The new Audi A8 was unveiled three days ago on Monday 30th of December 2009.
There has been two generations of the A8 until Sunday gone. The original 'D2' replaced the V8 model in 1994. The D2 was the start of the revolution that put Audi on the modern automotive map. Finally elbowing up to the BMW and Mercedes levels of prestige. This was especially the case in the UK where Audi sales and it image has constantly been on the up since this year.
The D2 was a flagship in design and importantly for the Ingolstadt company it was a showcase for their new Audi Space Frame (ASF). The ASF was an aluminium space-frame and monocoque structure. The use of aluminium in this way was a huge leap forward, not just for Audi but for the automotive industry as a whole. The D2 highlighted Audi's ambition to be at the forefront of technology and design. A fresh take on the BMW and Mercedes formula with a better result.
To look at the original D2 A8 from 1994, the car has aged. Yet it still has an air of quality and integrity that contemporary 7 series and S-class fail to match.
In 2002, Audi brought the flagship up to date with the new design language Audi had used on the coupe-like A6, the original TT and the A2. The car was a completely new vehicle, the D3. Everything was designed to be better than the original, to improve as much as technology would allow.
The D3, although facelifted in 2004 to add the Auto Union inspired grille, the car hasn't dated. Yes the design may only be seven years old but the rival designs from their competitors, time has not been so kind. Audi did subtle like no other. Subtly was a quality that owners of large cars wanted. It was an age where money was hidden and not worn. Where labels were on the inside and not diamond encrusted on a belt buckle. People who really had money kept it quiet. Audi became the marque to own, the complete opposite to vulgar.
The D3is a hard act to follow. It's only true weakness was it's dynamic edge on the track and ride quality. Although it is not a needed trait, a sporty drive would be a good return for what can sometimes be a hard ride. The S8 with it's large capacity engine and harder than the normal A8's already hard ride, was meant to take the A8 to another level, to another type of driver.
The S prefix on Audi models are the work of the Quattro AG, the sport division of Audi. Suspension, braking and other hardware are replaced by uprated parts designed to handle the larger engine and its higher performance. The resulting changes alters the character of the cars to produce a quick and dynamic model range, running in parallel to the A prefixed models. Above the S sits the RS prefixed models. These cars are based on the S cars but have unique body panels and have a number of parts made of exotic materials. Engines in the RS models are the most powerful Audi make and are hand built in limited numbers. RS cars become collector's items as the limited run normally produce small numbers of cars, selling at very high prices.
Although there is not a RS 8 model, There is a W12 engined long-wheel-based A8. This is a special car with a number of unique features and trim options. This car, along with the S8 variant showcases the ability the A8 has of creating different types of executive car from the same basic design.
The W12, A8 and S8 all share the D3's ASF construction and one of the best interiors seen on a production car. The interior was a beautiful execution of simplicity and elegance. The jewel was the MMI interface, which reduced the number of buttons needed to do the large amount of tasks the D3 was capable of. The MMI could control everything from the radio to the suspension settings via a colour LCD screen and a mouse like control dial surrounded by six multi tasking buttons. Later cars benefited from a state of the art Bang and Olufsen speaker and amp set and a higher resolution screen. Build quality, another strength Audi has prided itself on, was the best they could produce. The A8 interior was the high of understated luxury.
The D3: the pinnacle of Audi's values and its design language.
Now, in 2009, Audi has deemed it time to replace the D3 with a model that will highlight the companies future direction for the brand.
Enter the D4. Audi are so proud of the new flagship that they have delayed the sale of the A8 for 12 even though the show car unveiled is production ready now.
The D4, in my opinion is a huge let down.
The 1994 D2 was new dawn for Audi and showed their ability to use new cutting edge technology in construction.
The 2002 D3 was a continuation of core design values and a refinement of the unique Audi design language. The interior was where the D3 moved the game on. The layout of the dashboard and use of technology to control the car and it's interaction with the driver was light-years further on than not only the D2 but the competition.
