Jim Will

I washed and waxed the A6 on Saturday, filled up the tank in preparation for a road trip from NY to Arlington Va on Sun.
BTW, another shameless plug here: Pinnacle Paint Cleansing lotion is some terriffic stuff. After parking in the supermarket lot (for the first time ever I parked near the door, since there was a wide spot there) I come out to the car, and someone in a 560 SEL is parked next to me. Car is early 90's and mint condition. I figure, nice car, he didn't scratch my paint any. When I pull out, I see 2-3 small scratches on the drivers door, not from another door, but more likely from a pocketbook strap or buckle. They're not big and long, but they can be caught with my fingernail, and they are borderline removeable. I utter some expletives under my breath and go home to get to work. I wash the car and look the scratches over. Just barely went through to the primer below,(or so it looked) I might be able to do something with them. I grab the Paint cleansing lotion (which is supposed to remove fine swirl, light scratches, etc.) and get started. Rubbing in a front to back motion (these scratches were vertical) applying as directed on the bottle. I see the scratches becoming less and less visible. I wipe off the polish and look again. Not bad. Another application. Looking better. After the 3rd application, all that remains is a small line, that looks like a scratch that is body colored. You can't see it unless I point it out to you, and even then you'd think it was a hair or something on the paint, not in it. Great stuff.
On to the road trip part. I was all ready to put the Audi on the road, looking forward to the little jaunt. Then my Mother asks if we (sister, fiance, herself, my 5 year old niece and myself) can drive her Pathfinder. She feels like she wanted to show my father the truck she bought that he was never able to see. (my father passed away in '99 (on her birthday). My mother was devastated by this, and had a hard time recovering. She bought the truck because she always wanted one, and wanted to be able to have something that he would've wanted her to have, but wasn't able to get it for her). How could I say no? I washed up the "Finder, got the tires and fender flares all shiny. This truck looks really nice when clean. Of course, as any son would do, I gave the truck a "Butch" look by adding the WAAG front end "Roo bar" and the matching taillight covers. With Big Hella "Pie Plates" (100Watts) on the bar, the truck looks spiffy. It looks like it could run through the Baja 1000, and directly over you if you don't get outta my way. With the Hellas on, even in daylight, everyone will move out of your way. (I ran about 1/2 the trip home that way. Even the perpetual left-lane squatters will see you coming 1/2 mile away and part like the Red Sea)
The trip from Staten Island to Arlington National Cemetary is 250 miles one way, and it took me 3 hrs 15 minutes. Not bad. But I tell you. One road trip in this truck changes your way of thinking about driving, especially when you've been driving an A6 for the past year. I actually had to plan my passing maneuvers. I had to use the old truckers procedure of building momentum for long uphill grades. The truck has very good high-speed manners (I cruised at 85 plus for a large portion of the return trip) very stable (thanks to the large 265/70/16 Bridgestones) with no bouncing and surprisingly excellent directional stability. But man, accelerating from a toll plaza with 4 adults, a full tank of fuel, and the A/C on, it will take you 3/4 mile to get up to cruising speed once again. This truck really makes me want to supercharge it (if it were my truck, I would've already done it) and makes me appreciate my 2.7T all the more.
Typical NJ Turnpike sunday traffic has the 2 left lanes clogged solid with cars running 5 over the speed limit. The right lane is clear for over 1/2 mile many times. Instead of moving to the right lane, accelerating up the clear lane, and then moving back to the center lane once past the slow moving traffic, I actually have to "get a running start" then begin the above procedure. Not a big deal, but it requires far more planning. Now I see why Nissan upped the power to 240 for the newer models.
Last night upon returning home, I pulled the A6 out of the garage, just for a spin. The old adage is true "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts. Absolutely."