You might be familiar with DC Trojan. He's a regular around these parts. If you know him well, he's a bit of a car junkie, a big Top Gear fan, and someone who knows his way around automobiles.
I enlisted his services for a post on the Pac-12 as Cars over at Pacific Takes, and he knocked it out of the park. USC is a Ferrari 458! Perfect choice indeed! Then you have Oregon as a Nissan GT-R! Couldn't have picked a better car myself! And it goes on like that (Utah a Jeep Cherokee, Oregon State a Suzuki Kizashi, Colorado the worst possible car you can think of).
So what car did he pick for Cal?
Cal 2012--Messy, sputtering, confusing, new
Finding a car that represents Cal is a bit of a conundrum: you need a car that has some history, perhaps a counter-culture association, with an identity that is supposedly predicated on modern quarterback speed but actually relies in traditional virtues like sound defense and a strong running game. This is why it's a very specific car: a refurbished 1985 Vanagon with a modern 1.9 liter diesel engine that's been converted to run on cooking oil. You may not get anywhere fast, but you'll get there nonetheless, with a consistent push no matter how steep the hill, showing definite character, and you won't have harshed on someone's mellow along the way. You may also find yourself wondering why the current generation haven't been able to come up with something that equals or betters the strengths of the previous generations, but in a modern context.
Take a look at the car in the video. Does that assessment sound about correct?
If you could come up with the best car to describe Cal football, what would it be and why? Let us know your answers in the comments!