1. How did you come to the decision of buying this car?
Thanks to being raised in a household that exposed me in equal parts to classic muscle cars, NHRA drag racing, rally, and touring car racing, I had a healthy fascination with all things automotive and automotive engineering-related.
I was always fascinated with the way that the VW/Audi vehicles we owned over the years were engineered and, later on, how they drove. When the W8 came out, I saw it as the perfect crossroads of everything niche thing I enjoyed about cars.
Sleeper station wagon? Check.
Quirky, unassuming Volkswagen on top of an Audi quattro platform? Check.
Available six-speed manual? Check.
Bizarre, expensive, over-engineered, and seductively smooth new WR8 engine crammed into a vehicle not intended for such a thing? Double check.
That, and I really just enjoyed the story. Equal parts understated and borderline-exotic engineering went into the thing for a future of the company that would never be realized. After a few years, it was gone. It’s a neat time capsule for a select few VW fanboys.
So naturally, I browsed Craigslist for 16 or so years until a cheap enough one popped up.
2. What has your ownership experience been like?
Overall, very good. It was pretty well taken care of by its (eight) previous owners, but even so, it’s racked up a hard 200k miles, all of which have taken place in our fantastic Minnesota climate. And everything still works, save for the passenger side heated seat.
I pulled it out of a dirt field where it had been sitting for a year, put gas in it, and drove it an hour to get home the day I bought it. I’ve not had to touch or repair anything on the engine outside of a cranky PCV valve. I did an output shaft seal on the transmission, it needed new CV axles, a general cleanup and normal high-mileage car maintenance stuff. And it doesn’t even leak oil.
Since then I’ve just been driving it every day, road-tripping it around, cramming it full of camping supplies, remodeling debris, you name it. Outside of the terrible yet shockingly consistent gas mileage, no complaints.
3. What is your fondest memory with this car?
This years’ winter road trip to a buddy’s cabin was probably the best memory, actually. Nothing like loading the car to the roof with people and gear and heading out on some long north-woods forest roads in the dead of winter. She hauled us out and back in perfect comfort, smooth as can be. And with the traction control fuse pulled, also did some excellent all-wheel drive skids.
4. Why do you love cars?
I love learning how a machine works, doing your own work on it, and then putting it to use. It’s especially satisfying to do so on a vehicle that you care about, as it’s not only fun to drive and experience in its own right, but it also facilitates some of the best shared experiences in my opinion.
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If you would like to participate, just answer the above four questions and submit one to three photos of your daily driver to milhousevanh at geemail. Thanks and have fun!
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