Some 10-years ago I/we had to take 6-tubs of Ion-Exchange resin from Burntwood, Staffs, to a Company (AGFA) in Coal Road Leeds: 104-miles away.
Ion-Exchange resin is heavy so 2-vehicles were needed; one was a humble Vauxhall Astra estate and the other a relatively modern Vauxhall Cavalier (our salesman's company carâ¦).
A colleague of mine (George) some 7-years older than I drove the Astra: actually the Astra was the works van/estate that he also used for personal use. George was always a very steady driver attending (boringly) to each and every speed-restriction, etc.
I drove the Cavalier (and was running a Carlton GSI3000, a Lotus Elan, and an MG Metro Turbo at the time).
Now I didn't particularly like this salesman: I don't particularly like salesmen in general, but that is beside the point I am trying to make here; but this one was forever trying to get the last mile, and I mean the very-last mile, out of every tankful of 3-star.
On this particular day, however, I'd a fairly full tank of 'his' petrol.
The run to Leeds was uneventful, however, once empty of our cargo we set off back to Burntwood, George behind driving steadily as was his usual style, and me giving the Cavalier the FULL-beans!
Now the run from Leeds to Burntwood was mixed with city roads to start, then on to the M1 motorway, the A38 around Nottingham, Derby, Burton-on-Trent, to Lichfield; and then onto the urban stuff once again to Burntwood.
A great run, and I'd thoroughly enjoyed it; and the car felt as though it had been properly exercised throughout the run. And very little petrol left in the tank, oh the joy of itâ¦
So, there was I sat in the office tidying up my paper work when through the door, as casual as you like, appears George! No way!!!
How the f***! have you got here in this time? Which way did you come? Did you go to the right or left of the road works on the M1? Have you been givin' it some? How the hell have you made such good time? How? No way George, no way!
But he had, and the lesson my friends was/is clear; and we've all experienced it. George had driven exactly the same route as I and at a more sedate pace, but that momentary traffic for him and/or for me had made the time difference over the 140-miles.
So with all of these forthcoming cars from Audi (or whoever) a nano second here or a nano second there isn't worth a cent in real road terms.
Another 50 or 250bhp is truly inconsequential on today's roads, and it is getting worse.
SAFETY, especially with family or friends in the car, is far more important.
The RS3 with its marriage of a 2.5 litre 5-pot engine, 7-speed DSG, relatively small on-the-road envelope, quattro drive train, and 4-doors, is hugely effective, in ALL weathers. It IS a very SAFE road car.
Whatever else you might get, however good it looks in the magazine and/or in the showroom, however much you spend and/or borrow, you ain't gonna' get much better than what you have now as year-round road car for UK use. The times and roads are now certainly a-changin'.
PS: George is no longer with us but I remember him well as the best pressure vessel 'welder' I have ever come across; he was also a gentleman and a friendâ¦
so I guess they need to use his talents to get one over on Mercedes !
