Hi Oppo!

"Out, but with a W - has found the answer" (belg)
04/13/2016 at 11:46 • Filed to: None

I’m new here, so let’s introduce myself. My name’s Wout (see my username for pronunciation help), I’m Belgian and hopefully graduating as an electrical engineer in a couple of months.

Since owning a car as a university student is almost completely unnecessary here, I’ve been sharing cars with my mom, who fortunately is somewhat of a petrolhead herself (her second car was a 323 GTX).
Sadly, Belgian taxes weren’t really conductive for petrolheads a couple of years ago, so I was taught how to drive in a Citroën C4 1.6 HDi with 92 raging diesel horses in the front.
Next up was a Volvo S40 1.6 DRIVe, an improvement of no less than 17 hp, but at least it looked a whole lot faster.

OEM rice

Anyway, tax laws changed, so when it was time to get a new car, I managed to steer the search towards petrol and high powered diesels. We ended up at Volkswagen looking at the GTD, but since my mom preferred the red accent line in the grill (as you can imagine, I wasn’t protesting), we eventually got a Carbon Steel Grey GTI with the Performance pack and DSG.

Ignore the parking job

She’s served us well for the past three years, but she’s up for sale now, as my mom is looking for a BMW 1 or 2 series convertible, and I’m getting my own car once I graduate (I’m a fan of light and nimble, but I’ll do another post detailing my search later).
I do have amazing memories of taking the GTI with me to my internship in southern Germany last summer and exploring the Alps and Dolomites, so she’ll be dearly missed.

Other Oppo-related interests of mine include aircraft, tinkering with PCs, whiskey, and beer.

So, that’s me, I’m looking forward to contributing to the community! If you’ve got any questions, just ask!

DISCUSSION (63)

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:51

Kinja'd!!!

By the way, let’s play a game: a million internet points if you manage to guess where my profile pic was taken. (No reverse googling, exif- and other cheating!)

FromCanadaWithLove > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:51

Nice to meet you, Wout! If you have any 2 Series questions, I’ve got a coupe. Happy to answer anything.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:51

Welcome! I’m required to tell you to stay out of the basement and keep your hands and feet inside at all times.

Also what year is the Citröen you learned on?

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:53

ketchup on fries or on the side?

Have you seen the basement?

Welcome!

HammerheadFistpunch > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:54

Full disclosure, you are not the only Wout on oppo. Welcome other wout!

Vicente Esteve > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:54

How was the DSG?

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
04/13/2016 at 11:57

Thanks! Where do I have to store all my beer then?

2007 I think (counting back, since we changed cars every 3 years). It was quite nice to drive, and extremely forgiving when it came to clutching and shifting.

citizennick > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:58

Welcome. Your mom sounds awesome. Can we get her on oppo?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:58

Welcome, I am guessing the Austrian Alps. It looks like the Dolimites though.

CB > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 11:58

Welcome to Oppo! Stay out of the basement.

And that S40 looks like just the right amount of factory rice. I dig it.

CB > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
04/13/2016 at 11:59

People aren’t supposed to see the basement! It disturbs Macanamera when people wander around down there.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
04/13/2016 at 12:00

Belgian mayonnaise (not the sweet one they’ve got everywhere else)! On the side, it’s less of a mess to eat.

I’ve been told to stay out of it, but I’m looking for a place to stash my beer.

Thanks!

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > HammerheadFistpunch
04/13/2016 at 12:00

Thanks! I’ve met him while requesting authorship I think, unless there’s a third one on here.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:01

The basement is an excellent place to store your beer. Just be careful about randon Oppo’s helping themselves

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > CB
04/13/2016 at 12:01

It’s okay

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:01

Welcome to the jungle fella.

Cars, aircraft, beer and whiskey you say, good call. ;)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:02

Southeast Germany

HammerheadFistpunch > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:03

nah, that’s the fella

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > CB
04/13/2016 at 12:04

Thanks!
I sort of like it as well, but it fits in with the other ricers over here, who drive slow diesels as well most of the time. Getting the GTI was a whole new experience.

scoob > CB
04/13/2016 at 12:06

And Nibby.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > FromCanadaWithLove
04/13/2016 at 12:07

Thanks, I’ll be sure to remember that! We’ve test driven the 220i last week, and I was positively surprised by how silent it was inside, being a convertible. Though I must say my previous convertible experience is limited to testing the new MX-5 and riding in the C3 Pluriel (horrible car!) my mom had before the C4.

duurtlang > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:07

Only one real question: Civilized side, Walloon side, Brussels or the east cantons?

