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Unveiling Avant Garb
Car of Choice: 2005 Audi A4 Avant
Point A: David's Bridal, Queens New York
Point B: Madison Avenue Boutique, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Shifting into park, I pushed the call button.
“Downstairs”
“Okay, I’ll be right down.”
She emerged for Day One of our mission looking a little nervous. Forty-eight hours was all we had. Wedding day was approaching quickly, as the calendar peeled away to June. But we were well equipped, with the Audi A4 Avant’s formidable 3.2-liter engine taking us into the war zone that is bridal shopping territory.
Some women wait their whole lives for this day, and they languish in dramatic agony for a good six months, thinking of the endless possibilities. We were cutting it close with less than 90 days until she was to jump the proverbial broom. By our naïve standards, it still seemed like a lot of time. Little did we know it takes months to order a wedding dress, but I assured her that we would prevail with stable all-wheel drive footing to take the Boroughs’ bumpy surfaces.
The A4’s 3.2-liter engine was on task, thanks to Audi’s FSI direct injection, which provided the efficiency we needed for an inside job, forcing fuel directly into the combustion chamber, rather than the usual intake manifold route. No time for idling here in this V6 with its increased fuel economy from this FSI technology
Ladies of wisdom know that wedding stories are more about the intimate details that got you there than the buildup -- the touching moments and tenderness that would be recalled in dinner table stories two decades from now. The pomp and circumstance of one day seems to pale next to requited Real Love. But she needed something to wear, and that’s where I came in. Since we had to do it, we were going to do it right and Audi’s nimble 6-speed Tiptronic abilities made an ideal accomplice for the mission, giving us the option to shift the way we wanted.
 
I had shirked my way out of enough bridal shop visits in the past, horrified by the thought of veils and pouty brides-to-be. My more wry, cynical side thought maybe these neurotic brides needed a little premarital counseling.
But eventually, I had to do my time. So when she asked me, I knew that this was my girl-girl, the kind of friend that you can come to real, like I-need-help-and-I-don’t-know where to go. I was flattered and I did my best to come through with a car that would be suited to the occasion. The new Audi A4 with its stellar engineering was ideal -- not too conspicuous, but classy, and fit for eclectic finery.
Sharing sentiments on the ritual of bridal shopping, we set about somewhat awkwardly, making our way into unfamiliar territory with a navigation system taking us to “GirlyGirl” zone. We were perplexed as the car kept telling us to make a left. The navigation system seemed to be directing us in circles, as we aimed Queens bound from Midtown. Bucking the audible directions for instinct, soon enough we were as good as the white gold A4 smoothly veering into a last minute spot, the broad view from the dash providing clear view of the frenzied situation.
Using Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America logic, we cruised Queens in search of David’s Bridal, where we witnessed a spectacle repeating itself in cities across America. Women of every age milling about. A sign in list. Aisle after aisle of white ruffles wrapped in protective plastic. No touchy-touchy without an appointment. And while we did delight in a few frills, we were out, to rest up for round two.
Two days, we were back on it. We didn’t bother to look back as we headed up from the Lower East Side. The sun sparkled as the snazzy Audi made its way along Madison Avenue. The gentle breeze from the optional glass moonroof kept us calm and focused. The streets were surprisingly clear. Like a regal chariot we pulled up to a meter directly in front of the boutique. And that’s when magic happened. The right time, the right place, the right dress.
Less than one hour later we emerged with two sets of teary eyes, one set of keys and one satisfied bride, proudly clutching the beautiful gown, at one with its rightful owner. As we carefully laid layers of silk across the 27.8 cubic feet of precious cargo space the A4 Avant wagon provides, we knew that we had held out for the right reasons.
Some journeys are simply magical, like the Audi A4 hitting the straight away with a strong 6.8 second to 60 mph time; and some unfold in unpredictable ways, but add to the celebration of life to come.
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