[V8] Future of....misc. ramblings

[Mike Arman]

We move on . . .

Remember that the V8Q is getting on 30 years of age, and is based on a design from the early 80s - 
the first 5Ks hit the road in what? 1982 or something? and had a few years gestation before that. It 
is an OLD design, the cars are OLD and constantly busted, and Audi isn't the least bit interested in 
supporting them.

Mine finally went away, relayed eurolights, braided oil cooler lines, new timing belt job 
(complete), the works, along with a VAST pile of parts. Under a grand (sob), but it is gone.

Dear Bride is driving a Subaru Forester with the eye-sight option, which has (so far) kept her from 
running into things. I'm still driving my old beater par excellence, an 01 Accord with all of 122K 
miles on it. (I've gotta paint it, wonder if spray cans will do?) Looks like crap, but runs very, 
very well. Front brakes including discs were under $75 complete, you can't get a brake hose for a 
V8Q for that . . .

Pride of place has been taken by a 2008 CLK350 convertible, arctic white, beige interior, black top. 
It looks like new, and is an absolute show-stopper. The car has a split personality. Driven gently, 
it is a real pussycat, quiet, smooth, ride like velvet. Then you put your foot in it, and the claws 
come out - big time. Remember, this is a six, not an eight and not an AMG - but it takes off like 
someone has bolted a JATO bottle to it and the only difference you notice between 125 mph and 35 mph 
is that somehow the telephone poles seem to be going by a LOT faster.

I'm doing local government and finance related stuff now which requires more of a "public presence" 
than when I was driving the V8Q. Then, I was about the only person who knew what it was (other than 
the people on this list), and nobody noticed it, other than it was a somewhat anonymous mid-size, 
four door sedan. I enjoyed driving it (when it ran), but the car was essentially for ME and I didn't 
care about what others knew or didn't know about it.

I usually take the beater to these functions because nobody looks in the parking lot and the action 
is inside the building anyway. Recently, however, I had occasion to take the CLK to one of these 
because the weather was just perfect and I needed a "fix" of convertible.

There's a guy who runs a fairly important quasi-government agency here, who, while never actually 
being rude to me, really hasn't had much more than the time of day for me. I was just some random 
guy from a small town driving a raggedy old car, while HE was a financial high-roller (who 
*desperately* needs a tailor, by the way).

I was leaving the meeting, I put the top down (push one toggle, it is completely automatic) and he 
sees me . . . his jaw drops "Is that rented?" Answer, "Nope, it's mine, I've had it a few years."

You could SEE the gears change just by looking at his face. ("Does not compute, recalibrate . . . ") 
Ever since then, he has gone out of his way to be extra nice to me because NOW (in his eyes, 
anyway), I am a person of wealth, influence, and not to be trifled with.

Maybe the California expression "You are what you drive" has some truth to it. Sigh.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

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