Rough Morning – Car Got Broken Into

Posted on March 17, 2012 by BeatingUpwind

This morning I went to get the car so we could go down and meet our architect and I discovered that the window had been smashed overnight.

It was even parked on a good block – Fort Washington Avenue just south of 190th. To say the least, it’s sort a irritating – broken glass gets EVERYWHERE.

They rifled through the compartment between the seats, but I had taken the iPod out months ago to put a new selection of songs on it and hadn’t put it back. They also got into the glove compartment and stole my Valentine One radar detector. The radar detector will cost about $400 to replace and the window looks like it will be about $350.

I just changed insurance companies and I’m not sure if I have full glass coverage. I’ll call the agent on Monday morning and figure things out. It’s just such a hassle…

The New VW Beetle Is HOT!

Posted on April 21, 2011 by BeatingUpwind

My first car was a rusted out, bright yellow 1973 Super Beetle that my parents bought for me from my brother-in-law. Even when I floored it I couldn’t get it over 60 mph. Going downhill flooring it I might be able to get it to 65. Here’s a pic of a similar car (with much less rust)…

It was a good, dependable car and was one of the reasons why I later fell in love with VWs.

Then in the late ’90s VW brought back a redesigned Beetle, but it just wasn’t the Bug everyone loved – it was very watered down – sorta neutered and feminine…

Well, VW is finally fixing that mistake – there’s a new Beetle coming out and it looks hot!

That’s a hot, sexy car… Dan heard on some news program that said VW thought the previous design attracted too many women – guys (like me) just couldn’t envision themselves in it. So this Beetle is aimed at men, not women – and it shows. It’s a fun, sporty car. Just put a more pastel color on it and it should attract women as well.

Bravo VW!

NYC Cars Buried In Snowbanks

Posted on February 3, 2011 by BeatingUpwind

After weeks of snow storm after snow storm, these days when you walk around New York you see a lot of cars that look like they’re swallowed up by the snow. The piles of snow just flow up and over them. On wider roads (like Broadway) the snow even goes up and over them on the street side – so they’re completely encapsulated in snow – they just look like a little hill…

Here are some pics of a few of the cars in my neighborhood (Hudson Heights)…

VW Misses The Mark With the 2010 GTI

Posted on October 26, 2009 by BeatingUpwind

Does anyone else see the glaring problem with the ad I got in my e-mail (below)?

2010 VW GTI advertisement
It’s really quite simple… That car has 4 doors. The “legend” of the GTI is that it’s supposed to be an inexpensive sports car and sports cars just don’t have 4 doors – they have 2 doors and a good engine.

That’s not “the return of a Legend” – it’s the return of a huge mistake they’ve made before – watering down the GTI and making it a Golf/Rabbit with a few extra features. The GTI needs to be distinct from the Golf or else it’s not a GTI.

I like the Mk5 VW GTI better than the Mk6

Posted on April 8, 2009 by BeatingUpwind

Today VW is revealing the look of the Mark 6 Golf line with the Mk6 GTI. Here’s the pic they sent out yesterday…

2010 VW GTI Mk6

Personally, I don’t really like it. I mean, it’s nice enough and better than a lot of their competitors, but I don’t know that it’s an improvement over the Mk 5 Golf/GTI/R32…

Here’s a Mk 5 GTI…

Mk5 VW GTI

The Mark 5 “face” just has more attitude. The Mk 6 looks more pedestrian. The Mk 6 front end would be fine if it were a Golf/Rabbit, but it doesn’t look sporty. It looks like they’re watering down the appearance of the GTI, which is never a good idea – that’s what the Golf/Rabbit is for.

Oh well, it is what it is. I didn’t like the Mk 5 when I first saw it either, but it grew on me and now I love our Mk 5 R32… We’ll see what I think in a year…