Chet Parsons, Car Guy

Not a lot to report today, but I need to write anyway to keep sharp.  Okay, so sharp may not be the current status, but you get the idea. I didn't post this a few weeks ago, but I had a chance to drive a Spyker C8 Spyder.  What a car!  What a noise!  Where's the top?  So, it goes like stink, sounds phenomenal, and actually handles very well.  The turn-in is very sharp, and even without traction control, it feels planted and grippy and would probably be a hoot on the track, even though Spyker strongly discourage their owners from doing so.  It's Dutch, too, which just gives it all that much more character.  And the top, if it is still attached to the car, works fine.  But if you want to see out the rear-view mirror when the top is down, it is best to remove it from the car entirely, which involves opening the entire rear clamshell of the car.  Doesn't sound too bad until you read the instructions, which state that it should only be done by a trained technician and takes ...

If anyone actually read the last post, things sounded rosy at work.  What a difference a day makes. So the store I work for is down-sizing.  Long story short, my department and position are both history.  As much as I love playing with cars, I absolutely hate the car business. Anyone hiring?

I manage the modern car sales for an independent used car dealer in Texas.  We have a classic car side as well.  It's a pretty darn cool job. On Friday of this past week, my job duties included rearranging the cars in our showroom, getting a couple of cars out and putting in a couple of cars that have just arrived.  As part of this process, cars that have been sitting in the showroom for a while and need to be run get driven for a mile or so before we put them back in.  While time consuming, it is a necessity, and sometimes, quite enjoyable. Two of the cars that were in the showroom and needed a little run were a BMW M1 and BMW Z8.  Now if you're one of the three or four people who've read my blog before or you happen to know me personally, I've recently become somewhat of a BMW disciple.  So it comes as no surprise that I enjoyed both of these rides thoroughly. The M1 was a surprise, but it wasn't.  The sound of that inline six is glorious, and the throttle respons...

In my illustrious career in the auto industry, I have had the privilege of driving many cars, including various Mercedes Benz models.  Recently, I spent some quality time in a late-model S600 (W220) as I drove it from Dallas to Houston.  You don't so much drive an S-Class as you pilot it.  No, not another "land yacht" cliche.  One pilots an S-Class much as I would imagine one would pilot a very large and powerful space ship.  Especially the 12-cylinder twin-turbo variant of which I took the helm on the aforementioned voyage. From this trip I learned that 500hp is absolutely unnecessary, but quite entertaining.  I also learned that active suspension can make a very large, heavy car behave like a much smaller and more agile car, which is also quite entertaining but also a little creepy.  I pretty well knew all this before, but there's nothing like a few hundred miles to refresh one's memory. All that entertaining power and technology not withstanding, give me a simp...

I've always known this would happen.  Given my pre-disposition to driving in excess of posted limits, having a controlled environment in which to do so would make me the proverbial kid in a candy store. Last Friday I went to the track. I've been to the track before, but never have I driven, only ridden shotgun.  Well, on Friday, I drove.  And I didn't completely suck!  I could see this becoming a truly addictive habit if I had the means to partake of track time on a regular basis.  But, damn, that would be an expensive habit!

Since I occasionally check back on my blog, I thought I should give myself something to read! No great revelations lately, but having put over 2,500 miles on my 1988 M3 (E30) since I got it earlier this month, I am happy to say that I am still very pleased with the car and my decision to finally acquire one.  Drove it from Houston to Dallas late yesterday, and it was fantastic.  Old cars rock. Having said that, there are some new cars that rock as well.  I dropped off our other car, a BMW 325i (E90), for some service items at the local BMW dealer.  That's a great little car as well.  I drove it back from Little Rock last weekend, and had a very nice drive.  Having a current model car under warranty has its perks, too, like the '08 335i sedan we were given as a loaner car.  The young men at the loaner car counter wanted to make sure I had something comparable, but they saw M3 on my insurance card!  He even sort of apologized that it was "only" a 335i, but that was as c...

Automatic climate control isn't, and doesn't. I've noticed that almost everyone I know who has an automatic climate control system in their car still adjusts the system manually.  I traded my late model car for a twenty year old "classic."  My current car has seven controls for the HVAC system that allow me to heat or cool the cockpit of my car to my liking, with air directed where I want it, when I want it.  It is rare that I find the climate inside my ride anything other than the way I want it.  My previous car often blew cold or hot air in my face when I did not want it, especially when starting it cold in the morning.  Back to basics, I suppose.  I like my "basic" car. No real point here.  Kind of a Seinfeld moment.  I suppose I could be channeling him through one of his old cars that we have at work.