Good-bye to my R129

gramey

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Well after much humming and haring I said good-bye to my SL320 today and replaced it with an Audi S4 cabriolet. It's nowhere near as pretty, the ride is harsh and it doesn't waft you down the road like an R129 does. But step on the loud pedal and stir the manual gearbox and it moves at a fair rate of knots and grips the road like a fat kid holds a bag of sweets.
Hindsight may well prove this to have been a rash decision but only time will tell? :)
 

V6Matty

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Congratulations on the new car, we won't judge you too much for the choice ;):p

What I'd you do with the 129?
 

flowrider

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I can't believe you sold the SL. I have also recently bought an Audi, an S5 Sportback, but i still have my SL500.
 
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gramey

gramey

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Congratulations on the new car, we won't judge you too much for the choice ;):p

What I'd you do with the 129?
I traded it in, he offered me a price that whilst it could have been easy to refuse was much better than several other dealers regardless of the price the cars they were selling.
 
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gramey

gramey

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I can't believe you sold the SL. I have also recently bought an Audi, an S5 Sportback, but i still have my SL500.
Sadly my financial circumstances don't permit me to have two cars, to be honest I regretted it on the way home in so much as in the SL old as it was it still felt special. The S4 feels just like my old VW Passat, hardly surprising consider the number of parts they share, but for the type of roads I drive on it's better suited to my needs.
 

LostKiwi

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I'm disappointed you sold it. I'm sure you'll end up regretting it in a few years to...
The S4 is incredibly capable - the Quattro system is really very good but I always feel Audis are a bit numb - a bit like a screwdriver... Does the job admirably but not all that much fun to use.

See you back in an MB soon ;)
 

John Laidlaw

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Hope you enjoy the S4 for time to come, but we’ll get you back
I'm disappointed you sold it. I'm sure you'll end up regretting it in a few years to...
The S4 is incredibly capable - the Quattro system is really very good but I always feel Audis are a bit numb - a bit like a screwdriver... Does the job admirably but not all that much fun to use.

See you back in an MB soon ;)
my sentiments entirely in both statements...wish I’d had the room to have kept my SL too, even if it was a troublesome heap!
 

00slk

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I did my time at Audi/VW, best of the best was the 200 Turbo, though the short wheel base 4WD Quottro was in a league of its own, don't become a typical Audi/Golf driver will you. :eek:
 

daibevan

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Hope you enjoy the new car:)
I'd have bought the SL off you, but I too can only run one car.:)
 
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gramey

gramey

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I did my time at Audi/VW, best of the best was the 200 Turbo, though the short wheel base 4WD Quottro was in a league of its own, don't become a typical Audi/Golf driver will you. :eek:
Sadly you can't find a decent 100 CD for sale these days let alone a 200, which is a surprise considering they were one of the original galvanised body cars and the engines seemed pretty indestructible. As for becoming a typical Audi/Golf driver no idea what that is but I certainly enjoyed myself on the country roads to my fathers this afternoon despite the wet roads. :)
 

Sasha94

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I had an A4 3.0 V6 before my CLK55 and I can understand the attraction, the S4 is a nice car but incomparable to an SL, one being a hard riding V8 4 seat, 4 wheel drive mean machine, the other a silky smooth V6 2 seater boulevard cruiser that was many more £££ new. Had I not previously had an A4, I’d have looked more seriously at an S4 when buying my CLK, but I discounted one on the basis of effectively buying the same car twice and I didn’t want to do that. I think the manual box helps them too, the auto makes you wish you’d gotten another Merc!

Also, much pics of the new steed are needed!!! :)
 

00slk

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Sadly you can't find a decent 100 CD for sale these days let alone a 200, which is a surprise considering they were one of the original galvanised body cars and the engines seemed pretty indestructible. As for becoming a typical Audi/Golf driver no idea what that is but I certainly enjoyed myself on the country roads to my fathers this afternoon despite the wet roads. :)

The 100 was a nice car, the 200 was even nicer. These were all new and some up to 2years old when I was there, be interesting to see how the have stood the test of time, though as you say very few on the ground nowadays, they all had a 5 year rust warranty on the bodies, maybe they met another fate :(
Most overly spirited drivers and no option indicators for our beloved VAG personal ;)
 

LostKiwi

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The 100 was a nice car, the 200 was even nicer. These were all new and some up to 2years old when I was there, be interesting to see how the have stood the test of time, though as you say very few on the ground nowadays, they all had a 5 year rust warranty on the bodies, maybe they met another fate :(
Most overly spirited drivers and no option indicators for our beloved VAG personal ;)
I had the successor to the 200 - the early A8 4.2 V8 with full aluminium body - surprisingly hardly any of these around from that era either.
 

flowrider

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My S5 has the s-tronic auto which i find to be silky smooth, more so than on my previous ML350 which had a nice gearbox too. The S5 is the 3.0l V6 version and is very different to drive compared to my SL500. The S5 is definately a potent motor compared to the lazy V8 in the SL but being so different to drive i love them both.
 
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gramey

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Well I woke up this morning with a tinge of regret but that disappeared as soon as I took a drive through the B roads of Suffolk into Norfolk to visit my father today. For the first time in 18 months despite the wet weather I enjoyed driving rather than just going from A to B. The SL was lovely but it lulled you into that lazy waft along Sunday morning drivers style whereas the S4 with a manual gearbox wants to be driven. It's not a particularly pretty car like an SL but if you like your driving old school with three pedals and a glorious soundtrack the S4 fits the bill. :)
 

s5tuart

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Glad you're happy with your choice. I thought I was going to have to sell my beautiful SL last year, just because of practicalities, but so far I've managed to avoid selling it and still enjoy it every time I drive it. :D
 

JBell

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I like the S4 in Cabriolet guise, it is a good looking car, quick, lovely engine and 4x4 makes it very sure footed
 
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gramey

gramey

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I had an A4 3.0 V6 before my CLK55 and I can understand the attraction, the S4 is a nice car but incomparable to an SL, one being a hard riding V8 4 seat, 4 wheel drive mean machine, the other a silky smooth V6 2 seater boulevard cruiser that was many more £££ new. Had I not previously had an A4, I’d have looked more seriously at an S4 when buying my CLK, but I discounted one on the basis of effectively buying the same car twice and I didn’t want to do that. I think the manual box helps them too, the auto makes you wish you’d gotten another Merc!

Also, much pics of the new steed are needed!!! :)
I shall post some pics when the weather improves although to be honest it looks just like any other boring A4 cabrio, it's certainly nowhere near as pretty as my SL was. I actually drove an A4 3.0 Quattro cabriolet with a manual gearbox before I bought my SL and it was quite good fun to drive but a couple of things condition wise put me off.
As you say the SL was a lovely boulevard cruiser but I rarely drive on dual carriageways or motorways so it never really felt comfortable pushing along on A & B roads. The S4 on the other hand eats them up and spits them out with a lovely growl emitting from the back as it does so. :)
 
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gramey

gramey

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I like the S4 in Cabriolet guise, it is a good looking car, quick, lovely engine and 4x4 makes it very sure footed
Even though VAG clutches aren't amongst the best I really enjoying being back in a manual car, proper old school three pedals, double de-clutching on change downs on the approach and firing it round a bend, love it! :)
 
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gramey

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So if I wait for the weather to improve I'll be waiting a long time so here it is, I still miss the gorgeous looks of the SL and I'm sure give it a while longer the prices will go up as they've been forecasting for the past few years. But for now I have to accept the S4 is comparatively aesthetically challenged but enjoy the drive. :) Audi S4.jpg
 

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