Aaaah, sorry, I thought it was a bit cryptic hahaha

 

Sorry I didn't see your question earlier. It's been a very long time since I did that but I'm sure I caught Highway 101 at the very north end of the California and took it all the way to S. F. I've been looking at a map and I see Highway 1 splits off and goes thru Fort Bragg, etc. I honestly can't remember if I took that route over that section, but I kinda doubt it. I'm pretty sure I took the Freeway (I'm guessing #5) from SF to LA. I called someone I knew in LA from there and needed to go straight there to meet them.

Memory says I could swear I drove thru the Big Sur area, I seem to remember signs for it and a park setting, but looking at the map says it's not likely. Maybe it was some other area. Like I said, it was a long time ago, mid to late 70s. I'm sure things have changed immensely all over the state. I do remember that getting a campsite in the parks meant applying for it a year of more in advance. I was usually tenting it at campsites on the trip and I remember I couldn't use the State Parks because of that, had to use KOAs, etc. You'll have to look to someone who lives there or visits there often to get any meaningful information. There are some very nice places to visit in the state.

 

No need to say sorry lol he is just a post ***** , theres a nice stretch of road ive travelled a few times and again next week that i reckon the 8 would just be superb, but unfortunately ive been in a hire car each time, dont know the road name but its actually just before a small town on the border between qld and nsw will get it this week, but cruising along at 80 with some spectacular views and the twists and turns would be real nice in the 8.

 

I loved driving the canyon roads in Colorado west of Denver, again on my motorcycle long, long ago. I didn't like driving up Pike's Peak. It messed up my newly-ringed engine ('72 Kawasaki 900) from the constant uphill grade.

 

In Sydney: Bell's line of Road - if you get stuck behind a slow car you can hear the Bell Birds
In Melbourne: Great Ocean Rd or the roads around the dandenong ranges

 

In Melbourne: Black Spur

 

Black Spur is a bit of a beginner's stretch ... and there's nothing really on the other side except an overpriced pub and a lot of farms.

 

You havent actually said what your fave roads to drive on are!

post *****

 

PIKE'S PEAK! Now you're talking. I was going to ask you about Pikes. Bless the internet, I downloaded a good resolution copy of 'Climb Dance' some months back. It is still one of the greatest pieces of in car camera work. It was worthy of every award it recieved. These days that stuff is easy to produce but here were talking 1989 and 16mm film I suspect. And to everyone who thinks drifting is a new invention, check out the way Vardenen hangs the back out even though there's thousands of feet of gravelly scree centimetres from his wheels. There are heaps of copies on Youtube. Search this 5 minute film out and ENJOY! I think his record still stands.

 

Thanks, harpo, I looked for it. That was a fun flick. Yeah, I didn't drive like that. Motorcycle. Cliffs. Dirt and gravel road in stretches. Not my thing then since the bike didn't have wings.

I stopped for the views and to let the bike cool off periodically. With the oil shifting to the back of the oil pan from the uphill drive I think the pistons and cylinders didn't get enough splash-lubrication (even though I stopped periodically to level the bike.) Combine that with possibly poorer high-altitude heat transfer and that might explain why I had a noticeably noisier engine after that drive.

I much preferred the paved canyon roads such as the ones around Aspen and Estes Park (that was beautiful.)

 

I used to go around Emerald in younger days....

Now my favourite bitumen is at Winton!

 

you forget to mention the trees

 

I used to drive around there a lot ... I live around a lot of trees, so I guess I don't notice it as much.

 

Harpo, for me it's Corkscrew road, twisty and treacherous! Love it. Then there is the good old GreenHill Road...noice for a midday fang....then lastly there is the extension of Magill Road up to Norton Summit.....oh yeah and then there are some great roads in the Barrossa.....

 

This just about covers it for SE Qld and the rest of the State for that matter...


http://www.brisbane-australia.com/103365.php


http://www.about-australia.com/trave.../scenic-drive/

 

I forgot about Corkscrew Road! And I'm teaching my son to drive a manual and Magill Road to Norton Summit is a good one for changing down etc. No. Not teaching him in the 8...

 

LOL ... you thought they were cute!

 

I think the driver needs to learn how to use their brakes

 

Still on my first set of pads LOL. I think they'll outlast the struts! Tyres don't last me very long though, but hey, I want to enjoy the car not drive it like a grandma!

I'm used to driving around there so I saw the kangaroos from enough distance ... there was a little joey, he was all cute and cuddly looking.

Would've been a tragedy had I not been wearing my glasses, omg ... I would've driven straight through them! The poor little joey!

And poor Rex too!

 

Oh yeah, we had Max that night ... omg, I forgot! That's a good sign you know! The RX8 drives like a boat on those roads!!!

 

As an Aussie, living in the UK, having driven in both of those places, plus a lot of Europe, plus a lot of Canada and the US, I think I can be reasonably objective about this... especially seeing as though I drove this particular piece of road in a v6 4.0L Mustang convertible back in 2005... but, the northern most part of Highway 1, where it splits off from the 101 north of SF must be the best piece of road I've ever drive. The section from Leggett to Fort Bragg was utterly amazing, and all I could think of the entire time was how much I wish I was driving an '8 whilst doing it...

Mind you, when I drove it 2 years ago, I was very lucky and didn't hit a single car going the same direction as me, and, they had just resealed the entire road, about 30 miles of it, so it was very sticky (which was a godsend given the tank I was driving)... it was paradise, I still talk about it with my friends today

Having said that, I've since got to drive a Gallardo, F360 and a DB9 on an aircraft proving ground, so that would be my favourite non-road driving experience...

 

Pepe, that's for the info.

There's an idea forming in my head now about a trip I must do up the west coast of US. Then on into Canada through the Rockies - a big trip. I have a friend in San Francisco and Vancouver itself is like an old friend - both worth a visit. Not to mention the Sea to Sky Highway, not because it's a chalenging drive, but becasue Whistler is at the end of it!

Just a question about Europe... have you driven any of the passes between Italy and Austria? I'm tryig to find the name of the pass featured in the opening scenes of the original 'Italian Job'. Any ideas?