Cars. What does the typical audiophile drive?

Bigamp, I just put 'em on the tee and let you guys swing away...LOL

So Pluck, where in Seattle do you park your Phaeton? My car is probably half the size of the Phaeton and I am very careful where I leave it. I certainly never let valets (except at the Canlis) park for me.

"I used to have BMWs but they don't hold up well."

Tbg, curious as to your definitive statement re BMWs. My current ride is - to date - the most reliable car I've ever owned, and I've owned several of the more respected marques, including Porsche and another BMW. It's also the best performance car I've owned. Ironically, I test drove the Cayman before buying my M3 and wasn't particularly impressed - and yes, it was the S. Before buying our LR3 I test drove both the Cayenne S and the Turbo. Wonderful automobiles but I wouldn't take either of them in the places the LR has travelled. As a disclosure I should mention that I've owned two LRs and a Range Rover, so I was probably predisposed to LRs anyway.

As to the Audis, they are superb automobiles. I really enjoyed driving the S4 and the RS4 is in another league. The S6 is also wonderful but, alas, it is not an M5. But that hardly detracts from the S6's allure. Just my opinion.

Rugyboogie, your sentiments about the 70's RS' are, IMO, spot on. But I would disagree that the new RS' are bulky and unresponsive - or were you referring to the newer Carrera's? (Actually, I really enjoyed the Carrera 4 when I drove it in '05 - great tracking, sensitive steering, good braking; and AWD in the NW is an added bonus...) But, if performance and drivability are the requisites, I would probably look to the new Exige GT rather than a Carrera 4 or even a vintage or contemporary RS. About a third the cost of the new RS, it might not be as fast, but it's certainly as quick and handles every bit as well. I have to admit, lookswise, either your RS or a new one beats the heck out of the Lotus and, at 6'5" I can barely squeeze into one - and need help getting back out. Like you, I'm into cars that handle. That $4K I put into a suspension upgrade on my E46 M3 could just as easily have been put into audio toys, but the HK in the Beemer makes up for it...LOL.

You're right, Tvad. We're largely oral compulsive cargo cultists.

Bigamp, btw, Diamond (Guns, Germs and Steel) is a professor at my alma mater so I'm predisposed to support him, but the crux of that particular book is hardly new. Other cultural geographers have noted that America's political/military superiority from the mid-nineteenth century to the present is due - not just primarily, but almost exclusively - to the fact that the American continent has contained the most readily available resources and that Americans have proven to be the most ardent harvesters of worldwide resources. Of course, as a result we have a slew of gas guzzlers from which to choose, not to mention the wide selection of high end audio componentry derived from those resources... As I recall, Diamond doesn't address the ecological value of solid state versus tubed electronics, though there HAS to be some connection, no?