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Oh yeah? Where I live, our roads are nice and straight and flat. Plus lots of cracks and potholes. We're not bothered with all those annoying twists and turns and changes in elevation, not to mention beautiful scenery.
Honestly, the TOTD was my least favorite of the roads we drove at the Dragon Rally and not just because of the close call. I much prefer fewer super tight turns where the speeds can be higher and the road has longer sweepers. There were plenty of those up there too along rivers and overall beautiful drives, but with the number of people on The Dragon, some of whom are well beyond their's or their vehicles capabilities, it's pretty hair-raising.
Oh yeah? Where I live, our roads are nice and straight and flat. Plus lots of cracks and potholes. We're not bothered with all those annoying twists and turns and changes in elevation, not to mention beautiful scenery.
So we got that going for us.
Texas here. I can relate. I usually have to drive 40-50 minutes to find a semi-entertaining drive. Sucks to have to go on a drive so I can go on a drive but what’s the alternative? I guess I could find YouTube videos of someone else enjoying their local roads….🤔
Maybe its me, but endless 180 degree switchbacks dont make for a very enjoyable drive...certainly not a great driving road to me
I agree with your comment, but accelerating hard towards a hairpin, generating deceleration brake G-forces at the latest point, trail braking into it, generating > 1G of lateral force while steering through the 180 deg (or more) curve using throttle and steering angle, then going WOT just past the apex? Priceless. It is what a 911 does like no other car. It's why lightweight bucket and Adaptive 18-way sport seats exist...and summer high performance tires and PASM. Those massive rear spoilers and aero kits? Not functional on real roads at sane speeds. They do serve as nice trays at a Cars and Coffee event, though!
My most enjoyable driving is between 40 and 80mph, in second gear bumping against the rev limiter, with 100% of my attention on the road condition, braking points and correct lines through the curves. With 408 of NA hp on tap, I never have to downshift to 1st gear in a 10mph hairpin, but I could! Opposite lock to correct for excessive/early throttle is a wonderful thing. Heel and toe downshifting my 6MT from 3rd to 2nd with perfect rev matching (by me, not the PDK or the 991's ECU) for quicker exit is also my own little taste of nirvana.
YMMV.
Last edited by Liste-Renn; 11-04-2021 at 04:29 PM.
Personally, (and nobody asked me)... I am anything but impressed by TOTD.
Yes, there are 11 miles of 318 nicely linked turns, but also so many poseurs f-ing up there: https://tailofthedragonmaps.com/tail...dragon-deaths/
Or stop and check out the "Tree of Shame" body panels outside Deals Gap at the beginning of the stretch.
Hardly a world class road worthy of the detour I made to fill a square on our ATL-LAX post Porsche Euro delivery road trip.
If you live in the Southeast US, it might be the bees knees, but the Rockies, Sierras, Cascades, Tetons and Cali coastal range are really a different universe as far as driving roads. Or the European Alps, for that matter.
Sorry to step on anyone's toes who thinks otherwise, but treating it like some holy grail of great driving roads is not warranted.
Cripes, even Maui has better driving roads, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean:
Haleakala Highway (37 miles):
Or the Hana Highway (52 miles):
I’ve driven the Hana Highway a couple times. There are some pretty scary sections that make you question why it’s called a highway. I’ve also driven up Haleakala several times but the scariest road on the island is between Kapalua and Waikalua. That one will have your hands sweating.
I live in North Georgia and there are, in my opinion, much better roads than TOTD. Even roads off TOTD are better and have less traffic.
If I go, and it's usually only to accompany someone that hasn't experienced it, it's always a weekday. Between the amount of ego and amount of Harleys, it's barely worth the weekday drive. No way I would touch it on the weekend.
We did go during October so Alison could drive her Cayman T there. She had never been. Cherohala Skyway back is much better and the connecting roads into TN and GA are excellent.
I agree with your comment, but accelerating hard towards a hairpin, generating deceleration brake G-forces at the latest point, trail braking into it, generating > 1G of lateral force while steering through the 180 deg (or more) curve using throttle and steering angle, then going WOT just past the apex? Priceless.
This post makes me want to get out and drive!!
Unfortunately I’m stuck behind the keyboard and my 911 is not my daily for the straight, boring 39 mile commute home.
