Farewell to the Bluetooth List of My Old iPhone After 4 Years of Testing Cars

      RR, Subaru, Lexus, Honda, Mazda, edited by the author

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      Getting a new phone can be frustrating for many reasons; mainly because you have to transfer your entire life from one device to another. Although cloud backups simplify this process significantly, the annoying transition still has to be endured. I recently upgraded to the new iPhone, and while the transfer went smoothly, I wasn't ready to part with the list of cars I’ve connected with via Bluetooth over the past four years.

      Similar to how serial killers keep strange trophies from their victims, car journalists often have an odd attachment to small mementos from the vehicles they’ve driven. I can’t be the only one, right?

      I’ve heard that some people retain copies of their test car’s Monroneys, others snap a photo of each car against the same backdrop, some collected USB-style press kits when that was a trend, and I even know individuals who kept the OEM first aid kits from the trunk. Most of these people are no longer in the industry, but that was a common practice at one time.

      For me, I’m much simpler. I like scrolling through my Bluetooth list and my Chick-fil-A app, where I always have to indicate which car (and color) I'm driving so they can recognize me at the drive-thru. I started using my previous iPhone in November 2021, and after nearly four years, I’ve connected with about 60 cars on it. This doesn’t represent all the vehicles I've driven in that time since I likely don’t connect to half of them each year—mainly just the ones I drive at home—so I estimate the total number is closer to 150.

      Nevertheless, some truly remarkable cars on that list bring back lovely memories. For instance, the Polestar 2 was my first experience driving an EV solo abroad. I picked it up at Brussels Airport and had to make my way to Spa-Francorchamps for a WEC race. I was anxious about navigating an EV in an unfamiliar place with a different language. It actually went perfectly and turned out to be a wonderful experience!

      Among the dozen Hondas on the list, the one that stands out is the Odyssey, which took my family and me to Michigan's Upper Peninsula for a quick birthday weekend. It’s filled with great memories, especially as the kids grow older and make their own weekend plans.

      There are also two special Ferraris on the list: a 296 GTB and the impressive Purosangue. The red 296 was a great companion for a trip to Northern California, allowing us to drive along the stunning coast of Monterey and Big Sur. Similarly, a blue Purosangue provided fantastic transportation for a multi-day trip through northern Italy with my dad. Just two guys enjoying the mountains around Lake Como in a (then) for-sale $550,000 Ferrari packed with luggage and other items.

      From Hyundais to Toyotas, Rolls-Royces, Mercedes, BMWs, and everything else, this list serves as a nice reminder of the exciting experiences I get to have in my work. While not everything is ideal in this often uncertain industry, it’s the cars and the memories I create with them that I will treasure forever. It’s time to start a new list on the new iPhone, I suppose.

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