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First of all, big thanks to Shahul and Steve at Euro Motorcars in Germantown, MD. They had a GTC build slot in the fall that I took. The car arrived several days ago. They arranged ppf, ceramic coating, tinting, and clearplex on the windshield. Since I live in South Florida, I flew up Friday and had an epic drive down avoiding interstates until I hit southern GA. It was 1380 miles in 2 full days of driving. South Florida roads are all straights, so I had a blast crisscrossing the Smokey Mountains carving turns, and I was done with the run-in before I got home.
Here are a few drive notes…
I have a bad lower back. The seats are very firm, but after finding the right seat position, I can drive all day and get out feeling great (Saturday was 7am - 11pm with stops for lunch, photos, and bio-breaks).
Before I got it, I was a little concerned about the width and long nose. I charged hard through narrow, twisty mountain passes and never put a tire wrong. It makes you feel like an F1 driver. Even staying below 4k rpms and 85 mph during the run-in, still plenty of fun.
Of course, I couldn’t wait to put into Sport+ and Race to see what it can do and enjoy the cracking exhaust. This made the Florida stretch down I-95 loads of fun, where it is usually a dreary ride.
“What is that?” is a question I got a lot. Most people have never seen any of the GT variants, so it gets lots of looks and questions. Women noticing is a thrill. Good ol’ boys are hilarious. I am sure many of you are already used to this.
It’s a blast to drive. It’s beautiful, comfortable, and has endless power. One negatives. AMG could have given it a better name. 911, Vantage, Corvette, SLS are all iconic. Say GT and it could be anything https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/...-car-gt-257968. GTR could be Godzilla or a Skyline. OK rant over.
I saw lot’s including Bristol Motor Speedway as folks streamed in for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, spectacular vistas, waterfalls, long ribbons of asphalt, rivers, extreme wealth and poverty, a fire breathing dragon, the Cherokee Tribe’s capitol, a herd of elk, an abandoned dog, and lots of splattered bugs.
Fantastic trip. Home on Sunday and with the help of Chemical Guys, got it looking pristine again. I attached some photos (no shots in the twisty parts - I was busy). I shot some GoPro but still need to see how it turned out.
Great Idea— Taking the mountain route back to Florida.
Too bad you didn’t think to take it on the Tail Of The Dragon and really test the suspension.
ENJOY YOUR NEW RIDE!!
I guess I'll have to go back. I took the pass just east as well as some other great roads. Late at night and early in the morning these roads are empty so you can really attack.
I guess I'll have to go back. I took the pass just east as well as some other great roads. Late at night and early in the morning these roads are empty so you can really attack.
Actually you have to be VERY CAREFUL up there especially around “The Dragon” for safety reasons. There are lots of car and motorcycle “hot dogs” which brings out the PO PO. It’s a major source of revenue.
I have ridden it many times over the years on my Harley’s with others and you are always treated to some idot who does the wrong thing and either hurts themselves, wrecks their and others bike and/or ends up with a huge ticket.
Did you strike out from Gaithersburg and go west to I-81 and then south to the entrance of the skyline drive? Real nice country!!
Please share your thoughts on the windshield wrap as you get used to it .
Actually you have to be VERY CAREFUL up there especially around “The Dragon” for safety reasons. There are lots of car and motorcycle “hot dogs” which brings out the PO PO. It’s a major source of revenue.
I have ridden it many times over the years on my Harley’s with others and you are always treated to some idot who does the wrong thing and either hurts themselves, wrecks their and others bike and/or ends up with a huge ticket.
Did you strike out from Gaithersburg and go west to I-81 and then south to the entrance of the skyline drive? Real nice country!!
Please share your thoughts on the windshield wrap as you get used to it .
Enjoy your new ride.
You can plot my route from Euro Motorcars to the Hampton Inn in Roanoke / Hollins on google maps by selecting no highways. I took the middle route. So I paralleled 81 and 64 but never got on. It was beautiful and ever changing.
I will keep you posted on the windshield wrap. So far, it is harder to clean bugs off than glass, but I like the idea of keeping the glass underneath pristine.
It doesn't. I have always been concerned about tinting so never did. In my BMW 550i, I used a mild tinting that blocked UV but is almost invisible because I was concerned about night visibility. I went for it on my GTC since I tested a few friends tinting (one guy is at 15% in his Raptor - it's pretty ridiculous) and realized it's fine. I am very happy with my tinting. The car looks awesome and I don't notice it looking out at night. My drive home from MD included many night hours in the mountains and on GA/FL interstates. So my recommendation is go for it!! Your car will look great and you will get some privacy.
You can plot my route from Euro Motorcars to the Hampton Inn in Roanoke / Hollins on google maps by selecting no highways. I took the middle route. So I paralleled 81 and 64 but never got on. It was beautiful and ever changing.
I will keep you posted on the windshield wrap. So far, it is harder to clean bugs off than glass, but I like the idea of keeping the glass underneath pristine.
When you picked up your car after the Clearplex was installed, they should have given you a free bottle of wax for it. It’s really important to apply it often; I will be doing it monthly.
When you picked up your car after the Clearplex was installed, they should have given you a free bottle of wax for it. It’s really important to apply it often; I will be doing it monthly.
I'm looking into it. Would that be Clearplex HD you use?
You can plot my route from Euro Motorcars to the Hampton Inn in Roanoke / Hollins on google maps by selecting no highways. I took the middle route. So I paralleled 81 and 64 but never got on. It was beautiful and ever changing.
I know that route and traveled it on several occasions. It’s a very scenic and enjoyable route for sure.
Well you are now settled in to your new ride and enjoying it more I am sure.
04-16-2018, 10:11 PM
ya know..for a Buccaneer fan haha
