[V8] The passing of Tom LaPlante

[Kevin Wahaus]

So sorry to learn of Tom’s recent passing. Way too young! I never met Tom, but he was always very helpful to me during my short V8 journey. Seemed like a very knowledgeable guy and all around “good neighbor”.  

…and the heard continues to dwindle. I honestly wonder how many of these cars are still on the road. I have no idea if my old one is still around. I, like many of you, have moved on, either by choice or out of necessity. I have ended up in the Lexus camp for the foreseeable future. They just seem to run forever and don’t require much to keep them on the road. The recent styling (catfish-mouth grills) leaves me cold, but fortunately I am not tempted as I can’t afford anything that new. My current ride is a 1991 LS 400 handed down to me from my uncle last year. It is just short of it being a “moon car” — 238,900 miles. It is in excellent shape with no rust and needs nothing. I would not hesitate to jump in and drive across the country. It’s no fun to drive, think rolling couch, but it doesn’t break and still looks good. My wife recently got a 2012 RX 450h. We hope that brings us a good ten years of service with minimum costs. We shall see. The three things that appealed to her were: ease of getting in and out; Lexus reliability (this is our 5th model) and the fact that it is a hybrid.

Anyways, I still miss my last V8-powered Audi — a 2001 S8 — the best car I’ve ever owned. Before I bought it, I drove it and a brand new Lexus LS 430, back-to-back. The differences couldn’t be more startling. The Lexus was a big Camry and the Audi was a REAL car. Two different worlds.

Cheers until next time.

Kevin