Why I Drive an Audi (very, very long)

[TM]

Well Dan,
That's a good question. Why do I drive an Audi?

[sounding like an old man]

I think it goes back to high school, when a friend of mine had a
'82 4ks 4+E. At the time, it was one of the nicest cars I've had
the chance to ride in, in terms of a decent handling and fun car.
We did some pretty crazy stuff in that little Audi, and that really
stuck in my head over the years.

Going through a '85 4ks myself (unfortunately, it was totaled- bad
memory, don't ask), I had the experience of driving a really solid-
feeling, luxurious little car. I didn't know at that time that the
car was really an understeering pig, it felt awfully nice when you're
coming out of a '79 Mazda GLC. Had a nice set of Yokohama AVS Intermediates
on the car that really helped its handling.

After that car died, I got a '85 VW Jetta GLI. Even sweeter handling,
with a very similar engine (same 1.8L, same 100hp or thereabouts,
different orientation), nice 4-wheel disc brakes. It wasn't the best
example of a GLI (I later found out it had been crashed hard and most
of the front end was not original), but it was pretty reliable and
solid transportation for me through high school.

That car was replaced by a '92 Nissan Maxima SE, which became my
Dad's daily driver and I switched to a Nissan Pathfinder. I hardly
drove the Pathfinder, as I moved out of my parents' house for college
and then didn't drive anything for several years.

Finally, I got a car- that same Pathfinder. After doing a 2.5" cat-back
exhaust for some much-needed power, I started thinking about doing a
4-wheel disc conversion w/ an LSD in the back, a set of Bilsteins,
17" wheels with Yokohama AVS S/Ts, etc. when I realized that what I was
trying to do is make a car out of a truck. That wasn't really feasible,
at which point I decided on looking for an Audi quattro.

I missed the opportunity to get a '83 Audi Quattro about ten years ago,
nice Helios Blue metallic with grey interior. I regretted not getting that
car and wanted a turbo quattro since then. A friend of mine has a '86 4kq
which I've ridden in and driven a few times. Although it is amazing in
the snow, the power really underwhelmed me and the lack of serious luggage
space put it out of contention. That's when I started looking for a 5ktq.

You may remember my first few posts on the q-list, looking for a 5ktq and
asking for an FAQ. Well, thanks to Aleksander Mierzwa, I read the most
informative FAQ/ buyer's guide as well as getting some very good input from
several listers.

I finally sold my Pathfinder and bit the bullet and joined the quattro ranks
in late 1999. What a rocky journey it has been, from the purchase of that
car
until now.

I bought that 5ktq with the intent of modifying it for better handling and
more power, making it a heavy-duty sports sedan along the lines of the
535i/is BMWs. I never got around to doing all of those modifications,
because
I spent so much money keeping the car running. It has been a running joke
with my mechanic, because that car visited my mechanic nearly every other
week for a few months there and was there at least once a month for nearly
six months. After hemorraging approx. $7500 in 18 months on that car, I
sold it to a friend (!) and bought a '91 200q. Along the way, the car did
get a full tune-up, a nice set of Bilstein Sports, some 215/55R16 Dunlop
SP9000s on 16x7 A6 2.7T wheels and lots of new replacement parts. Of course,
as soon as my friend buys the car, the throttle cable snaps and the A/C
dies.
The proper initiation to the Audi Gods, I guess. :-O

Well, after careful research and a fairly thorough pre-purchase plan, I got
my '91 200q. It has been very good to me, so I have treated it to some nice
mods- Lehmann chipset, tinted windows (keeps the black interior much
cooler),
replaced the whole stereo, H&R springs, Bilstein shocks, european lights,
removed center resonator, Porsche brakes (coming soon), additional gauges
(soon, maybe this weekend) and 17" wheels.

The real reason I drive an Audi came in the winter of 1999. We get some
significant snowfall and I have the snow tires mounted already. I go out and
play in the 2 inches or so of snow that we got, basically unstoppable while
nearly everyone else is stuck at home. That was awesome.

The combination of foul-weather capability and dry weather performance is an
awesome one, especially when it is matched to a pretty timeless design,
solid engineering, excellent safety and durability. I have to admit, though,
that I very nearly bought a '94 530i BMW instead of the 200 and looked at
a Subaru Impreza RS 2.5 and a VW GTI VR6 quite seriously as well.

The reason I don't own a new Audi is because I can't afford one. Truthfully,
even if I could own a new Audi, I wouldn't unless I had a second, much more
high-performance car in the garage to complement it, because I don't find
any of the current lineup to be truly satisfactory to my preferences. I
would
rather get a '97 UrS6 and modify it to my heart's content.

The two vehicles I would buy, if Audi offered them here:
1. Audi A6 2.7T Avant, with the 4.2 wide bodywork, the forged 4.2 5-spoke
wheels,
6-speed transmission, Navigation Plus, Recaro seating, carbon fiber trim,
Black Alcantara seat inserts, door inserts and parcel shelf with Alcantara
headliner
as well, RS4 steering wheel and shift knob, Euro sport springs. The only
things
I would add to that setup would be Bilstein shocks, BIRA System 2 brakes and
the
APR EMCS chip system.

2. Audi S8, 6-speed, Navigation Plus, Alcantara Recaro seats, CF trim, Euro
springs,
Bilstein shocks, aftermarket dual exhaust (make that V8 rumble a bit), BIRA
System 6
brakes and RS4 style 9-spoke 18" wheels.

So that's why I drive an Audi, in 5000 words or less. :-)

Taka
'91 200q