A Passion for Speed

Many teenagers have aspirations of driving fancy cars and pulling up to school with the nicest ride in the parking lot. However, junior Will Talley’s dreams are now becoming a reality with his first car, a 2013 Camaro 2LS. The luxury sports car boasts a 3.6L v6 engine and around 380 horsepower, making it noticeably faster than the average car.

Talley first began to show interest in cars as a young child when his family would take him to drag strips. He noticed the speed, power, and control that was used in drag racing and was instantly fascinated. “What draws me to cars is the wide variety there is and the amount of customization you can do to them,” said Talley.

The passion for high quality cars runs deep in the Talley family, as both his mom’s and dad’s sides of the family possess several of them. Together, his parents own multiple Corvettes, Mustangs, and Camaros, including the 2016 Camaro 2SS which delivers nearly 450 horsepower. A large part of Talley’s life has revolved around cars because he has many mechanics and people with a passion for cars in his family. “All my uncles have drag raced and my first experience with cars was watching them which inspired my love for them initially,” said Talley.

Although many members of his family have been mechanics or involved with maintaining cars, Talley sees it as more of a hobby for him. He would rather be able to customize and show off his cars for pleasure as opposed to doing it as a profession. As for his future career, Talley aspires to follow in his father’s footsteps and be an IT Server Manager, working on computers.

Besides enjoying having free will with the design of his car, Talley also enjoys the spirit of owning a fancy car. “Cars are a part of American society and having a nice car is always looked upon in awe,” said Talley. He also takes pride in actually working on and having a genuine interest in cars instead of owning them just to show them off.

It is very costly to maintain a fancy car, especially if you want to upgrade specific mods, light colors, or other features. This means that you need a well-paying, long-term job. Talley believes the value of his parents’ cars total around $200,000. He is very educated on cars and computers, which are the two things he’s most passionate about, although he also runs track.

Talley doesn’t have any inspirations outside of his family with regard to cars, such as any racing legends. He likes his family cars the best because he’s always around them. Talley hopes that his children will have the same passion and knowledge for cars that he does.