QOTD: Great Drives

One of the perks of this job is getting to drive on some cool roads in some very scenic places. In fact, I appreciate that particular perk more than the quality of the hotel or dinner -- I'd be fine with a Holiday Inn and Mom's Steaks and Seafood.

I've been lucky enough to drive part of the Pacific Coast Highway, the Tail of the Dragon, Malibu's famed Snake, and the Angeles Crest Highway outside L.A. Yesterday, for the first time in about 10 years, I drove through the famed Valley of Fire outside Las Vegas while testing a Kia.

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Not to Scale: Nurburgring, USA

For those North Americans seeking to drive the famous 14-mile Nurburgring, a look-alike loop has been plotted just south of Indianapolis, IN. While most replicas are not as big as the original, the “Schweinefiletring™” is more than 12 times the size of the famed German circuit. Utilizing 175 miles of public roads through southern Indiana, its route replicates the Green Hell.

VIR’s Grand Course has frequently been claimed as the USA’s answer to the Nurburging. But, at a paltry 4.2 miles long, it pales in comparison. The only other way to experience the 14-mile challenge for yourself would be on a driving simulator. If you want to see the sights, smell the smells, and feel the g-forces, you can now do so without the need for a track car or fancy sim rig.

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  • MaintenanceCosts What is the actual out-the-door price? Is it lower or higher than that of a G580?
  • ToolGuy Supercharger > Turbocharger. (Who said this? Me, because it is the Truth.)I have been thinking of obtaining a newer truck to save on fuel expenses, so this one might be perfect.
  • Zerofoo Calling Fisker a "small automaker" is a stretch. Fisker designed the car - Magna actually builds the thing.It would be more accurate to call Fisker a design house.
  • ToolGuy Real estate, like cars: One of the keys (and fairly easy to do) is to know which purchase NOT to make. Let's see: 0.43 acre lot within shouting distance of $3-4 million homes. You paid $21.8M in 2021, but want me to pay $35M now? No, thank you. (The buyer who got it for $8.5M in 2020, different story, maybe possibly.) [Property taxes plus insurance equals $35K per month? I'm out right there lol.] Point being, you can do better for that money. (At least the schools are good? Nope lol.)If I bought a car company, I would want to buy Honda. Because other automakers have to get up and go to work to make things happen, but Honda can just nap away because they have the Power of Dreams working for them. They can just rest easy and coast to greatness. Shhhh don't wake them. Also don't alert their customers lol.
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Much nicer vehicles to choose from for those coins.