What would the 12 Y/O You say about the car you drive today?

"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
11/13/2013 at 15:09 • Filed to: oppo question

This Charger ad about kids not having posters of VW Passats on their bedroom walls made me think and I came up with this stupid little question: What would the 12 year old me think about the car I drive today? Would he be disappointed? Would he be like "Yeah, can't wait to grow up!"

In my case, I don't see mini-me jumping with joy, but I think he'd still like the car, especially with the wider, black winter wheels.

But what about you? Would the 12 year old you be all excited, or would he be like: "Oh man, I really have to pay attention at school"?

DISCUSSION (55)

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:10

12 yr old me would slap me for my daily driver and applaud my fun car.

Mazarin > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:12

"You trade your balls in for that thing?"

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:12

12 year old me would be like, "What happened to the Crown Vic? Oh holly hell this BMW is fast."

Party-vi > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:12

12 year old me would love my daily driver. I did good.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:14

My daily driver would get a "cool", my Land Rover though?

Kinja'd!!!

Hoccy > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:18

I think the 12 year old me would be very disappointed. I didn't like Volvos back then.

Chase > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:23

12 year old me would like my ranger, although he'd probably ask why it wasn't a bigger truck (My dad is a builder, so we've always had trucks)

dogisbadob > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:24

"ooooooooooo you're somebody"

I drive an ES300, which is a sporty variant of the third-gen Camry with a bit more luxury and prestige—and GOLD BADGES!!!!!

Nibbles > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:24

I'm fairly certain that 12 year old me would feel the same way as current year old me

suicidal

Walfisch > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:31

12 year old me would probably fall asleep while riding in my car. Not because my car is boring, but back then, I tend to fall asleep really fast in any car that I ride in. As in, regardless of the driving condition, the speed of the car, or how crazy the commute was, it never fails: once I click on my seat belt, I conk out.

Supreme Kiwi Zorro > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:32

Mini Cooper S (Rover): "This car reminds me of Austin Powers!"

MiTo QV: "Blimey, this car is fast for a small car."

Hilux 4x4 Xtra-Cab: "Did you buy it off Back to the Future movie set?"

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:36

My DD makes looud noises, it's not fast, but it makes loud noises. So I'd say 12 year old me would be rather happy.

Hindered23 > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:38

I would've been ecstatic to learn I had an s4 and was getting a bike soon in the next six years

Klaus Schmoll > Nibbles
11/13/2013 at 15:42

What is it you drive again?

CalzoneGolem > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:43

12 year old me wouldn't be crazy about my DD but he'd be all about Rat-L-Trap

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:43

My 12 year old self would have no idea what an E30 is and would probably be proud of the motorcycle.

Nibbles > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:46

2007 Focus sedan, automatic with the "California Special" emission choked 2.0. My old Geo Metro was more fun, engaging and quicker.

njp1589 > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:46

Yeah, 12 year old me would be disappointed in general.

"Your car isn't fast. You're working for 'the man.' You have to wear a collared shirt to work. You're still single."

12 year old me had a lot to learn though. I hadn't been completely broken by Middle and High school yet.

Sn210 > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 15:53

12 y/o me would be disappointed. He'd think a 4 door 140hp Honda would be pretty lame, regardless if it's a manual or not. He'd think I should be driving something with a prancing horse or gullwing doors by now. Gas for him is only around $1.50/gal.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 16:08

Well, when I was that age I thought whatever my dad drove was awesome. He had the catalog, at home, that he got at the dealership, the year was 1997, I was 9 at the time, that's when I learned from his Taurus catalog that there such a thing as an SHO. Since he was still driving his burgundy 97 Taurus when i was 12, I'm going to say I probably thought it was awesome and I now have a '10 SHO, my 12 year old self would high five the fuck out of me.

Klaus Schmoll > Sn210
11/13/2013 at 16:14

Good point about the gas price! I don't think I would have predicted modern gas prices.

And don't be sorry about driving a manual, 4-door, 140hp Honda. Could be worse! I drive a manual, 4-door, 136hp Honda ;)

Kinja'd!!!

Ad Astra > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 16:15

Twelve is a very fitting number. When I was twelve, I learned that my then favorite car, the Z3, was going to be replaced with the Z4. I remember being incredibly sad about the transition. I now drive a Z3, so my twelve y/0 self would be pretty excited. However, my 23 y/o self is no longer quite as enamored by it.

Lime - Light > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 16:20

Cool question. 12 y/o me did not know what an MR2 was but he'd like it.

Tekamul > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 16:32

12 y/o me would be pretty excited.

