Scorpio VLX - First drive in the rains with new found love :-) First things first - I am not a poetic person. I am an engineer and try to find logic behind everything. So why then the poetic title to this thread. The credit goes to new found liking (would soon become love) - so I decided to dedicate a new thread to it.
Today it was (still is) raining cats and dogs in Pune. By 1700 it became dark, as I watched out of my office window it started raining heavily. Again, I am not the kind of person who wants to get drenched in every rain - some of my friends are. They ride bikes with spare set of cloths in water proof backpack, enjoy getting drenched - come to office - get changed and look forward to getting drenched again on the commute back home. I am not that. I did enjoy bike rides with my then GF and now wife but that's all. Never enjoyed riding/driving alone. I do enjoy getting wet in the first rain and then enjoy the rain from the clean -dry surroundings of my office or home or hotel for the rest of the mosoon :-). Never did I think that I would enjoy the rain in a car.
Enter my new possesion SCORPIO (Java Brown VLX), this beast changed all that. As it started raining I could not resist the urge to drive in the rains, I just had to do it - kind of moment. So packed my stuff and left the office - much earlier.
I never used to look forward to the driving in rain in my 10 year old M800. Although the good old maruti never failed me in such conditions I always wanted to finsih the journey and reach to destination as soon as possible for the fear of breakdown. Had to drive the M800 with exterme caution for the fear of breaks, huge pot holes, weak lights etc so it never was a pleasent experience driving back home in M800 in pouring rains. However hats off to the reliability of the tiny-putter-around, I respect M800 for that. Anyway back to SCORPIO...
So got myslef strapped in the 'TRUCK/TANK', auto headlights - check, auto wiper - check, defogger - check, fog lights - check, USB drive with gazals - check. I was ready for the battle which lay ahead for the next 16 KMs. Was all charged up.
On the road then - the visibility was really poor, could only see few hundread feets ahead, streams of water everywhere, no sign of the huge potholes hidden underneath. Most of the traffic was off-road. All the small cars were driving or had come to almost halt by the roadside with their fog lights on (smiled as I remembered by time in M800). Trucks on the left crawling along. Bikers took shelter where ever they could. And there I was in my SCORP. Felt like I was in a safe cocoon - like the safety capsule - like they have on spacecrafts - although ultra low tech version of it to say the least !
The visibility due to fog lights was good. No problems seeing the road ahead and no fear of someone not seeing the brake lights and rear ending me (the fear I used to have in my small car). Auto wipers stuck to their task well - never had to bother changing the speed - the frequency increased as the rain intensity. AC/Defogger kept the screens clear without hassle. Bridgstone were offering the grip I need in such conditions. I felt as if I was in the zone.
Being in the running-in period and genaerlly cautous driver I never went above 80 KMPH but did not want either as I did not want the drive to finsih soon, but my exit came in 3 kms. I was enjoying the drive so much that decided to drive along further along the highway. Drove another 15 kms on the highway took a U turn again for another 15 KMs, as if I was on highway patrol duty.
Every puddle along the road reminded me of my dilemma when in M800 - to drive through or turn around and find alternate road - not knowing how deep the water would be. Today I was looking for the puddles - tackling them head-on rather than avoiding them. Never had to worry about water getting in the engine or hitting the bottom due to deep pot-hole (one of the major reason for deciding on Scorpio).
Felt absolute safe in the knowledge that ABS would stop the beast when needed. Did gentle braking occasionaly to check if there was any brake fade or diminished braking due to water. Never felt unsafe.
The power was on tap for overtaking those long trailers drag racing each other at speed of 50 kmph. Had strong urge to hit the magical ton/100 but decided to wait for the runing in period to be over.
Eventually the 16 km commute back home turned into 50 KM driving pleasure. Misson accomplished, the SCORP has landed.
So now every day the 33 km office commute has become a 60/70 KM driving fun that I eagerly look forward to. Although not being a early morning person I look forward to getting up at very early at 0545 just so that I can start driving again. I take a longer route every time I can so that I can spend more time behind the wheel and still wait anxiously for the next drive - just like the colleage days when we used to wait eagerly for the date with the loved one :-) |