Audi Club of Florida Newsletter January 2019

It has been a busy 2018 for members of the Audi Club of Florida. Drives to Key West, Gainesville, Yalaha, and Naples.  There have been numerous luncheons, a visit to a car museum a few suppers thrown in plus an Oktoberfest. Add in a new dealership opening plus the rollout of the new Audi A6 also followed by dinners and some of us have been kept quite active. To this one can add FixxFest, which will be planned as a big event on next year’s calendar of events. In addition, if you have been following this newsletter you have also noticed that two of our partner dealerships have also been offering some fantastic price points on new Audis over and above your ACNA discounts. So stay tuned, plan to attend the Board of Directors meeting and luncheon on January 5^th as we chart our course for next year’s events and catch a little of the practice at the Roar before the 24 at Daytona.  

 

Bob Greving

bob@audiclubfl.org

Gator Drive on the Old Dixie Highway

 

Time running out to Register

 

With the date now set for Saturday, February 2^nd the Gold Coast Region’s drive from E3 Customs at 4100 Powerline Road Pompano Beach to Naples Florida is in the planning ledger. We will be taking the old road along the Dixie Highway 41, the original Alligator Ally, including possible side adventures to some real backwater and hardscrabble locations such as Everglades City and maybe even Chokoloskee. Remain dialed in for this adventure. We will get our fill of gambling and possibly gators on this one. No stopping and loitering off road for safety reasons (we are serious here), unlike humans, beware, gators do not practice catch and release. In addition, no plinking at gators allowed, they out of season, which ended on November 1^st. The Gold Coast Region under the leadership of Andreas Regalado has secured reduced rate lodging at the Courtyard Marriott in Naples located at 3250 Tamiami Trail. Just ask for the Audi Club of Florida rate for your evening stay of February 2^nd. The drive will be open to both ACNA and Non-ACNA members and non-Audi owners.

 

Registration for this event will be $20 per ACNA member’s vehicle and must be received by January 29^th, 2019. These can be mailed to Andreas Regalado at 8006 SW 185^th Terrace Cutler Bay FL  33157-7424. Non-ACNA member registration is $25. Please include name, address, email address, phone number and if a member your ACNA number along with your check made out to Andreas Regalado.

Upon receipt of your registration, I will confirm the start time and provide additional information regarding the drive.

 

Andreas Regalado

infocreative305@gmail.com

 

 

First Coast Region Report (Jacksonville)

Gerry Simms Region Lead and BoD Member

gsimms_2000@msn.com

 

I had my monthly meeting with Audi General Manager Stephan Gronberg and there are some significant savings available at our local Audi dealerships:

December Audi Club Special: 15% off apparel, 10% off Gift Sets and Ugly Christmas Sweaters.

January Audi Club Special: 15% off bags

Check with the dealer some awesome deals available now based on availability!

2018 A6 & A7’s, 15% OFF MSRP

2018 Q5 & Q7’s, Audi Club Price + $2k incentive

2018 S6 & S7’s, 15% OFF! Huge incentive, if you want one now is the time!
Q5’s and A5’s now have Black Optic package available

.
2019 RS5 Sports backs are in at JaxPort, 2 are available for sale.

New Q3 will be available in July 2019, as a 2020 model. AudiJax has just a few remaining 2019s available and will not have any more after these go until the next model year comes out in July 2019.

Audi Jacksonville will be sponsoring the St. Augustine Beach Bash on New Year’s Eve. We are welcome to attend, as soon as details are finalized, they will be available on the AudiJax website and I will post in JaxRings.