The D4 has not bought anything new or improved over the out going D4. Although there are no parts carried over from the D3, the basic interior layout is the same. Everything has been redesigned but without a new direction. A make over for the sake of it rather than a move forward. The exterior has been simplified but to the detriment of the presence the D2 and the D3 had. What the new D4 looks like is large 2008 A4 rather than the other way round. The halo effect hasn't worked the way it has on previous Audi models and the way the S-Class improves the image of the C-Class.
The D4is a showcase for Audi. It highlights how it has become a company about sales numbers and not about the core values it has held important since it's rebirth 15 years ago.
The more numbers, the more variants Audi makes, the more diluted the current language has become. It really gives the impression that there were only two people. They could work on four models but now Audi has created more niches, the more over worked the two designers became. Now, when it comes to the replacing the A8, the two where distracted by a new font and logo redesign. Considering this is the 100th year of the company, it priorities do seem to be misaligned. A new font and a new shade to the four rings is the accountants' way of having fun. Audi has become too retrained. Losing the concept of subtle and replacing it with the false god of cautionary conservatism.
With the constant changes of personnel in the design department, the boardroom and within the VW group as the parent organisation, it is obviously going to be difficult to continue in exactly the same vein, but when you set out your stable with pillars built on design, interior quality and innovation, a continuity of staff is exactly what is needed. Audi as a company is suffering from a problem with potentially all car companies could suffer; the time it takes for a complete car range to get into production can be as long as a designer's whole career or worse, the designer could be head-hunted my a rival.
Remember the legendary designer Paul Bracq only designed one generation of Mercedes before he left. Admittedly they did include the Pagoda SL and the 500 Pullman.
The original TT was the work of J Mays, now of Ford. The A2's Luc Donckerwolke also designed the Skoda Fabia at the same time as the small Audi. He went on to design the Lamborghini Gallardo before taking up the post as SEAT's head of design. The A5 Audi coupe was the last Audi penned by Alfa 156 Designer Walter DeSilva. At his short time at Ingolstadt, he created the second (and disapointing) TT, the 2005 A6 and the 2008 A4, with its droopy rear. Both DeSilva and Donckerwolke are credited with the only truly successful new Audi of this current crop; the R8.
Audi's design department is now under the penmanship of Wolfgang Egger, now Walter DeSilva's head of the entire VW Group's design direction. Egger has famously put out a video of him sketching the then unreleased A5 5-door SportBack hatchback. He has also delivered the Sportback concept with it's five sided grille and is the basis of the upcoming A7 (a larger A5 hatch). The new grille was meant to be on the A8 but it has been so diluted in production that it bares no real link to the concept's.
Let us hope that Wolfgang Egger has the strength to resurrect the Audi brand, which with only 15 years since it's modern rebirth, is now coasting. Audi's recent efforts, it is clear they are resting on their laurels. If Egger can move Audi forward, he would then be needed to stay for more than one model generation otherwise in six to seven years time, I'll be thinking the same as I am now; why has it all gone wrong at Ingolstadt.
Showing posts with label 1/3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1/3. Show all posts
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Replacing a blown headlight bulb
On the A2, replacing a headlight bulb, although not without its difficulties, is still easier than doing the same job on any other car I've had.
Having said that, it really depends on with headlight blows. The British nearside headlight has a large space behind it on the diesel model. On the same car, the offside has less space, much less space. Still, even then, it's far more room to get your hand in compared to say, SouferKa, the 1.6 SportKa we also have.
Anyway, here's some tips to do the job yourself, otherwise a mechanic will charge an hours labour unless you're friends.
Right, get the H7 headlight bulb, make sure you don't touch the glass, as oil from your skin will get hot when the bulb is used and apparently can cause the glass to blow up. Hmm, really, really?
Also bring a shaving mirror, the one with a small frame, not the one screwed to the wall.
I thought that silica gel packs cellotaped to the headlight unit cover would help the VW/Audi lightcluster fogging. So far, it's only helped a bit, not by much.
Anyway
I took photos to help...
Having said that, it really depends on with headlight blows. The British nearside headlight has a large space behind it on the diesel model. On the same car, the offside has less space, much less space. Still, even then, it's far more room to get your hand in compared to say, SouferKa, the 1.6 SportKa we also have.
Anyway, here's some tips to do the job yourself, otherwise a mechanic will charge an hours labour unless you're friends.
