ver since we've got
our New Beetle, I've noticed that I've been more apt to notice (is this
confusing, or what?) other cars.
It's something that makes me feel a little bit guilty, like the happily-married
guy who still checks out a girl going by (speaking hypothetically, of course).
I have my dream car, but still I make a comment like "nice wheels!" when
something sleek and shiny goes by, which is usually followed up with, "but
I like our Beetle better," like our car has a brain or something (well,
it might -- ever see those Herbie movies?). I think it's been ingrained
into my psyche, the motto of America, which is "more More MORE!!!"
Even worse, I've got my wife in on the deal, too. We were going
to go to the San Diego Auto
Show last weekend, but for a multitude of reasons -- not the least
of which was exhaustion -- we didn't feel like it. So instead, we
brought the Auto Show to us. We checked out the internet site I linked
to above, and went through almost the entire slide show, which must have
been every car they drove into the Convention Center. Some of my
favorites:
Dodge Viper
-- the only car I've ever seen that I think I'd be afraid to drive.
You almost expect to see a machine gun rising out of the hood of the car
when you see one driving down the road (which I have had the privilege
of doing, I might add).
Chrysler
P.T. Cruiser -- this thing looks like something out of the 1940's.
The absolutely amazing thing is, they are going to start at under $20,000.
They look vaguely like a Beetle, if you squint hard enough.
Obviously I have a thing for short, squatty cars, so both the Toyota
Echo and the Ford
Focus have gotten my attention. And I wouldn't usually be thrilled
over Toyotas, but the new Celica
looks very, very different, almost space-shippy.
There's a new sports car by Audi -- of all people -- that kind of looks
like a souped-up squashed Bettle. This doesn't sound great, but it's
really cute. I recently found out it was designed by the same people
that did the New Beetle, so I guess any similarities aren't really a coincidence.
It's called the TT -- probably the stupidest name I've ever heard for a
car because it sounds to me like a bodily function. ("Mommy!
I hafta go 'TT'!")
But, like I said, this is
still my favorite. There's only one thing I'm concerned about --
how to fit a child safety seat into the microscopic back seat. I
guess if they could shove 20 people into the old Beetles, we could probably
stick an extra seat in the new ones.