Our January Monthly Luncheon Notification will be shared via Facebook and e-mail when planned

 

Gold Coast Region Report (Key West to WPB)

Andreas Regalado Region Lead and BoD Member

infocreative305@gmail.com,

 

Cars and Coffee Jan 12, 8:00 AM

Casavana Restaurant 8202 Mills Drive Miami, Florida

 

Gator Drive February 2nd, 2019

Registration is now open for the drive from the East Coast of Florida to the West Coast on Old US 41. See article above for details of contact Andreas Regalado for additional information at infocreative305@gmail.com

 

 

Gator Region (Gainesville)

Carlos Mora & Derek Hill Region Leads

cmora@audigainesville.com, dhill@audigainesville.com,

 

Emerald Coast Region (Panhandle)

 

 

Gulf Coast Region Report (Tampa Bay)

Bob Greving Region Lead and BOD member

 

Audi Clearwater

 

 

Audi Clearwater Report

Just drove the new A7, it is a knock out and quite spritely with that 335 HP turbo charged 3.0 V6. The car is stunning with the tumble home of the rear, reminiscent of classic wooden Garwood’s and Chris Crafts but oh so modern and svelte. Of course the Bang and Olufsen 3D Advanced, one could be sitting in the middle of Lincoln Center 15^th row listening to Beethoven’s 9^th.  It does not get much better.

JB who is the General Sales Manager has some unbelievable deals, $10,000 off of MSRP on in stock 2018 A6’s and A7’s. That should move some cars.  There is also $6,500 of 2018 in stock Q5 plus free Audi Care. To obtain these deals call Audi Clearwater and ask for JB, tell him you heard of these deals in the Audi Club newsletter and he will take care of you. The number is number is 727-324-1800. In addition, there are a number of new 2019 A7’s, Q8’s and I believe the first RS5 Sportback has arrived. It is a good time to do some car shopping.

 

Cars and Coffee Reeves Motorsport Jan 5^th 6:30 am

 

 

 

 

Down the Road

 

 

January: 

 

“Roar Before the 24” Daytona International Speedway, January 5^th 2019

The “Roar Before the Rolex 24” will be coming up the first weekend in January, accompanied by the ACFL Board of Directors lunch.  Lunch will start at 11:00 AM at the Hibachi Grill 1320 W International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach FL. We will have our own room for the meeting. We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as can make it for our first meet of the New Year as the ACFL plans the 2019 season.

24 Hours of Daytona

Audi Motorsports Experience, for ticketing and additional information, contact Andy Sattler at andrew@audimotorsportexperience.com 

February:

 

Alligator Ally drive on the Old Dixie Highway, contact Andreas Regalado for additional information at infocreative305@gmail.com

 

May:

 

Stay tuned, in the past; going back to as far back as 2010 and I am sure further many ACFL members have attended the QDM in Georgia. Stay tuned as we post information on this great event and make plans for a large contingent to join in on this great event.

 

….but then there is more

 

We still had no takers and remain in need of help.

 

It takes a lot of work to run the Audi Club of Florida and frankly we are in need of a two good Audi Owner/Drivers to assist. First off, we need an individual with more than a cursory knowledge of managing websites, internet, Microsoft Word, WordPress and Excel to handle our workload. This would include updating the website, transmission of the newsletter and chapter announcements, maintenance of the emailing list etc. Facebook, the newsletter and website are the chapter’s window to the world. It is how we communicate to not only the 400 plus ACNA members in Florida but the additional 1100 Audi Centric folks who have expressed an interest in the chapter and Audis. With over 1500 combined recipients of the newsletter that is one of the strongest and most valuable communications tools we have. We need an individual who understands the critical nature of this position to the continued communications and growth of the Audi Club of Florida and is willing to make this commitment.

 

Secondly, we are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys writing about their experiences with cars, Audis and the club, an editor and publisher of our newsletter. This would include but not be limited to drives; both here and possibly Europe, reporting and keeping an ear tuned to the latest form AoA and Audi AG and desires to put together and publish the Chapter’s newsletter.  We have again significantly simplified its format for placing on our website and reorganized it so in many ways, what is necessary is to plug in the articles and photos. The individual would be responsible for gathering the latest from the regions and other Audi sources and to place it in the newsletter. In addition, add their own twist and experiences behind the wheel of their cars and ownership over the years.  This communication along with others goes out to the 1500 and growing number of club members and enthusiasts on a monthly basis to keep all informed regarding upcoming events and activities Once again, we need an individual who understands the critical nature of this position to the continued communications and growth of the club.