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
04/13/2016 at 12:08

Austrian Alps is correct, now you just need to find the correct road/pass!

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > citizennick
04/13/2016 at 12:08

Thanks! I can try, but she doesn’t really speak English. I’ll update when she gets a new car.

scoob > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:10

Out with a W, therefore, Wut.

Kinja'd!!!

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Vicente Esteve
04/13/2016 at 12:12

Good, I loved the paddles and the farts, but I miss shifting gear. It’s my mom’s commuter, and combined with the adaptive cruise control, it’s a dream to drive in traffic: just engage cruise, and the car does everything by itself, except steering.
It does have a tendency to get in a high gear very quickly (5th at a bit above 50kph when not accelerating hard), but it learns your driving style, so I guess a reset should fix that somewhat.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
04/13/2016 at 12:13

Beer is meant to be shared, so no problem at all!

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
04/13/2016 at 12:13

A bit more to the south.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > scoob
04/13/2016 at 12:14

Haha, I was waiting for this one.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > duurtlang
04/13/2016 at 12:15

Flanders, they can’t really pronounce my name in the rest of the country (though the German-speakers get close). Do love the Ardennes personally, a lot quieter and better driving roads.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Svend
04/13/2016 at 12:17

Thanks! Liking beer is a national obligation, though I have to admit that one of my current favourites comes from the Netherlands (La Trappe Quadrupel).

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > HammerheadFistpunch
04/13/2016 at 12:20

Aight, we had a fun discussion about the troubles of others to pronounce our name.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:23

Welcome to our faulty amazing island on the internet ‘Zuiderbuur’.

Also nice to see another electrical engineer join, I’m studying for kinda becoming one myself (at least that is what my bachelorsdegree will say next fall).

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:26

I was just curious about the Citröen since my family rented a 2014 C4 Picasso in Europe this summer. It had the same 1.6 diesel with 90 horsepower. It was a pretty nice vehicle, but man was that 90 hp hamster wheel slow.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
04/13/2016 at 12:28

Thanks Noorderbuur!

Great! I’m about to finish my master, specialising in telecommunication and embedded systems, so if you want some info or advice about those fields, you know where to find me.

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:34

My favourite from living in Veghel (norst east of Helmond) was Grolsch Herfst Bock. Absolutely beautiful drink. I still miss that beer and it was 15-16 years since I last had it. With it only being available I the Autumn the rest of the time I drank Guinness which I could only get from Super De Boer or Albert Heijn, even then I could only get Guinness Export.

Every bar I went into, the first time I always had to say “more beer, less head”. I was forever getting told the foam was the best part to which my reply was always “I’m English, we like the beer”.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
04/13/2016 at 12:35

I can imagine! They managed to keep the weight low for such a vehicle (it’s lighter than our Golf I think), but once you load it up, it starts protesting.
I didn’t really know what I was missing at the time, but I wouldn’t voluntary move back now!

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:36

Well, I’m actually more into Automotive and Control Systems at the moment, however your fields are also playing larger and larger roles in Automotive, so I will remember that!

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:39

Dear God. You actually had a Pluriel?

I didn’t think anyone actually bought one.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Svend
04/13/2016 at 12:43

Dude, did you live in Veghel? I was born there. Man what a small world. I guess you have heard of Nistelrode as well then? That’s where I live.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:46

If you like La Trappe, you should probably do a tour through their factory, which is part monastery and part state of the art mini factory. I think it is only about 10 km past the border. I also heard you can sample the beer afterwards, which is a big plus.

DanimalHouse > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 12:47

Man, I wish I wentto school for electrical engineering, tons of cool job prospects! Good luck wrapping up your degree, and welcome!!

Kinja'd!!!

Svend > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
04/13/2016 at 12:53

Goed dag. I lived on Maasstraat in Veghel, just off the N279. And I would drink in Cafe Harte in the centrum.

I don’t know Nistelrode but would cycle through to Erp from time to time.

Had a job at Domeco in Helmond (was good pay as Brits didn’t pay tax, legal loophole).

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Svend
04/13/2016 at 12:54

Ah, Bock, that’s something we don’t get at all (both literally and figuratively). I’ve had a Dutch friend try to explain it once, but I guess I’ll have to head north and taste it.
Not a Guinness fan myself, it’s a bit too close to coffee, which I absolutely detest (tea for the win!). I do appreciate the way it’s draughted, bot the method and the fact that they use nitrogen.

