Good Intentions
Audi was making big moves in the early 2000s. Its stunning R8 sports car, teased for years at auto shows and as a cameo in at least one sci-fi movie, was actually released to the public. Human beings could actually own and drive this machine, with styling best described as an intergalactic version of the Auto Union racers of the 1930s. Its 4.2-liter FSI (Fuel-Stratified Injection) V8 sent 414 horsepower to all four wheels by way of a 6-speed manual transmission and a glorious gated shifter.
The Audi R8 was an integral part of newly minted Volkswagen Auto Group’s product strategy when it was launched in 2006. It elevated the Audi brand, while some of its development and components helped the recently released Lamborghini Gallardo hit its targets of a low cost and easier drivability.
To elevate the R8 even higher, a 5.2-liter FSI V10 variant was planned. Talk of 500 horsepower, greater exclusivity, and supercar panache tickled the ears of potential buyers when it was made available in late 2008. However, the later months of 2008 would birth global economic events that would make supercar sales irrelevant; the Great Recession would soon flatten the auto industry and leave entire brands dead.
The Audi R8 V10 was a fantastic vehicle released at the worst possible moment. No one on its development team could have predicted the coincidental market crashes that hit during its release. But it offers a handy case study in good intentions.
In the Bible, Peter reliably showed his best intentions during situations affected by forces outside of his control or understanding. After roughly two years of following Jesus, Peter trotted along with him (and James and John) up a high mountain where he saw things that surpassed his understanding of reality. Jesus became “transfigured.” Elijah and Moses appeared, confirming Jesus’ claim that he fulfills the Law and the Prophets. Jesus’ divine glory became unhidden to Peter and the two others who would rely on this tangible interaction with glory as they built and established the early days of the church. But for now, they were mostly bewildered:
“Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)” (Mark 9:5-6)
Peter can’t be blamed for blurting out what was on his mind. He was operating on his best intentions during a situation well outside of his control or understanding. Maybe the shelters signified a new tent of meeting between God and his people. Maybe he was following scriptural tradition of providing for the physical needs of God’s messengers (see Genesis 18 and Judges 6).
Or maybe, as some Bible experts believe, his best intentions were tinged with some selfishness. He had just heard Jesus announce his suffering and death (Mark 8:31-33) and in fact had argued with Jesus about it. So perhaps the tents were Peter’s way of saying, “Let’s skip all that suffering stuff and establish your kingdom right now.”
The problem with best intentions is their source: the imperfect minds of humans. Not a single person can employ the faculties of a perfect perspective, perfect judgment, perfect motives, and a perfect plan all working together. Plus, even a decent idea can be launched into a world stained by sin, chaos, and unpredictability. Ask the Audi R8 planners.
As a result, acting on your best intentions can land you in a spot worse than before. It’s swerving to avoid a pothole and hitting a fire hydrant instead, or following service intervals for draining your transmission fluid only to find the fill plug was inexplicably rounded off by the previous owner and now you have a car with exactly zero transmission fluid in it and no easy way of filling it.
All you can do is try your best while anticipating some chance of failure. Blame the imperfect world as well as your imperfect mind.
Yet God continually enters this imperfection to show how failure, even despite seemingly good intentions, is not the end of the story. After Peter’s shelter suggestion, “a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’” (Mark 9:7) This is how God responds to the chaos: He covers you with his presence and his grace, and shows you Jesus. It was his intention all along.
As a general trend, supercars proliferate in the years leading up to market collapse. Some survive, others don’t. The Audi R8 V10 survived. It found enough buyers who were enamored with its power and poise, and it remained on Audi showrooms for two generations and counting. Audi product planners can probably let out that deep breath they’ve been holding since late 2008, and prepare one heck of a story to tell future generations about their very best intentions.
