Aesthetics Crew: A Car Group About Character

When you examine this community, its members, and the vehicles that they love, it is very unlike any other brand admiration on the planet. A car club may be silly to some… like those who have no attraction to teamwork, camaraderie, or want to be involved in building a village to strengthen the overall dedication to the brand that has delivered so much joy, satisfaction, and level of family. Those involved might use this type of relationship to bond with their fellow man in this specific world. Would it be accurate to assume that a car enthusiasts group is a small world or universe within itself. Would some of these passionate people imagine this lifestyle to be their perfect version of nirvana, a place they would prefer to live more to their normal lives? Does the relationship to a mechanical creation and those others who crave its power, technology, and ingenuity - just like them - become more fulfilling as time goes on and as the relationships become closer and more intense? What thoughts go on in the enthusiasts head at the point when they make the ultimate decision to dedicate themselves to a group of their very own? All very important questions.

There might be a thousand reasons why an enthusiast would choose to join a car group. Before the choice is made, there needs to be a degree of examination to see if the enthusiast in question is the right type of person to be exposed to this level of unity and oneness with other people. Keeping a reasonable view, if the enthusiast is not comfortable with other people, or more importantly not someone who can ease into relationships with strangers. Car enthusiasts groups may also have their share of elitist personalities, those who have no problems sharing their experience or level of knowledge in an aggressive manner, sometimes without asking if this view or experience is needed. Truthfully, if a group is brimming with these types of personalities, or seems to be spirited with an egotistical mind set, an enthusiast looking for a welcoming, empathetic, helpful, or educational environment to spend a large amount of their free time might want to concentrate their efforts looking in a different direction. Newer enthusiasts join car groups for some level of support, trust, a sense of family and/or a place they can learn and better themselves as an enthusiast or example to the overarching community.

Picking the wrong group to join, one who may not have a good reputation, a good direction, or not have a positive reflection of spirit to raise their position higher to make others look more favorably on the car future as a whole. We can quickly see that those car clubs and enthusiast organizations that are the most powerful and reputable in the larger human culture, no matter what country of origin, are those that found the organization with goals and purpose that are much larger than themselves from the outset. You often see these groups taking the lead immediately when help is needed whether when organizing charitable events, spearheading new initiatives within the community, or just imagining new and industrious plans that will not only promote their overall presence, but most importantly lift others in the community and encourage by example to build upon something good to make it great. With any idea or concept, the success and strength of the foundation can only be sustained by its individual parts. The importance of finding a good group through the people and the works they generate could leave a deep mark of how successful and safe the individual enthusiast will be in their overall life.

All this talk of belief, commitment and dedication brings us to a group of enthusiasts out in the state of Utah, maybe not the first place one's mind would go to discover a serious car club, but learning about this band of brothers will quickly change anyone's mind. We recently spoke with Dustin Slate, our contact and a primary member of Aesthetics Crew, a growing Subaru car club based in the Salt Lake City area, to find out what makes them stand out in both their regional community and within the overall Subaru community. The Aesthetics Crew was founded by four friends John, Mike, Alex and Tony on June 1st, 2024.John serves as the President of the team.“Our team currently has 17 members, all of whom are active in the scene in one way or another. However, there are up to 14 consistent show goers.", Slate stated proudly. "The main standout member I would have to say is Alex with his wide body hatchback STI. He usually wins 'Best Subaru' or places at nearly every event we attend. Not to mention, he wraps everyone's cars and is always there to help, no matter what." To the outside observer looking in, this group clearly exhibits a unique energy of generosity which obviously confirms why they have attracted both serious and determined individuals who believe both in camaraderie and their community.

It is important to note that these clubs are not all about hanging out in parking lots or at events with hoods up, doors open, and egos exposed to show everyone how much they know, how much money they have spent, or how impressive they can be in front of their peers. Again, even though it may be hard to believe for those outside the car loving world, the majority of the individuals in these groups are both very creative and encouraging. People who want to share their love for automotive modification and the inspiration which lead them to choosing and building the car of their dreams and sharing it proudly with others. Most often their interests and spirit of community will be blended with important initiatives and causes that a group with such forward momentum and strength can surely benefit in a positive way. "We try to promote the local scene and local brands as much as we can.", Slate proclaimed. "A lot of events in our community are based around some form of charity or exposure for the car community to grow in some way. But we aim to take it to the next level soon by attempting our own charitable collaborations, car meets, and maybe even shows." This is where attracting and retaining like-minded, empathetic, but dedicated individuals can be extremely powerful.

