The O.C.

LOL, LOL......I didn't even realize that was today! How are you doing bud?

LOL I agree.....in fact it's funny.....one of our sales guys just bought a 2002 325Ci convertible we took in on trade, also really well kept.....the other sales manager just bought an '01 330i sedan we took in on trade....and one of the other sales guys has an '04 330i Coupe ZHP.....so we have four E46s in our "family" here at MINI...!

OMG.....sorry guys that friggin' picture of me came out so big ugh.....

Hey guys I just wanted to post a thread on here and say a big "hi" to all my C&G friends! Sorry I have been away for so long but perhaps this is a good time to update everyone on what's been happening to me...... After basically going thru a ton of $h! (who hasn't these last few years), just trying to keep any sort of job after Flex Fund closed down (the auto finance company I was working for) I went to Las Vegas for about 8 months and worked at the Cadillac store there then came back to Southern California in December of 2009. I guess I should change my name to "The L.A." lol because I moved from Orange County up to L.A. to work at Audi of Santa Monica. Found me a cool little apartment in Brentwood off the 405 and Sunset. Been up here for about 2 years and actually love it! I didn't know how I would like living right in the city after spending so long in suburban O.C. but it has actually been very very cool. Back in May 2009, I finally landed and settled a great gig. I'm a sales manager at a BMW and MINI Cooper dealership in the Pasadena area. The GM is a long-time friend of mine. I spend most of my time down as a manager at MINI, but I also order all the BMWs so I get to keep my fingers in the BMW stew somewhat as well. It's a big store.....about 400-500 (BMW, MINI, used, CPO)units a month.....and MINI is the 11th-largest MINI Cooper dealership out of about 110 dealerships nationwide. So that's my excuse. You guys all know the retail dealership hours are pretty horrific, and they are even worse here at MINI because we only have two managers. I usually pull 3, sometimes 4 14-hour days each week. By the time I get home at 10-11pm, I don't have the energy to sit on the computer and chat and I never get to take weekends off. I'm going to try to be way more active on here.....try to login during weekdays when biz slows a bit. As far as my personal rides, I've had a couple really cool, low-mileage and cheap rides lately....when I first got here, I picked up a 1997 Benz E420, black-on-black, with only 50K actual miles (literally was a little old lady from Pasadena that had it lol) and what a great "old" Benz....I believe the last of the pre-Chryslers. What a smooth V8, super solid feel, and I got 23mpg commuting from home! Then this last winter's rains stole her from me in a crazy ass car crash....so I had to replace her. Found a 2001 (E46....one of my favorite 3-ers)BMW 325Ci Convertible.....red over black, 5-speed, sport, premium.....only 65,000 miles. The lady that owned it babied it so much from day one (garaged and covered all the time) the car is like new! If you didn't know your body styles of BMW, you would probably think the car was 2 years old versus 10. So the bimmer ragtop is my current ride....and loving the sweet-revving inline 6 and stickshift.....getting 26 mpg commuting in this so I figure that's pretty good! So at work, the hours are tough.....but I love the store and love working with MINI Cooper and BMW. So if any of you local SoCal guys are ever in the area, stop in to MINI and say "hi!" It's BMW and MINI of Monrovia off the 210 freeway about 8 miles east of downtown Pasadena! Great to be back guys.....keep in touch! [email protected] email me if you wanna swap cell numbers! Cheers, Chris

Ok....but the Haldex is still a viscous-coupling system compared to Quattro's torque-sensing differential....there is a difference in the technologies and what their intended purpose is. Ironically, the A3 is the only "Quattro" to use a viscous-coupling system. (And technically speaking, is not a "Quattro" system even though they brand it as such.) All other Audis (including the SUVs) use the torque sensing differential system.

