It’s just a tiny smattering of flakes, but it’s a sign.

Winter is here.

youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcJWFvKQdM8

As a new owner of a sports car, I can safely say that yes, I look at other sports cars. And covet the models I didn’t get — Porsche 911 GT3, antique green MG, BMW M3. And this, the Audi R8. drool

 

I took my new car back to the dealer to get a sealant coating on the paint job. Yes I know I can T-cut it once in a while to get it to showroom shiny condition, but well, I’m lazy.

They gave me a temporary car, what they call a loaner. Shows how Americans can’t live without their cars. This one is a tornado red Elantra, very easy to drive and, heehee, made me feel like I’m sitting higher up than the Tib. It also has huge stickers at the side and back that screams that it’s a loaner vehicle. Like LOANER !!1! Don’t sell me! I don’t belong to the person driving me, don’t blame me!!

The long and short of it is, I bought a car.

Thursday I went to a friend’s house to look at her 2 cars, both of which she needed to sell. I had my eye on one of them, an SUV that drove really really well and I was keen on.

Saturday I went out with Car and her family to carshop with her mom. It was a big Hyundai dealer, and her mom had her eye on a Sonata. So we were walking around the lot, full of all sorts of vehicles. I idly looked a a few, not having any particular interest in any of them.

Until, at the far corner, we came across this.

Small. Sporty. Shiny black. Red leather seats.



It was a 2008 Tiburon. I’d never heard of the model before. But it called to me. I looked, and looked, and looked. And Car said, go for a test drive.

It’s a manual 6-speed. Low on the ground. What can I say? It felt good. There was a touching story with the car, a father bought it for his son who had a terminal illness. It never got driven, though it was appreciated. The son passed away, and the car came back to the dealer, with under 100 miles on it. To all intents and purposes it was a new car. Original price $28k, and this week it just got reduced to just under $19k. A combination of the economy and manual transmission meant a few test drove but none took it on.

So I did. There wasn’t any question, from the minute I got in.



Specs:

• 2008 Hyundai Tiburon (aka Hyundai Coupe) SE
• 2.7-liter DOHC 24-valve V6
• front wheel drive 6-speed manual
• front airbags, side-impact airbags, anti-lock brakes, Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• cruise control
• Kenwood mp3 sound system
• power tilt-and-slide glass sunroof
• red leather seats with black cloth inserts

I also got a nice deal on a 10 year warranty, half-price sealant treatment. I can’t stop touching it. Didn’t take me long to get used to driving it. I’m not gonna start raving on and on about it. It just feels right.

full set at flickr.

Spent the day running around in one place. Very excited but very tired. More news tomorrow.