Photo used for illustrative purpose.

Gulf Today Report

Teenagers these days are a totally different kettle of fish. Or, rather, want to leave a different mark altogether: indifference. At least where the ultimate marque is concerned.

Clearly, the teens have a mind of their own. And it’s unshakeable. Once they have made up their mind, it’s a mission impossible to change their opinion.

Most of them do not seem to be geared up for being gearheads. In other words, they have no interest in cars.

Some prefer more eco-friendly transport options, some find driving a real headache while others just don’t seem to care.

All this is happening in the United States, land of events and trends both fascinating and bizarre.

According to the Associated Press, Michael Andretti has a 21-year-old son whose interest in obtaining a driver’s licence has just nosedived. That is because he can use a rideshare application to get him where he wants to go.

In New Jersey, the young daughter of a local short track racer took a driving lesson that lasted barely a few minutes on a golf cart before handing over the keys. The interest in it seems to have vanished faster than it takes to pepper an egg with a caster.

Students prefer sharing a transport or taking a lift in a friend’s or an acquaintance’s car rather than buy a vehicle and drive it themselves.

In Boston, high school student Celeste Robinson has relied on friends with cars or public transport.

She finds driving very scary, intimidating.

On the other hand, she loves public transport, and plans well accordingly.

Another student simply hates cars. She cannot make out the difference between a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord, She doesn’t trust people who drive the cars. She also sees a lot of road accidents and finds the whole scenario very frightening.

Yet, there are some who really fancy luxury cars, such as a Lamborghini or a Mercedes.

Mark Reuss, president of General Motors, said he believes there is still a market for teens who care about more than just Apple CarPlay and USB ports.

Driving a fun car doesn't mean it has to be the costliest. There are a lot of different ways to make cars attractive for the young, he adds.