Grand Touring cars, GT cars, were first introduced in Europe in the early 1940s and 50s. They rose to prominence due to their sleek designs, which were specifically designed for high-speed and long-distance driving. Their ability to create such a sturdy car, with the appeal of a luxury car made them an immediate success.
One of the first GT cars was the Ferrari 166 Inter, which was first introduced in 1948. After the general public reaction was overwhelmingly positive, the demand for GT cars began to rise, making them one of the most iconic car models to date.
Verrado Junior, Trenton Jankee has always been interested in cars, especially working on them. When asked what sparked his interest in this type of car, he responded, “My mom’s side of the family has always been into automotive stuff.” He proceeded to add that one of the biggest factors was a YouTuber named JackUltramotive.
His interest in Jack’s videos sparked a newfound passion for cars, Trenton states, “I started watching him in 2016, and he was the one who inspired me to get my first Forza game.”
Along with his interest in GT cars, Trenton also works on them in his free time. When the question of what his favorite car model or build he’s worked on is he replied, “I’m not working on any cars right now. If I were to do a build it would be on an S13 with a S14 Kouki front end on it.”
Jankee continues, “It would have an LSX in it, on either Blitz 03’s or some deep dish bbs wheels; the car would be candy red with a silver and gold flake. The roof would be black, with some golden flower artwork on it.” In the world of cars, there’s an endless amount of modifications that can be done to enhance certain features.
Modifying cars can be a very time-consuming, and expensive process, especially for a high school student. To manage his time between school work and cars, Trenton says he spends a lot of time at home. This gives him a way to watch videos on cars and play racing games.
When he was asked what the most challenging repair or mod he’d done was he stated, “I haven’t done much in terms of mechanics, but I helped my stepdad put a new engine in a Toyota Prius that we sold for $10,000.” He also adds how the hardest part of the whole process was lining up the engine and transmission.
Working with cars can open the door for many opportunities and career paths. Automotive mechanics have a handful of never-ending options for students to look into.
When Trenton was asked how his passion for cars would affect his career in the future he responded, “I would like to go to U.T.I and become a diesel mechanic, or just an ordinary mechanic.”
As for racing, he states that he would want to get into a traditional racing series, or a formula drift to further elevate his driving career.
