[stm]

Hi BHPians,

I am Santosh, and I recently became a part of the Team-BHP community in my second attempt at registration. Glad to be here, finally! I've been a silent admirer of Team-BHP, especially the technical sections, and its a privilege for me to be in a position to contribute something to a community that has become the go-to place for anything related to cars in India.

I am a Mechnical Engineer by education, and a Software guy by vocation. I am currently trying my hands (and luck) at an Industrial IoT startup, and thanks to the exposure to the mechanical side of things in this pursuit, I managed to rekindle a long lost love of automobile engineering as a by-product.

I never really considered myself an automobile enthusiast, but off late I find myself spending a lot more time driving my near brand new Jetta than is fit for myself or the environment - especially considering its a VW diesel. Even about an year back, I wasn't too excited at the prospect of driving, thanks to a bad knee (and a bad back, to boot), and I think the Jetta DSG with its comfort and convenience has helped carve out an enthusiast out of someone who thought of cars in the same tune as carts. I bet I will be talking similarly of my next BIG upgrade, but so is life - we live and learn about ourselves more than anything else with each new experience.

The first car I owned was a silky silver Alto in 2005, and I had a lot of fun driving it in the very dusty Gurgaon roads in the crazy morning traffic. The small car was a part of a rather too adventurous 5 people trip to Kasauli that December in 2005, and it did pretty well considering its power and size.

Fast forward to 2009, switch location to Pune. A couple of back surgeries and meniscus removal later, I brought my second Alto in the exact same colour. It was a beloved car for me and my girlfriend/ now wife, and we drove every alternate week to one part or the other in Sahyadri when the rain Gods were showering their love in the form of rains on us. Due to the condition of my back, I didn't drive for more than a couple of 100 km at a time, and the enthusiast in me stayed reigned in. The silky silver Alto stayed with us till we moved to Singapore for monetary and experiential gains following our marriage in 2011.

We moved back in India in late 2013, and we brought an Amaze, and then exchanged it for the Ciaz when it launched. But my left knee simply refused to assist us, and both the vehicles more or less beautified our garage rather than acting as a means of transport, with autos and ola and uber doing most of the driving for us. Work responsibilities also meant I had to travel between Pune and Mumbai too frequently, and as I grew more aware of the risks of our expressway of death (Mumbai - Pune expressway), I figured I should bite the bullet and get the car I always felt was built for an army to rout the opposition - the Jetta. My brother had a MkV Jetta since 2010, and I knew it was the best car I had ever driven.

Against all logic, we decided to take the plunge to our 3rd 'big' car in 4 years, and I think thats the best decision I have ever made when it comes to automobiles. The D segment may be dying at a rapid pace, but it sure does rock while its alive!

I also revv around on my wife's Alto K10 (that sick love of Altos is almost pathological in my family). We also have a Vespa scooter, which I typically drive to the barber's once every 3 months, but I cant bring myself to sell it because its a - well - its The Vespa.

One of my 3 year goals is to be able to maintain my own cars - to translate all the academic bits I have gathered through college and through the internet into something real and tangible. My television choices are more or less restricted to Engineering Explained, Scotty Kilmer and ChrisFix, along with Learn Engineering for the academic in me. In other lives, I have been an avid Dr. Who fan, and I can hold my own if we discuss Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Initial D or Flame of Recca.

See you around!

Keep revving,
stm.

[GTO]

Welcome Santosh . Fantastic to have you with us.

Originally Posted by stm

I am a Mechanical Engineer by education, and a Software guy by vocation. I am currently trying my hands (and luck) at an Industrial IoT startup, and thanks to the exposure to the mechanical side of things in this pursuit, I managed to rekindle a long lost love of automobile engineering as a by-product.

Hope to see you active in the Technical Forum.

Congrats on the Jetta. Even though it's been around for 5 years, and there have been many new launches, it's still my pick in the D1 sedan segment. A beautiful all-rounder.

We moved back in India in late 2013, and we brought an Amaze, and then exchanged it for the Ciaz when it launched

I always felt was built for an army to rout the opposition - the Jetta

You guys sure change cars often . Please retain the Jetta for at least 8 - 10 years, else you're wasting a whole lot of money - related thread.

I also revv around on my wife's Alto K10 (that sick love of Altos is almost pathological in my family).

Nothing quite like the mechanical feel of some small cars. I love the K10.

[stm]

Originally Posted by GTO

Welcome Santosh . Fantastic to have you with us.

Thank you

Originally Posted by GTO

Hope to see you active in the Technical Forum.

I am going through it, and the DIY section is seriously distracting me from work. I guess I will have to ration my T-BHP intake pretty soon.

Originally Posted by GTO

Congrats on the Jetta. Even though it's been around for 5 years, and there have been many new launches, it's still my pick in the D1 sedan segment. A beautiful all-rounder.

Thank you. It definitely is the best car I have driven, and GTO's statement validates my choice.

Originally Posted by GTO

Please retain the Jetta for at least 8 - 10 years, else you're wasting a whole lot of money - related thread.

That thread is very informative, I guess I'll have to pass off the recent changes over the last 4 years to plain stupidity. I will definitely love and retain the Jetta for years to come.

[FalconRider]

Welcome Santosh. great to have you here