Was: Movie ... German Car ... Boston, Now: Far from Boston

[Tihol Tiholov]

Since we're pontificating away from Audi's let me show my bias

>  You forgot the VW New Beetle- the car is a blatant copy of an old
 design, at least stylistically, with major compromises in mechanical
 design because of the styling.

Major may go a bit too far ... half the engine on a 3-series BMW is also
under the windshield

> Furthermore, the New Beetle really is  nothing special other than the
styling (having one in the driveway). :-)

I have 2, well, one's wife's.  Even if it's about styling only, it still
brings spontaneous smiles on pple's faces even now - see them every day.
Most of Detroit car building is about styling and still we end up with a PT
Cruiser - speaking of a tech. compromise for styling, FWD classic looking
hotrod? Now there's a marketing gamble.

>Ah, you're right, the new Beetle is just such a car.  I guess I was
never  enthralled about it

I wasn't either at first but on top of styling it's a real car, handles
excellently, a pleasure to drive and is built with first class materials
(thanks to F. Piech).  Even won the Production class US rally championship
at least twice with differrent drivers. My '99 2.0 is now at 265K km with
original clutch, shocks and brake pads, rotors were renewed at 210K km up
front.  Put in new sparkplugs after 190K km just on general principle, no
perceived need.  Minimal unscheduled maintenance.
And the 1.8T feels like what Porsche would build, if they'd ever decide on a
FWD and hauls major a$$, even in stock form.

Nothing wrong with that type of styling.