Unplugged Happy Place - Maine in a MK4 Supra

As a modern society, we’ve gotten it wrong with tech. Dangerously wrong in the last decade-or-so specifically. See our predecessors chased advances in technology (whether it was digital or mechanical)… to ultimately allow them more FREEDOM in life. But a lot of the technology surrounding us today doesn’t feel like freedom anymore. More like – an ugly addiction.

But the difference is…

If you have an alcohol addiction, or a drug addiction, or a gambling addiction, or even depression/anxiety… those are recognized issues. And there is help to be had. There’s a path towards recovery. But if you have a tech addiction??? Fuuucking good! Because they got you right where they want you. Buy more. Download more. Watch more. Consume more! Hell, a tech-addict is the ideal 21st-century consumer!

Look around – the addiction to technology is so rampant, that it’s become normalized. So therefore no – you won’t be getting any help for this new 21st-century addiction… unless you confront the problem yourself and make deliberate & difficult changes.

They call it ‘STAYING CONNECTED’, but nothing could be further form the truth. People are more disconnected than ever.

And that brings me to the automotive side of this article.

Car manufacturers these days have completely lost the capacity to look or think beyond technology & connectivity. Connectivity has absolutely brainwashed the car market. Seemingly every feature in a new vehicle is about STAYING CONNECTED. It’s all about apps, bluetooth, screens, CarPlay, cameras, sensors, and literally full-self-drive (Tesla FSD). And it’s gone that way, because that’s what people WHO DON’T LIKE CARS… want in a car.

But for those of who are passionate about cars…

For those of us who really love to drive… it’s immensely irritating to watch the automotive industry go down this path. Car companies are losing the most loyal fanbase they ever had, as they’ve forgotten what the word CONNECTED actually means. Listen – connection is not a Ford Fucking Mach E lol. And connection has nothing to do with a goddamn phone or a screen. Rather, connection has everything to do with sensations & heart rate. We want a car that DISCONNECTS us from the distractions… and CONNECTS us to the MOMENT.

That’s what magnetically drew Chris Hartsock to this MK4 Toyota Supra.

Chris has a demanding job that often requires 14-16 hour days. He’s got a wife & a very young child at home who he wants to be in the moment for. Chris lives in Northern Maine. He’s surrounded by beauty & backroads… and not much traffic. So those 45 minutes commuting to & from work?? They could either be wasted & forgotten. Or they could be lived & soaked in! Those 45 minutes… are Chris’s recalibration.

Chris Hartsock is in his early 30s. When he was younger, he taught himself how to drive stick on his mom’s ’85 Toyota Supra. He grew up in that car. So there’s always been a nostalgia & connection to Supras that ran deeper than internet clout or the F&F. Chris’s job can take him to different states & cities for extended periods of time. And a few years ago while working in PA, he saw this Supra pop-up on Marketplace. It was a stock, unmolested, non-turbo, 5-speed hardtop. White with a black interior. His wife saw it & said something along the lines of, “You’ve always wanted one; life’s short; it’s not like they’re depreciating; just freaking do it.”

I’m simplifying the process a little bit…

But Chris bought the car & drove it around for a while NA. But c’mon, imagine the constant torment of owning/driving an iconic MK4 Supra… without boost lol. It wasn’t too long before Chris did the full GTE swap with a built GTE head, GTE oil pump, some bolt-on goodies, billet mains, and a single Garrett GTX42 turbo. The car made just under 1,000whp & he capped it there to try & prolong the life of his 5-speed transmission. That didn’t really work to plan; Chris still grenaded the trans lol. But it’s been built now.

And while the Supra can be turnt-up to 1,200hp at this point, Chris usually dailies it at 660hp on easy-to-get 93 octane. Chris has learned that a 660hp Supra on the street, is worth more to him than a 1,200hp Supra in the shop. The car has really settled into a sweet spot with a TON of thrill, great sounds, and timeless sensations of speed. It’s still got AC & interior. A Supra that you & your girl can hop in & drive to the coast.

Text by Wooley Photos by Ben Getchell