Goodbye, old friend...

Brother Michael

Brother Michael

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
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Location
Inkoo, Finland
Car(s)
-02 BMW 530d Touring M-Sport
Sunday the 20th of March 2011 will live in my memory as one of the saddest moments of my so far young life; I handed over the keys to my beloved 1997 Audi S8.

It was a fun car for the 16 months that I had it, I loved every single moment of it, the good and the bad. But it was time to move on; I had to jump through a lot of hoops, go deep into financial trouble and deal with personal issues dealing with the situation. All of that was too much to bear with 100km/62mile daily commute and petrol prices at the 1.60e/litre mark (6.40?/gallon for UK - 8.14$/gallon for US). On top of that compared to when I bought the car, my income is roughly 75% of what it was.

So after many months of delaying, soul searching and frankly brutal penny pinching, it finally came down to having to sell my beloved S8.

I wanted to make a direct sale but I ended up trading the car for my current wheels + a bag of cash which enabled me to pay off most of my debts and get me back on my feet in one single go. I did this because waiting for a straight sale might have been a mission lasting months in a worst case scenario. It was a great car, the most dependable thing I've ever known, did not let me down once, started up on the first go every single time, every single day, including after sitting outside in -25'C for 48 hours, except once and most important of all, brought a smile to my face every time I drove it. Fortunately it ended up in good hands, an Audi enthusiast who had been searching for a manual S8 for 4 years now. So it was time to bid farewell, old friend, it was fun while it lasted.

Without any further ado, here is the replacement:

1997 Audi A4 Avant 1.8 turbo quattro.

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2011/03/24/front_pose.jpg
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2011/03/24/rear_pose.jpg
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2011/03/24/Front_open.jpg
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2011/03/24/Rear_angle.jpg
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2011/03/24/interior.jpg
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2011/03/24/proof.jpg

Yes, it is a major stepdown from the big brute, but then again just about anything on this side of an E39 M5 would've been. It has the 150hp 1.8 turbo engine mated to a manual gearbox and quattro four wheel drive system. Has 252.000km on it as it stands and the maintenance history is simply flawless. Bone stock save it for a forge bypass, lowered suspension and some exterior modifications such as an RS4 front bumper, dark optic rear lights and window tint.

It is a fun car to drive, it really is. Pulls well from 2000rpm onwards, not too slow once you get used to it after something like an S8, rides well and is fairly quiet. Very chuckable if a bit numb like all Audis, feels light and nimble. Rear seats fold flat, it has automatic air conditioning, the sports seats are decent and the previous owner had installed speakers for the rear passengers as well. All in all a very good car.

Which is exactly why it is for sale. The thing is, as good as it may be, it is not my kind of car....I like big, comfortable, quiet cruisers. Something that just begs to be taken for a long journey, just like the S8 was. It just doesn't feel like....well....mine. Added to that my daily commute is begging for a diesel and a bigger steadier car in general. I have already raised some interest and I am hoping to be in a new car in the next 4 weeks. Challenge to beat frankiess in time of car ownership; accepted.

So there we go. A string of unfortunate circumstances and events lead me to having no choice. While I have no plans of getting another huge V8 cruiser in the near future, this particular A4 - as good as it may be - is only a brief temporary solution. Hopefully a new thread will emerge in a month's time. And as we wait for that, a moment's silence for the memory of a dear old friend.

https://pic.armedcats.net/m/mi/mikas/2010/02/13/DSC_1853.jpg

God I loved that car. It will be missed.
 
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Sad to see the S8 go, but life is life: sometimes it throws shit in your face and you just have to cope with it however you can. Glad to see you were able to make a fast deal on the car and best of all the new owner clearly appreciates and respects the S8.

Looking forward to what you'll be getting in the future :thumbup:
 
Having had the pleasure of driving a D2 S8, i feel your pain, 'grats on the new car, but damn, FG has lost a big one
 
:( Alas for the luxobarge downgrade; I feel your pain. Still, there's much to be said about light(er) tossability. Hope you can still enjoy this one.
 
Having sat 5 minutes in the the back seat of this roaring V8 powered fastest living room on earth I know what you miss, but I can't even imagine how it feels. But it's really good to hear it ended in good hands, nothings worse than seeing beloved car in bad hands. Good luck with the A4 until you find the next car :)
 
That's a real shame to see the S8 go :(

I wish you good luck with finding something that will satisfy your circumstances and make you happy at the same time.

Hint: It's not a Xsara. :p
 
These petrol prices ruin it for all of us, sad to see the S8 go but can fully understand you, we are at 1.56? for 95 here, it is bloody annoying. Even my LPG shit went from 0.62e to 0.76e, it doesn't sound that much, but remember, it is also a 18% price increase, even more than the ~15% increase petrol did over one year here... I wonder how long people tolerate this shit until they start shit against the oil companies...........
 
You now have a worse car than Ice. Feels Bad, man.
 
:cry: The S8 will be very dearly missed on side this of FG. For some weird reason all the governments seem to have a passionate hate for anyone who who appreciates driving, with the constant barrage of rising fuel, stricter regulations, and more taxes year after year. Not to mention insane import costs and hateful insurance companies, especially if you have a remotely nice car.

Hope you can eventually get back on your feet and get another S8 or similar is the future :)
 
Sad to see it go. I kinda know how you feel. A year ago I had to let my beloved 190E go because it got too expensive and too small and had to settle for a car I liked a lot less. The pain won't go away, you'll never stop missing it, so find a good replacement.

PS.
I can recommend CDIs, they're decent diesels with good economy, and they come in a fairly decent overall package.
 
do you think maintenance costs will be lower because it's a 4 instead of an 8?
 
as i understood, its a temporary "fix"
 
And it has a bodykit!
Then again, the 1.8t engines can handle a shitton of abuse and tuning......one of the best engines VAG ever made, the 1.8t 20v and the 1.9TDI. Allthough there is a German proverb......."Turbo l?uft, Turbo s?uft". "Turbo runs, turbo drinks". :)
 
My deepest condolences :hug:

At least it's an AWD, maunal, tarbo'd Avant. Still not a bad deal to be back in the black financially and still walk away with a good car.
 
:( I really hope you can find a car more suited for you, but it's not a bad car that you have.

I don't know if this helps, but think of it this way. You have owned your dream car. You managed to achieve something really special, that very very few people get to do during their lifetime. And what's even more important, since you have already owned one, you now know, that you can do it again. It's just a matter of time :)
 
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