Some car guys think being the coolest guy in the parking lot is a life’s ambition. Park at the Tim’s, pop the hood, stand nearby and wait for strangers to notice. There are worse hobbies, probably. But as a father and husband, Chris had slowly come to understand that the real dream was not just owning a cool car himself. It was building the family fleet.
This may sound noble, which is dangerous, because Chris is not exactly a saint. He is a workaholic with a short fuse, limited patience, and absolutely no danger of being mistaken for Antonio Banderas. He tries hard to be a good guy, and often fails in highly visible ways. But every once in a while, everything lines up. This was one of those rare moments.
Alice’s Mini Cooper S had been a fun little car for nearly six years. It commuted downtown, zipped to the lake on weekends, and even helped members of Demaras Racing get to their CASC Class B racing licenses. But the Mini was getting older, the repairs were getting more expensive, and its stiff ride was becoming less charming by the day. Alice needed something newer, safer, more comfortable and more practical.
Naturally, Chris interpreted that to mean a Subaru WRX.
While Alice is not exactly a gearhead, she does like cool cars. So when the idea of a sensible Subaru Crosstrek began floating around, intervention became necessary. Not because there is anything wrong with a Crosstrek, of course. They are fine vehicles for people who enjoy oatmeal. But Alice deserved something with a little more personality. After visiting multiple dealerships, the right car was found: a 2023 Subaru WRX in World Rally Blue, with one previous owner and only 22,000 km on the odometer. The deal was contingent on an inspection by Can Jam Motorsports, the same shop that has cared for the other Subarus in the Demaras fleet for years.
The WRX was solid, but it needed a few careful touches. Nothing wild. Nothing obnoxious. No loud exhaust, no stiff suspension, no underglow visible from passing aircraft. Just a clean OEM+ approach: painted fender flares to replace Subaru’s strange obsession with black plastic, silver Enkei wheels to replace the factory black ones, and a duckbill spoiler for just enough WRX attitude. The goal was simple. Make the car look special without making it worse to live with.
May 4th was Chris and Alice’s 24th anniversary. It was also delivery day for the WRX. When Chris and Daniel picked up the car from Can Jam, everything had come together beautifully. The painted flares made the car look sleeker and more complete. The Enkei wheels brightened up the whole car. The duckbill spoiler added just enough attitude without making it look like it had been modified by a teenager with internet access and poor impulse control. Most importantly, it still felt like Alice’s car. Not Chris’ next race car.
On the drive home, Chris had a long red ribbon from the craft store ready to go. He parked down the street from the house, wrapped the ribbon around the roof, and tied a big bow so it dangled over the windshield. Across the street, a neighbour collecting garbage cans spotted Chris fighting the wind as the ribbon whipped around the WRX. The neighbour laughed, went inside, and opened the living room curtains to watch the show. Apparently, in a quiet neighbourhood, a middle-aged man gift-wrapping a blue Subaru in the street counts as live theatre.
With the WRX parked in the driveway, Alice opened the front door and dryly declared that ‘she knew something was up‘. She laughed, came down the steps, and got her first proper look at the blueberry beast. Chris paid close attention to what she noticed first, ready to report back to Can Jam like a proud little project manager. The wheels were an immediate hit. The spoiler gave the car attitude. The all-blue bodywork fixed the biggest mistake Subaru Japan had somehow approved with a straight face.
Then Alice called Michelle outside to see the ‘new’ car. Despite not being a gearhead, Michelle climbed in and immediately loved the interior. The seats, the big screen, the modern tech and the safety features made the WRX feel like a massive upgrade from the old Mini. She even said it reminded her of the Maserati the family had rented during their California vacation. A Subaru compared to a Maserati. Somewhere in Japan, an engineer quietly smiled.
Alice could not wait to try it. Getting used to the WRX’s larger footprint, she eased it carefully out of the driveway with help from the cameras, sensors and the facial expression of someone piloting a very blue spaceship. A three-point turn was required, but soon she was off, the factory exhaust burbling happily as the new family Subaru headed down the street. Chris stayed behind, sitting alone on the front steps.
For a brief moment, he listened carefully, hoping not to hear the unmistakable crunch of a new driver sideswiping a parked car. But that worry passed quickly. Instead, he looked at the cars in the driveway and thought about what they represented. Not just machines. Not just horsepower, wheels and paint codes. They were family milestones. Daniel’s raw old Bugeye. Alice’s sporty new WRX. Michelle’s future driving lessons in something with actual personality.
For a father, husband and lifelong car guy, this was the real dream. Not just owning a cool car himself, but seeing the people he loved feel that same pride, excitement and joy behind the wheel. The family fleet was complete.