My car looks faster than it actually is, but so what? 12 y/o doesn't know shit. It's small and sporty, and has lots of light up doodads.

This small collection of buzz points seems to be effective right up to about 15, when kids start pissing contests with each other over the spec sheet numbers of cars they'll never even see in person.

Your boy, BJR > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 16:33

I'd be kinda pissed because 12-year-old-me was going to have grandpa's '87 toyota 1-ton, but that got sold before i got my licence. I'd be completley indifferent to the Sonata bordering on "hey it's not the worst thing ever" (much like current me) I'd LOVE the Viggen, As I LOVED my grandma's '94 900 and the viggen looks like that+midnight club 2. And I'd wonder why the hell I spent money on the 2002/secretly enamored, again, much like I do now.

Klaus Schmoll > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
11/13/2013 at 16:42

Oh yeah, I still have the brochures from some of my parent's cars from that time. One I'll especially cherish is the one of the Mazda 626 GE, a car I got from my parents when my stepdad got his first company car. I loved it so much that once it was worn out, I bought an almost identical one with my own money.

I just snapped a quick pic:

Kinja'd!!!

1337HPMustang > Party-vi
11/13/2013 at 16:42

what is it?

1337HPMustang > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 16:47

12 year old me was crazy into need for speed underground. He'd be very disappointed I got a crappy mustang instead of a rx7 (fav car in the game after widebody miata and skyline). That game was great, it and nfs porsche gave me my love for cars

Klaus Schmoll > 1337HPMustang
11/13/2013 at 16:48

IIRC he drives an E49 coupe. If you are interested, there is a google spreadsheet about who drives what, which you can find in the oppo tools which are attached to the Best of Oppo posts.

RotaryLover > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 16:50

Black guy driving a 2 seats small ass chick car?? What's wrong with this world??? He needs a Mercedes with huge chrome wheels!

chuck07 > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 16:59

Why did you get the I6 instead of the v12? Why don't you have the rear seats heated? All you need to do to add a refrigerator is get a new gas tank. I guess you have a good job if you can afford that(not realizing how car values plummet over time).

I have a 98 S320. It would have been 3 years old when I was 12.

fhrblig > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 17:14

"Meh."

Party-vi > 1337HPMustang
11/13/2013 at 17:38

'02 330Ci. I've also got a '49 flat fender with a big engine :D so I'm set for now.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 18:06

12 year old Dinger already knew the truck he drives today very well.

Klaus Schmoll > fhrblig
11/13/2013 at 18:15

No love for the Ranger back then?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 18:25

Ah that's awesome! My dads Taurus was a lease, so I never got a hold of it. It's funny how when I was a kid the most awesome car in the world was always my dads car. I still have a soft spot for '97 Taurii.

wkiernan > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 18:48

When I was twelve years old the car I really, really wanted was Jim Clark's DD, the Lotus Elan. Today I drive a Miata. If 12-year-old me could see the car driven by 58-year-old me today I bet he'd be jumping up and down with joy.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > njp1589
11/13/2013 at 19:56

Don't forget the soul crushing that is the real world.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 19:58

My 12 year old self would say my DD is lame.

My weekend car" Fuck yeah!!!"

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 21:05

He'd be like "Why am I not surprised?" or "Typical" or "You still got that old thing?"

fhrblig > Klaus Schmoll
11/13/2013 at 21:34

Back then (a depressingly long time ago), I didn't much think of them one way or the other. I wouldn't have hated it, I just wouldn't have been impressed either.

I would have been surprised that the adult me was willing to drive a RWD truck given how everyone always told me RWD was terrible in the snow. They were all full of crap, as I learned.

911e46z06 > Klaus Schmoll
11/14/2013 at 00:21

Stoked as fuck about the Corvette. Familiar with the K5 (grandpa's car), Porsche and VW bus (dad's cars). Lukewarm on the M3 (until I drove one, I was never a huge fan). Diggin' the Tahoe, Bronco (but a Ford?), Suburban, and Silverado. Somewhat disappointed by the e39s, but nice job modding the silver one. Confused and disgusted by the Exploder, and rightfully so.

Harrison Voorhees > Klaus Schmoll
11/14/2013 at 01:15

12 year old me is literally why I own the car that I own. I'm pretty sure that's about the time I first saw a Starion and said to my dad, "I didn't know Mitsubishi made cool cars besides the Evo."

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Klaus Schmoll
11/14/2013 at 08:50

Well, kids are not impressed with my faux coupe.
But if i was 12 year old, i'll hug myself.

"Fnally i bought myself a mercedes-benz!"

I'm a big mercedes fans actually since i was two, with a green 600SL as my first toy.