“Grace is either expanded or restricted, depending on your response to the opportunities that come to you.”
~ Trigueirinho
Few would suspect Ruth Bryan of buying a sports car. And she didn’t. She bought a 2006 Corolla. The twist here is that this particular Corolla is, quite surely, a sports car in sedan clothing. It’s a relatively rare-ish super model XRS; 164 horsepower 1.8 liter engine with six speed manual transmission that would be more at home in a Celica or MR2. After Toyota abandoned those models, they threw the goods into the Corolla for a year or two. Ah, so unassuming this little Corolla. It will blow most cars off the road and leave your hair looking like the Maxell poster (I’m showing my age with that reference). Stacy Yelton, avid reader of Car and Driver for twenty-plus years, was like a kid in a candy store when she heard about Ruth’s purchase. First chance she had to see it in person she took. Ruth encouraged Stacy to take it for a test drive, but she was satisfied to just sit behind the wheel. Meanwhile, as I took pictures (of course), young Danielle Gabbard looked on, no doubt thinking to herself, “What is with these middle aged women and this car?” It’s all about the need for speed and comfort after 40, that’s what. I wonder what Ruth will name it. Stacy maybe? That would be hilarious.
Ruth
I’m actually thinking either “Beatrice” as in Much Ado or “Janine Rose” as in Cousin Dupree–too obviously 40-something?