Dreams of the Young and the Old

A large part of my youth consisted of late nights, loud music and extreme sports, much to the dismay of my parents, who had dreams of me becoming the captain of my school's swim team and perhaps, a future doctor. But I ended up here, writing to you lot. Not that it's a bad thing because I thoroughly enjoyed those supercharged salad days.

Looking back, I sorely miss the nights spent at skate parks, tempting fate on rails and ramps. Life had a satiating sense of adventure and excitement back then, and 'Hey Ho, Let's Go!' by The Ramones was its soundtrack.

But as with most other things, people and tastes change. I grew older, more tired and not as gutsy as compared to a decade ago.

Lucky for me, I was able to relive those memories of a young and adventurous youth during a drive up North in the charming Audi Q3 1.4 TFSI S tronic Design with sgCarMart's 'young at heart' photographer, Fai.

The Q3, although not the quickest of fun-sized utes, displayed more hatch-like dynamics than a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) thanks to its strong grip and decent body control; inspiring confidence on both twisty back roads and Kuala Lumpur's crowded city streets. And because of its compact dimensions, piloting the Q3 is as easy as finding nasi goreng on a Malaysian menu.

In terms of the need for speed, the Q3 doesn't display signs of exhaustion despite its force-fed bantam 1.4-litre displacement, even on the long 'high-speed' stretches of the North-South Highway.

Audi's pairing of this pup-like eagerness alongside agile dexterity makes the Q3 unarguably one of the best in the surging compact segment. And since the Q3's beautiful cabin isn't just cosy for the driver, the friends you take along on drives can enjoy the ride as well.

Younger drivers, who aren't power hungry and enjoy a fun drive as well as get high on superb build and design, can take life's adventures head on in the Audi Q3. In our writer's, Desmond's, point of view, the Suzuki Swift was his elixir of youth. With no real route in mind, a friend riding shotgun, skate punk music playing and a bicycle in the back, the Audi Q3 was mine that weekend.
Also with us on the trip was Audi's flagship luxury sedan, the sumptuous A8L 4.0 TFSI quattro. But unlike the Q3, which reminded me of an intrepid youth, the A8 paints the perfect picture of a man's dream future.

Everyone wants to travel in style and comfort. While doing so, why not let the car double up as a mobile office? It's a long shot but if the day comes where I am capable of owning such a car, the A8 might just be the one. Compared to some of its rivals, the A8 seems understated for what it's worth.

Driving in this gentle giant says that you've clearly made it in life, but you don't see a need to announce that to the whole world.

Under the A8's unostentatious (an extremely endearing characteristic) but handsome skin lies a well-ordered, high-quality and business-like environment, making it hard to beat in the comfort and luxury department.

And although the A8 is armed with all sorts of radical technology from Audi's playbook, it's easy enough to operate at a fundamental level. Whether you're behind the wheel or crafting an acquisition agreement at the back with your feet propped on the power fold-out footrest, the A8 promises a business, if not first class-like experience.

But if work isn't on your agenda, the A8 also makes for a fantastic relaxation pod.

Whilst enjoying the car's seat massage feature and thumping my head to the sounds of Journey's 'Faithfully', I imagined for a moment what life would be like as a fifty-something towkay. Everyone knows that achieving such levels of success comes with a price. The price of losing precious sleep, time away from family and friends, missing meals, high levels of stress, and the list goes on.

If those are the sorts of things I'd have to face on a daily basis, I'd be glad my car is the A8. At least, each time I step into it, I can leave those troubles out the door and bask in the comfort of the car and enjoy a little 'me' time.