[s-cars] RS4 test drive, wowieee!!!

[Bill Noland]

By the time the show got to the SF Bay Area, we were simply told to imagine 
how happy we'd be driving in an Audi and how uncomfortable we'd be in the 
competition. There was a guy with a turban on his head to facilitate getting 
in touch with one's inner Audiness. Dim lights, herbal tea and soothing 
sitar music in the background.  :-)

The Q7 drive was fun. Mr. Audi Ride-A-Long encouraged deviant driving 
behavior at every turn in the road. At one point, I told him to hang on and 
that I wanted to try a maneuver  I read about in a comic book. He didn't 
flinch. I was impressed how well the Q7 got along for a 2 1/2 ton beast. If 
I was ever tempted to cross over to the dark side of SUV ownership, I'd give 
it serious consideration.

The autocross course still offered opportunities for hooliganism. Wife 
stopped riding with me after about the third time -- too bad, she missed the 
SUV thrill ride. She did have a good time piloting the A3 and A8 and kept 
the cone kill count low. My personal cone count = 0.

The RS4 ride was OK, but not an RS4 drive. My favorite part was the exhaust 
note (which may well start me down the slippery slope of S4 V8 mods) and the 
guy who strapped the kiddie seat in the back, so his little girl of about 3 
yrs old could ride along. She stepped out of the car grinning from little 
ear to little ear. Gotta start 'em young, I say.

The eats just about made up for the lack of an RS4 DRIVE. Great stuff -- we 
spent the remainder of the afternoon grazing.

Bill Noland

> Um, yeah.  I think I "heard" something about this event 8-).
>
> Just ask Bill 1 ride 3 ticket punches Baloney Mahoney about it.  And
> here we thought by the time the event moved along there'd only be
> pictures of the cars by that point.
>