Which cars do or don't have a soul?

[ted]

I felt my old C5Z vette with throttle by wire lacked a little soul.
The brain in the C5Z softened the throttle response removing some soul.

New cars with torque vectoring, traction control and independent control of each wheel seem more an accomplishment of software engineers than driver input.
These new features do they add or remove soul?

Seems the soul of a new Porsche regardless of model would be similar as the same software engineers have developed all of their computer systems.

Technically speaking do new complex cars have the soul of the more simple older cars?

Do the new cars with complex systems the owner cannot service remove some of the soul?

When driving does a manual make it feel like it has more soul compared to an automatic?

Obviously any car that was many miles on it, driven to weddings, funerals and family gathers, fun car shows or racing competition events adds soul too.

Someone wrote the best day to wash your car is the day you sell it, soulless owner!

Knock it around, your thoughts?

[Scott Douglas]

Lots of people say that my Honda has no soul. Those are the types that haven't driven it and have not had their foot buried into the throttle enough. The soul is buried pretty deep in the rpm range, but trust me, it's in there.

[RANDY P]

Cars that have soul usually weren't built globally by committee. They were built by guys who hated cars like that. They are too perfect, no personality since cars have to appeal to all kinds of people these days.

Building a car that meets every single damn standard around the world eventually leads to a car that does nothing, and crash, efficiency and pedestrian safety standards ensure they all look and act the same.

[KNS]

Prius = Soul less

[gordner]

Absolutely true Randy. The "I'm not a car guy anymore" thread had me thinking about modern cars, and exactly that. Designed by committee and computer, new cars, from Ferraris on down to kia's, really don't do anything for me. For the most part they are indeed soulless.
Cars used to be designed by a small team or even one or two people, feel was a big part of what mattered, and the best of them were designed to stir your soul in the driveway or on the track. Cars were for so long art, and that really seems to be a thing of the past these days. Function over form is sensible, but leads to incredibly functional generally ugly vehicles. Every manufacturer produces basically variations of the same vehicle. Not too many stir the soul.

[Noah930]

My DD Honda has a manual transmission. So while it still lacks soul, having 3 pedals makes the car a lot more fun to drive. Still different than soul, though. The 911s are fun and have soul. Though the 930 may have a bit more soul than the 964.

My 600cc Yamaha sportbike was fast and compentent. You can't say revving to 10-12K is a soulless experience. But it didn't have soul like my Ducati.

It's an intangible quality. But a bit like porn, you know it when you see/feel/hear/experience it.

[pwd72s]

Entirely subjective, this "soul" thing.

My opinion of 3 cars I have experience with?

'72 911S...soul galore

'09 Mustang Bullitt...some soul

'16 Toyota Camry...no soul

All that said, if I could only have one car? Probably would pick the soulless Camry for the obvious reasons.

[crustychief]

My Ford f-150 has no soul, but my Jeep Gladiator has some. Maybe because it is a specific purpose built vehicle?

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by crustychief

Maybe because it is a specific purpose built vehicle?

I don't think that's the only thing (though that may be part of it). Note my Yamaha vs Ducati sportbike example above.

[Chocaholic]

Define soul.

One characteristic that's important to me is knowing the idiosyncrasies and behavior and how to work with them to enhance the overall experience. If a car has no idiosyncrasies or unique behaviors, well...no soul. How many senses are positively affected by the experience? And most importantly, how does your garage smell 30 minutes after parking the vehicle inside and leaving the garage doors closed?

My two bikes (below), have soul. My Miata is a riot to drive, but lacks the visceral affect on some of the senses.

[monoflo]

Soul.

[wdfifteen]

The only cars I've ever had that felt soulless were my 2008 BMW 535 and a 2003 MB E class. They were just appliances. Very competent appliances.
I judge how I feel about a car by who I let drive it. I let first year employees drive those two. I just didn't care.

[Zeke]

Yes, define 'soul'. Every time I get in my 1/2T PU it feels right. That's enough for me. When I get in the Boxster I'm cramped and even though I can snick through the gears up and down with the passenger only noticing the engine note and no jerk, it has nothing for me. It rides on rails in the twisties, so much so and yet it has nothing for me.

And when I get in the '44 Jeep with the SBC, only the motor has soul being cammed up. The rest of the thing is junk.

[RANDY P]

-Porsche 911.

-Early GM's simply because with proliferation and them being icons to car guys means they will live forever. They aren't necessarily good, but they are predictable and uniquely American.

-Ferraris. One of a kind and known for one thing: Singular purpose- Italian driving passion.

Probably a lot more, but too costly to know anything about.

[Ryan_Cunningham]

From my experience...

1992 Geo Storm - No soul. But it possessed a bit of character to a young 16 year old, likely due to ignorance.
1994 Jeep Wrangler - Soul. Raw.
1999 Chevrolet Corvette FRC - No soul, but fun.
2001 Jeep Cherokee - Soul.
2003 Dodge Viper - Soul. But muted somewhat. Probably didn't think you'd ever hear that about a Viper...
2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon - No soul. Cool as hell though.
1998 Jeep Wrangler - Soul.
2003 Land Rover Discovery - Tons of soul.
1972 Porsche 911 - All soul.

2006 Kawasaki ZX-6R - No soul.
1986 Suzuki S60 Rat - No soul.
2003 HD Sportster 1200 - Soul.
2011 Ducati 1198 - Tons of soul.
2012 KTM RC8R - All soul.

[Cajundaddy]

Wife's Lexus RX 350. Nearly a perfect automotive appliance that will never leave you stranded and go 300k miles without burning oil. Nearly as much soul as my Samsung refrigerator.

[cantdrv55]

Originally Posted by KNS

Prius = Soul less

My wife was in a bad car accident last year in her Prius V but she walked away with just a neck ache. It could've been so much worse but the Prius gave its life for her. That car had soul and we miss it every day.

[Seahawk]

Here is my deal concerning, "soul".

Like humans, soul has nothing to do with age or origin: Tina Turner had soul, Ike was an *******; 911's in the 60's had soul, Jags broke your soul.

John Legend has soul, Kanye is in search of one; if you prefer reliability, predictability and taking the car of your choice faster that you are willing to drive, nearly every modern has car has soul, it just takes a bit of searching while noodling in a minivan in perfectly air conditioned comfort, heated seats, concert stereo, and cornering and zero to 60 times that are, to the cars of the 60's and 70's, soul crushing.

My Tundra has more soul (towing, driving in snow, or at 85 on the Interstate) than 95% of the cars ever built. My Land Cruiser has soul as well, just not as much.

Souls, soul mate, is a relative term...you "date" soul in a car, you marry all around competence. Quirks aren't soul, they are, after a time, annoying. Soul is also situational: The last thing I ever needed after a long day at a horse show was "soul" at 7pm towing a trailer over the pass coming back from Virginia.

As always, YMMV.

[GG Allin]

Pretty much any Nissan product, Infinity included.

[cabmandone]

Kia has a Soul