Diving deeper into Aesthetics Crew's membership, we will learn that they go beyond the leadership of John, Mike, Tony and the accomplishment examples set by the aforementioned Alex. Speaking with some other individuals in this crew, it is simply understood that they have built a team that is more about family, encouragement, and sharing of ideas than just showing off their ultimate prize possession. One member, Austin Lawrence, proud owner and driver of a 2018 Subaru WRX, has lived in West Jordan and Salt Lake City his entire life, so his dedication to automotive enthusiasm and his spirit of community came at an early age obviously pushing him quickly into a lifestyle that helped him gravitate towards this inspirational group as an adult. "My passion for cars started when I was young - before I could remember.", Lawrence said with melancholy. "Always watching Nascar and muscle car shows. Soon enough middle school came around. I then found Japanese videos and fell in love with JDM culture. The first car I owned was a 2010 Subaru Impreza.", Lawrence remembered fondly. "I didn’t do much to it since I was in high school and broke", he laughed. "I threw some wheels on it for 200 bucks. Coils and lowered it a little. I did take off the mufflers and that was about it."

Austin grew into an appreciation for all things Subaru as time went on. "The only reason I bought a Subaru both times is because of my parents.", Austin said. "They said they are good starter cars to make sure I do maintenance and it’s all wheel drive so good to handle in the snow as a newer driver. Also my parents had a Subaru their whole life and never had issues so I knew I wanted one for sure." Like many young enthusiasts looking for and wanting more meaning out of their passion and following, Lawrence seemed to be destined to connect with a collective that both loved the Subaru brand and a spirit that builds on more than just car ownership. His alignment to the Aesthetics Crew proved to be a perfect fit and logical relationship. "Honestly every part of our team is worth remembering," Lawrence said. "Whether it was the first meet up at K1 speed for go karts or hanging out at slammed enough. The personal group events are the best because it brings us together as a family, not just separate groups inside a big group.", he added. "Aesthetics is the best group to be in. Nice people who will always support you and have your back. If you need help, someone is there to answer questions or help work on the car." Austin confirmed. "I love each and every one of them. I’ve never had any problems and never had someone rude or ‘unworthy’ of being with us."

Another Aesthetics Crew member, Moises Arellano, owner of a 2014 Subaru WRX STI Hatchback, was happy to explain how an early start to his journey towards this lifestyle brought both benefit, positivity, and knowledge to his grateful young mind. Arellano grew up in Rose Park, a small neighborhood next to the Salt Lake City International Airport where he began to build memories and experience from the exposure to cars, people, and movies that proved to be pure inspiration. "My passion for cars began in high school where me and my friends learned how to drive manual cars in my friend's 1989 VW Jetta.", Arellano remembered. "We all learned in this car and took it on missions. We would drive it to our local drag strip, small car meets and even to just a parking lot to teach others how to drive." He said. "We all grew up watching the Fast and Furious series and would make it to theater premieres for this movie and we would take our cars to the movies down the road from our high school." The bug bit him hard as he searched for his first Subaru which would begin his journey and release the needed momentum to pave the way towards his current crew. "Back in 2016 I purchased my first Subaru, a copper/orange 2009 Subaru Impreza with a manual transmission," he reflected. "This is where I learned that AWD was absolutely needed for the Utah Snow.".

Moises would not wait long before wanting to find a ride to modify and experience more of what Subaru has to offer. "The first performance car I owned was a 2017 Subaru WRX, which I modified myself," he said proudly. "I researched tuners in my area and even made sure I was running really well after all the upgrades. I would say I am pretty knowledgeable in the Subaru enthusiast level. I am no expert at disassembling a Subaru engine, but I can certainly learn. I have gotten down to a bare block in a Subaru engine bay, full maintenance, suspension part replacements. Engine rebuilds is the one step I have not taken, yet." The personal rewards Arellano has experienced from his membership have been outstanding, as he clearly noted. "The most memorable event that I remember for our team was the Cali Creaming 2025 show in SLC Utah." , he remembers. “Alex and myself, with the red STI Hatch took 1st and 2nd place...Basically, sweeping the whole Subaru category. It felt great to win this award alongside a great friend." Confirming that finding the right car club can impact your life in many ways, Dustin Slate added, "In Aesthetics Crew, we don't judge you based on your car; it's about your character as a part of the community. We bring together like-minded individuals who share a positive vision and want more people to be interested in building and owning cool cars.”,he said. “We don't discriminate based on taste because it's subjective. We focus on originality and uplifting car culture beyond just the internet."