"Two-Lane Blacktop": Existential Road Trip or Just... Boring?

Okay, so I finally watched "Two-Lane Blacktop" (1971) after hearing about it forever. Supposedly, it's *the* quintessential road movie and this super groundbreaking thing. I gotta be honest, I'm a little... underwhelmed? Like, I get the whole minimalist vibe, the lack of character development, the focus on *the road*, but did anyone else find it kind of...slow? I kept waiting for something to *happen*, you know? Don't get me wrong, the cars are gorgeous! James Taylor is surprisingly good (and quiet!) as the Driver, and Warren Oates is always a blast to watch, even if his character is basically a walking mid-life crisis. But the whole thing felt so detached. Like, I was watching *at* it rather than being drawn *into* it. And that ending? What's the deal with the film burning out? I understand the metaphor, I think(?), but it felt very sudden, even for a movie that thrives on being abrupt. My question is: Am I missing something here? Is there some hidden layer that makes this movie a secret genius? Or is it just a product of its time that hasn't aged particularly well for me? I'm totally open to having my mind changed! Maybe someone can point out details I overlooked. What did everyone else think of it, especially compared to other road movies like, say, "Vanishing Point" or even something more modern like "Mad Max: Fury Road"? Totally different genres, I know, but they all use the road as a character in their own way! Also, side note: Laurie Bird is stunning! But her character feels really flat. Was she just there to be a silent hitchhiker, or was there actually a subtext to her motivations that I completely missed? I've read a few analyses, but they seem to read way more into it than I perceived in the film. Help me out, film buffs!