Vinyl, yeah. When I got it, I guess Audi couldn't keep up with the demand, and there weren't many A4s to choose from (2 in the whole state of Indiana!).

Vinyl?
zt zt zt!

Leatherette!

Then, they wanted to differentiate the smaller engine A4 from the V6 which had leather.

Today, they are all leather, except the base A4 which is available in cloth. A high quality cloth, mind you, and that would be my choice! (I hate leather on a hot day, so, basically every day here).

Hey! I HAVE the V6, and still got, uh, leatherette! (Now I remember that term!) Leather was an additional option at that time. I remember the salesman telling me that leatherette is easier to clean. :rolleyes:

Although with those poor excuses for cupholders (guess you shouldn't be drinking anything going 100 mph down the Autobahn, eh?), he may have had a point!

You nailed it. No beverages at that speed. Verboten! Therefore, no cupholders, uh uh.

I didn't sell Audis yet at that time, so I wasn't aware of the leather option. But it is true, leatherette is easier to clean. No longer available now.

Gryphon,

It looks as though the Freelander and 9-3 are real bargains--unreliable luxury cars for well under 30K.

I like my SAAB 9-5 which has seat heaters AND ventilated [/b] seats (they are for keeping you cool, in case you were wondering)! :rolleyes:

I spent a good deal of time on the Autobahn this summer - most of what I saw were Passats, Golfs, and a host of other small nondescript boxy things. I've seen more Mercedes, BMWs, and Audis here in California.

Folks who have tiny pianos might be interested in a smartcar

Strange. Could it be that you just didn't look fast enough?

PS: The boxy things may have been Fiat Pandas. Watch the next James Bond movie for more...

Whippen-boy:

"Ventilated seats" may come in handy on the Autobahn - especially if you try your luck driving too long on the left lane ......

That's where you get seriously *stared down* by some flashing laser lights of those same cars which, as you state, you see plenty of in California.

When they show they weren't exactly built for California Sunday drives.....

P.S. I love Saabs: they feel like my Volvo and have an even larger trunk!!

norbert

97 posts and counting on German Pianos..

Opps maybe 20 post pianos and 77 post on cars and counting

When I was growing up my mom said I always wanted a corvette, I remembered it was a porsche, one with the big whale tale
Here is what I tell my engineer friends when they find out I spent more on my Piano then they and I did on cars. They seem to enjoy and understand the qualitive comparison.

NO FLAMES Please all for fun

Fazilio= Ferrari
Bosendorfer = Porsche
Steinway = Corvette ( with GM quality control )
Yamaha = Honda ( They make the NSX too! )
Pearl River and others = Hyundai


Like I said I thought I wanted a Corvette then I test drove a real sports car. Now I want the one with the whale tale!

Lets debate cars some more on Piano World or should it be

Norbert - I know better than to drive in the left lane on the Autobahn! Unless I want to try a little SCHNELL myself!

Eins, you are absolutely right. The big Audis, MBs and BMWs were not much more than a streak. So fast, that it is hard to tell exactly what went by!

IgnorantHusband, I see the logic in your list. I would change one thing: I know Bösendorfer makes a Porsche model, however Bösendorfers to me seem more grandiose than a sleek Porsche. I think some of these feelings are due to the antique looking angled tail on some models, as well as the fraktur typeface in their logo. When I think of Bösendorfer, I envision something gigantic and old-world elegant, so I would equate it with Mercedes-Benz - especially the biggest land-yacht model!

Speaking from experience I personally think Grotrian=Porsche. Manitou [/b] has also said that:
Penny [/b] said it too: On the "other" piano forum, DinosaurTales agrees with you that Faziolis are like Ferraris. I thought it was interesting that she equates the Grotrian with a Dodge Viper: DinosaurTales\'s comment . I understand that completely, even though I think it is fun to equate German pianos with German cars.

And...yes I know that Bösendorfer is not German!

Gee, is there an Austrian car??

There is or at least was an Austrian car: Steyr. Today they produce the 4wds for Mercedes and cars of other makes, just like a production service provider. And they still make tractors. Don't know how one of these compares to a piano...

They're almost the same.

If you push either one downhill - they have all four wheels turning......

norbert

The difference?
I think a piano will burn longer.

German piano manufacturers are quite adamant (so I've heard ) about not putting beverage holders on their pianos - obviously they don't want pianists becoming distracted when playing at high speed.
:p

Its clear cars are more exciting and debatable then pianos

Everyone has an association with Porsche. And thus we now have the Porsche of SUVs

I really wanted to add a few more piano brands
MH, Estonia, Kawia, Grotian, Schimmel, Vogel, etc. etc

and cars

I don't dare put the cars I might associate

It would be funny to get the flames

Actually, that would be an interesting question and I'll start a new thread for it. I don't really know all these piano brands as well as I know cars, so that will teach me about pianos.