Right, get the H7 headlight bulb, make sure you don't touch the glass, as oil from your skin will get hot when the bulb is used and apparently can cause the glass to blow up. Hmm, really, really?
Also bring a shaving mirror, the one with a small frame, not the one screwed to the wall.
I thought that silica gel packs cellotaped to the headlight unit cover would help the VW/Audi lightcluster fogging. So far, it's only helped a bit, not by much.
Anyway
I took photos to help...
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Free repair for all A2s....
There is a design fault with the front doors of the Audi A2.
Being aluminium, the design of the driver and front passenger doors are light, but also slightly weak. The aperture for the front doors are large, not so much in length but in height. Much larger than the rear doors. Yet all four doors have the same number of hinges of the same design. The aluminium around the front hinges therefore suffer from larger amounts of stress (and the driver door; use too) and can result in cracking around the top hinge housing and hinge plate (but not the plate itself). As a result of this very common fault, Audi have created a new design for the bottom hinge and a fix for the top hinge surround.
The cost? Completely free. Audi UK have informed all Audi main dealers in the UK to be aware of this and if asked, to do the repair at an Audi approved aluminium specialist.
Now, some dealerships will plead ignorance to this. Swear it doesn't exist or worse, say your A2 is too old and you've missed the boat. Ask for the boss, if (s)he doesn't acknowledge this either, ask for his/her business card and say you are going to contact Audi UK.
(try http://www.audi.co.uk/audi/uk/en2/customer_services/interim.html to start with)
Audi UK com down hard on dealerships that don't comply with their exacting standard requirements for not only work but also customer service.
So stand your ground, be brave in the knowledge that you are in the right. All A2s are covered.
This is as close to a product recall as you can get without actually going about recalling all A2s.
There will be images to follow to show what to look for.
(Even if you are not sure, the dealership should look for free. Al they have to do is open the front doors and feel around the front hinge. They and you don't need to take off the doors to look)
Being aluminium, the design of the driver and front passenger doors are light, but also slightly weak. The aperture for the front doors are large, not so much in length but in height. Much larger than the rear doors. Yet all four doors have the same number of hinges of the same design. The aluminium around the front hinges therefore suffer from larger amounts of stress (and the driver door; use too) and can result in cracking around the top hinge housing and hinge plate (but not the plate itself). As a result of this very common fault, Audi have created a new design for the bottom hinge and a fix for the top hinge surround.
The cost? Completely free. Audi UK have informed all Audi main dealers in the UK to be aware of this and if asked, to do the repair at an Audi approved aluminium specialist.
Now, some dealerships will plead ignorance to this. Swear it doesn't exist or worse, say your A2 is too old and you've missed the boat. Ask for the boss, if (s)he doesn't acknowledge this either, ask for his/her business card and say you are going to contact Audi UK.
(try http://www.audi.co.uk/audi/uk/en2/customer_services/interim.html to start with)
Audi UK com down hard on dealerships that don't comply with their exacting standard requirements for not only work but also customer service.
So stand your ground, be brave in the knowledge that you are in the right. All A2s are covered.
This is as close to a product recall as you can get without actually going about recalling all A2s.
There will be images to follow to show what to look for.
(Even if you are not sure, the dealership should look for free. Al they have to do is open the front doors and feel around the front hinge. They and you don't need to take off the doors to look)
Monday, 12 October 2009
Finding the new Beachy Head
Since moving to Glasgow, S L and I have missed the ability to go for a drive; an enjoyable drive.
Having motorways and inner-city routes are fine for a commute but where do you go to let your hair down; where to you go to enjoy your car again?
So after 5+ years, we found two candidates: Helensburgh to Arrochar on the A814 and M73 junction 7 to Lanark's Steel's Cross* (A72)
Descriptions to follow.....
Having motorways and inner-city routes are fine for a commute but where do you go to let your hair down; where to you go to enjoy your car again?
So after 5+ years, we found two candidates: Helensburgh to Arrochar on the A814 and M73 junction 7 to Lanark's Steel's Cross* (A72)
Descriptions to follow.....
Remembering the old Beachy Head route
One of the best things about driving in Eastbourne was the Beachy head route.
