For April the Gulf Coast Region we will be holding their first meet during the week.  I understand that that there are a few other car clubs that hold monthly meetings during the week so we thought we would try something new for a change.  The meet will be held on Monday April 3rd at the Hofbrau Haus in St Pete and will start at 7:00 PM.  By then the live band will be in full swing and they also have a special with the choice any of four different types of brats (sausages) on a roll for $3.00 when one orders a beer or soft drink, So join us for a bit of Gemütlichkeit, perhaps it will be a nice evening and we can sit outside in the Bier Garten.

Down the Road

March 4, 2017  

Gulf Coast Region 
Cars and Coffee Reeves Motorsport 6:30-8:30 
Reeve Motorsport Tampa  

Car Care Tech Session Audi Tampa 9:00-11:00 
Join us to learn how to keep your Audi showroom clean followed by brunch  
RSVP to bob@audiclubfl.org by noon March 1 in order that team at Audi Tampa  
can plan appropriately  

March 11, 2017  

First Coast Region 
Luncheon Schnitzel Haus German Restaurant 
13475 Atlantic Blvd, Jacksonville Email Kerry Green by Friday 12:00 noon Feb 10  
greenkerry@att.net, to RSVP for a head count

April 1, 2017  

Gulf Coast Region 
Cars and Coffee Reeves Motorsport 6:30-8:30 
Reeve Motorsport Tampa  

April 3. 2017  

Gulf Coast Region 
Hofbrau Haus St Pete 7:00 PM 
$3.00 Brat night with the order of any drink.  
Join the ACFL for our first week night meet  
RSVP March 31 noon to bob@audiclubfl.org

Some Final Thoughts  

Not that we will ever see a diesel in a small Audi car again but it is interesting that further development of really small diesels (below 2.0 liters) is being shelved.  

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/volkswagen-abandon-small... 

Between the fall out of the Abgas-Affäir and continuing stricter emissions the unintended consequences seem to multiply. Though I do not know for sure I would have to say LMP1 race cars at Sebring, Le Mans effort, A3,A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7 diesels and the list goes on.  It is really too bad. An entire segment of vehicles are no longer available and those who desire diesels now must turn to BMW and MB. 60 Minutes probably one of the originators of "Fake News" with their hatchet job on the Audi 5000 and sudden acceleration hit, a blow to Audi, which took many years to recover. With regards to sales this latest onslaught, which was not Fake News did not seem to cause a ripple as sales continued to clime during the entire period. Possibly due to generally lower fuel prices in conjunction with the fact that folks were not all that enamored with diesels. During the same period BMW sales tanked by close to 10%

One last item, I have had a fare amount of e-mail and comments regarding ticket prices for the Audi Motorsport Experience at Daytona and Sebring Turn One.  If you believe those were high, check out Club Sebring and guaranteed the food does not compare.  A couple of thoughts and I have had no discussions with Andy regarding this point.  Many years ago he would ask me what I thought was a reasonable price for the event but not recently. Everything has a value and that is determined by a number of factors, including what goes into it, supply and demand etc.  Be it a manufactured objects, raw materials, services, rock concert performers, race tickets, you name it. With regards to the experience, it has numerous components not the least of which are the years of successful execution (priceless) and of course a required profit factor. Without the former it would not be such a seamless and enjoyable event.  Supply and demand will eventually determine if the new higher pricing is the correct number and is viable.  Ironically for approximately $70 dollars more one could get a round trip special airfare to Dusseldorf on AirBerlin or at least that is what one recent emails advertised.  With a bit more time on my hands than brains I began thinking, always a dangerous proposition.  So depending on how one would rather use their expendable cash there are definitely some viable options out there. Of course four days in Germany may cost a bit more than Sebring but you might just be surprised.  For starters, I figured four nights at $ 150 per night in Sebring as a base price and that is low.  I found a 4 day car rental of an A3 stick and 4 nights at the Das Dyker Weinhaus outside of Dusseldorf as a base of operations to come to $560 certainly less than 4 nights at Sebring.  Now if you decide to go to Germany please send me a photo or two for our masthead and same goes if you decide to attend Sebring, perhaps we will use them.  Both are great experience and most likely undervalued considered ones interests and actual time available.  BTW if you decide to go to Germany you might even be able to work in a lap of the Nürburgring at speeds greater than the controlled parade lap of Sebring though rental car companies generally frown on that type of behavior.

Bob Greving  
President, ACFL  
bob@audiclubfl.org