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Herr Kaminer sucht das Glück

Such a supersupersupertest is quite a lighthearted affair. But when it's about "Happy on the Road" like in ramp #63, it becomes even more joyful. Especially when two Jaguar F-Types from the Final Edition are involved.

  • Text
    Bernd Haase
  • Photos
    David Breun

Chris Rea sings, "Well I'm rolling down the highway // Smile upon my face // All the things that hurt me // Disappear without a trace…" In contrast, Wladimir Kaminer faced significantly more challenging conditions during the super test. Have you ever tried to get rolling in Berlin as smoothly as on a highway? Exactly. But just because it's a super, super, super test doesn't mean a red carpet will be rolled out for the testers. On the contrary. Bestselling author and ramp editor-in-chief Michael Köckritz aim, in this format they've developed, to specifically test the automotive lifestyle in entirely new contexts.

Now, in the context of "happiness." Right in the heart of Berlin. Of all places. After all, the test objects were two Jaguar F-Type Final Editions. On one hand. On the other hand: Driving the F-Type R75 P575 Cabriolet open in the German autumn around the Museum Island wasn't necessarily deemed enjoyable by Kaminer, at least. Which, in turn, aligns quite well with one of his conclusions regarding happiness: "According to positive psychologists, happiness is rather strenuous, vague, and must be constantly questioned." So, that's how he felt in the convertible in bad weather.

Now, in the context of "happiness." Right in the heart of Berlin. Of all places.
But just like in the world of automobiles, in the world of happiness, there's also the version with a fixed roof. On the road, this was the F-Type R75 P575 Coupé, and in terms of happiness, Kaminer's take reads as follows: "When people stop constantly fearing making mistakes, when they let go, stop viewing life as a constant hurdle race, and don't panic at every missed opportunity, they would have a good chance of peacefully finding their happiness."

Just as the USA tourist Erwin Kreutz found it when he accidentally mistook the East Coast town of Bangor for San Francisco. Or just as Wladimir Kaminer himself experienced when he steadfastly refused to eat his grandmother's meatballs as a child.

But it's best if you read these stories yourself in ramp #63 "Happy on the Road."

Bernd Haase

Bernd Haase

Head of Text & Editor
He had a very clear career plan from a very early age: He wanted to be a rock star. Then he was allowed to join the school band. Because he wrote the lyrics (and because nobody, but really nobody, wanted to play bass). But it didn't last long. He switched basses with his father's Triumph Adler, realised that it also sounded nice, and decided to write about the dark side of the music business. But it turned out to be an internship at the local newspaper. Stayed quite a long time. It was much more exciting than I thought. After that, I worked as an editor for various newspapers, covering the finer things from cinema to music to travel. I also came across ramp. And stayed. It really is as exciting as I thought.

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