As soon as you get to the south western end of the seafront road you're whisked up, up and away on one of the most interesting roads in Sussex.
The 60mph road starts with a handful of tree-lined switchbacks as it rises to the acute Meads Road junction. After you're faced with either straight on or left. For myself, it doesn't matter which I choose as I treat the route on the Downs as a complete loop.
I normally go left and round in a clock-wise fashion, keeping the sea on the left but that's neither here nor there, the loop is a great either way. If you have the time, double back on yourself, go both ways, why not.
Once past this choice, floor it: there's no tree, no hedges, just a grassy expanse, you can see other cars coming. Seeing other cars, whether coming towards or away is vital: the road's not wide and the surface is shockingly poor. Potholes are tarmac'd into it, going car control and a fat arse are both needed here. As long as you don't have back problems, a Diablo or an Audi with a S-prefix, your in heaven.
Slow down for the tight right* after the second coach stop after the pub, use the coach-stop's space during off season to make the corner more open, then there's a left-right after. All three corners are surrounded by car high grassed earth banks as the road descents slightly.
Once through that it's a straight drag to the Belle-Tout lighthouse which rises in the background. Beware though, there's a nasty series of hidden dips which can conceal a transit let alone another car.
The road goes up and right at the lighthouse flowing into a long left with tall trees on the left and cows and sheep in a field on the other side. Once past the trees the route continues straight to the Birling Gap hairpin. Once you're past this turn and the last few of the cottages there, it's on towards the village limits of East Dean. When you get to the first right turn, lined with a Sussex flint wall, slow right down to 30. It's still 60 until the cricket green but there's the local kids on bikes around, and tourists exiting the Sheep Centre. Go through East Dean until the Large junction with the A259 back towards Eastbourne as you turn right* here.
All the torque then power the engine can muster as you push up a long rising slope out of the village. Sheep are seen on the left, watching your efforts.
As you see a cottage on the right slow for another right turn at the Warren Road junction, this turn completes the loop, you're 1/4 miles from the original decision of turning left.
To return to the switchbacks on Upper Dukes Drive, you'll be greeted with a wall which appears to be near the middle of the road, indicate right and enjoy the smell of your brakes before returning to the blue rinse pace at St Beads and the start of King Edward's Parade. Time to reflect on the fun you've just had.
(*if you go left, choosing the clockwise route at the third paragraph)
As soon as you get to the south western end of the seafront road you're whisked up, up and away on one of the most interesting roads in Sussex.
The 60mph road starts with a handful of tree-lined switchbacks as it rises to the acute Meads Road junction. After you're faced with either straight on or left. For myself, it doesn't matter which I choose as I treat the route on the Downs as a complete loop.
I normally go left and round in a clock-wise fashion, keeping the sea on the left but that's neither here nor there, the loop is a great either way. If you have the time, double back on yourself, go both ways, why not.
Once past this choice, floor it: there's no tree, no hedges, just a grassy expanse, you can see other cars coming. Seeing other cars, whether coming towards or away is vital: the road's not wide and the surface is shockingly poor. Potholes are tarmac'd into it, going car control and a fat arse are both needed here. As long as you don't have back problems, a Diablo or an Audi with a S-prefix, your in heaven.
Slow down for the tight right* after the second coach stop after the pub, use the coach-stop's space during off season to make the corner more open, then there's a left-right after. All three corners are surrounded by car high grassed earth banks as the road descents slightly.
Once through that it's a straight drag to the Belle-Tout lighthouse which rises in the background. Beware though, there's a nasty series of hidden dips which can conceal a transit let alone another car.
The road goes up and right at the lighthouse flowing into a long left with tall trees on the left and cows and sheep in a field on the other side. Once past the trees the route continues straight to the Birling Gap hairpin. Once you're past this turn and the last few of the cottages there, it's on towards the village limits of East Dean. When you get to the first right turn, lined with a Sussex flint wall, slow right down to 30. It's still 60 until the cricket green but there's the local kids on bikes around, and tourists exiting the Sheep Centre. Go through East Dean until the Large junction with the A259 back towards Eastbourne as you turn right* here.
All the torque then power the engine can muster as you push up a long rising slope out of the village. Sheep are seen on the left, watching your efforts.
