In 2015, the car enthusiast is a dying breed. The love of engines, speed, noise, and so much more has given way to (mostly) silent, unexciting cars that the majority of the population only sees as means of transportation for getting from point A to point B. Young folks like myself, are particularly uninterested; I can count on one hand the amount of auto-enthused youth I've met since coming to college. But is all hope for us really lost? Are we going to go extinct with the onset of soulless, boring, self-driving cars taking over the roads, while our high-octane infused blood runs dry? I certainly think not, so here's a few reasons why being a young car enthusiast is great!

1. Driving Stick

As the gear-head population as a whole decreases with each passing day, the number of people who can properly wield a car equipped with a manual gearbox does as well. Not only is it a useful skill that you'll never forget (for that hypothetical situation where you must drive a stick shift car to escape your pursuers in an epic car chase (read: take an injured person to the hospital), it helps to reduce distracted driving. You can't respond to that text if you've got to shift gears, baby! Apart from these benefits, it's also incredibly fun! Be it the sensation of rowing your own gears as you wind each one out to the redline, or perhaps the crackle of fire that spouts out of the exhaust as you shift gears in a tuned-up car, the pros certainly outweigh the cons here. Also, ladies - driving stick is awesome, so if you can't find guys, drive stick and watch them flock!

2. Old Cars

While most (read: some) new cars are pretty awesome, few things tickle the spines of car folk more than older cars. The common misconception is that they're either all broken down/rusted, unreliable, and more expensive to run. While this isn't wrong in certain cases, it definitely isn't the norm. Old cars are largely less complex, as they lack the computer systems which operate many functions of modern vehicles. This makes them much easier and cheaper to fix, and lowers the skill ceiling at which you can easily work on your own car. While they are often less fuel efficient, I'd certainly trade a few MPG for a lot less headaches by buying an old muscle car like the Camaro above, instead of a modern used car with failing computer systems. Plus, just look at it.

3. Hooliganism

Let's face it: we're kids. As much as we'd like to think of ourselves as sophisticated, professional college students, we really aren't quite there yet. As a result, being obnoxious comes as a part of our nature. Sometimes we do it to try (and mostly fail) to impress the opposite sex, sometimes we do it as a result of everything that's been piling up and stressing us out, along with myriad of other reasons Because we're kids, it's become a bit expected of us to be somewhat ridiculous, And because SAFE (this is key here!) hooliganism is a large part of car culture, what's better than an interest with widespread hooliganism that's expected of you? It's certainly better than using something else to escape. When I'm feeling stressed out from life in general, sometimes a grin inducing burnout or a nice spirited drive is all I need to get me back on top. SMOKE TIRES, NOT DRUGS PEOPLE.

4. It Is A Culture

I know that as a college student, I'm always looking for ways to expose myself to new and unexpected things. It helps us to grow, and can show us new ways of understanding that which we never would've considered before. I have reason to believe that in every country on Earth, there is car culture. Now I'm not saying that going to a drift event will change your life - the first time you do, it'll largely seem like a bunch of crazy people sliding around in absurd looking cars - but drift racing (sliding a car sideways through a corner for the uninitiated) came from Japan, and it brought a lot of that culture with it. From the explosive colors and sticker setups to the gigantic wings and loud exhausts, drift racing imbues aspects of Japanese car culture in a place you wouldn't really expect. Many other countries have their own specific types of racing, and exposing yourself to them can help your further understand what car culture is as a whole, while experiencing the non-car culture as well.

5. It Can Show You The World

As young people, we like to explore. Different cultures like I mentioned above certainly allow us to satisfy our explorative cravings, but one of the most amazing aspects of any experience is the stimulus behind it. A nice cruise on an oceanside road, or a more involved tear through the canyons, challenging the corners opens our senses to some truly beautiful things. The picturesque mountains as you drive through Switzerland, the hair-raising tingle you get from driving a loud car through a tunnel, the smell and feel of leather in an open topped Italian sport coupe. The possibilities are endless!

6. It's A Learning Opportunity

Cars are very intricate. Thousands of moving parts that we take for granted every day. Most of us rely on those who have been trained to fix our cars for us. But sometimes, when all odds are against us, we don't have that luxury. When your car craps out on the side of an isolated road, your phone is dead, and it's getting dark, you can either curl up and wait it out, or try and save yourself. But wait! You have no idea what you're doing! Too bad for you. Wouldn't it be great if you knew how to use a multimeter to check voltages to see why your car won't start? Or if you could jury-rig your radiator hose back on to keep your car from catching fire? While cars are complex, they are governed by the laws of physics and mechanics, and with even the most basic understanding, you can not only save yourself a headache, but also a few bucks too by doing your own maintenance. When you're in a pinch, you'll be forced to improvise, and by doing so, will learn something you'll undoubtedly apply again in the future. Being one who never gives up without a fight, I know this rings true. Also, since we're all looking to buff our resumes in college, what sounds cooler? I interned at small-time marketing agency carrying coffee to people who didn't respect me, or I built a freaking engin? With some devotion of time and a bit of money, that can become a reality!

7. FIRE!

This doesn't really apply to the youngster crowd specifically, but stuff that shoots fire is generally pretty awesome. One of my most mesmerizing childhood experiences was seeing drag cars shoot six footers out their exhausts when staging, and it certainly helped get me hooked on cars. To finish it off, here's a collection of GIFS that might help to get that burning passion started in your heart!

I do hope that this article might open up some of you to being more interested in cars. Help us car folk stay alive and strong!