Awesome car. If they only made a manual version for the US, I would have one.  I had to settle for a Sportwagen TDI with DSG.

In that same way that low facilities tend to have overhanging warning bars to alert drivers before impact, there should be a bump or rumble strip to warn drivers before impact. Wake driver’s up to be more aware and have a chance to correct. Doesn’t seem that difficult to implement. 

Most worthwhile places in San Diego are not accessible by such a vehicle. Though it is perfect for the “Campland” experience.

Come on...There has got to be a Swiss U-boat joke in there somewhere!

I had the same car and it is a blast on any on or off ramp. With a timing chain, new clutch and a manual, it is awesome fun for the money. You just don’t see them anymore. (Reminds me to clean the garage b4 I get another on account I still have the E36 Bentley manual, roof rack, etc.)

Interesting time capsule. They are alternatives on the market that are ready to go today. You could always take it to Interbike (Las Vegas bike convention) to gauge interest and seek an investor. 

and they did a good job at it. It makes for a nice XC set-up. 

Invariably, the finance people can put insert foot into mouth. My favorite - “What are you, an accountant?” after I asked about the lease details. While I am a certified/chartered bean counter, I hold that if someone uses finance terminology, they should be free to have a discussion about it, else they are blowing hot…

Once you have seen an A-10 in action, your point becomes very obvious. I saw both Warthogs and Starfigthers in action in the skies of West Germany during Reforger.  There is a very appreciable difference.  Even as a school boy, we were aware how dangerous Starfighters were to the their pilots. 

I would never have considered such a vehicle, but I will check it out based on your review. I enjoyed reading it. Thank you. 

Our VW TDI Sportswagen features an inverter in the center armrest facing the passengers. It has proven very useful on trips. Makes me wonder why it is not an option on more vehicles. 

Thank you for the reminder. I think Don Henley has a song about the “if it bleeds it leads” mentality of the new media. While traveling in the south, I have been broken down on more than one occasion. In each case I have meet some of the nicest people.

Thank you for the reminder. Indeed, Texas and the rest of the south does have good people. No state has a monopoly on persons we might take exceptions to. 

I am envious. A 50 mile event in the dirt is awesome this day and age, especially if local. 

No Dice on account of Top Gear and that I always hated the look of these cars. 

Bravo! 197" versus 185" is huge. I yachts and extra foot is at least $10K, so it appears to be there same here. Also, the economy trade off is there. 26 mpg average to the Kia’s 21 mpg is about a 25% improvement. Just about what you would expect from two cylinders and a 100 hp. less.

Welcome Owen! I wish you better luck driving here than the fright I had while trying to drive a rental Volvo wagon in the UK. I never made it out of the parking lot and gladly left driving duties to others in the group. Though I may have left some finger marks on the passenger side of the dash while reaching for…

All this work, but there is no excuse for the dirty seats. CP

To a large extent the similarity is given by the water cooled layout and its position. However, the exhaust ports straight out the side thereby avoiding the long swoopy “sleigh runner” look of the Honda. (Yes, I know that there was a turbo variant at 500cc that was clad in aero gear that had more compact exhaust, and…

Local VW has one with 3 pedals and it only $2k > MSRP. That is indeed special in this day and age. ( I am actually impressed they have a manual car; but not the pricing.)