The Incredible Shrinking Car
A few months ago some new folks moved into the neighborhood about 5 houses down. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen them out and about. Which is probably not unusual, because I’d bet they’d say the same about us.
I’m a car guy, so I noticed right off what vehicles they owned. On the side street from their house there is an old flat bed truck, which I assume is the fellows work vehicle. Some times it is warming up when we drive by on our way to work in the mornings. Her car (I’m guessing) is a less than 2-year old white Lexus IS 250. I know it is this new because it is the new body style. His car (again a guess) was a black 2006 or 2007 750i BMW. Again I it is of this vintage because of it’s toned down “Bangle-butt” rear end and that is when the “5”-liter engine was available.
German cars are known for their good brakes and part of the reason for that is the type of brake pad they use. But the down side to the pads is that in short order they turn your shiny silver wheels to dark gray then to black because of the dust they give off from use.
When they moved in the BMW’s wheels were shiny. I don’t think he ever washed those wheels in the first couple of months they lived there. Eventually they looked about the same shade of flat black as the tires. One evening on the way home I noticed the wheels were bright again.
The next day on the way home, there was a silver 650i convertible parked next to the Lexus. He washed the wheels because he was trading the big sedan in on BMW’s big 2-door ‘vert.
After a couple weeks, the wheels on the 650i weren’t even dull silver yet, it was gone. Now there is a gray 550i BMW sedan in the driveway.
Somehow I don’t think there will be a 3 series car there next. The Lexus IS is same class car. I’m betting that sometime in March there will be a black Z4M Coupe there.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 37