As you see a cottage on the right slow for another right turn at the Warren Road junction, this turn completes the loop, you're 1/4 miles from the original decision of turning left.
To return to the switchbacks on Upper Dukes Drive, you'll be greeted with a wall which appears to be near the middle of the road, indicate right and enjoy the smell of your brakes before returning to the blue rinse pace at St Beads and the start of King Edward's Parade. Time to reflect on the fun you've just had.
(*if you go left, choosing the clockwise route at the third paragraph)
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
British GP with MercedesWorld at Brooklands
An A5 sized flyer fell out of a copy of Evo, or was it Car, maybe both, I've got two of them. Anyway, on it was an invite to watch the big screen at MercedesWorld to see the British GP. It was free and why the hell not.
Brooklands is such a historical race circuit to go to. The banking now wraps around a selection of modern life: Tesco's, an industrial estate, an out of town retail park, a gym and a loose bit of urban sprawl in the form of a housing estate. The houses now cover where would have been the junction of the start/finish straight with the right turn into the start of the famous banking. To make up for this, the street names are of legends of both the motor-racing and aviation heritage of Brooklands. That'll make up for it: I'm Mr. Smith, I live at 12 Seagrave Road, Brilliant. Yes well, it is down to a hand full of plucky sorts, that with the spirit of the pioneers, took it upon themselves to get the rest of the circuit listed to gradeII. Sadly, that didn't sit too well with local planning. Their idea is use the track as two mile long carpark for a new technology park. Great, why don't you turn the banking into a waterslide and pool whilst you're there!
Moving back to point:
The only other time I went to Brooklands, was about four or more years ago with my friend Dan. MercedesWorld was just an idea, the thinking behind it, was when getting rid of dealerships was at it's height and Brooklands was going to witness the new way of buying a car, a Mercedes at least. Now, things have changed. Third party dealers are still here, so I was interested what this flagship outlet was really about.
The drive from Eastbourne was two and a half hours or so, more like three if you're sensible. We're not, so it was a sprint to get there for the opening car display on a section of the original Campbell circuit, now owned by MBUK. Yes, we missed that bit, but that's because I thought we'd find Tesco's and a large part of banking that Dan and I had searched for but missed last time.
We sat down in front of the big screen early, it was only a quarter full if that, but there was a huge amount of people about, all here to watch. As we were getting comfy on the standard conference centre chairs, the MC was conducting an live feed interview with a Mclaren mechanic at Silverstone. He went through the team's plan of action and what they expected to get out of the race. Starting well back, second to back row for Hamilton, it wasn't great PR for MclarenMercedes but the Brawn is Merc powered so it wasn't a total loss.
Race over, and with some patient queuing from SL, we got seats in a 10 minute track experience in an AMG car for a tenner. BTW, SL was brilliant at queuing, she left the big screen early to get us a gourmet burger lunch. Thank you again SL.
The car was one of Jeremy Clarkson's favourities: the new C63 AMG. Our driver was a quietly spoken man; Tony Lyons, which it turned out, was a championship winning touring car driver. It was an off the wall experience. The 6.3 V8 was at full song and in Tony's hands, the car was darting all over the new test-track, drifting through the longer corners, breaking late into hairpins, it was beyond any in-car experience I've had before. SL and I departed the track a little worse for wear and returned back inside the MW building. Anymore than 10 minutes with Tony in touring car mode, we would have seen lunch again.
Even as I write, I still don't really get the point of MercedesWorld. It's like the re-tardis, huge on the outside, really nothing in it on the inside, and it wasn't empty feeling either. Part museum, part giftshop, part dealership and service centre, it did none of them convincingly. For example, it had a range of vehicles from the first 1884 Benz to the newest E-class, but in 1:24 model form! As for the link between Mercedes and Brooklands, it was nonexistent in any of the small handful of picture displays. Iet was less of a flagship cultural centre MBUK would have you believe, more an average city dealership, quite like Glasgow Audi, which even has an art gallery too. I did enjoy sitting in a number of the current range of Mercs, full sized and including the recently launched E-class coupe. It was nice to do this without the usual "can I help you sir?" attitude from the one or two sales staff we saw. But if this is the only reason MW is here, then it's looking poor value for the Daimler-Benz buck.
