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@Kevin - Bay Area posted:.... Before I set out on a drive, I need to plot my course. I review the weather, and potential traffic along the routes. My drives are timed to miss as much traffic as possible along said routes.
My friends w/ modern sports cars with automatic transmissions and climate control laugh. California does have some amazing drives......just getting to these drives requires some planning when you live amongst such a large population in a small area...
Kevin has found the path to Speedster happiness here on the fringes of urban sprawl.
Most of our cars just aren't too happy slogging it out in stalled traffic or on the freeway. They're lower and more open and exposed than modern sports machinery. The fan whining a foot behind your head doesn't help much. They're happy at 65, but start to sound a little stressed at 75.
I think that's why VMC's current 'normal' is a mild-tuned 2332 with gobs of low-end torque and a 3.44 final drive. Most of the driving videos I've seen of them show off how relaxed they sound on the interstate. Lane's drivetrain seemed to have that, too. I just wish the driving video showcased that a bit more.
Those of us with two liters or less choose our roads and our moments carefully. It's as much a battle against the summer sun and morning frost as it is against the War Rigs and Doof Wagons out there on The Five.
When you finally find your exit and some leafy two-lane, you breathe easy.
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