Introduction to Asphalt

"Asphalt" (Asphalt)
03/04/2014 at 11:20 • Filed to: great driving roads, asphalt, fiat 500 abarth, fun, top gear, jeremy clarkson

Good day everyone in Jalopnikverse. Much like you, I am a car enthusiast, and that means not only do I enjoy driving cars, but I also enjoy reading and watching about them. From Youtube's various car channels to the most famous Top Gear, I've seen them all. Very exciting shows they are, what with their Dodge Vipers and Olivers, they attract and inspire motoring enthusiasts all over the world, unless, of course, you're a motorcyclist trying to watch Top Gear.

One particular episode of Top Gear that truly inspired me was of course a review Jeremy Clarkson did on a car. Perhaps it was particularly special for him as well, as he soon after purchased the CLK63 AMG Black series. In it, Jeremy questioned the modern automotive enthusiast; he questioned the dying activity of driving with no destination in mind. Driving for the journey itself, a journey that truly does not have an end. The pursuit of driving just for fun is something that, he says, seemed to be done only by motorcyclists, not human beings.

As Jeremy wraps up his review of the CLK Black, he said that "you can sit back and indulge in what this show's all about. The absolute joy of driving a great car on a great road." Cue inspirational music.

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Wow, I thought. This is absolutely great, inspiring, and makes me want to get out and drive. And then I realized he didn't answer his original question. His initial questioning of why people no longer go out for great drives. He guessed that it was because cars weren't exciting enough, and the rest of the review implies that the CLK Black is what makes his great drive possible.

But, he's wrong. There's no doubt that the CLK Black series is a fantastic, exciting, and fun-to-drive car; but saying that a CLK Black is required for driving fun suggests that we all need to have the financial ability to purchase a car costing well over our budgets. FR-S, BRZ, and the Fiesta ST are all fun little cars that are within people's budgets. Clearly then, it's not the car that makes the drive fun.

In fact, it is a great road that makes driving fun. These days our roads are clogged with ever increasing traffic, potholes, or are flat out not fun to drive. As the majority of us live in, or near large cities, the only roads we drive on are grids of traffic. Living in New York, this is something that I've always experienced, and to get a fun drive, I must leave the city far behind.

But this makes having a fun drive difficult. After paying for gas, paying the expensive tolls to get in and out of the city, and driving through mind-numbing traffic, I now must find great roads to drive on. Roads that aren't pothole infested, that don't have too much traffic, and that have lots of curves to enjoy a car's handling.

Top Gear and various other programs have only occasionally bothered talking about, according to Jeremy Clarkson, is essentially what half their show is about, the great roads bit. Ferraris and Lamborghinis are exciting to film, exciting to travel to and see. Finding great roads would be fairly mundane and tedious work. Other than the greatest road in the world segment, Top Gear hasn't really covered this aspect of their show.

And so, that's what I'm here to do. Forget the flashy cars and the drifting and lots of power slides, and just focus on the roads. Asphalt will document great driving roads, beginning in the Northeast, and spreading throughout the country. If you're a driving enthusiast, join us and subscribe to our !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to get the latest updates. We'll be posting reviews of our roads on this blog. Most importantly, go out and drive!

Here is our latest road:

It's more of an enjoyable cruise, but check out some of the other videos for tighter roads. Link in description to map.

DISCUSSION (6)

Jayhawk Jake > Asphalt
03/04/2014 at 11:55

I wish I had fun roads near me...

How is your camera mounted in the car?

therevengeofthesaab (really likes pre-2005 hondas right now) > Asphalt
03/04/2014 at 11:58

I am guessing the Fiat is yours....

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > Asphalt
03/04/2014 at 12:28

Your show is wonderfully shot and I love the map in the corner.

That being said, but I don't think that Clarkson was insinuating anything. That's why his bit began with a rhetorical question. When the film starts he speaks so poetically about his relationship with the car. The CLK is basic, as he states, it lacks most electronic luxuries. It's "savage." It's fun. Clarkson chose the CLK because it's free of inhibition.

Which raises his question, when do you actually "go for a drive?" When do you cast away all the worries and focus on the joy of driving?

By no means and a huge Top Gear fan boy, but I can appreciate Clarkson's love for the CLK, heck he even bought one.

Asphalt > Jayhawk Jake
03/04/2014 at 12:29

We're a two man team so I've got a tripod in the back and a person to hold it in place but I have considered just getting a suction mount and putting it on the rear window.

Asphalt > TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma
03/04/2014 at 12:39

I agree with you, by no means am I saying that the CLK is anything but a fantastic car. Although, I believe Clarkson says that the CLK is a good blend of "savage" and daily "drivability", when he mentions the air con and navigation auto transmission etc.

What I am saying is that you don't necessarily need such a car to enjoy driving, but you do need a great road to drive on. Any car can be fun to drive, but you must have a great road to drive on, as it's not so fun driving down Main street dodging buses and people.

You raise a good point about the "when to go for a drive" but I'm not here to answer that question; it's a different answer for every person. However, I am here to make that decision easier by finding the good driving roads for you guys :)

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > Asphalt
03/05/2014 at 01:37

Sorry my opinion came out wrong, haha. I had just rolled out of bed and was very tired.

Love the idea of your videos, I look forward to you moving westward!