Quo Vadis, Automobile?

I don’t put a lot of car stuff on the blog, although I still have an academic interest in that world. A long time ago, I used to consider the outside appearance of my car as a direct extension of my persona, while the character of the exhaust note and the loud screeching sound that the tires made on a hot July afternoon when I hit the gas hard from a standing start were an important part of the music of life. Now, I look at a vehicle and I think: “How likely is it that this car will get me from Point A to Point B in one piece and without unnecessary delay? “

A totally utilitarian rather than a romantic viewpoint.

And that’s exactly where this Canoo pickup hits me. It’s not your usual macho machine found in that genre, with big engine, big bed, big tires, and a name like Raptor. It is instead a carpenter’s/plumber’s/architects/construction worker’s/rancher’s office on wheels. It’s a workspace that you can drive to the site. Or it’s a vehicle for an ordinary guy who likes to get outside and do his or her own thing.

It’s beautiful in concept. It is also bit bug-like in appearance, though, which won’t appeal to everyone. I don’t see the Confederate flag-flying crowd lining up to buy one, for instance. It will not rip up a peaceful Saturday night into proper cacophonic shreds. But I love what its designers have done, and it all makes me wish, just a little, that I needed this car.

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