February 24, 2010
My first convertible! I had wanted a BMW convertible for years, and I remember I was so proud when I finally was able to get one (even if it was the middle of one of the most ridiculous winters I've ever seen). That car was a lot of fun to drive; I took it to Skyline Drive, I drove it to NJ, I'd even been known to drive it with the top down when it was probably quite a bit too cold (that's what heated seats are for!).
Sadly, I said goodbye to that car yesterday. As fun as it was to drive, it was starting to get electrical gremlins. Several warning lights came on and stayed on, despite the shop finding nothing wrong with any of the systems (and they let it pass inspection that way!). Within the past year I'd replaced the battery and the alternator and it still only started when it felt like it; turned out the seal on the windshield had dry-rotted and water got into the wiring and everything was starting to corrode. It was going to be a nightmare to fix and it was getting less fun to drive because I was so afraid it would break down, so I knew it was time for a change. I did some research, watched maybe a little too much Top Gear for my own good, then went to the dealership to trade in the BMW. And I'll admit, I did almost tear up when I went outside to make sure I had everything out of the car. But only for a minute. Because...
...I traded it in for a Mercedes SLK55 AMG!!
I love this thing. It has a hand-built 5.4L, 355hp V8 engine. It's a two-seat hardtop convertible (and you can even put the top down by remote control while you stand outside the car). It's a 2007 with 31,000 miles, but whoever owned it before must have just treated it as a weekend car because it's in essentially brand new condition and has almost every possible upgrade. The speedometer goes up to 200mph. And it looks slightly menacing. It's basically a slightly impractical tiny rocket and is an absolute joy to drive. I'm looking forward to many fun years with this car! :)
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