 

At some point, we must re-assume part of the work from Bill Cho of National who has been helping us out on the dissemination of the newsletter and announcements over the past few months. His yeoman duty on our account is much appreciated. On behalf of the chapter, thank you, Bill, for your continued assistance on that score. 

 

If we do not fill these two positions the club will become stagnant for no matter how well and what we plan and then eventually execute, we will never be able to effectively get the word out and report on it to our members and the Audi community in the Sunshine state.

 

If you have an interest in either of these two positions, please drop me a line at bob@audiclubfl.org. Thank you.

 

 

It has come time and after way too many years I will be leaving the post as President of the ACFL and writer and publisher of the monthly ACFL newsletter. These responsibilities will be turned over to Gerry Simms who over the past year has led the First Coast Region numerous first-class events and has been of a great assistance to me in the running of the chapter. His enthusiasm, attention to detail, new ideas, leadership and strong partnership bonds as shown by the monthly meetings with the Jacksonville dealerships is just the ticket that the club needs to further our development and growth as a chapter. It is a recipe combined with his enthusiasm for success that he has successfully demonstrated. For a number of years, Gerry has been attending the ACNA monthly leadership calls so he is well in tune with the many new directions and initiatives of National. In addition, Gerry managed the record raffle sales for the club this year. I know all of you will give Gerry the same support you have given me over the years as he works with you to continue to grow the organization. It is your club and its success is a reflection of your participation.

 

I would also like to thank and express my appreciation to all of those who have helped me over the years both on and off the BoD, way too many to mention because I will probably leave out a few. What I will do is mention a few of the events, there have been a lot of fun and even a few incidents. I am sure some of you will remember and some of these go way back like the original RS4 Avant that MTM in Sarasota had and was giving test rides in a Sarasota through residential neighborhoods, the Audi that spun out on the parade lap at Sebring in the rain, the Peugeot racing team that parked their rental cars at turn 17 in the Audi coral and when finally threatened with towing finally moved them.  The lake Porsche at Sebring, the time the club ran the Audi hospitality suite above the pits at Sebring, then there were the “History of Progress Parade Laps” at Sebring and in 12 when a Georgia “County Mounty” pulled over two of us in an S7 test mule doing 35 MPH in a 50 MPH speed zone, “wanted to check out the car”. Drives to Key West, St Augustin for their Christmas Lights, a Car Shows in Miami, track events at West Palm Beach, numerous drives to Yalaha, a few visits to the Audi Distribution Center in Jacksonville. six “Drop the Flag” Le Mans parties at Reeves Motorsports and of course a few QDM’s and Rolex 24’s not to mention many Sebring’s, plus qualifying and the Historics Then one cannot forget more than a couple luncheons at an Alpine Steak House designed by one of our members, a cars and coffee where one of our members bought an S8, multiple visits to the Audi Technical Center in St Pete. Audis 100^th 2009 Birthday Party at the Tampa Bay Auto Museum, the showing of a movie at the Mahaffey Theater and closing down a street on St Pete Beach and taking over another theater (we filled it) to premiere an Audi Le Mans victory movie. There were also numerous visits to “The Roar Before the 24” There have been many more events but I am sure I am not only boring you but running out memory due to lost brain cells and suffering from short circuited synaptic connections. Future chapter events will only be limited by our imagination and the amount of planning and work we want to put into them. I will close by mentioning just one more and that was the planning and execution of an ACFL/ACNA event in Germany that two of our ACFL chapter members participated in. I bet there is a group of you out there who would love to drive a number of RS4 and RS6 Avants and replicate just such an event. Here is a link to that event of a few years past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL7nIKKB96k

 

 

 

Cheers and Especially Safe Motoring in the Future

 

Bob Greving

Past President, Audi Club of Florida

bob@audiclubfl.org