Aston Martin spends 25 hours polishing the paint of their new DBS Volante Carbon Edition. And more than 70 hours of stitching the leather interior. That’s part of why the car costs $302,000.
I would never be able to own such a car. Even if I could afford it, my conscience would prevent me from sinking that much money into a car that gets me to the grocery store as well as our Toyota Corolla. Or maybe the Corolla would do it better, since it will hold more bags of groceries. (My guess is that most Volante owners have someone else do their grocery shopping, so that’s probably not an issue.)
But somehow it comforts me to know that this car exists. It’s not superlative in any category, but it is a work of art. An article in Autoweek magazine told the story of some kids in a minivan seeing the car across two lanes of traffic. They were so wowed by the car that they shouted out to the driver, “Rev the engine! Rev the engine!” This car definitely has a powerful presence.
I’m torn. I know that anyone who spends $302,000 on a car could spend that money feeding starving people. Maybe they haven’t ever lived in Africa, like I have. While we were there, we had friends who didn’t know where their next meal was coming from. And just $10 might feed their family for several days. That reality that makes me pause before I make any extravagant purchase. Can I really justify it?
Photo courtesy of Elite Choice.
Probably the same for lots of art. Nobody NEEDS the Sistine Chapel, and the church could sell if and feed a lot of hungry people. But that makes it no less awe-inspiring.
I hope I’d never spend that much on a car. On the other nand, it would be a nice moral dilemma to face!