'All you post is VW nonsense' then list how each member of speed hunters posts about different scenes.
In the UK, the V-dub scene is probably the biggest and certainly the most innovative of all the different genres. The fact that most of the cars on show are at least 15 years old goes some way to showing how popular and highly regarding these cars are. I don't currently own a VW (although I'm VAG all the way) but I always check out the Edition shows and coverage. Their forum is pretty cool too
Anyway, enough of the bitching - good coverage and cool cars. A feature on the red 911 would be cool......
@JDMized I'm sorry but I don't agree with that at all. If I was to consider what events I cover, the VW events are probably right at or at least towards the bottom (quantity wise that is). I spend most of the year shooting circuit races, drifting, rally, time attack and special events. My next VW event is August I believe.
We deliberately don't cover motorsport in the traditional sense, there are thousands of others out there that do. We try to bring you behind the scenes and show you what nobody else will. There's a lot more to motorsport than lap times.
I don't know why you have it in for Speedhunters so much. I can't ever remember you writing anything positive, and usually you have to be prompted to post something constructive. I've no problem with you or any one else who might not like something, provided it's constructive criticism. Keep wheeling out those short and often spiteful remarks and it's difficult not to consider you a troll.
@JDMized I'm sorry but I don't agree with that at all. If I was to consider what events I cover, the VW events are probably right at or at least towards the bottom (quantity wise that is). I spend most of the year shooting circuit races, drifting, rally, time attack and special events. My next VW event is August I believe.
We deliberately don't cover motorsport in the traditional sense, there are thousands of others out there that do. We try to bring you behind the scenes and show you what nobody else will. There's a lot more to motorsport than lap times.
I don't know why you have it in for Speedhunters so much. I can't ever remember you writing anything positive, and usually you have to be prompted to post something constructive. I've no problem with you or any one else who might not like something, provided it's constructive criticism. Keep wheeling out those short and often spiteful remarks and it's difficult not to consider you a troll.
@silverbullitt There's a special place in hell for car bras ...
@silverbullitt There's a special place in hell for car bras ...
New face lifted VW Caddy on airbags and Rotiform NUEs I believe? Actually, I'm not too sure of the wheels ...
New face lifted VW Caddy on airbags and Rotiform NUEs I believe? Actually, I'm not too sure of the wheels ...
@ChristianClark I think you've raised a very interesting (and valid) point Christian. One of the problems with Europe (aside from its size) is the many language barriers - so if something is happening out of the UK / Ireland, it can be hard to find out about it unless someone gets in touch with us beforehand. It's something we're looking at expanding into this year.
@ChristianClark I think you've raised a very interesting (and valid) point Christian. One of the problems with Europe (aside from its size) is the many language barriers - so if something is happening out of the UK / Ireland, it can be hard to find out about it unless someone gets in touch with us beforehand. It's something we're looking at expanding into this year.
I love cars, they are the only thing I truly appreciate in life, but there still are exceptions, it's not that I hate french cars, it's just that I find them ugly, some times hideous, and some times I can't stand watching them, but I still love cars, I am a huge fan of every beutifull/fast thing on four wheels, I Iove cars and peugeot can't take that from me !
I love cars, they are the only thing I truly appreciate in life, but there still are exceptions, it's not that I hate french cars, it's just that I find them ugly, some times hideous, and some times I can't stand watching them, but I still love cars, I am a huge fan of every beutifull/fast thing on four wheels, I Iove cars and peugeot can't take that from me !
When someone expresses an opinion about something, is because he wants to stand for what he choose to like, but this is different from stating who's right and who's not.I think that many of the comments on Speedhunters pretend to be statements, something that is right and always will be, and I don't like that.We are a community of free minded people, everyone with something in mind, but towards the same goal: the automotive industry.So what's the point in commenting an article you don't like, only to be mean with others?
I don't like the "stance for stance's sake" scene, I never did, cause to me, cars are directly linked to mechanics, performance and efficiency.But what I never did is judging others, a thing that more than often I can find in the comments.Speedhunters gave the opportunity to people like me, far from where the "magic" happens (fyi I'm Italian), to get to know Formula D, WTAC, Fia GT1 and many other performance related events, with astonishing quality and dedication.So, please, stop hating and judging people who work so hard everyday to give you something you will not be able to find anywhere on the entire web.
When someone expresses an opinion about something, is because he wants to stand for what he choose to like, but this is different from stating who's right and who's not.I think that many of the comments on Speedhunters pretend to be statements, something that is right and always will be, and I don't like that.We are a community of free minded people, everyone with something in mind, but towards the same goal: the automotive industry.So what's the point in commenting an article you don't like, only to be mean with others?
I don't like the "stance for stance's sake" scene, I never did, cause to me, cars are directly linked to mechanics, performance and efficiency.But what I never did is judging others, a thing that more than often I can find in the comments.Speedhunters gave the opportunity to people like me, far from where the "magic" happens (fyi I'm Italian), to get to know Formula D, WTAC, Fia GT1 and many other performance related events, with astonishing quality and dedication.So, please, stop hating and judging people who work so hard everyday to give you something you will not be able to find anywhere on the entire web.
Well said in every way, "to each his own" one might say! I love the coverage on all the events your crew here at hunters touches on and its even spurred me and a buddy to start a bolg here in Canada! Cheers to all you guys/gals and the hardwork you put in! I have said it before and i will say it once again "Dislikers gonna Dislike."
Well said in every way, "to each his own" one might say! I love the coverage on all the events your crew here at hunters touches on and its even spurred me and a buddy to start a bolg here in Canada! Cheers to all you guys/gals and the hardwork you put in! I have said it before and i will say it once again "Dislikers gonna Dislike."
I love that steel Magical tree.
I love that steel Magical tree.
When you say "I might get crucified for this but, I honestly believe that people who hate on other automotive sub-cultures are not real car fans."
You are absolutely right. Couldn't agree more. Too many haters out there who don't understand other people's passion's. Not real car fans
Keep up the good work, SPEEDHUNTERS is the best car website/blog I have ever seen, I have almost forgotten about all the other blogs I use to follow.
When you say "I might get crucified for this but, I honestly believe that people who hate on other automotive sub-cultures are not real car fans."
You are absolutely right. Couldn't agree more. Too many haters out there who don't understand other people's passions. Not real car fans
Keep up the good work, SPEEDHUNTERS is the best car website/blog I have ever seen, I have almost forgotten about all the other blogs I use to follow.
one of the best articles I read. thank you for making my day picture perfect
We can still hate on Donks and be true car fans though right?
@ryanckstewart of course you can :-)....just don't waste to much time hating...life is short.