Life of a Gent: The Resolute Motorist

Meet the gregarious gentleman with an ardor for extreme speed and timeless style.


An original series exploring distinct gentleman in contemporary society.

It’s 6:25PM, and I feel the rumble of an HKS single exit exhaust system that unnerves my senses and vibrates the outer reaches of my skin as it approaches.  The slowly increasing sound reverberates through the quiet neighborhood, and I can see the voluptuous luster of a sleekly designed Subaru BRZ that contains the most engaging of gentleman, John. John Datu is a newly graduated finance major who has a deep appreciation for things that roar in the night.  He is a purveyor of the tantalizing culture of car modifications while being regarded as an affable and gregarious character whom is always willing to lend an ear to another.  A gentleman in every aspect, he is not afraid to be distinguished by his love of cars while carrying himself with a strong confidence that is unshakeable in the face of risk.


A true purveyor of tribulations, he still continues to enjoy what he loves despite serious drawbacks and dangerous difficulties.  Dealing with the loss of two cars would be detrimental to most, but John still retains his infatuation with cars while being determined to never lose the drive for his passion.  Losing his Nissan 300Z to an almost deadly accident and having to deal with constant engine failures of his following Mazda RX-8 has constantly riddled John’s life by creating barricades to his path.  “It sucked!” John commented when discussing his hardships.  It took two painstaking years of sharing his family cars until John finally achieved his goal to buy his 2017 Subaru BRZ.  The catastrophes that beset his progress, in creating a truly desirable car that he can be pleased with, were great but a true gent like John knows how to persevere.


His current car, a metallic silver 2017 Subaru BRZ is a work in progress that is perpetually being improved.  The ebony ceramic coated wheels, offset by Japanese decals and a Nike Air Jordan tag hanging from the rear all show John’s other lighthearted pleasures.  Greatly knowledgable in the functions and capabilities of different components, John never makes someone feel obtuse.  In a world of pompous car aficionados indoctrinated on the highbrowed mastery of vehicles, John stands out through unwavering patience and fervor for his love of cars.  His passion can be seen instantaneously as a singular topic about cars provides him with enough momentum to educate someone on a plethora of car terms.  More than willing to explain and expand on trivial questions that non car experts would have, he never ridicules individuals.  Instead he provides valuable knowledge to the questioner and provides them with a thorough explanation to exemplify those interested in his craft.


Even though John is a part of the virile, aggressive culture of altering cars, he is a true gentleman.  When asked to elucidate his definition of a refined gentleman, he emphatically said, “A gentleman should uphold his strong arguments yet understand the view points of others.  Open mindedness and an ability to adapt go hand-in-hand when talking about gentleman.” Well-spoken on the subject, John attributes Anthony Bourdain as the secular epitome of the gentleman lifestyle.  “In No Reservations he travels all around the world and learns about the cultures of other people.  He has strong opinions from his own perspective, but he is always willing to learn before making a keen judgment,” John comments.  Evident in his actions, John keeps an open mind when trying to comprehend information from others.  In such a noisy information filled age, it is important to stand behind the distinguished viewpoints you have in life.


The Minimalistic Gent recognizes John Datu as a purveyor of the gentleman lifestyle.  Persevering through two detrimental wreckages and still retaining his passion for cars is the mark of a well built individual who continues to push forward despite the complications that life throws you.  John is such a joy to be around that he is easily designated as a cordial and personable car enthusiast that has a bright future ahead of him!

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