Excuse the length of this vid, but I am too lazy and incompetent to trim my YouTube video down to the choicest turns...
I ran this road, up, down, repeat, for 13 round trips (almost 100 miles).
I only quit because it got dark, and only recorded the last descent to catch the Pacific sunset.
(997 GTS, 6MT on Deer Creek Road just across county line form Malibu into Ventura.)
Oh yeah? Where I live, our roads are nice and straight and flat. Plus lots of cracks and potholes. We're not bothered with all those annoying twists and turns and changes in elevation, not to mention beautiful scenery.
So we got that going for us.
Condolences, 'dawg. I lived in Minnesota for 10 years and I had to drive my 944S2 to Wisconsin to find a curving road along the St Croix or Mississippi Rivers. Otherwise, it was freeway on/off ramps for any fun on four wheels.
Originally Posted by Quadcammer
Maybe its me, but endless 180 degree switchbacks don't make for a very enjoyable drive...certainly not a great driving road to me
Yo, Quadcammer! I love me some high speed sweepers, too.
The OP mentioned, and I responded above about Highway 33 north of Ojai, California. It is a totally badass road.
Here is a video of that road. It is long, but shows the east side of the summit. The west side is also spectacular.
Excuse the fly fouling the windshield at 8:07, the last thing to go through his mind (just before his a**hole did) was "Nice car!"
Personally, (and nobody asked me)... I am anything but impressed by TOTD.
Yes, there are 11 miles of 318 nicely linked turns, but also so many poseurs f-ing up there: https://tailofthedragonmaps.com/tail...dragon-deaths/
Or stop and check out the "Tree of Shame" body panels outside Deals Gap at the beginning of the stretch.
Hardly a world class road worthy of the detour I made to fill a square on our ATL-LAX post Porsche Euro delivery road trip.
If you live in the Southeast US, it might be the bees knees, but the Rockies, Sierras, Cascades, Tetons and Cali coastal range are really a different universe as far as driving roads. Or the European Alps, for that matter.
Sorry to step on anyone's toes who thinks otherwise, but treating it like some holy grail of great driving roads is not warranted.
Cripes, even Maui has better driving roads, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean:
Haleakala Highway (37 miles):
That doesn't look like Haleakala - and I've ridden up it on my bicycle. That might instead be Stelvio Pass in northern Italy.
Condolences, 'dawg. I lived in Minnesota for 10 years and I had to drive my 944S2 to Wisconsin to find a curving road along the St Croix or Mississippi Rivers. Otherwise, it was freeway on/off ramps for any fun on four wheels.
.
It's not all bad. In the western part of the state towards Lacrosse, the roads get a bit twisty and fun but it's a 3 hour drive to get there. Nothing like what you guys are blessed with though.
Actually, hopefully next month I'm flying down to the Knoxville area to purchase a Boxster GTS. My plan is to try and sample the TOTD and the surrounding roads while I'm there for a couple days. Hopefully it won't be too cold for the tires etc. We'll see, wish me luck.
Honestly, the TOTD was my least favorite of the roads we drove at the Dragon Rally and not just because of the close call. I much prefer fewer super tight turns where the speeds can be higher and the road has longer sweepers. There were plenty of those up there too along rivers and overall beautiful drives, but with the number of people on The Dragon, some of whom are well beyond their's or their vehicles capabilities, it's pretty hair-raising.
Holy crap, Pete! Glad you survived such a close call.
That doesn't look like Haleakala - and I've ridden up it on my bicycle. That might instead be Stelvio Pass in northern Italy.
Well, it’s a screenshot from a google search for “Haleakala Highway images”.
It does looks different from the road than from above.
You are a stud to ride up it!
I have only driven up a dozen or so times and rode down once on the bike tour.
I’ve piloted a DC-10, 747 and 757 overhead from 15-20K feet, also did multiple low passes over the summit at very low altitude in both a C-130 and C-17 (< 11K feet MSL, summit is 10K, so less than 1000’ AGL.)
If I mistakenly posted a pic of Stelvio- which someone actually did above- my bad.
Here is another aerial view of the Haleakala Highway:
Last edited by Liste-Renn; 11-05-2021 at 09:13 PM.
11-04-2021, 06:51 AM
