S6 Replacement

[Don Muirhead <dmr@kwic.com>]

I'll keep this short.  First thanks to all who sent condolences.  Secondly, 
we doubt it was revenge since my initials are on the plates and not my 
wife's (she uses her maiden name) and she only works out of the Brantford 
courthouse about once every two months to cover small claims, matrimonial 
and petty stuff when they get backlogged.  Thirdly, the sign in the parking 
lot doesn't identify the name just the position.  Finally, as those on the 
list such as Mulholland and De Kat can attest, stuff like this happens 
rather frequently on the Six Nations Reserve.

Anyway enough of the speculating...we spent yesterday scouring SW Ontario 
(London - Mississauga) looking for a replacement for her beloved S6.

My wife has decide that she's going to pay for this car herself (first car 
she's bought in the 27 years of our marriage - come to think of this is the 
only thing she's bought) > macho male ego hard at work.

We looked at everything and took far more 10 minute test drives that I'd 
care to admit. Final contenders include:

Boxster S
M Coupe
S4
Volvo S70

With the exception of the S70 none of the others on the above list were 
available for a test drive.  None of the Japanese models even made the cut. 
 The MB CLK 430 was in the lead until she found out it didn't come with a 
clutch (nice car though).  With the exception of the S70 everything else is 
basically spring 2000 delivery.

Budd's in Oakville has a couple of used M3's.  A M3/2 and a M3/4 personally 
but find a $50k+ used 3 and 5 year old car rather expensive so we passed on 
these as well.

Bottom line is she loves the M Coupe.  Mind you it's purely based on 
styling - jeez I hate that.  She told me this morning that she's almost 
sure she's going to order it and wants me to check it out (good, bad 
indifferent).  She also knows she can't drive it in the winter so she's 
going to drive our A4 so if it's a bad report on the M Coupe she's going 
for the S4.

However, I explained to her I'm getting screwed again.  Not only did we 
lose the S6 I'm losing the ability to drive the A4 in the winter since I 
plan to semi-retire the coupe.  So technically I'm out 2 cars which means 
I'll be driving a 14 year old coupe for the rest of my life.  She agreed it 
wasn't fair, and suggested that if she orders the M Coupe I take the 
insurance money from the S6 and put it towards whatever I want.  I subtly 
hinted that perhaps she'd be willing to pay the difference as well since 
she'll have 2 cars on the road - but that didn't work.  So I might be back 
in the hunt for a car for myself as well.

Life just keeps getting more complicated...I'll let you know next spring 
what happened and who ended up with what.

And, if any of you folks have access to any reports or sources of info on 
the M Coupe please forward.  Thanks a bunch.

Don