Home was beckoning, it was father's day and we were to have dinner with mine. Normally I hate to leave places; there's always more to see, but not today. It's brilliant to see the Grand Prix somewhere publicly, specially if you can't make it to the track, and especially for free, but I just can't see what's in it for Mercedes and their World. I did buy a DVD in the giftshop, reduced to three pounds; Full Circuit: The History of Mercedes and Brooklands.
Brooklands is such a historical race circuit to go to. The banking now wraps around a selection of modern life: Tesco's, an industrial estate, an out of town retail park, a gym and a loose bit of urban sprawl in the form of a housing estate. The houses now cover where would have been the junction of the start/finish straight with the right turn into the start of the famous banking. To make up for this, the street names are of legends of both the motor-racing and aviation heritage of Brooklands. That'll make up for it: I'm Mr. Smith, I live at 12 Seagrave Road, Brilliant. Yes well, it is down to a hand full of plucky sorts, that with the spirit of the pioneers, took it upon themselves to get the rest of the circuit listed to gradeII. Sadly, that didn't sit too well with local planning. Their idea is use the track as two mile long carpark for a new technology park. Great, why don't you turn the banking into a waterslide and pool whilst you're there!
Moving back to point:
The only other time I went to Brooklands, was about four or more years ago with my friend Dan. MercedesWorld was just an idea, the thinking behind it, was when getting rid of dealerships was at it's height and Brooklands was going to witness the new way of buying a car, a Mercedes at least. Now, things have changed. Third party dealers are still here, so I was interested what this flagship outlet was really about.
The drive from Eastbourne was two and a half hours or so, more like three if you're sensible. We're not, so it was a sprint to get there for the opening car display on a section of the original Campbell circuit, now owned by MBUK. Yes, we missed that bit, but that's because I thought we'd find Tesco's and a large part of banking that Dan and I had searched for but missed last time.
We sat down in front of the big screen early, it was only a quarter full if that, but there was a huge amount of people about, all here to watch. As we were getting comfy on the standard conference centre chairs, the MC was conducting an live feed interview with a Mclaren mechanic at Silverstone. He went through the team's plan of action and what they expected to get out of the race. Starting well back, second to back row for Hamilton, it wasn't great PR for MclarenMercedes but the Brawn is Merc powered so it wasn't a total loss.
Race over, and with some patient queuing from SL, we got seats in a 10 minute track experience in an AMG car for a tenner. BTW, SL was brilliant at queuing, she left the big screen early to get us a gourmet burger lunch. Thank you again SL.
The car was one of Jeremy Clarkson's favourities: the new C63 AMG. Our driver was a quietly spoken man; Tony Lyons, which it turned out, was a championship winning touring car driver. It was an off the wall experience. The 6.3 V8 was at full song and in Tony's hands, the car was darting all over the new test-track, drifting through the longer corners, breaking late into hairpins, it was beyond any in-car experience I've had before. SL and I departed the track a little worse for wear and returned back inside the MW building. Anymore than 10 minutes with Tony in touring car mode, we would have seen lunch again.
Even as I write, I still don't really get the point of MercedesWorld. It's like the re-tardis, huge on the outside, really nothing in it on the inside, and it wasn't empty feeling either. Part museum, part giftshop, part dealership and service centre, it did none of them convincingly. For example, it had a range of vehicles from the first 1884 Benz to the newest E-class, but in 1:24 model form! As for the link between Mercedes and Brooklands, it was nonexistent in any of the small handful of picture displays. Iet was less of a flagship cultural centre MBUK would have you believe, more an average city dealership, quite like Glasgow Audi, which even has an art gallery too. I did enjoy sitting in a number of the current range of Mercs, full sized and including the recently launched E-class coupe. It was nice to do this without the usual "can I help you sir?" attitude from the one or two sales staff we saw. But if this is the only reason MW is here, then it's looking poor value for the Daimler-Benz buck.
