‘Driving fast is like licking honey off a razor blade’
The Association of Adrenaline and Speed in High-Performance Motor Cars.
Adrenaline and Speed: The Thrill of High-Performance Driving.
Adrenaline is a hormone released by the adrenal glands during stress or excitement, triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response.
The exhilarating force achieved by high-performance motor cars is a source of adrenaline rush.
Adrenaline is released within seconds, increasing heart rate and redirecting blood to muscles.
It sharpens mental focus and temporarily increases strength, reducing pain perception.
Airways are relaxed, providing more oxygen to muscles for quick reactions and sustained performance.
The pupils dilate, allowing more light into the eyes and improving vision and reaction times.
Since the beginning of time, motor manufacturers quickly cottoned on to this.
The Bugatti Type 35, the Alfa Romeo 8C, the Ferrari GTO, the Jaguar E-type, the McLaren P1, the Bugatti Veyron, the Koenigsegg Jesko et al.
In their day, all produced the fight or flight response, increased heart rate, heightened focus, and improved mental clarity.
Resulting in a Euphoric Experience.
The cultural and social impact of F1 and Le Mans and films like Fast and Furious support all of these.
Plus, the curated status symbol of high-performance cars represents luxury, success, and a passion for speed.
The personalities like Enzo Ferrari, Ayrton Senna and Ken Block further enhanced the notion.
And now, the dawn of Virtual and Augmented Reality, enhancing the high-speed driving experience through immersive technology.
Do humans have a natural desire for speed and adventure, or is it clever marketing to use speed as a status symbol and demonstration of skill?
‘Driving at high speed is like a dance with the devil – thrilling, risky, and utterly irresistible.
