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Dad took it out for a test drive. He said it was misfiring slightly and was not quite so fast off the mark as he’d expect from a car that size, but aside from that it was in good order.

By that stage I was beyond such considerations. It was the cutest little thing to watch, very quiet and just zoomy, and very responsive. I loved it. I was convinced it was the most perfect little car in existence. I wanted it.

Dad asked the guy if he’d accept $3000 for it, and he agreed. And there it was. It was to be mine. We agreed to return the next morning to hand over the money, pick it up and sign the papers for it, and drove back to my Aunty’s flat. I was estastic. I felt delirious with joy. I was going to own the cutest little car ever.

Strangely enough, I slept very well, and morning arrived all too soon. We jumped in the rental car and drove off toward the centre city. Dad wanted to check the spark plugs before we finalised it, as he was worried if they might have been the source of the misfiring, so our first task was to find a Super Cheap Auto or Repco or something. Being the centre of Auckland, that was difficult.

After driving around and around and around for a good half an hour, we finally stopped for directions, and were pointed out a small Repco not far away. Unfortunately, they only had three of the right size spark plugs, which wasn’t very helpful. Then we had to get some tools for actually sticking the things in, which wasn’t easy either.

At last, a good hour late, we arrived at the car with the money and the tools and sent the guy a text. He arrived promptly, and he and Dad disappeared under the bonnet, from which they emerged sometime later, Dad apparently satisfied that the spark plugs were in good order.

Seeing as Dad had to drive the rental car I got to have a ride in the CRX with the Russian guy to the post office. It felt very low, and very speedy. It was awesome.

And then we exchanged a couple of papers, and it was mine.

We drove both cars to my aunty’s house where they dropped me off to pack up our stuff into the boot of my car. My car. My car.

My dad left to drive the Russian student back to his flat, drop the rental car back at it’s home at the other side of town and then bus back, while I sat and bonded with my new car. MY car. My car. *sighs ecstatically*

After a while I settled down to pack up our stuff, sending frequent glances out the window at my car as I did so.

At last I sat down to watch on of Keren’s movies to keep my mind from imploding. I watched Blood Diamond, a very powerful movie about the diamond trade in Africa and how the Africans were and are trod underfoot by the different factions struggling for wealth. It was a really, really heartbreaking movie. Obviously, being about the brutal sort of stuff that goes on in those places there was a lot of violence, and there was also quite a bit of swearing. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for younger audiences, and it might be good to have one’s parents screen it first… but it was really powerful.

It was most notable, however, for the fact that it was the first movie I’ve watched for… well, all year at least, that didn’t have any kissing in it. *eyeroll* I mean, I don’t watch all that many movies, but it seems that every single one without fail has at least one smooch somewhere, whether cartoon, action movie or documentary. Even Black Beauty had some pretty passionate horsy kissing going on… ;)

The most amazing thing about this one, though, is that there was even a slight romantic interest between the hero and heroine, and they had a moonlight chat alone over a glass – well, milkbottle, actually – of alcohol, yet it still didn’t get at all physical. How’s that for restraint? *sigh* Isn’t it awful that that’s so notably unusual nowdays? I mean, come on, people, the world does not revolve around pairing up!

*flicks the switch on budding rant, and returns to subject*

So Dad eventually returned, and we set off into the sunset. Or the afternoon sunlight. Whatever.

I was rather frightened at having my first go at driving the car with that much traffic around, country girl that I am. Traffic freaks me out, and that much traffic… *shudders* Especially Auckland traffic; they have almost as big a reputation for pushy driving as Californians.

At least the car was an auto, so I didn’t have to worry about driving and could just concentrate on the traffic. It wasn’t actually as bad as I had expected; I almost wrote off my car once by not checking my blind spot before changing lanes, but thankfully Aucklanders have fast reactions. And he was very nippy at changing lanes and taking off from intersections and stuff; he’s such a little, low thing, he has hardly any drag at all.

We filled up with 96 a little way along. It’s a few cents dearer than 91, but the car thrives on it! It was pre-igniting a little on 91, but that all got cleared up with the better fuel.

Fuel is just so expensive, though. I got thirty litres for about $55 dollars the other day, with a 22cent per litre discount! An American gallon is four and a half litres, so that puts it into perspective for you Americans. It’s like… six and a half gallonsish. And that’s with a 10%ish discount.

Thankfully he isn’t a thirsty car!

He’s beautiful to drive, absolutely beautiful. He sits so low and sleek on the road and corners like a dream. His acceleration is marvellous; he’ll just go when you put your foot down. It’s a big change from driving the slow, heavy MPV! His speed is just right, too; he’ll sit at 100ks up any sort of hill without trying at all, yet he isn’t constantly trying to go at 150ks like a bigger sports car would! He’s comfortable, too. Absolutely the nicest car I have ever driven. Not that I’m in the habit of taking Ferraris or Peugeots for spins, but yeah… :D

I drove until 10pm, when my licence turned into a pumpkin, and then Dad took over over the Napier-Taupo. That’s a long stretch of road over a bit of a hilly section. It isn’t quite mountainous, but they’re pretty high and there’s a lot of climbing there! Plus it’s one of the windiest sections of state highway in New Zealand, and that’s saying something.

Dad really pushed him hard, but he just flourished on it, it was absolutely beautiful, I tell you! He sits so steady on the corners; she just needs a bit of accelerator to pull her out and he’ll keep her speed smoothly the whole way. He tried some 45k bends at 100k, and there was no hint of lurch in him. That’s the equivalent of about 30 mile bends for you Americans; basically a very sharp C shaped corner.

In other words, the kind of corner you just don’t find in America. We toured all around the States - three months constantly on the road - and saw nothing of the sort. The sharpest of bends we saw over there would just be 70k-ish ones here. For one thing, there’s no need to build that sort of road over there. Americans have Space and Flat Land, two things us Kiwis are rather short on! I have the testimony of numerous Americans that they have never seen roads as terrible – which is American for windy and narrow, of course – as ours. I don’t doubt that up in the mountains somewhere they have some proper bends, but other than that… well, face it, Americans just don’t do curves. When they find a mountain in the way of one of their roads they go through it, not over it.

*flicks rant switch again*

Anyhow, I’ve loved every moment of driving him. And that’s absolutely true – I even enjoyed it at the coldest, most uncomfortable point, when my fingers and toes were ice and I could hardly keep my teeth from chattering. Convertibles are cold. Especially at night. *grin*

He’s so incredibly eager and responsive, always ready to dive into action. He’s very quick off the mark, accelerating very fast and smoothly right from a standstill. It’s incredibly cute how responsive he is; the slightest touch of the brake or accelerator and he’ll act immediately. No waiting for the turbo to kick in like one must in the MPV!

Plus he has the most adorable wee face. There isn’t much sophistication in it, but there’s an abundance of eagerness and a perpetual excitement that is very endearing. He’s so gorgeous; I love every bolt of his body.

Even though I’ve spent all my life savings on him already, and have just enough to fill him up with fuel five times before I’m dead broke, I don't regret it a bit. I just badly need a job.

But first I need to think him up a name…