Home was beckoning, it was father's day and we were to have dinner with mine. Normally I hate to leave places; there's always more to see, but not today. It's brilliant to see the Grand Prix somewhere publicly, specially if you can't make it to the track, and especially for free, but I just can't see what's in it for Mercedes and their World. I did buy a DVD in the giftshop, reduced to three pounds; Full Circuit: The History of Mercedes and Brooklands.
Monday, 6 July 2009
Eastbourne to Easebourne via Goodwood (pt1)
Eastbourne to Easebourne was a good excuse for a drive, going via Goodwood, a better one.
A month or so ago, maybe even two months ago, I took Mother dear to Easebourne. She had wanted to go ever since the village was mentioned on the news as the place Billy Piper married that bloke off Lewis. She was convinced that Billy would be there, hanging around Easebourne, doing whatever you do there (even though I thought she lived in North London). It would be nice to see Ms Piper, something to talk about at least; you know, the day we bumped in Billy Piper, 'er of the tele.
The trip started in the morning, a stop off at the Sussex County (hospital) in Brighton's Kemp town (mother's not a well bunny), then off to Goodwood, yay.
It was a good sign of the refined cruising ability of the A2 that Mother fell asleep just passed Worthing. She doesn't normally sleep when I drive, a parent thing I would hope rather than a statement about my driving. Kolo in fact was doing well at most things on the journey bar wind noise & buffeting when the windows or 'OpenSky' was, er, opened. The window buffeting was a true A2 flaw but the sunroof thing was my fault. I de-screened it of it's white cloth mesh, I later replaced the sliding section of it, which, what would you know, fixed the hair blasting.
It was a hot, hot day. A black car, a completely glass roof at midday, the AC on full. Even so, we had to stop and have an iced coffee and a break before getting to the circuit at Goodwood, yay. At this time, we had been in the car for about 2 plus hours (3 for me as I read a car magazine in Kolo whilst waiting at Brighton). Apart from the excessive brightness of the Sussex sunshine, it had been a good trip so far for both of us. Mother did however find the climate control too cold, then too warm changing it every 5 minutes or so from 19.0 to 19.5 to 20.0'c. Hmm, I thought, but then she is my mother, aren't they allowed to do things like that?
As we drank some strange Starbucks creation with muffins, we chatted about comparing Kolo with my Mother A2, which we belatedly called Heiki. there are a number of differences between the two Audis. Firstly, kolo's a tuned 3 cylinder diesel & her's a standard inline 4 petrol, but both 1.4. Heiki, which is now my sister's, is just eligable for the government's Scrappage Scheme. Although it's a X-plate, 1999 car, it has fared well over the decade. We then reminisced over the time we first got her A2.
Having habitually read motoring publications of one type or another since I was a preteen, I was aware that in 1999, mother was making a big mistake trading her 4-year-old VW Sharan for a postman Pat red Merc A-class. Luckily, before she completely commited to buy Pat's van, we drive down to Hailsham where a new Audi dealership had just opened. In the centre of a three car display was Heiki. we went to Hailsham on a whim, just like today (that day) to see if an A2 was even available yet in the UK. But there one was, the first outside London apparently. She was impressed, and why wouldn't she be, the interior design and quality, the Avus Blue metallic paintwork on a TTesque 5-door with all the trimmings: every single option bar OpenSky (Nekarsulm where having a couple of issues with that still), but is was just so much better than anything thing we have ever had. It was so far beyond the A-class that car-innocent Mother thought it would be 50% more money than the red toy merc, but it was only £500 or so more than the base spec A120 or whatever it was, which had nothing! (This is Mercedes base spec remember, they only just started to include the radio in the late 80's) The gulf between the two potential dawsonmobiles was truly huge. Me had to wait awhile to get Heiki, (s)he was meant to be the dealership's demonstrator for at least six months. luckily, mother got that down to 3 weeks. I mean, what better demonstration than the A2 driving around town for everyone to see rather than the 2 mile radius from the dealership as a ploddy test-driver, was the route mother's argument took. Brilliant.
At the time of this, back then, I was myself driving a (Rover) Mini cooper, black with an off-white roof, Cooper bonnet stripes and those 13" alloys with the large sportpack arches. But it was in Heiki that everyone would stare at us. Mother would get asked what was it and how strange and weird it is. She now says how very off putting it all was, 'now all the cars are copying the A2!' I can see her point too, well not all cars, just some maybe and in detail. We're not talking Chinese car industry copying just, well, hinting maybe.
