The Great American Road Trip, Part 2

After resting up in Asheville overnight, we set out at 7am westward - towards the Tail of the Dragon.  If you're not familiar with the Tail of the Dragon (also called Deal's Gap), here are the statistics: 318 turns in 11 miles.  It's a section of US-129 that crosses over the North Carolina-Tennessee border, and it's just about as intense as a public road can get.  Although to be honest, the drive up there was quite breathtaking as well.

the Great Smoky Mountains presents challenging driving and some rather distracting scenery.  Here, the turbo Saab really came into it's own - the only need to downshift out of 5th was for the steepest of uphills (boost builds quicker in 4th) or the hairiest of downhills (lots of engine braking in 4th.)  For the most part, you can leave the cruise control on and let the turbo take care of the load.  It pulls cleanly in 5th on most terrain thanks to all the boost, making it a killer interstate car.

The day gets lighter, but it's still a chilly 39°F thanks to the high altitude.  Then again, cold air has more oxygen - and more oxygen means the turbo is even happier in these conditions.  Coffee in hand, we press on for a while longer - it's approximately a two hour drive from Asheville to Deal's Gap.  First, though, a stop at the turnoff for the Tsali National Park, and a picture of the Saab...

It was hard not to break out the camera a few more times on the way there.  Honestly, it's as if each corner you go around on this highway is another setting for a postcard.

We stopped at this stream alongside the road for a minute as well.

Finally, after what seemed like an endless string of tiny back-country roads through rural Western NC, we arrived at our destination: the intersection of I-28 and I-129, the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort.  You can see the Saab in the background...

One of the most interesting things to see at the head of the Dragon is the tree of shame - a tree with various bits and pieces of broken motorcycles the Dragon has "bitten" attached to it.  It's a rather sobering reminder that no one is immune to the laws of physics.  Cameo by Steve in this photo.

After doddling around at the head for a bit, we hit the dragon - a few times.  This road is exhilarating, addicting, and exhausting in equal measure.  Footage of the Saab on the Dragon below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE5FQRxgDnA

We stopped on the scenic overlook to give traffic in front of us some room - and to take more pictures.  This whole area is just absolutely stunning to behold.

Of all the cars to get stuck behind...  you wouldn't expect a C6 Corvette to be the one blocking up the road like an old guy.  Which of course was who was driving it.  Go figure.

After both of us ran the Dragon twice (there and back), I parked myself on a favorite corner (with lots of run-off!) and shot pictures of some of the cars that went by.  It was mostly motorcycles, though, but I managed to capture a few really good shots.

C5 Corvette Z06  being driven - hard - by an old dude.  Props to this guy for knowing how to drive such a capable car.

The same C6 as before, being driven just as slow as before.  Disappointing.

Two touring bikes being followed by an extremely loud Suzuki GSX-R 600.  Extremely loud.

A very-clearly turbocharged MazdaSpeed3 being whipped along the Dragon...

And finally, a stripped Honda CBR600 with straight exhaust, and rider's knee making contact with pavement.  This rider was visibly very skilled, and it was easy to see with the grace and ease with which he threaded his bike through the corners.  I don't quite get the whole two-wheeled thing, but I have the utmost respect for this side of it.

The Saab only felt a little out of place on the Dragon.  A road like this is great for finding out things about how your car performs, and this has to be the best road for it.  Observations on the Saab: 2nd gear is killer on this road, with instantly available boost out of most corners, but the nose-heavy weight distribution and open differential means this generally leads to smoky wheelspin from the inside tire, which is a mistake you only make once.  Third gear was occasionally too steep for the really sharp uphills, but most of the time had the strong mid-range you're looking for on this road.

The steering is different.  There's a large proportion of overhang past the front wheels (because the engine sits almost entirely in front of the front axle) so the steering takes some getting used to.  The rack is still sharp and accurate, but there's a split-second of delay between turn-in and angle set on a corner.  After a while you accommodate your driving style to it, and you can develop a comfortable rhythm going down the road, which can become very annoying to the new Corvette in front of you.

More trip coverage coming tomorrow!