Great drive in my RCF

claw23

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#1
Had a great afternoon when I decided to get off my ass and just go for a drive. Living on the Wasatch Front in Sandy, Utah give some unique opportunities for fun drives in my 2015 RCF.

After navigating the surface roads filled with slower traffic, the first opportunity to enjoy the car's performance was Parley's Canyon heading towards Park City, The winding climb and multiple lanes afforded the occasion to open her up, passing cars and hooking up with a fast BMW driver to make ground. We maintained a friendly pace with the requisite driver's courtesy and mutual respect. I did let him lead at a respectful distance, thinking of possible smokeys that may be lurking. I was also using the Waze app to warn me of any road hazards and/or speed traps. I recommend it if you haven't tried it, it has saved me from tickets.

Passing the Park City exit, I steered towards Heber City, the mountains punctuated by the freeway and some hills where open spots in traffic allowed the opportunity to use manual mode and row through the gears using the gear lever to change up and down. I prefer to use the gear lever instead of the paddles just for the hell of it. Using manual mode allows me to exploit the powerband and keep the revs higher so I can feel and hear the engine. Utah drivers will sometimes loaf along in the left lane, but being patient and occasionally flashing the headlights works for me. Many times I have noticed drivers will move over for the RCF when they see the black nasty come up from behind.

Cruised through traffic in Heber and stopped at the airport to see a very interesting warplane exhibit that was going on. Got to stroll through their war museum and see some great old planes and memorabilia. There were a couple of new Camaros parked there, identical dark blue color with white stripes. I parked near enough to upstage them (in my own immature mind) and when I left the parking lot I noticed a dude walking past who was looking at my car. I don't think most people who like cars see very many of these on the road. It does get a fair bit of attention, especially in black with the red interior. Most folks I talk to about it know what it is and seem genuinely interested.

Back on the tarmac, I took the road down Provo canyon, where I noticed a large black pickup come up on me. I moved over and he took the lead where we were cruising past slower cars and another friendly dice ensued. I was happy to let him take the lead, sweeping away traffic and I just tucked in behind, taking the curves at a brisk pace and feeling the balanced handling and steady grip, never challenging the limits. Driving at 8/10th's with no worries is a good place to be on a sunny afternoon in the mountains of Utah.

Turned right onto the Alpine loop and the narrow, steep and winding road up past Sundance Ski Resort with clear road for several miles. I encountered an old pickup truck loaded down with lawn maintenance equipment that initially gassed it when he saw me coming up. With the road being very narrow and twisty, there was really no place to pass. Again, patience and keeping a semi-respectful distance until the road opened up for me. As I moved close, the driver drifted left into my path, so I used the horn to signal my presence and all worked out to my and the car's satisfaction. Back in manual mode and using 2nd gear to navigate the twisties, dips and hairpins all the way to the summit.

The views on the Alpine Loop are spectacular this time of year, with snow capped peaks soaring high from lush green mountains. Few cars and a couple of bicycles were seen, and a reasonable pace that ensures safety for all, with enough speed to feel the suspension and steering working against the terrain. Using sport + mode with the traction control off, I tried to induce oversteer on a couple of the tight turns. This is something I need to practice in a controlled environment to get the hang of it. Second gear was a little too high to get any wheelspin, and I was reluctant to engage first, wanting to be safe and not run down any bikes or cars in the process. The rear drive RCF pivots nicely with great turn-in, and the stiff chassis never flinches. Drifts will have to wait for another day.

The back side of the Alpine Loop goes down American Fork Canyon, starting out very narrow and steep, then opening up to 2 lanes and great vistas filtering through the trees. A nice, relaxed pace got me to the bottom in one piece and without any nasty gravel strikes on the windshield or body. Knock on wood. Just replaced the windshield at 12,000 miles with a massive crack. The insurance company ponied up almost a grand for the privilege. It's a challenge to keep the paint and body nice on this car, but it needs to be driven. Since it's Japanese and so well built, there's less worry about reliability or reducing value. That's one major selling point when I bought this car.

Just one last sporting stretch of road left on the menu, Traverse Ridge goes up over the point of the mountain on the South end of the Salt Lake valley. What used to be a fairly quiet road has gotten busier with homes going up at the summit and cascading down the hillsides. It's a pretty steep piece of road and twists and turns follow the mountain to the top. The entire valley is laid out before you as you crest the top and scoot down the other side. I like to have fun at 8/10th's here as well, the performance envelope of this car is higher that what I'm willing to explore on public roads. Just enough of a challenge to drive and have fun, but less risk of accidents or tickets.

As I cruised the last miles to home, I just let the car do the shifting so I could relax and decompress. Now I sit and type this with a nice cigar and the dogs playing in the yard. The perfect end to a nice afternoon driving the amazing roads that are right at my doorstep.
 


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