Edmunds' Inside Line - Where Should We Go?

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03-18-2008 | 06:35 AM

mindlessoath

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Joined: Mar 2008

Posts: 125

Edmunds' Inside Line - road trip - update!

Where Should We Go?

Here's the deal. There are only seven U.S.-spec GT-Rs on American soil and we're taking one on the road. We've got a new gas credit card, a white 2009 Nissan GT-R and three days to cover as many miles as we can. Nissan made us agree to just two rules.

1) The Edmunds' Inside Line office in Santa Monica, California is the starting line.

2) The car makes it to Reno, Nevada in one piece.

But here's the question. Where should we go? Help us plan our route. We can drive the GT-R anywhere we want. Should we hit a racetrack? Route 66? Your house? Help us out here. Where would you take somebody else's GT-R?

Then tune back to this blog space on Wednesday March 26th and tag along for the ride. We'll be blogging from the road, complete with photos and video. It'll be like you're riding along with us in the year's hottest car. The adventure will last three days. We also promised Nissan the car would be returned to its engineers early the morning of Saturday March 29th.

So tell your friends and bookmark this page. We'll update it over the next week and a half as our route takes shape.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

>>> http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/category/cat.2009NissanGT-RRoadTrip

Last edited by mindlessoath; 03-26-2008 at 02:22 PM.

03-18-2008 | 07:13 AM

CharlesJ

GTRForums Staff

Joined: Feb 2006

Posts: 280

Everyone is so predictable with the PCH and Laguna Seca. I sort of agree with the PCH north to San Fran, but I would say go over to Infineon for a little fun then down in land to caliente before heading west to reno.

There ere also people posting to take it out to deals gap on the east coast obviously ignoring the fact it would take well over three days

03-18-2008 | 12:06 PM

rmatt8748

GTR Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 517

this is a cool idea, i wish that i knew roads on the west coast, but that's 3000 miles away sadly enough

03-26-2008 | 02:22 PM

mindlessoath

Thread Starter

GTR Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2008

Posts: 125

No.15:

Where Should We Go?

Here's the deal. There are only seven U.S.-spec GT-Rs on American soil and we're taking one on the road. We've got a new gas credit card, a white 2009 Nissan GT-R and three days to cover as many miles as we can. Nissan made us agree to just two rules.

1) The Edmunds' Inside Line office in Santa Monica, California is the starting line.

2) The car makes it to Reno, Nevada in one piece.

But here's the question. Where should we go? Help us plan our route. We can drive the GT-R anywhere we want. Should we hit a racetrack? Route 66? Your house? Help us out here. Where would you take somebody else's GT-R?

Then tune back to this blog space on Wednesday March 26th and tag along for the ride. We'll be blogging from the road, complete with photos and video. It'll be like you're riding along with us in the year's hottest car. The adventure will last three days. We also promised Nissan the car would be returned to its engineers early the morning of Saturday March 29th.

So tell your friends and bookmark this page. We'll update it over the next week and a half as our route takes shape.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

>>> http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightlin...anGT-RRoadTrip

-------------------------------------------

So Long Santa Monica

No marching band. No dancing girls. With all the pomp and circumstance of a trip to Wal-Mart we left the Santa Monica Pier early this morning. The Inside Line Ultimate GT-R Road Trip has begun!

Eastbound on I-10. First stop? El Mirage Dry Lake, the birthplace of hot rodding and a heck of a good place to go fast. Let's get this white beast dirty. We should be there in just two short hours if we stay ahead of LA's famous rush hour traffic.

Actually, I could use another coffee and Senior Editor Ed Hellwig is already asking for a bathroom break, so make that two hours and 10 minutes. Wish us luck.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 0 miles

Driving in "Comfort" Mode

We?re all of 40 miles into the drive and the 405 isn?t being very kind. Not only was there the usual bumper to bumper traffic early on, but the broken concrete now feels like an endless row of speed bumps. We?ve got the suspension dialed to ?comfort? and it?s not helping much. Feels like the tires are aired up to 100psi. We?ll get used to it, hopefully.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 47 miles

2009 Nissan GT-R Road Trip: Inside Line Reader Visit #1

Before we bailed on LA we hooked up with Inside Line reader Kane Lee, who happens to live within walking distance of the Santa Monica Pier, this trip's launch point. The 35-year-old, self-described car fanatic moved to Los Angeles two years ago from New York, and he seems to be doing well for himself. His apartment is just steps from the beach and his Audi RS4 packs a Stasis Motorsport suspension.

After a quick walk around and a look at the Nissan GT-R's force fed V6, we even let Kane drive the car. Traffic was thick, so he didn't exactly get a chance to pound on it, but he did get a good feel for the car. "I like the rigid feel of the suspension," he said. "But the car feels a bit big and heavy around town. My RS4 is smaller, and feels more tossable, but it is modifed."

Although the ride was limited by the confines of the city, there was one open stretch on Santa Monica's Ocean Blvd. where Kane was able to add some throttle and pull a single redline upshift. "Wow, this thing is a monster," he said following the burst of speed. "And I really like the sound of those turbos."

After the ride Kane was feeling so euphoric he even invited me to drive his Audi (big mistake), and I'll take him up on the offer as soon as I get back from Reno.

03-26-2008 | 06:34 PM

rmatt8748

GTR Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 517

cool cool, ive been trying to keep track of this

03-26-2008 | 06:57 PM

mindlessoath

Thread Starter

GTR Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2008

Posts: 125

2009 Nissan GT-R Road Trip: Getting Dirty at El Mirage

http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/4551

No one in their right mind would take their brand new, $70,000 sports car onto a silt-covered dry lake just to do donuts in the dirt. So, of course, that’s the first place we headed. There was plenty of room on El Mirage dry lake to stretch the GT-R’s legs a little. We got it up to 130 mph before deciding that the limited visibility and random mounds of dirt made anything faster a potentially life – and GT-R – threatening exercise. Then we turned off the traction control and got it sideways to see what the GT-R is like when it’s not stuck to the pavement. Shocker of the day – it’s fun. Click through to see the videos.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 132 miles

more vids and pics at the link!

Last edited by mindlessoath; 03-26-2008 at 07:11 PM.