TDI fades into regulatory oblivion; Enter Miata

[Tave]

I'm fine with the roll but given that it's my daily, I appreciate that the ride is about as comfortable as they can make it. Plus everything else about the cornering is so neutral--you can dial out any front outside push with steering, breaking, or throttle just depending on the situation.

[Rich]

When are you going to roll up there again?  I'd like to go on a weekend in september or november. 

Gotta get Sporty out there too

[Tave]

No return plans yet but I wouldn't need much convincing.

[68_427]

The Jag is phenomenal on corner entry and mid-corner, so dialed in. If you had told me it was ~200 lbs lighter than mine instead of 1000 heavier, just based on the way it looked as it attacked turn-in and flowed through the transitions, I would have believed it. That engine is a monster though, he had no hope of putting his power down on the exits. I actually did most of my damage on the "straights" by simply being able to hook up earlier.

Best part is the dude had a road bike and far-tire mtn bike on a backrack and was hucking it harder than the guys in Vette's, Camaros, and 911s.

Fastest group of the day (other than a couple solo bikers) was a motorcycle and Civic Si that were almost above my limit. We had a seriously fast run. I'm continually impressed by how well the FWD hot hatches handle that road; they're sooooo confident in the turns. Still can't put the power down like the Miata though. 

F-Type SVR is 4000lbs

[Tave]

F-Type SVR is 4000lbs

Cmon now, that beatiful, amazing, fat British porker isn't a hair over 3,800 pounds. 

Found it! Was the best I could do, I ran through all the photog websites and couldn't believe only 1 guy tried to get us in frame together. Ended up ordering the two below and a couple solos.

Edit: see below for original images

[Tave]

Here was another I thought about getting, think the first one is a better pic and obviously shows more of my ride. Dang those bikes are hilarious though.

[Tave]

[Tave]

[Raza]

[12,000 RPM]

Makes me so happy to hear someone actually driving their sports car as intended. You and Rich are the real heroes.

There's a guy at my job with a last gen Boxster S.... it's stickshift at least.... but dude drives like an absolute grandma. It's infuriating and depressing

[MX793]

Makes me so happy to hear someone actually driving their sports car as intended. You and Rich are the real heroes.

There's a guy at my job with a last gen Boxster S.... it's stickshift at least.... but dude drives like an absolute grandma. It's infuriating and depressing

Maybe he tracks or autocrosses it on the weekends?

[Raza]

Makes me so happy to hear someone actually driving their sports car as intended. You and Rich are the real heroes.

There's a guy at my job with a last gen Boxster S.... it's stickshift at least.... but dude drives like an absolute grandma. It's infuriating and depressing

Aren't you the one who chastises people for driving at unsafe speeds on the road? 

[Soup DeVille]

Aren't you the one who chastises people for driving at unsafe speeds on the road? 

Yeah, but to be fair he's also the one that has on throttle oversteer issues on his family sedan.

[giant_mtb]

Aren't you the one who chastises people for driving at unsafe speeds on the road? 

Yeah, but to be fair he's also the one that has on throttle oversteer issues on his family sedan.

[FoMoJo]

So this Dragon place, they close the road off or what?

[12,000 RPM]

Maybe he tracks or autocrosses it on the weekends?

I doubt it. I know some weekend warriors here. They drive like it

[Tave]

So this Dragon place, they close the road off or what?

Nope. And it can get pretty hairy with so many blind turns. There are plenty of cut-offs to yield to faster traffic, but the most important part of driving it is lane discipline. You can't take any chances with the inside line.

[FoMoJo]

Nope. And it can get pretty hairy with so many blind turns. There are plenty of cut-offs to yield to faster traffic, but the most important part of driving it is lane discipline. You can't take any chances with the inside line.

You run into many sightseers? People just poking along?

[AutobahnSHO]

So this Dragon place, they close the road off or what?

