German Engineering

Last weekend the kayak guy and I planned a trip to see the very big trees of northern California and do some paddling in Humboldt Bay. I volunteered the Ultimate Driving Machine for the trip with only a slight amount of worry about getting it dirty. So Friday morning car loaded and roof rack bolted on tight we made our way to the kayak shop to pick up the boats. Loading them on the rack was easy enough as the UDM has a pretty low roof and the kayaks aren't that heavy. Two straps tightly over the middle of the boats held them fairly well in place and a bow line attached to the front of the car would make them more secure. But the UDM is a streamlined racing machine it's front bumper is not desecrated by any loop to tie a rope to. I remembered there is a small panel on the front bumper for some sort of use in towing so we popped off the small plastic square. I sort imagined there being a large hook behind the plastic panel but of course there wasn't. All that was there was a puzzling threaded hole. While the kayak guy continued to search for a suitable tie down place I whipped out the 325ci manual and learned that the tow eye which screws into the socket behind the little square panel can be found in the tool kit located in the door of the trunk. Problem solved. The tow eye screwed tightly into place, it didn't look very pretty having a huge loop sticking out of the front of the car but it created the perfect mechanism for tying down kayaks. I'm thinking I should get a second loop so I could tie down the back also though on this trip the kayaks stayed tight without a rear rope. I'm not sure how exactly the tow eye is used in towing but it provides an elegant solution to keeping the car looking beautiful during everyday driving while having added practicality when needed.

Everything Will Be Allright

The whole thing was so traumatic, until now I've hardly been able to talk about it. Back in the middle of December I drove the Ultimate Driving Machine into a pole in the parking garage. We limped into my parking spot and I quickly packed up my sorrow along with all the Christmas presents and got on the plane to spend the holidays in New York. Upon returning to California my brother, the only one who truly shared my grief, took a hammer to the no longer divinely beautiful silver body and managed to get the whole thing into a somewhat drivable state. But today, after searching high and low for an appropriately caring repair shop the whole mess is in somebody else's hands. And as soon as I saw all the other sadly damaged German cars and the nice man behind the counter started speaking with me about the UDM I knew I was in good hands. The Ultimate Driving Machine may never be quite the same again but I've come to terms with the fact that it will be allright.

Love That Smell of New Rubber

This summer the Ultimate Driving Machine turned over 30,000 miles - finally say some of you. The inspection II, oil change, coolant and brake fluid flush were all done by the dealer, some of it covered by the warranty. But the big issue was the tires. Seventeen inch z rated tires just don't last all that long. The variety of tires available is nearly endless. So I called the local Ultimate Driving Machine Shop for some advice. The expert technician spoke with me for quite a while about how much I drive, what conditions and general vehicle maintenance. Finally we decided on a Bridgestone tire that many people are happy with and somewhat less expensive than the Michelin. Two days later I brought the UDM in to have the new tires put on.

When I checked in the technician I had spoken with said "Oh yes we spoke on the phone, I got talked out of ordering the tires we talked about. So I ordered a set of Michelins and I have a pair of Bridgestones that were for another car you can have." He then spent ten minutes describing for me the difference one is more aggressive, less comfortable, the other a little cushier, probably won't last as long. Finally we decided I really needed to see the tires, so we walked out through the shop to where he had set out the two sets side by side. The Michelins were the cushier of the two and looked more like the OEM tires so I decided on those though they cost a bit more. The shop waiving the tire disposal fee did not in fact make up the price differential but it was a nice gesture.

By late afternoon the car was ready and much to my delight not only did it have four brand spankin' new tires, they had run the UDM through the car wash!! Bavarian Professionals, my new favorite place.

How to make my day

Describe the ultimate driving machine as a silver sports car to your three year old while waiting at the car wash.

How Harman Kardon changed the way I listen to music

Two years ago I discovered music. I had just gotten the ultimate driving machine and spent a lot of time in the car listening to the radio. Suddenly I started hearing more sounds in the songs, sounds I'd never heard in the song before. I finally understood why every guy I ever knew always told me I needed a sound system with good speakers. I'm sure nobody would have thought I'd get a car with a 12 speaker Harman Kardon sound system. It was beautiful, everything sounded so full and complete. I wanted to listen to my CD's in the car, I bought new CD's for the first time in years. But really remembering to bring a new CD into the car, changing CD's while driving that's no fun. Then last fall I read that if I had an iPod I could plug it directly into the ultimate driving machine, all my music at my finger tips. I didn't even own a CD player that wasn't in my computer. So I took the plunge, bought the iPod, bought a new laptop to install iTunes, took the motorcar to the shop to have proper gadgetry installed. And voila no more flipping radio stations when they are all playing commercials at the same time. No more having to buy whole CD's, I can buy a song or two here and there, I can download a free song every week. I might even appropriate songs from other people, if my morality was of questionable standards. I hear a song on the radio that I like, I go buy it. I listen to the iPod walking to work, I listen to it at home, of course I listen while driving. I spend less time driving now but on days like yesterday when I drove down to the far reaches of the Peninsula listening to songs I chose very loudly with the windows open, hearing every note, weaving in and out of traffic, it's almost fun.

P.S. I will save my rant on Apple's Nickel and Diming of America for another post.