What everyone is also forgetting in this damn Audi-vs-AWD XTS debate is that not all all-wheel-drive systems are the same. Audi's is significantly (ok maybe too strong a word....) more advanced than the Haldex viscous coupling AWD system.....and it doesn't seem feasible that GM has expended the capital to develop a significantly new-and-improved AWD system over the Haldex.....so my assumption is the XTS AWD system will be the very same that GM has been using. Also, even though Audis are FWD-based.....they seem to get a "pass" in the marketplace and in public perception because almost 30 years ago, they developed "Quattro" and have a long line of rally and racing victories directly attributed to that Quattro system. It is perceived as, and been developed to, enhance the handling and driving experience of Audis....not just provide a bad-weather-traction benefit. Audi is widely recognized because of its Quattro system. In this regard.....the FWD-based Quattro system seems to be a natural to the Audi product......whereas the idea of an "AWD" XTS is a stop-gap to try to sway public perception away from a front-wheel-drive Cadillac flagship sedan.

.....and the Haldex AWD system is not anywhere as advanced as, say, Audi's torque sensing differential combined with the electronic rear differential.....which can split torque front to rear, and also side to side at the rear wheels...

Unfortunately, I think the GMT-900 Hybrids are a bust...... When I was in Las Vegas working for Caddy, my GM used to drive Escalades.....and since he and I shared a house, I would drive his Escalade fairly often.....and the Escalade averaged around 14mpg (mostly city driving, some highway.) Then, he started driving the Hybrid because he thought it was cool. When I started monitoring the mileage on that vehicle, it averaged around 15.5-16mpg at best in similar commuting conditions. For me, the extra 1.5-2mpg just didn't add up for me considering the loss in performance with the Hybrid.....not to mention the additional up-front cost of that model over a "normal" Escalade. You also can't get second-row captains chairs (which everyone buying Escalades really wanted.) I will say, however, the engineering of the Hybrid was exceptional.....it's a nice package. Just doesn't provide any meaningful improvement in fuel economy considering the cost and lesser performance IMHO.

I LOVE Sedona and Santa Fe.........Monterey is awesome as well........and Savannah is wonderful as well.......

To me, I'd rather "live" in southern California, but "visit" San Francisco for fun....... The weather is just so much better down here.......and the people are way more laid-back in many respects.....people in SF seem so uptight.....and they have a real inferiority complex with L.A......hell, L.A. is the "New York" of the west coast......a world-wide powerhouse of a city with influence that reaches the world over many times.....for all it's beauty and culture, SF simply cannot compete in that arena...... San Francisco is beautiful and there is no denying the international appeal of the city in terms of dining, museums, and the like......all much more centrally located.......but then again in Los Angeles, you can get just as much culture, entertainment, and high-society......you just have to drive around for it more......lol As far as which is more beautiful.......I call it a "draw." There's nothing like driving into San Francisco over the Bay Bridge and coming into the city.......one of the most beautiful sights anywhere.....and the "Manhattan"-like feel of the city is awesome...... ......but then again, almost as beautiful is the (often-seen) picture of downtown L.A. with the snow-capped mountains in the background, and beautiful palm trees in the foreground......and the coastline along southern California could be said to be some of the most beautiful in the world......

Fo' shur..... Dallas is where we moved from OKC when I was little........went to high school in Bedford....!

Maude was just a bit too much before my time for me to watch it or get into it.....

But I don't get that vibe with just about any other car out there on the market......they all look much better proportioned.....

The awful thing about BART is it shuts down at midnight. What's the good of that, if you live in the burbs and wanna take BART into the city for an evening of libations and don't wanna drink-and-drive? If you are planning a late night out at the bars, you'll have no BART waiting for you at 2am.....I sadly ended up driving into the city every weekend when I went out....and had to temper my drinking with sensability.....ugh.....the fun I could've had.....

I lived in Danville for two years......and if I had an office job in the city, I would have loved to travel by BART into the city.....the Walnut Creek station was only like 5-10 minutes from my place..... Just think.....you can go out after work and play, drink, not have to worry about driving home (well you couldn't play too hard....still have to make the 5 min drive from WC to home....lol) but no traffic stress.....etc, etc.....