[V8] V8 musings.

[Karl Middlebrooks]

After test driving an A8 the other day, I decided there were two weird things that I like much better about the V8...my girlfriend thought I was nuts, but...that's nothing new.

First, I like the analog clock. Dunno why, but I like them better, and the one's in the V8's always seem to work (unlike analog clocks I remember from American cars, which broke when you looked at them), and on top of that, I like the minimalist driver display. Tells me what I need to know without being distracting.

Second, I love the fact that the V8 has no navigation system. I *HATE* nav systems. I'm driving around town and in places I know, and if I'm not driving in someplace I know, that's why I have these handy things called...er..maps. If the car were waterproof and I could drive to Hawaii, I might be interested in a navigation system to avoid getting lost at sea, but otherwise, no thanks...and besides, though I'm not overly paranoid, I don't like the idea that somewhere up in space, a satellite can figure out exactly where I am at any given point. That creeps me out.

On a similar note, V8 #2 is in the shop. This one was cosmetically well cared for by the previous owner, and you can tell that's pretty much all he was interested in, from the bevy of oddball mechanical stuff that I've been working on lately that should have been addressed by a reasonably caring owner. At 137k, it's developed some transmission problems, which seems about right for these cars. A day after it had been in for diagnosis, I dropped by the shop to pick up my kid's car seat. The mechanic said he wasn't sure how much I wanted to spend on the car, because transmissions can be expensive on the V8's. I told him I was well aware of the cost that V8 tranny problems can incur. When I asked what it was going to cost to fix it, and what was wrong with it, he said he didn't know because he hadn't put it up on the rack yet. It was going to cost $340 just to throw it up on the rack and get in there long enough to tell what was going on, and that it would just be part of the repair bill if I got it fixed. He seemed surprised that I wanted to do it. I chatted with him for several minutes, and just got the notion that he was baffled as to why I'd have the slightest interest in repairing and maintaining an old Audi sedan. I'm sure he doesn't look at the Porsche people like they're idiots when they bring in a '78 to have it worked on....

In V8 #1, where I really need to replace the headliner, I think I'm going to see if one of the auto upholstery places can use a faux suede upholstery grade material for a new headliner. I *do* like the Alcantara touches in the newer A8's, but real suede's a bit extreme for a V8, I think.

Up here in the pacific northwest, it looks like it'll be a nice weekend for a drive....