Time to Say Goodbye, and Thanks for all the Electrons.

[louv]

And a few of my favorite photos... most of which have been posted before, but will be reprised here, because: It’s Panther’s Cakeday.

 

[Kingske]

Today is my car’s Cakeday. It rolled out of the factory on October 25, 2019.

And tomorrow, at just over 15,000 miles, I will drive it back to the dealership, and trade it for a check. Not as big a “check” as I gave them. But not horrible. Apparently it will go to another dealership who already has a customer for it. I hope they will love it as much as I did.

If you ever see a black on black Turbo with red front seat belts, snap a picture, and post it here. I want to see where my baby goes.

And, because I mentioned “It’s been a wonderful and fortunate life”, I figured I post a few lists.


A Little Biography

Places I’ve lived:

• New Jersey
• San Francisco, California
• San Jose, California
• Santa Cruz, California
• Maui, Hawai’i
• Mafraq, Jordan
• Portland, Maine

US States I’ve visited:

• All, including Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam

Countries I’ve visited: (* less than 24 hours)

• England
• Ireland
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• Monaco*
• Switzerland
• Austria
• Sweden
• Denmark
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland*
• Russia*
• Slovenia
• Croatia
• Mexico
• Belize
• Jamaica*
• Haiti*
• Iceland
• Canada
• Zimbabwe
• Botswana
• South Africa
• Egypt
• Tunisia*
• Greece
• Turkey
• Malta*
• Israel
• Jordan
• Ivory Coast
• Bali, Indonesia
• South Korea*
• China
• Hong Kong
• Taiwan
• Japan

Companies I’ve Worked for:

• Apple (twice)
• Microsoft
• Dell
• Barnes & Noble
• Roundel Magazine
• Convergent Technologies
• Tandem
• and a half-dozen tech startups

Humanitarian & Volunteer Work:

• Doctors Without Borders
• Humane Society of Silicon Valley
• Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland
• Habitat for Humanity
• BMW Car Club of America

Vehicles I’ve Owned: (in order of acquisition)

1980 Honda Accord LX
1990 Acura Integra GS 6MT
1996 BMW Z3 1.9
1995 BMW e34 540i 6MT
1995 BMW e34 540iA
2000 Toyota Tundra 4WD SR5
2000 BMW e39 M5
1988 BMW e24 M6
2004 BMW e53 X5 4.4i
1989 BMW e32 750iL
2001 Toyota Tundra 4WD Limited TRD
2007 BMW Z4 3.0si Coupe
2008 Mercedes C350 Sport
2008 BMW Z4 M Coupe
2009 Ducati Monster 696
2009 BMW R1200GS-Adventure
2012 BMW 1 Series ActiveE (electric)
2010 BMW G450X
2012 Tesla Model S (electric)
1962 BMW R R60/2
1976 BMW R R90S
1970 VW Beetle (electric conversion)
2015 BMW i8 (hybrid)
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata ClubSport
2015 BMW f86 X6 M
2018 BMW K1600GT
2018 BMW f87 M2
2020 Winnebago Revel
2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo (electric)
2020 Mini f56 Cooper SE (electric)

Truly a man of all seasons...

 

[CinVinman]

Don, heartfelt thanks for your many contributions and best wishes for you going forward. You epitomize the PCA motto - it's not just the cars, it's the people.

 

[louv]

Bye bye, Panther.

 

[ron_b]

Bye bye, Panther.

Sad to not have you actively in the family Don.

Happy to see you had 360Wh/mile avg on 15K miles on 20" tires in the snow and no doubt not hypermiling.
Figuring 86KWh usable as Bjørn Nyland had shown in tests, that's 239mi range with I imagine 50% at freeway speeds as with the 34mph avg which I believe includes stopping time when the car is left turned on as often maybe the case when fast charging.

 

[Docjonday]

Bye bye, Panther.

Well, as well as being humbled by your posts once again, I've learned today that I'm not alone in always getting sad when I sell my vehicles, nor the only one who bids them goodbye. Cars are quite often, like us humans, far more than the sum of their parts, and often leave us thinking that they have a soul.

 

[snstevens]

Bye bye, Panther.

Let the next journey begin...

 

[louv]

I took the cat and the RV off-grid for 5 days in the north woods of Maine. Can you imagine? 5 days without cell coverage? It was wonderful.

Found abandoned trains. Rivers. Quiet lakes. Icy, Muddy, two-track roads rarely traveled. And I read three books.

 

[snstevens]

Don - The abandoned trains are crazy. So were they really off the beaten path or are they sort of a local landmark?

 

[Ron R]

Great shots Don! We got a bit of snow on Friday just north of Boston. Am guessing the areas you showed are a "winter wonderland" now?

 

[louv]

Don - The abandoned trains are crazy. So were they really off the beaten path or are they sort of a local landmark?

You have to know about them to go looking. The only signs are at the end of a 3 mile dirt road. And then it’s almost a mile hike.
All of “Maine North Woods” is a 3,000,000+ acre, privately-owned tree farm.

North Maine Woods

 

[louv]

Great shots Don! We got a bit of snow on Friday just north of Boston. Am guessing the areas you showed are a "winter wonderland" now?

Small flurries. Not much snow up north. Y’all kept it down in Mass. Low temperatures though, down to 17°F. Daytimes were 25-32°F.

 

[MARTY7]

I love it, it's a Taycan forum but we are all far more interested in Don's new life

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