December 23, 2016
Giles and I flew to Austin to pick up his new ride and bring it home. Here are some highlights.
It all started in the wake of VW’s dieselgate, when Giles and I had to decide how we would replace our TDIs. After much consideration and a fair amount of testdrives, I ended up with a 2016 BMW 328i (maybe I’ll write about it later). Giles, too, decided on a BMW, but true to his fastidious nature, he wanted a manual transmission which is nearly impossible to find in a new car. Fortunately, a dude in Austin was selling a 2014 M235i 6-speed — good enough to inspire a roadtrip.
After securing the deal, Giles made plane reservations, and I reserved four days for the trip back from Austin to Macon. That should give us time to linger in Austin for a day and avoid some highways on the drive east—we needed to test the car’s mettle after all. A short flight later (flights are always shorter when you’re in first class), David picked us up in a beautiful M235i. He took us for a drive to the Saltlick, a bit south of town to see what the car could do. I think it’s safe to say Giles was immediately smitten. A handshake and a plate of Texas brisket later, the car had a new owner.
Sweet (new!) ride.
Kidney grill: front view.
Sexy.
The above images were taken east of Austin along some random lake and pasture. We made another friend, too. As we took photos, a local became curious as to what these two dudes were doing.
