Hey... my name is Mark, I'm 32 years old, and I'll be picking up my Black Magic, 2007 GTI on Monday
(July 31st).
I got married in 2005 (been with her since 2000) and over the course of that relationship, got my wife out of her ol' Ford Escort and into a used '98 Jetta... and now, a new 2006 Beetle.
At present, I'm working in the IT field as a Server (Windows & UNIX) Administrator. I moved into that role back in March... before that, I was the lead Tech at the internal Help Desk for the same company.
This GTI will have been the third VW I've owned. First one was a 1969, light blue Beetle... second was a 1992 (or '93) Fox. I'm currently driving a
2002 Mini Cooper and am anxiously waiting to trade it in. Not that I have too many complaints about the little car... like the stall-outs while driving, the constantly moving mystery-rattling inside, the ever-balding edges on all the tires... well, okay, maybe the tires are
MY fault.
One odd reason for my trading it in is because it's a standard/manual transmission. I have a medical condition in my hands that's making it really uncomfortable to drive with constant shifting... so I've decided to get a DSG equipped GTI.
I've always been a fan of German cars/engineering (grew up in Bad Kreuznach, Germany) for as long as I can remember. It only makes sense to me that I get back to my roots now that I have to change my driving habits. However, I must say that reading these forums solidified the deal of me getting a GTI over an automatic MINI.
...besides, I think I'll be happier back with a VW anywhoo.
Cheers!