Quattros Versus The Ponies

[Pete Kraus <Pete_Kraus@Emory.Org>]

Arthur G.R. Sutherland comments:

>As to this mustang thing why are you rising to his bait this is an Audi
>list other vehicles should not be open to discussion even for
>comparative reasons.
		   
Despite occasional pangs of sympathy for Arthur's point of view, in
the final analysis it doesn't seem realistic.  It would be refreshing to
compare apples with apples (Audi versus Mustang? Not!), but real life
street challenges don't always work out that way.  

Perhaps the best we can hope for is a sense of context and tolerance
for each other's automotive idiosyncracies.  I could have bought a nice,
good-performing used Quattro for the price of my new Z28 in '95.  But I
already had a cherished 4KSQ and wanted something different.  I'm not
into performance mods (though I certainly have nothing against those
who are).  Twenty-eight-year-old technology notwithstanding, there
aren't many, if any, U.S.-spec factory-stock Quattros that can stay with
a stock Z28 (or Mustang Cobra, though not a GT), either in acceleration
or straight line speed.  Change the weather, road conditions, add mods
(which both sides can do) and the comparison changes.  How important
to you is fair weather straight-line acceleration and top speed?   

For me the attraction was a dose of good old-fashioned Yank-tank
torque and V-8 burble I missed owning as an impecunious youth during
the late '60s/early''70s muscle-car era.  The half-decent handling,
competent braking, mediocre build quality, appalling attention to detail
and pimply-faced red-neck image came along for the ride in a quite
reasonably-priced package.  If I didn't have the 4KSQ to drive most of
the time, I'd miss it terribly, and the Z28 quickly would become
tiresome. As it is, they complement each other.   When the Z28's
charms fade, I'll move on to something else.  The 4KSQ seems to be a
keeper.  

Pete
Pete_Kraus@emory.org
Stone Mountain, GA 
'85 4KSQ
'89 F250 4x4 diesel
'95 Z28