Cottage Bound

We're headed down to the cottage this weekend, which'll make this the first weekend of the season that we've been able to spend on the lake. I'm not going to lie to you: there are still a lot of things I miss about cottage life since I moved back to the city. I've discussed them in detail, so I won't go into it again. Suffice it to say, I'm really looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of the loons again.

That is, of course, if the weather is at all reasonable. Weather for Kingston is supposed to be a little cool this weekend. Hard to say what it's going to be like out at the lake. If the north wind kicks up, then it's going to turn into a DVD-watching festival. But, if not, there might be a bit of kayaking and sailing going on. Probably not enough warmth for tube-floating, though.

The visit wih my father and stepmother went well. Contrary to my cynical suspicions, there was no motivation behind the trip other than a desire to visit with my sister, myself, and our respective significant others. Dad seems like he's much more relaxed now that he's no longer working two jobs, and I think he may actually be ready for retirement. Time will tell, though.

Thanks largely to his most recent visit, I've since acquired a new dream car. I think the 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 will always have a special place in my heart, but I need to be realistic here. All I could ever afford would be a replica. The body would be made out of fibreglass, and it would never be quite the same as owning a real one.

Enter the Caterham Super 7.

Caterham owns the rights to the Lotus Super 7 design. So while it's a continuation of a successful design, it's still a real car, and not a replicar. Also, the body panels are aluminum, which keeps the weight low without diminishing the appearance. Modern cars, such as the Audi A8, BMW 7-series, and the Jaguar XK have all moved to aluminum bodies in the name of performance. Another thing that's notable for Canada: aluminum oxidizes, but it doesn't rust.

Also (and I throw this in purely as an aside), the Caterham Super 7 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. That's performance to match or exceed even the most exotic of supercars. Now, we'll forgive it for having a top speed of 155 mph, but considering where it would be running, I think it's understandable. Besides, most supercars are governed well below their top speed in North America... as if you needed a physical reason to not travel at 300 km/h down a Canadian road.

It gets this out of a four-cylinder, 260 HP engine. That makes it much, much better on fuel than a Cobra or comparable vehicle... let alone some 12 cylinder monster from Italy.

The lines aren't quite as sleek as the Cobra, but at least the roll bar covers both driver and passenger. Plus, put in a set of the wheel covers that stretch back to midway through the body and a nice paint job, and you've got yourself a classic sports car.

Of course, I still don't have a garage. Or any need for a second car. Or the spare cash to purchase one. But that's why it's a dream car. But at least it's an obtainable dream...

I'm not going to get my hopes up on the cottage until I know what the weather's like. But I will update on how the trip went, after the fact. Until then, Cheers - and I promise to lay of the car talk for at least a month or so.