Greetings from Moscow (new V8GT Owner)

[moscowchris]

Greetings everyone,

I have been lurking on the forum for a few weeks to find out more about the car before finalizing my purchase. Just over a week ago I forked over some hard earned cash to a local audi dealer who had a silver 2001 V8 in their showroom (saw it by accident when picking up my g/f's A5).

This weekend was the first real weekend of spring so I picked her up yesterday and, so far, I am really enjoying the car. This is my first non-japanese sports car so it will take a while to get used to I think (I currently also own a Nissan Silvia, Nissan Skyline GTR and had a 300ZX with 650+hp that was stolen last year )

I'm looking forward to getting some good advice on the forum and sharing the things that I learn about the car.

Pictures are to follow - as I need to get my new license number first (A 007 CC)

Chris

[Bibs]

Zdravstvujte Chris, welcome to LEF. Will you be able to drive the car all year round, doesn't Moscow get pretty chilly?

Oh, and pics are very welcome

[mangel]

Congrats and welcome,

Suggest you get some good security on this one in that neck of the woods!!

[Günter]

my greetings to the cold east

not sure about that an Esprit-V8 can satisfy an Skyline owner !? Especially in stock condition not the right one to attract young Russian upper-class

(what i mean: low quality and no gangsta-*bling bling*..)

[moscowchris]

Thanks for the welcome

Bibs: weather can get a little bit chilly for sure - but I drive a truck mostly in winter. I had the Silvia out a few times and it was amusing enough even with winter tyres - I like to drift - but I also need to go forwards sometimes. I think the challenge with the Esprit is to find winter tyres in the appropriate size - I did look just incase I go insane

Mangel: In terms of security - you are probably right - but given there are so few Esprits here it is probably not a good car to steal as it attracts too much attention. I got stopped by 'our friendly policemen' 3 times today just so they could chat about the car! Nice to have a rarity!

Gunter: My Sky is in the UK and is 'fairly stock' - only dynoed 425 at the wheels. I know what you mean about bling though. I had an R8 for a while last year courtesy of my friends in audi and it certainly turned more heads - but the transmission on that thing is worse than the Esprit

[Günter]

@Chris:

it's not strictly 'criticism' on your positive thinking -bud as you say Nice to have a rarity

I would say : it isn't good in some cases -just think about how friendly Russian (or Moscow) policemen can go if one of your local oligarch wants something... . Would say in those days it is more important to be 'in stealth mode'

Sorry for being so sad, you know -is probably my background and the experiences with government, authority's and the way of civilization in the *Eastern Block*.... .

Anyway, back to topic -funny thing to hear that even an R8 is not 'perfect German' in all points

Edited March 30, 2009 by G

[USAndretti42]

Welcome to the forum, Chris.

That doesn't sound a very Russian name so I take it you are an ex-pat. What took you to Russia?

[fmxa]

Welcome Chris, and it never ceases to amaze me the places Esprits turn up in! Post some pics ...

[sky_cz]

so watch out your car there, moskow is .............ehm 'black hole" for exotics cars .................or mby u r member of boris***

[esprit350]

welcome to the forum Chris, and some pics with the kremlin in the backgound would be great........

[moscowchris]

Pics will follow shortly, just need the weather to get a little better (rain predicted for the next week or so). The rain isn't so bad - it is all the dirt from the melted snow and crud they use on the road that just makes everything dirty and unphotegenic

USAndretti42, you are right - I am an expat but I've been here five and a half years and love it. The people (in general) are warm and open. You just have to be careful of the bureacracy which can drive you mad and have some good contacts in the right places.

SKY, one of the reasons I 'acquired' a Moscow city government license plate number was to deter the bad folks But you are right - it does pay to have good connections :)

[Jukka]

Welcome to the forum, Chris.

[Iconic Ride]

Welcome to LEF, Chris. Am eagerly awaiting piccies.

I'm also a bit curious as to the current Moscow residents' ability to express their thoughts "openly" in today's Russian political environment. My wife and I visited Moscow during pre-glasnost days, and one of my most vivid memories is of arriving at the international airport to the sounds of.........nothing. It was as crowded as any other large airport, yet you could have heard a pin drop from 50 feet. Everyone spoke in hushed whispers. It was quite eerie, really. Additionally, on a later flight to Lithuania, our group (of strictly tourists) was kept separate from the other passengers, even boarded separately prior to the others. So my question to you is whether on not things have changed, or even possibly come full circle after a brief respite.

If you are unable to address such an inquiry online (or otherwise) without creating waves, I will understand completely. To even broach the subject is, perhaps, a test of the system in itself.

And if your association with the government hierarchy is of great magnitude, I never asked the question, I was never here, I don't know you, I've never heard of LEF, and some hacker has installed a trojan on my laptop that is directing invisible political probes to Moscow.

Just kidding, Chris. Right? Right?

Nostrovia!

John

[Günter]

No worries John, it's only the Ch* who have those *hackers* -and i bet you're not an Buddhist !?

Oh..and wasn't there an note in one of those 'strange seventies movies' that mentioned that the *Esprit* constructions blue-print (or at least the one of Q's-version) is well known in Russia

Edited March 31, 2009 by G

[moscowchris]

Iconic Ride, if you went through the airport now you'd notice it was pretty much like any other in the world... a lot of holiday makers and business travellers.

[Iconic Ride]

Thanks for the reply, Chris. That is encouraging to know. While the amelioration of decades of historically adversarial relations between diametrically opposed political systems is a challenging process, much progress appears to have been made. The "globalization" of the world continues apace. We are all on this rock together. Ain't no where else to go.

The very fact that an expat such as yourself has resided in Moscow for over 5 years is testimony to cooler minds having prevailed. Business ties between countries can only help in the continuance of better interconnectedness and a sense of common purpose.

An Esprit in Moscow...who would have ever thunk it?

[rogerch]

I passed through Moscow on my way home from Cortina that time, (small detour)

Reluctantly I have to concede that one of my successors reeked havoc on the streets of Moscow with a tank, for which on behalf of her majesty I humbly apologise, and hope you were able to restore the monument, bridge, etc.