[thumper_svx]

Well, for the record I wasn't attempting to be negative... just putting my thoughts on paper.

In all honesty, the SVX is still a wonderful car and a part of me would actually love to keep mine going indefinitely. The simple fact is that my life doesn't have room for a second car any more, which is what the SVX will become because what I need more than anything is a daily driver I don't have to fix every other weekend. While my SVX isn't bad (I've only had to fix a few minor things here and there) I do fear for the future with her. Generally she's more reliable than my '94 or my last '96, but if something serious breaks I can see that I will end up with the car parked in the garage for some time before I will find time to fix it. Given that my two car garage is already taken up by two motorcycles and my SVX, and my SVX will soon have to make way for a brand new BMW... well... I just don't have the room or the time for the car any more.

For its time, the car was epic and beautiful. Even by todays standard the SVX is a fantastically gorgeous machine that manages to turn heads. But time has marched on and I'm afraid that my life has done the same. Sometime in the next 2-3 years I plan to sell my house and move to an apartment or a villa. When I do that I'll have even less garage room than I do now, but I'll be shot of this elephant on my back called a mortgage. Maybe some financial minds will tell me I'm crazy but in the next few decades I see myself finding much more advantage to my life being flexible rather than tying myself to a suburban lifestyle I never really wanted in the first place. Before I get into a seriously off-topic rant about where I think the world is going, I'll just say that having something like the SVX is just not going to be compatible with my vision of the world in 10 years... though it'll certainly suit somebody else far more.

So I'm enjoying my SVX while I have her. I am driving her when I can, reveling in the fact that the SVX is by far the most comfortable commuting car I have ever owned, and can hold its own on twisty roads. With a good stereo system (which I have) the car is actually virtually perfect except for all the points listed above. It will pain me to part with this car because it's by far the best SVX I've ever owned... but part with it I will.

On the flip side, I'll probably still lurk here like I did the last couple of times I "left the fold"... and the SVX and its community will always have a special place in my heart.