I posted this over at NASIOC and I wanted to share it with you guys since it was mainly about your members. ____________________________________________________________________________________ What Makes a Subaru a Subaru? I’m sure by now we’ve all seen the albeit cheesy commercials about “what makes a Subaru a Subaru”. Lately it’s apparently the fact that they’re produced from environment friendly factories. I’ve always strongly disagreed and after this past weekend my thoughts was reaffirmed. So what does make a Subaru a Subaru? Simple, the owner does. When I bought my first Subaru in 2004 I didn’t really know what I was getting into. At the time it was merely a car with a lot of power and a ton of potential. I quickly found out that I really was gaining entrance into the best car family in the world. Sure I’ve owner many different makes and models of cars before, but never like this. Never had I see the sheer passion and enthusiasm from car owners. After stumbling upon NASIOC, this was more evident than ever. Suddenly at my fingertips there was a never ending sea of knowledge, parts, and most importantly friendships. If I had a problem, I would post it online and soon there were thousands of strangers willing to lend a hand. Whenever I drive past a Subaru owner, I’m always greeted with a friendly wave. And even when I needed a place to crash this weekend, I was welcomed with open-arms from strangers who merely share the passion for Subarus that I do. I got so caught up in getting my car ready for NOPI Nationals in Atlanta this year that I forgot to book a room to stay in. I posted my dilemma online and within minutes I was flooded with people reaching out to help me. Most of them I’ve never met yet they were willing to help without hesitance. This would be one of the many times this past weekend that I was truly honored to own a Subaru. I was scheduled to stay with Chris (rallymewrx) and his friends. But after getting to the hotel downtown I realized there was a problem. The driveways for the parking garages were too steep for my newly modified STI. Since I had no intention of breaking something before the show I decided I would look for another place. From there we proceeded to Dave and Busters for the Subaru meet put on by the WRXAtlanta.com guys. After a bit of roundabout traveling – Chris is no Magellan – we arrived to a glorious site of Subarus. All my hard work in getting the car ready was worth it to hear the compliments from people who know the most about my car. The WRXAtlanta guys – especially Milo, Ankur, and Jason – couldn’t have been more welcoming. They didn’t know me from Adam yet they went out of their way to help me. After hearing about my lodging problem, Jason offered his couch to sleep on. I was blown away at the kindness they all had for a stranger. Once again I was honored to be in the Subaru Family. After getting up bright and early I made my way to the show. When I arrived I parked next to my buddy with an ESX STI that I parked next to last year. He and his family were the nicest people in the world. They offered me shade under their canopy, a seat, and drinks all weekend long. Once again, I was shown unselfish kindness merely based on the shared passion for a car. The whole show was like this. Subaru owner after Subaru owner went out of their way to help. From giving me cleaning supplies – all my rags were used to fix my radiator that overheated on the way there – to giving me contact information in hopes of sponsorships and magazine spreads. A potentially horrible weekend turned into one of the best weekends of my life. While I left NOPI with a 1st Place trophy, I left with something more important – pride in being associated with such a great community. So what makes a Subaru a Subaru? Simple: me, you, and everyone that owns one. I simply call them my FAMILY. Thanks Justin
Great to hear that everything worked out. We've got a pretty good supporting community down here. Where were you coming from?
Extremely well said! Of all the cars I've owned and communities I've been involved in - Subaru folks are definitely kick ass!
no, alex and I determined that what makes a subaru a subaru, is a simple project having something go wrong that ends up taking 5 hours maybe thats just my car though
Obviously you guys haven't owned a Kia, but I guess WRXAtlanta.com takes a close second to SophiaAtlanta.com.
What really makes a subaru a subaru is when you like the car so much that you convince all of your friends to buy them. http://www.streetkiaz.com/streetkiazx/
Well said. After having an Integra before my WRX, all I can say is I hate Honda people. Every experience I had with Honda people were either immature 16 year olds or someone trying to rip you off or low ball you. Every experience I have had (even buying my car through WRXatlanta) has been great. Ahh its so true. Between you and Nick there was no choice but to get a Subie. On that note, the day I snapped my axle on my Teggy last year, Nick was like "I have a test today so I will not need my car for a few hours. Take the WRX for a drive and see if you like it." 2 months later... :naughty:
Glad you had a good time Justin, and awesome to hear you won #1 prize. Your car was definitely HOT. You didn't leave nearly as early as you planned Saturday morning did you? I woke up just before you left, and I know you were planning on leaving for the show around 6ish, but I think it was closer to 8. Anyways, if you come back next year, as I am sure you will, you are always welcome to crash at my place again. Next year I will definitely be going back to Nopi.
The BEST kind of buddies! :ddirty: I miss my Subaru, but love my Miata, especially the last week or two with this weather. That being said, had the Scrambler ever been produced, I would have staid Subaru Blue...
Unfortunately I couldnt make it out to NOPI this year. I did meet you last year at D&B though. I must say you've written quite a write up. Nothing pleases me more than seeing another content member. Keep it up Happy posting,
I totally agree, MOST everyone I have meet with one of these fine machines is like family and seem to be good people! Welcome to the WRXATL Fam!
It was great meeting you Justin, and congrats on your win. Make sure to hit us up next time you are in the area.
I don't really understand why we posted streetkiaz, or what makes it something else. But the community is one of the main reasons I have, and always have had, and always will have, a Subaru.
i'm new to the subaru "family" and it's definitely been a breath of fresh air for me. i was in the honda community, which was pretty Fast and Furious :squint: and then into the audi community which could be cool but is often snooty and elitist. it's been great so far to be part of a group of enthusiasts that are this welcoming and excited about their cars. like the OP i've been amazed by how cool people are about helping out....it adds a whole new dimension to car ownership.