You wouldn’t like it here then, since we get at least as much foam as the Dutch on our beer. I’m studying in Leuven, home of Stella, and they’ve taught me that the perfect draught has the foam in between the words Stella and Artois on the glass. (Still nothing compared to Duvel, where exactly half of your glass is foam if you pour it correctly)

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
04/13/2016 at 12:57

Sounds cool, we don’t really have a programme for that (more generic system theory and signal processing, with applications in image, video and audio). Yeah, vehicle-to-vehicle communication will probably be one of the big things to enable autonomous transport, and embedded is what you’ll need to run those control systems.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Svend
04/13/2016 at 12:59

Biggest mistake we ever made. First production year. One time we were driving through a rain storm and I suddenly had a wet trouser leg. Apparently they hadn’t tightened the roof rails sufficiently in the factory, leading to a little waterfall in the car.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
04/13/2016 at 13:02

I’ve just found out that they’ve got a batch that’s aged on oak vats, only available at the brewery, so I’ll have to go there indeed.
A couple of friends and I have been toying with the idea to do a ‘Tour de Trappist’ by bike during summer, so we have a good excuse to taste all of them, and don’t have to drive afterwards.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > DanimalHouse
04/13/2016 at 13:05

Thanks, gotta love green Lambos!

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 13:06

I remember asking for an Amsterdammer and this little glass with the third foam on top of the mouthful of beer was handed to me. I swear I looked at the guy like he had just walked into my home and did a pee on the living room carpet. I soon re-trained him. Lol.

Ye’, the Grolsch Herfst Bock is a strictly Autumn drink and only found in Holland or just across the border. It’s absolute nectar.

Guinness have expanded their range considerably with the arrival of Original XX (how Guinness used to be prior to 1970), Dublin Porter (not as strong I guess as regular Guinness) and West Indies Porter (which is way too chocolatey).

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 13:10

Ye’, the Grolsch Herfst Bock is a strictly Autumn drink and only found in Holland or just across the border. It’s absolute nectar.

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 13:13

Lol. I can remember when they came out, I thought ‘nice idea, poor execution ad who’d buy it’.

Someone had to buy one and experience how bad it was to warn others I guess.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Svend
04/13/2016 at 13:15

Ah, an Amsterdammer, we call it a boerke (since it’s a low brow glass, boer = farmer), it’s my favorite glass for a Stella. But if you’re used to pints, then the 25cl standard measure is quite small indeed. Haha, over here I guess the bartender will stare you out of the bar, rather than desecrate our beer tradition.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Svend
04/13/2016 at 13:20

It was fun to open the roof during summer, but I can’t remember even once taking off the rails. Once we decided to get rid of it, it sold surprisingly quickly, so I guess other people wanted to experience the misery themselves.

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 13:25

The bar man was always compliant I found. Good times.

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 13:30

Ye’, that’s humanity for you. We must be the only species who will taste something and find it revolting then turn to our best friend and say “here, try this. It’s awful”, and then talk them into doing so, for them to try it an find it is indeed awful and say “oh man, that I awful” and then say to them “see, I told you it was”.

duurtlang > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 13:33

You do have the best driving road options in the Dutch speaking world. I have to drive for hours to find the first hill that isn’t man made.

(also: better beer, music, accent, study costs)

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 13:34

I have a glass which is time saving and beautiful.

Kinja'd!!!

1.5litres of Guinness in one large glass. Oh how I love thee, let me count the ways.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Svend
04/13/2016 at 13:51

That’s enough to keep you busy for a while! How do you rate the Teeling by the way?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch
04/13/2016 at 16:21

So many Wouts about...

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/13/2016 at 20:02

I rate the Teeling Single Malt very highly and for a small batch distillery it’s very well priced. The slightly cheaper Teeling Single Grain is smoother and incredibly good in my books.

I’m not a Scottish whisky drinker and the only one I liked was an old expensive one. While Irish whiskey has a much smoother taste and far more enjoyable.

banjo cat ghost of oppo past > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/14/2016 at 01:37

...as my mom is looking for a BMW 1 or 2 series convertible

She might be in luck guess whats sitting in our showroo EDIT...right, Belgium.

Kinja'd!!!

Well consider it anyway ha. Also welcome. Becoming part of the Oppo community also means accepting Oppo couch surfers according to a law I just made up.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > banjo cat ghost of oppo past
04/14/2016 at 04:13

Beautiful color! It’s quite a problem to find a decent petrol powered one here (about 80% of the available 1 series and 60% of the 2 series are diesels), but luckily importing from Germany isn’t that difficult anymore.

banjo cat ghost of oppo past > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
04/14/2016 at 14:16

Always wanted to drive a deisel Bimmer, for some reason. Anyhoo feel free to check it out and others at our pre owned listings or gib us a ring ...We’re in NY so a port isn’t too far away ; )