Road Trip Report
09-30-2008, 08:02 AM
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Road Trip Report
A while back I asked for advice about where to go on a break in road trip. I am in the middle of that trip now. I headed South from Canada into North Dakota where I headed West across North Dakota and almost across Montana. I am currently in Whitefish Montana, and will be touring Glacier National Park today, before heading back into Canada tomorrow - Banff. About 1200 miles so far.
Some random items so far
Crossing the border was interesting. My customs inspector made me open the trunk to look inside. Then she made me open the engine compartment so she could have a closer look - by this time we were just talking about the car. She was quite taken with the engine under glass concept. One of the other agents left his post and left a huge line of cars waiting. He wanted to tell me about their mandatory test drive program, but also mentioned he had never seen one before - who knows how many cars these guys see a day.
Driving cross country is a dream - I have heard about other sports cars not being that comfortable but you can drive this thing all day. I have lost count on the number of times I have been photographed. Driving through the mountains in Glacier yesterday was an absolute blast - I am still grinning. Now I am heading off to the Going to the Sun road which is supposed to be gorgeous. Some of it is closed for construction so far.
Here are some photos, on the theory that there can never be enough R8 photos in the world. The smudges on the road shots are bug splats. The first one is in Western North Dakota. The rest are in Montana. The R8 beauty shots are at Whitefish Lake.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902295874/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2902295874_7b832d0681_o.jpg" alt="Open Road North Dakota" /></a>
Heading into the mountains.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902295712/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2902295712_98b2fa340e_o.jpg" alt="R8 Open Road 1" /></a>
Things about to get interesting
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902296172/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2902296172_17c0acf601_o.jpg" alt="R8 Into Glacier Park" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902295562/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2902295562_503921efec_o.jpg" alt="R8 Into Mountains" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2901453943/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2901453943_b394ff847a_o.jpg" alt="R8 Whitefish Profile" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2901453573/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/2901453573_ae212fee2e_o.jpg" alt="R8 Whitefish" /></a>
Some random items so far
Crossing the border was interesting. My customs inspector made me open the trunk to look inside. Then she made me open the engine compartment so she could have a closer look - by this time we were just talking about the car. She was quite taken with the engine under glass concept. One of the other agents left his post and left a huge line of cars waiting. He wanted to tell me about their mandatory test drive program, but also mentioned he had never seen one before - who knows how many cars these guys see a day.
Driving cross country is a dream - I have heard about other sports cars not being that comfortable but you can drive this thing all day. I have lost count on the number of times I have been photographed. Driving through the mountains in Glacier yesterday was an absolute blast - I am still grinning. Now I am heading off to the Going to the Sun road which is supposed to be gorgeous. Some of it is closed for construction so far.
Here are some photos, on the theory that there can never be enough R8 photos in the world. The smudges on the road shots are bug splats. The first one is in Western North Dakota. The rest are in Montana. The R8 beauty shots are at Whitefish Lake.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902295874/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2902295874_7b832d0681_o.jpg" alt="Open Road North Dakota" /></a>
Heading into the mountains.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902295712/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2902295712_98b2fa340e_o.jpg" alt="R8 Open Road 1" /></a>
Things about to get interesting
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902296172/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2902296172_17c0acf601_o.jpg" alt="R8 Into Glacier Park" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902295562/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2902295562_503921efec_o.jpg" alt="R8 Into Mountains" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2901453943/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2901453943_b394ff847a_o.jpg" alt="R8 Whitefish Profile" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2901453573/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/2901453573_ae212fee2e_o.jpg" alt="R8 Whitefish" /></a>
09-30-2008, 11:20 AM
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Nice trip and pictures. However I was always told that during break-in a car should not be driven...
At steady state highway type speeds.
It is more important to REV the engine through its REV range like in traffic conditions. More stop and go is better then steady revving.
It is more important to REV the engine through its REV range like in traffic conditions. More stop and go is better then steady revving.
09-30-2008, 02:40 PM
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Re: Nice trip and pictures. However I was always told that during break-in a car should not be drive
I was actually about 1500 miles into break-in before the trip started. Widely varying conditions, so hopefully that is OK. Today I really wound it up in a few places - a thing of beauty 
09-30-2008, 04:40 PM
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Speaking of beautiful country.
If you ever have a chance to drive Glacier's Going to the Sun road then go for it. Construction prevented the complete trip but still spectacular. Leave your radar detector at home on this road.
View from the edge of the road.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902677501/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/2902677501_88fa9e7b1c_o.jpg" alt="Going to the sun 2" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902677239/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/2902677239_f8d9d7182f_o.jpg" alt="Going to the sun 1" /></a>
Although under construction, this gives you some sense of the type of road you are dealing with.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2903519100/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2903519100_5dfa3e8573_o.jpg" alt="Road construction" /></a>
One lane at this point due to construction.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902676643/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2902676643_0d23484b83_o.jpg" alt="Stoplight" /></a>
View from the edge of the road.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902677501/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/2902677501_88fa9e7b1c_o.jpg" alt="Going to the sun 2" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902677239/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/2902677239_f8d9d7182f_o.jpg" alt="Going to the sun 1" /></a>
Although under construction, this gives you some sense of the type of road you are dealing with.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2903519100/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2903519100_5dfa3e8573_o.jpg" alt="Road construction" /></a>
One lane at this point due to construction.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30509205@N07/2902676643/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2902676643_0d23484b83_o.jpg" alt="Stoplight" /></a>
