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Eduardo, what's this road trip you are on and
what are you driving out there?
The National Weather Service just issued an Excessive Heat Warning for our area of Arizona.
So we timed our exit from Scottsdale just perfect!
***
On Monday we drove up through a very cool
Flagstaff (AZ) to Utah, first passing close to
the eastern rim of the Grand Canyon & then
near Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park, ending
up for the night in Provo. The scenery & the
roads were simply magnificent!
Yesterday we came up through Utah, southern
Wyoming, then Utah again & even touched a tip
of Idaho before reaching the Star Valley (WY) on
our way into Jackson Hole! Heavy snow is still
visible on top of all the mountains that surround
us here in Wyoming!
And in contrast to Scottsdale, for the past two
nights we last had to turn the heat in our hotel
rooms!
We are driving the RS7. It can't be beat as a GT
to take on a trip like this. Ample space for all our
luggage (we will be away for two weeks) & AWD
capabilities if the weather turns on us. Another
advantage is our twin-turbo engine* which is not
bothered by any of the great elevation changes
during our trip - from 2500 ft at our home in AZ
to near 8000 ft in the passes near Jackson Hole!
Below you can see the Audi parked by our hotel
in Jackson Hole, aptly called 'Inn on the Creek'!
And we indeed might be in real need of the AWD
features of our RS7. Our next stop is Red Lodge,
Montana! To get there, we will drive through Yellowstone National Park & up the famous
'Beartooth Highway':
Today parts of the highway was closed due to
snow! Yes, a snow road closure in mid-June!
*Our RS7 is standard MY2016 4.0-liter turbocharged
TFSI® V8 engine with 560 hp and 516 lb-ft torque.
We did not opt for the 'Performance' model which has
a similar 4.0-liter turbocharged TFSI® V8 engine, but
tuned to a higher 605 hp and 553 lb-ft torque.
******************
Originally Posted by mcsmcs1
Did you pick up a Ferrari yet?
Not yet. I am waiting for the Fall when I
suspect prices for the 458 will become a
bit more 'reasonable'.
Saludos,
Eduardo
On the Road - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
eduardo, you and I are more alike that I thought. We both drive a GT3 and an RS7. I actually have 2 RS7s, one for myself and one that my wife drives. Love 'em. Both have the DRC instead of the air suspension, and counter to some reviews that say it's too hard, it's perfect. In comfort mode, almost too soft. We leave ours in auto mode.
My wife drives the Misano Red one, which certainly looks more sinister. Mine is white but at least it's the Dynamic Edition with the red belts and stitching inside.
And we indeed might be in real need of the AWD
features of our RS7. Our next stop is Red Lodge,
Montana! To get there, we will drive through Yellowstone National Park & up the famous
'Beartooth Highway':
Beartooth! Unfortunately, I've only driven
it with larger trucks on camping/road trips.
It's still a great drive regardless.
Yes, we will get to try it tomorrow. Parts
of it are still close this morning for the
Wyoming portion of Beartooth Highway!
***
Originally Posted by Lapis
eduardo, you and I are more alike that I thought.
We both drive a GT3 and an RS7. I actually have
2 RS7s, one for myself and one that my wife drives.
Love 'em. Both have the DRC instead of the air
suspension, and counter to some reviews that say
it's too hard, it's perfect. In comfort mode, almost
too soft. We leave ours in auto mode.
My wife drives the Misano Red one, which certainly
looks more sinister. Mine is white but at least it's the
Dynamic Edition with the red belts and stitching inside.
Two RS7s? Wow! We ordered our MY2016 just over
one year ago & got it in Feb 2016. We also ordered
the Dynamic Ride Control over the standard air
suspension:
It's an amazing technology & also perfect for our type
of driving !
We know some executives at Audi of America so we
were able to get a special allocation from them that
we could use at any dealer we wanted. We chose
'Nardo Gray' because we like the color & could not
resist the no-cost option on this model. It's otherwise
Paint-to-Sample on any other Audi. We added the
alcantara headliner, etc because we simply love the
stuff. But we decided to forgo the sport seats with
the gorgeous honeycomb deviated stitching to take
advantage of the optional massage & ventilated seats.
They don't look as good but my back thanks me every
time we take a ride in these functional 'sofa' chairs!
And the ventilated seats are a welcome feature in
Arizona! These optional seats have five types of
massages in five levels of intensity!
The standard 'Sport Seats' on the RS7 are actually
beautiful! But they are not available with massage
or ventilation!
Audi Exclusive waved for us their normal $1200 fee order
any of their options. So we were able to add the 'Crimson'
seatbelts for a modest charge (less than $600). As a side
note, Audi will allow anyone to order Paint-to-Sample for
reasonable costs. For any uni, metallic, pearl effect paint
is just a one-time fee of $3900. 'Matte' paints are $6800.
Our RS7's 'Nardo Gray' is a solid/uni paint and it was N/C.
***
As Lapis can attest, the Audi RS7 is the St. Thomas More
of automobiles - 'A Car for All Seasons'!
It has four seats & four doors to convenience & practicality. It
has pull down back seats that lay flat for exceptional storage
& utility when needed. It has a strong, sophisticated engine &
AWD Quattro technology. Good brakes from the R8 (the good
looking/ lighter weight 'motorcycle' design).
Mine has heads-up display & radar cruise control. It has built-
in cameras front & back for ease of getting in & out of tight places.
It has decent mileage per gallon of premium fuel - I have averaged
over 22 mpg on almost 15k miles of driving! And it goes like stink!
The only drawback is weight. It is just north of two tons...and you
feel it on tight turns! So no, it's no gt3!
Saludos,
Eduardo
On the road - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Finally, after these fives-in-a-row, the 6th most popular color at
Ferrari is NOT a 'Corsa'! Hallelujah for change & diversity!
It's...'Rosso Scuderia'!
Since you can't order a new 458 anymore, I am a confined to
what is available in the used car market. So right now I am
deciding between 'Rosso Corsa' & 'Corsa Rosso', although I
admit that I find the 'Rosso Corsa Machiatto' rather intriguing!
*
But seriously, if I could find the rather rare PTS 'Verde' solid/uni
Italia that came up for sale a few years ago, I would be all over it!
But what are the chances? Frankly, I would be perfectly satisfied
with a 'Rosso Scuderia' or a 'Rosso Dino' example, especially if I
could find one in a factory two-tone, with a 'Nero' top!
The big dilemma for me is whether to go for the beautiful lines
of a hard-top coupe, or the open-air appeal of the 'Spider'!
06-14-2017 | 06:41 PM
Road trip...
