[s-cars] LAF Weakend NAC

[pkrasusky at ups.com]

Morning-

Fighting jetlag now from quick powertrip to Vegas with the wife.  From
our hotel window I can see next door there's this "The Drive" event...
autocross and off road articulation courses...  things that make you go
hmmmmmmmm.

$10 gets me 2 rides each in C7 Vette ragtop, GTO, CTS-V stick, and H3.
Other candidates were the (gasp) $77k STS-V Supercharged, Pontiac
Solstice, Saab 9-3 Aero Cab, and H2.  That's more seat time than my
typical autocrosses, and all completed within a 1/2 hour to boot.
Sweet.

My first run out in the Vette and the darn guy next to me slaps me into
neutral as I go to power out of the hole to the exit - musta sensed my
left foot braking and early turn in setting up what would have been
wondrous power on oversteer.  So THAT'S the way it's gonna be huh???
Wiseass!  Maybe they'd been to the "Streets of Tomorrow" event with me?
C7 feels great off the line, nice steering, brakes, sound.  Transitional
handling is really good.  Seemed to be a quick car.

GTO off the line was impressive, steering a bit slow through the
twisties, brakes OK.  Awesome sound.  I'd been wanting to wail on one of
those since they came out, they spec out so nicely on paper.  Guy had
his hand on the shifter so I knew to tone exiting that final bend down a
bit, but I did manage to sneak the traction control off for some nice
wheelspin off the line ala brakestand.   Sweet.  A stick in that car and
that'd be evil in the making.  That I gotta try sometime.

CTS-V was another I'd been awaiting a chance in since intro, considering
on paper they would seem to rule.  Clutch grabbed annoyingly off the
floor but with great engagement feel.  Power off line was "humph" -
alright I guess.  I was underwhelmed, likely considering my
expectations, the torque just didn't seem there - *nowhere* like the hit
of my UrS.  Brakes were touchytouchy but really nice, steering just OK,
solid shifter.  Jen was in back seat for this one and got out refused to
go back out with me as I'd tossed her all over the back seat (like
highschool days?) heh heh.  I told her and that was a 'mellow' run!  

H3 articulation course was a first for me.  I'm vehemently opposed to
the H2 out of principal, too status symboly, usually seen with 30"
chrome spinners and 1,200 subwoofers.  But the H3 out there, man, what
FUN!  16" concrete block in front of you?  No problem.  19" rut?  Sure.
40++ degree traverse angle?  Why not?  A bit eerie to look down at the
passenger mirror as it nearly seems to scrape the dirt!  Up the hill /
crest / down the hill excursion was neat too.  Hey mom look - the sky!
On the tarmac it felt very civilized too.  Neat truck, I'd not known
they were I5's in those (Audi content?).  That was a box of fun, highly
recommend trying any articulation course you may find at any local venue
(Jeep one 5 miles from me had been cancelled 2 days after 9/11).  What
an experience, very odd, disconcerting, enlightening all at once.

The GTO turned out, oddly enough, to be my favorite flog of the bunch.
Go figure?  The C7 was likely a better car out there and obviously a
better car overall, maybe the putz's neutral trick spoiled it for me.
But the GTO was neat, despite the slowish steering and uberpov
switchgear.  I'm sure the CTS-V would be a ton more fun out on an open
road, have to try that sometime.  Just didn't do it for me.  The Goat's
6.0L just sounds gnarly and felt like a ton of fun.

Guy told me the Vette's had all been through rear ends and 1/2 shafts.
HA!  I can see the "executive off lease" deals @ the local Stealerships
now.  D'oh.  Sat in the STS-V, rear door panel was loose when I shut it.
Niiiiiice quality.

Also rented a, heh, Dodge Caliber, for a run to Hoover Dam.  I gotta
look it up, but I'd swear there was a CVT tranny in that thing -
powerband like nothing I've ever experienced.  Like driving a
rubberband, very odd.  Wifely presence forbade any "Brooklyn / Hertz"
isms, ah well.

So maybe I'll pitch the UrS and ML in favor of a GTO and H3?  Well, no,
but they were both certainly highly enjoyable.  Kudos for them being
made, but more importantly kudos to the suckers letting me behind the
wheel.

-Paul bring on the suckers K.
CT - antiNevada