A year in...
 

So the other day I realized that I've had my 8 for more than a year. I bought it as a new '04, and after a couple of early problems, it's been smooth sailing. It's the first car I've ever modded (Richard Paul's short shifter, Racing Beat intake and ram air duct) and it's by far the sportiest car I've ever owned.

I just washed, waxed and detailed her yesterday and I find that very little of the luster of owning the car has worn off. I still turn back to look at the car when I walk away from it in parking lots. I still get exciting about taking turns much faster than most cars would dare, although still well short of what the 8 is capable of. This spring I started switcing off DSC whenever the roads are dry and I love the feeling of kicking out the back end a bit around corners. There's so much about driving that I've learned from this car and so much more potential there that inspires me to push my limits further.

I still find myself squirreling away money to spend on wheels and body kit parts, as well as fantasizing about hooking up a video iPod to the factory nav screen. I even think about whether I'll someday take the FI plunge and buy another car to be my daily driver so the 8 can be my weekend toy.

I love the way people check out the car, especially guys in STIs who seem to be trying to make themselves feel better because their cars are faster and more expensive, but deep inside they feel cheated to be driving such ugly machines with such cheap interiors.

To make a long post just slightly longer, this forum is what made me decide to buy the car and I've been visiting almost daily ever since. It was one of the best purchase decisions I've ever made. Thanks everybody! I love this car.

- Josh

Another satisfied customer,,,,OH HAPPY DAY !!!!!

This is SO true! One of the curious things though about the 8 is I find that it inspires me more to be a *better* driver, rather than simply a faster one. I don't think so much in terms of "how fast can I take this corner?" as "can I get every downshift perfectly smooth and arc into this corner gracefully?"

Maybe I'm just getting old, lol.

LOL, and I'm sure they're saying the same things (reversed) about us ;)

But yes, one of the reason I chose the 8 over an Evo was I was concerned that the novelty of having one of the fastest cars around would wear out much quicker than the more subtle joy of having one of the best ;)

I've owned mine for two years now, and I honestly love it more now than the day I bought it.