It will be hard to hate, but it is necessary that you drive it.

James May enjoys talking about cars. He shared videos from earlier this season, including how he stole a Jaguar and how Lightning McQueen drove it. Also, he talked about how Top Gear was a mistaken camera car in the early Top Gear days. And he even gave a short review of the Honda Civic Type R. It’s clear that James May doesn’t have much spare time, but when he does, he loves to sit down on a bench and talk about cars.

May discusses many auto-related topics in his latest appearance on the Drivetribe channel on YouTube. We were most interested in the part where May was asked about the car every gearhead should own before their death. It’s not an Alfa Romeo, or an original Mini. It’s a Volkswagen Beetle. Here’s why.

“From my point of view, if you’re interested in the history of the car, and what it means to humankind and the development of society, then you must drive a Beetle. It is without a doubt the most fascinating car ever made. It’s also one of the most popular cars ever made.

We’re going to have to disagree slightly with this last statement. The Toyota Corolla is the most popular nameplate in automotive history, with more than 45,000,000 sales. The Beetle sold 21,529,464 units between 1938 and 2003, according to Wikipedia. We agree with May’s view on all other matters.

It is the most important and significant car ever produced. You must drive it if you’re into cars. You won’t love it, but you have to drive it once. It’s not a beach buggy. That’s cheating. A Beetle. The older you are, the better.

May talks about his favorite cars and other interesting topics in the video. It runs for 6:45 minutes. He likes Tesla, surprise!