There are plenty of videos of shenanigans. YouTube search for something like "tail of dragon motorcycle crashes" or whatever and I'm sure there's some entertainment...

Another great curve driving road is the canyon between Logan, UT and Bear Lake UT. Problem is that it's got really good sight distance, and huge shoulders, so doesn't seem as intense.

[Tave]

You run into many sightseers? People just poking along?

Yeah, plenty of blue hairs in Park Avenues and RVs, most of them are considerate and will yield. You do run into oblivious a-holes that won't pull over, but the cut-offs also allow you to let gaps build.

The motorcyclists tend to be pretty quick, but I caught a pack of Harleys this weekend that were agonizingly slow.

[Tave]

Whenever I drive the Dragon it's like a revelation mixed w therapy.

Everytime I'm tempted to rethink my purchase--really, WTF am I doing at 6'4", driving 20K miles/year for work, with a Miata for a DD--I just remind myself how many smiles per dollar I generate and I can't think of a better car, period.

I'm not the fastest guy up there or the coolest car by a long shot, but damnit if I'm not nipping at the heels of the speed demons and letting out some of the biggest "Wooooooooooo's!" I hear all day.

Forgot to mention I caught up with a powder-blue, super clean S2000 hardtop tagged for NY outside of Asheville and saw them 10+ times the rest of the day waving at me. Really bummed we didn't get a chance to run together.

[Laconian]

I wish I had a road like that nearby.

[Tave]

I wish I had a road like that nearby.

Oh poor you, you only have like the entire Olympic peninsula that hardly anyone drives. 

There's gotta be some good back roads in the Cascades too.

I always thought the prettiest stretch of interstate in the US was that drive from Seattle to the San Juans.

Side note: mini-Seattle-vaca 3rd weekend in August and thinking about surprising the lady friend w a fast car and night-trip to Friday Harbor.

[Laconian]

The Olympic peninsula is pretty bereft of roads (that nat'l park is huge!) There are scenic drives to be had for sure, but they're generally neither fast nor twisty.

I think my favorite road through the Cascades is Hwy 20. I-90 is boring in that it's wide, fast, and fairly straight. Central/eastern WA isn't really interesting to drive in either, unless you like endless rolling brown hills and sunburns.

[AutobahnSHO]

-I just remind myself how many smiles per dollar I generate and I can't think of a better car, period.

I'm not the fastest guy up there or the coolest car by a long shot, but damnit if I'm not nipping at the heels of the speed demons and letting out some of the biggest "Wooooooooooo's!" I hear all day.

The guys at work snicker when I say "Miata". But I agree, even if my experience was just a 7month stint in a 19yr old bone-stock but repaired so it had 3 different body colors underneath NA ....

[Rich]

I wish I had a road like that nearby.

How long of a drive is it for you to get to Astoria/Portland?

Those driving roads were even better than the dragon, IMO.  So much fun

[Laconian]

Portland: 3-4 hours. Astoria, 6?

[Cookie Monster]

I want to drive/ride the Dragon at some point.

Access to amazing roads is what keeps me here, tbh.

[MX793]

How long of a drive is it for you to get to Astoria/Portland?

Those driving roads were even better than the dragon, IMO.  So much fun

The Dragon is the one everybody knows about and visits, but there are a ton of other great roads in the same vicinity without the tourist appeal (or crowds).

[Raza]

Whenever I drive the Dragon it's like a revelation mixed w therapy.

Everytime I'm tempted to rethink my purchase--really, WTF am I doing at 6'4", driving 20K miles/year for work, with a Miata for a DD--I just remind myself how many smiles per dollar I generate and I can't think of a better car, period.

I'm not the fastest guy up there or the coolest car by a long shot, but damnit if I'm not nipping at the heels of the speed demons and letting out some of the biggest "Wooooooooooo's!" I hear all day.

It's the way to be, brother. Who needs four seats to drive themselves around alone everyday? I smile every time I get behind the wheel.