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When I was younger, there were cars that seemed to defy others. Cars that had a personal, intimate story behind why they fascinated me so much.
On this Valentine's Day...here's a tribute to all the cars I've loved before.
1. Ferrari F40 - I must have been eight or nine years old when I saw a poster of a Ferrari F40 adorning the wall of my cousin's room.
It looks spectacular and had everything a supercar should possess: low-centre of gravity, massive wing and pop-up headlights.
The F40 was built to celebrate the automaker's 40th anniversary and was powered by a mid-engined 2.9-litre V6 twin-turbo with over 350kW. It's also widely regarded as the most ultimate supercar ever built, just ask Chris Harris.
2. 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - Another car I fell in love with during my adolescence, it stole the show in the 1999 film Gone in 60 Seconds with Nicolas Cage. He plays a 'bit-part' role as a retired car thief who takes one last job to save his brother.
This was a real muscle car. A no-holds barred pony car with a massive V8 and a manual gearbox. I love the rawness of the GT500 and of course the roar from the 7.0-litre V8 engine.
The car was fondly named 'Eleanor' in the film and took Cage on a wild ride down to the San Francisco pier followed closely by the police in a BMW 540i.
In 2016, I took the current generation Mustang 5.0 GT on an epic solo road trip in Mpumalanga, channeling my best Nicolas Cage impression.
Watch that clip below:
3. Volkswagen Golf GTI MkV - This car is close to my heart because it was the chariot to my matric ball way back in 2006. The Mk V introduced another level of the famous GTI moniker, the original hot hatch, and I was completely in love with it.
It came out with optional 18-inch Detroit wheels, a black honeycomb grille and twin exhausts. It was everything an 18-year-old wanted in a car.
The engine was a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with 147kW and 280Nm and it was quick for a hatchback in the mid-2000s.
My dad's boss at the time was a massive petrol head and in his fleet was a candy white GTI. He knew I was a massive car fan and allowed my dad to take the Golf home for the night of my matric ball.
I think I paid more attention to the car than my date. But that's what love does.
Happy Valentine's Day.
