"SDKR" (sdkr)
01/30/2015 at 13:33 • Filed to: None
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"SDKR" (sdkr)
01/30/2015 at 13:33 • Filed to: None | 4
| 4 |
The following is a little story from my US trip in the summer of 2013, if you have a similar story feel free to share.
Sometimes you are there, that moment in time where everything is good, there is no worries, no problems, at least for a little while they are gone, forgotten. I had just spent 2 hours sitting on the edge of Grand Canyon, watching the sunset in almost dead silence, the other tourists were busy spending 150 dollars on a rubbery steak in the nearby restaurant.
South of the tourist area I found a big rock on the edge of the canyon, heated by the setting sun it kept being warm, even as the last of our plasma ball disappeared behind the red rocks.
In front of me, was a 4 hour drive to a little town called Page. On a map Page seemed like a dot in the middle of absolutely nowhere, but the squeaky motel bed awaited me there. The road back to highway 89A winds its way through the hills and forests, which somehow survive in the middle of Arizona's barren landscape. It was here, driving through the darkness, I had one of those moments, the worries of making the right decisions were just not there anymore.
The car was a regular rental Mustang Convertible, just like the 200.000 other you see rolling up and down California's highway 1, everyone will agree it is not a spectacular drivers car. But here driving through the long turns, that snakes their way around the hills of Kaibab it was… well… just right.
The convertible top was down and the stupidly named, but great Shaker sound system was playing some random country music. I pushed the shifter the last notch into S, clicked it two gears down into third and applied all 300 HP out of the following corner. As the rev-counter passed 5000, the otherwise disliked V6 filled the surrounding woods with a lovely mechanical howl. In this part of the forest, the trees were burned by a recent forest fire, no leaves, no grass everything was just dead.
Driving here in the darkness with only my headlights and the moon illuminating the road ahead, I had not a care in the world, it was just ass, seat and twisting road.
My moment of bliss was taken away, as a deer decided this was the perfect time to cross the road. I stood on the brakes, resulting in an empty bottle flying across the cabin and hitting the gearstick. The deer survived by a few feet and disappeared into the darkness, I reached the city of Page 3 hours later, tired but a few memories richer.
Some car guy once said that cars aren't born with a soul, the soul is given to them through adventure. We drove 6000 miles through 6 states in that car. Wherever that Mustang is today, it has a soul and a bent mudflap. The point is, any car will do, (yes even your 85 HP beater) if the moment is just right.
Photo credits: Myself
(My real name is Emil Kobbernagel, I review IT for a small internet publication in Denmark. Trying to hone my english skills and get into some car journalism, i've decided to write about anything car related here on Oppo, so some friendly feedback is always welcome)
BlurpleToyotaDishwasher
> SDKR
01/30/2015 at 13:39 |
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I agree with you up to a point (and the Mustang is cool even with a V6, it's not like a Dodge Avenger or a Sebring or something), but I drove up to the arctic in a Toyota Corolla and it made the journey boring. :(
SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
> SDKR
01/30/2015 at 13:46 |
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Cool AW11 badge avatar.
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SDKR
> BlurpleToyotaDishwasher
01/30/2015 at 13:53 |
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I've had fun in a euro Corolla 1.4 on some twisty roads, but i imagine a looong drive like that doesn't involve small backroads with tight corners.
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BlurpleToyotaDishwasher
> SDKR
01/30/2015 at 14:05 |
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Some reasonably sweeping main roads in places, but generally no. To be honest, for twisty backroads it's the worst car I've owned. Not Corsa-level bad, but just zzzzzzzzz.