It also changes how you look at other cars. Just ask forum member DONT SLEEP. He bought a 2014 Nissan GT-R. Naturally, he loved its abundant power and startling acceleration, especially after he fitted it with some bolt-on mods. However, the high-dollar dream machine caused DONT SLEEP a lot of anxiety about where he could park the car without risking it getting hit, where he could drive it without bottoming out and scraping, and his increased visibility to strangers.
When DONT SLEEP bought a 118,000-mile 2003 Lexus LS 430 as a winter car, the GT-R’s trade-offs made him see the sedan as more than just something to keep road salt off of his Nissan-badged road rocket. He said, “I can take this car and park it anywhere (not being paranoid about damage), my kid can eat in it, I can haul junk in it…. It’s what every beater car is good for. It’s that exact concept that makes the car so great… the fact that I could care less about what happens to it, lol!”
For those reasons and the fact that DONT SLEEP‘s work/family lives meant he didn’t drive the GT-R often enough to justify its presence in his driveway, he decided to trade it in on another sedan, a high-performance model, to accompany his LS: a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.
Congratulations on your new purchase, DONT SLEEP. The GT-R is a real thrill ride, but you definitely had some good reasons to part ways with yours.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
