svxit

I posted about this a couple weeks ago to see if anyone else wanted to attend, but I ended up being the only 8 there. This event started at 8 am, but it was well worth the time. We met the staff, toured the facility and saw demonstrations on the right (and wrong) ways to do body work. They also are an ASF repair facility with the full repair bay purchased from/installed by Audi, manned by Chris Browning. He does reconstruction on hard hit Audis from Georgia to Jersey. They do about 3-5 A/S8's per month, but at the time they had the first damaged '08 TT in the country sitting there being worked on, which he described as a "hybrid" car because of its partial aluminum and steel construction. I also imagine that when wrecked R8s start materializing on the East Coast, this is where they'll go.

We actually spent a good deal of time going over my car and, in general, talking to "the class" about what happens when insurance companies get the bill for ASF repair work. To the companies, Wagonworks is viewed like... well, a building full of Sith lords and their apprentices! But, to us, they are really Jedi warriors with the know-how to repair these cars properly. There was also an informative discussion about how insurance companies like to push repairs to shops they have contracts with and away from places like Wagonworks. All-in-all, it was a real eye-opener.

Due to the time and heavy rains, only eight attendees showed up, but they will most likely have another event at some point in the future. When they do, I'll let everyone know and make a much greater effort to get more MD/DC/VA A8 and S8 owners to come out. Funny enough, when myself and Mr. Browning were looking over my car, he asked when I had the work done, which I said was two weeks ago. He smiled a bit and said, "That shop borrowed some of my equipment for a repair about two weeks ago. Yeah..."

On a lighter note, it seemed like most of the 'S' line were there. Check it out:

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/62836/s8_s5_front.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/62836/s8_s5_side.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/62836/s_cars_go.jpg">

This is such a **neat** car in person! The president of the ACNA Potomac Chapter and another gentleman took the car out for a spin. After a while, the owner was telling us "You know, if these lads aren't back in another 1/2 hour or so, I'm going to be ... concerned." LOL! They were gone for 40 minutes. I told him I'd check to see if they were walking up the sidewalk with sad expressions on their faces, but they made it back. Those of us left had a chance to open the car up and take a look at it. Sounds like an RS4, really nicely put together. Audi will make a killing with the S5, no doubt.