What Cars Do You Drive?

[milehighj]

No doubt about that but they're actually designed/developed by Borg Warner.

Duly noted. As are many commonly used transmissions developed by specialists - Borg-Warner, ZF...?

Maybe with the recent takeover of Porsche by VW, we will see PDK-equipped Audis, Lamborghinis, VWs...?

[N_Architect]

... However, things have changed quite a bit in the last few years...

... this rule is now changed...

Oh well, I agree here with you guys, times and technology change, I guess. Seems I'm still too much with past memories in my mind...

N_Architect - So, after all that, why the A170 over the 1-series?

1. BMW would have to be 116 in the price tag I had allocated for that purchase, and I wanted the 1 series with either 1.8L or 2.0L engine, so that was the first reason. I believe a 1.6L engine is not strong enough for that chassis. Also, when you get a 2.0L car in Greece (I was in Greece at the time), you are taxed more and have to show higher minimum annual income, a criteria which I could not meet back then.

2. BMW is a bit low height-wise for me, mainly with respect to entering/exiting the car; I'm not used to that (yet). Low VCG as well (Vertical Center of Gravity, as we say in ships) is great for cornering, but I'm used to a higher driving position.

3. BMW ride was hard for me, and mind you I was coming from a German car (had been in Greece with a new 3-door Golf IV since 1999). Perhaps now if I test drive it again I may think & decide differently, but at the time I wanted something a tad 'softer'.

4. The 3-door Mercedes A170 won me on looks, practicality, interior, options (extras), exterior dimensions (easier to park), auto gearbox (which I was going to try for first time in one of my cars), sunroof, driving position (quite high), and payment terms. Engine torque and performance was ok, so no problems there (of course nothing exciting either...)

The result: Ordered the Merc, paid Eur 1,500 deposit, vehicle with my specs had 3 month delivery waiting. Two months after I placed the order, I was offered to go to South Korea as site manager in the shipyards, representing a Greek shipowner and supervising the site team and construction of two oil/chemical tankers. In two months after that I was on the EK plane (in Y, naturally) on a o/w seaman's ticket (40 kg check-in baggage allowance) heading to Seoul and then on KE to Pusan...

Enquiry of cancelling my car order to Mercedes dealer was placed so to get my $$$ deposit back. Dealer replied that car is ready to go out of production line and as it is a 'specially configured car' they may have had difficulty to sell upon arrival in Greece, so they withheld the deposit till they had someone who would actually agree to buy the car. I had a friend who knew the manager in that dealership, pushed the right button, got my Eur 1.5k back after another 3 months.

Perhaps things are better this way. My mother has my pacific blue (metallic) Golf now back in Greece (it has 158k on the clock and running as smoothly as ever) while I'm going round the world on a never-ending journey, driving company cars which do the job fine... (in countries where speeding is severely chased and punished )

[Lobster]

Hello my friend...

This may have been true till recently but IMO this rule is now changed. The "new" dual-clutch transmissions (DCTs) have levelled the playing field. If anything the DCT technology from VW/Audi is now the most advanced.

Just my 2 cents.

I used to have a DCT Audi A3 and absolutely loved it, by far the best transmission either manual or automatic I have ever used. Unfortunately I had to sell it when I got posted overseas.

Now I drive a motely collection of work vehicles. One of which is an automatic Subaru Impreza which is the most horrible transmission/engine combination I have ever had the misfortune to drive. Trying to drive along and the thing is just constantly changing gears.

[KeithMEL]

[HUGE AL]

Congrats, KeithMEL! Glad to see my ride when I'm in MEL.

[9V-JKL]

Congrats KeithMEL for the new ride. You may want to blank out your registration.

[N_Architect]

Lovely to see it with only 16km on the clock... brand new... Congrats. Interior looks great.

[bryan_sq]

you should take it to the NT to go on the open hwy to see if it gets to 240 kmh

[kchika]

Congrats, KeithMEL. A great choice!

[impresta]

I bought a 2010 Mercedes Benz GLK 350 4-matic...it arrives NEXT WEEK!

CAN'T WAIT!

[kapitan]

Golf & BMW

YOU DRIVE A BMW RIGHT ? BUT DO YOU PLAY GOLF??


On a golf tour in Ireland, Tiger Woods drives his BMW into a petrol station in a remote part of the Irish countryside.

The pump attendant, obviously one who knows nothing about golf, greets him in a typical Irish manner, completely unaware of who the golfing pro is.

"Top of the mornin' to yer, sir," says the attendant.

Tiger nods a quick "hello," and bends forward to pick up the nozzle.

As he does so, two tees fall out of his shirt pocket onto the ground.

"What are 'dose?" asks the attendant.

"They're called tees," replies Tiger..

"Well, what on god's earth are dey for?"
inquires the Irishman.

"They're for resting my balls on when I'm driving," says Tiger.

"Fookin Hell," says the Irishman,
"Aye...BMW tinks of everyting!!

[Kyo]

LOL, great one, kapitan!

[N_Architect]

I bought a 2010 Mercedes Benz GLK 350 4-matic...it arrives NEXT WEEK!

Congrats and enjoy.

YOU DRIVE A BMW RIGHT ? BUT DO YOU PLAY GOLF??

[jjpb3]

"Fookin Hell," says the Irishman,
"Aye...BMW tinks of everyting!!

Fab, kapitan.

[SQflyergirl]

Not gonna say what car i drive - but here's me and one of my tyres