Rest break over, back onto the road...
A month or so ago, maybe even two months ago, I took Mother dear to Easebourne. She had wanted to go ever since the village was mentioned on the news as the place Billy Piper married that bloke off Lewis. She was convinced that Billy would be there, hanging around Easebourne, doing whatever you do there (even though I thought she lived in North London). It would be nice to see Ms Piper, something to talk about at least; you know, the day we bumped in Billy Piper, 'er of the tele.
The trip started in the morning, a stop off at the Sussex County (hospital) in Brighton's Kemp town (mother's not a well bunny), then off to Goodwood, yay.
It was a good sign of the refined cruising ability of the A2 that Mother fell asleep just passed Worthing. She doesn't normally sleep when I drive, a parent thing I would hope rather than a statement about my driving. Kolo in fact was doing well at most things on the journey bar wind noise & buffeting when the windows or 'OpenSky' was, er, opened. The window buffeting was a true A2 flaw but the sunroof thing was my fault. I de-screened it of it's white cloth mesh, I later replaced the sliding section of it, which, what would you know, fixed the hair blasting.
It was a hot, hot day. A black car, a completely glass roof at midday, the AC on full. Even so, we had to stop and have an iced coffee and a break before getting to the circuit at Goodwood, yay. At this time, we had been in the car for about 2 plus hours (3 for me as I read a car magazine in Kolo whilst waiting at Brighton). Apart from the excessive brightness of the Sussex sunshine, it had been a good trip so far for both of us. Mother did however find the climate control too cold, then too warm changing it every 5 minutes or so from 19.0 to 19.5 to 20.0'c. Hmm, I thought, but then she is my mother, aren't they allowed to do things like that?
As we drank some strange Starbucks creation with muffins, we chatted about comparing Kolo with my Mother A2, which we belatedly called Heiki. there are a number of differences between the two Audis. Firstly, kolo's a tuned 3 cylinder diesel & her's a standard inline 4 petrol, but both 1.4. Heiki, which is now my sister's, is just eligable for the government's Scrappage Scheme. Although it's a X-plate, 1999 car, it has fared well over the decade. We then reminisced over the time we first got her A2.
Having habitually read motoring publications of one type or another since I was a preteen, I was aware that in 1999, mother was making a big mistake trading her 4-year-old VW Sharan for a postman Pat red Merc A-class. Luckily, before she completely commited to buy Pat's van, we drive down to Hailsham where a new Audi dealership had just opened. In the centre of a three car display was Heiki. we went to Hailsham on a whim, just like today (that day) to see if an A2 was even available yet in the UK. But there one was, the first outside London apparently. She was impressed, and why wouldn't she be, the interior design and quality, the Avus Blue metallic paintwork on a TTesque 5-door with all the trimmings: every single option bar OpenSky (Nekarsulm where having a couple of issues with that still), but is was just so much better than anything thing we have ever had. It was so far beyond the A-class that car-innocent Mother thought it would be 50% more money than the red toy merc, but it was only £500 or so more than the base spec A120 or whatever it was, which had nothing! (This is Mercedes base spec remember, they only just started to include the radio in the late 80's) The gulf between the two potential dawsonmobiles was truly huge. Me had to wait awhile to get Heiki, (s)he was meant to be the dealership's demonstrator for at least six months. luckily, mother got that down to 3 weeks. I mean, what better demonstration than the A2 driving around town for everyone to see rather than the 2 mile radius from the dealership as a ploddy test-driver, was the route mother's argument took. Brilliant.
At the time of this, back then, I was myself driving a (Rover) Mini cooper, black with an off-white roof, Cooper bonnet stripes and those 13" alloys with the large sportpack arches. But it was in Heiki that everyone would stare at us. Mother would get asked what was it and how strange and weird it is. She now says how very off putting it all was, 'now all the cars are copying the A2!' I can see her point too, well not all cars, just some maybe and in detail. We're not talking Chinese car industry copying just, well, hinting maybe.
Rest break over, back onto the road...
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