Author Archives: Toby White

About Toby White

I'm a doer!

Living with a V8

3 Replies

Audi A8

You all might be poo pooing me for driving a gas guzzling V8 in times of global warming crisis but in all fairness it’s not all that bad…

I was very pleased to see that I’m averaging 24Mpg in my Audi A8. This car has a 4,2 Litre V8 engine and is 17 years old.

I can drive the car in complete comfort with its Bose sound system and double glazing, did I mention that it’s an automatic too?

Admittedly it doesn’t quite make the same noise as an American V8, mainly due to its complex array of catalysers – if I fitted it with a straight through system it would probably growl!

Talking about growling – it does just that at 5500 RPM and higher – woops- there goes the fuel!

For all other Audi related posts click here

The social aspects of coffee drinking

2 Replies

coffee

I like coffee, who doesn’t though… but like all things it began as as a social drink.

That’s where I want to discuss why the Espresso is somewhat of an antisocical conundrum. Much like vodka shots. Get your caffeine fix and move on, bam, 1 minute and it’s gone. You can’t sit and read the newspaper or chat over that, and if you have too many you’re wired.

So, with respect to that, as much as I don’t mind shots of caffeine I do much appreciate a pot of coffee where I can lounge and take my time drinking it, and not for it to be gone in a mouthful… it also gives you an excuse to take a load off and relax, right?

Relax, that’s a rarely used word in the 21st Century, right?

Visiting Wales (in a 24 year old MX-5)

8 Replies

Bangor at NightA couple of weeks ago, I drove my friend back to Uni in Bangor, Wales for the next term. I could have driven my Audi, but I decided to drive my 24 year old Mk1 MX5… to test my mechanical expertise (it didn’t fall apart which is a good thing), and to give the engine a good run.

Needless to say it didn’t skip a beat … it took two of us, plus luggage, a roundtrip of around 236 miles, and me back, in total more or less 500 miles.

It ran cool, and cruised quite happily at 70… keeping up with modern traffic. Weighing in at under a tonne, that’s not surprising.

Bangor was an interesting night out, and I enjoyed it so much I’m going back for my birthday in  a week or so…

Want a cheap and fun to run roadster, you can do no wrong with buying a Mk1 MX5. £1000 will get you a very smart number, or if you’re willing to do a little work, then £500 will get you a runner!

More news on the roadster and projects can be viewed here: https://tobywhite.de/blog/?cat=2493