[karan561]

Hello BHPians,

It was around the 1st week of May when me & 2 of my school friends started planning about this trip to the Americas.

We were very much inclined to cover most of it as a ' Road Trip ' so here goes

Itinerary;

No. of Days - 20

Dates : 4th June '12 - 24th June 12

San Francisco > Los Angeles > Las Vegas > Miami > New York



The encircled red is the road trip part

Road Trip 1 ;

San Francisco to Los Angeles ;

Distance - 450 Miles (Approx)

Route - Highway 1 ( Scenic Route )

Car - VW Passat 2.5 L, Petrol (A/T)

We required a large boot to carry our luggage as we were going to take this car upto Las Vegas.

We had booked a " Full Size " car for the week & requested for the " Dodge Charger "

However it was on availability we get allotted cars so the only choice we had was a VW Passat or the Toyota Camry.

We chose the VW Passat over the Camry for a simple reason , cause i was missing my Laura & always loved the German sturdiness.

So we picked up the car from the huge Car Lot & started our journey.



Highway 1 is the longer route to LA

People usually take the 101

Now we were en-route to Los Angeles

Here are some pics. of the beautiful Highway 1 ;













Yes , no overtaking & we followed the rules ( Missed INDIA at this point )





Our Passat was ahead of the Charger though , heres the PROOF





The beauty oh Hwy 1





My friend & me (in blue) with our Passat , yes we loved it





Road Trip 2 ;

Los Angeles to Las Vegas

Distance - 350 Miles (Approx)

Route - via Death Valley

Tanking up the Passat, Yes it was fairly easy on the wallet, as not muxh of high speed driving more of cruising but yes a lot of " Red Lining "














Some Straights were as long as 8-9 miles loong & driving with speed limit of only 60 or max 75 miles/hr ( very few places) , can get torturing no wonder its called the "Death Valley"








Death Valley : The hottest, driest & lowest spot in North America.

It was time for the Passat to go now & some MUSCLE to be added, but before we let it go , i would just like to mention that the Passat was an absolute delight , it was ultra stable & the handling was spot on , the gear changes of the DSG were crisp ( missed the paddles though ) & the ride quality was smooth all in all a brilliantly engineered car & a great all-rounder.

Destination : Las Vegas

Our RIDE : CAMARO SS (RS Package) , 6.2 L - 426 BHP & the best part all power to the REAR WHEELS



Well yes , we had pre booked this car from BH Car Rentals & we wanted the " SS version "

Wish we wouldve got in a yellow

However the next day we took it for the canyon drive here are some pictures ;



DODGE CHARGER as HIGHWAY PATROL , would be tough to escape from the cops but not impossible



MUSCLE CAR






At Zion National Park ;









Few Notes on Camaro SS ;

- Camaro SS had lethal accelration

- Straight Line King

- The exhaust note was very sporty not loud enough though

- Handling was very average

- Also noted that during hard acceleration the bonnet actually rose up ( in a jerk ) > what a feeling , fantastic

^ will add few more points about the car later on


Destination : Miami

Our Ride - FORD MUSTANG GT




5.0 L , 416 bhp





Going Topless a MUST in MIAMI





Few notes about the MUSTANG GT ;

- If the acceleration of the Camaro SS was lethal then this was BRUTAL

- Camaro was still refined in a way , but the Mustang GT was more Crude in a good way.

- The Exhaust note was meatier & louder

- Handling was better than the Camaro SS also the ride quality ( may be because the Camaro SS was riding on 20"ers so )

^ Will add more points on the GT with more pictures

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[amitoj]

Nice! I had to double check the title though when i read "Passat" No offense though to the sturdy german.

Most of the counties are now replacing (or have already replaced) the aging CrownVics with Chargers (Hemis as well as SXTs) I am told that the opinion is divided among the LEOs whether it is a good move or not.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Nice! I had to double check the title though when i read "Passat" No offense though to the sturdy german.

Most of the counties are now replacing (or have already replaced) the aging CrownVics with Chargers (Hemis as well as SXTs) I am told that the opinion is divided among the LEOs whether it is a good move or not.

Thanks & Yes , i know it would have been complete if we would have got the Charger.

[karan561]

Key Observations : Camaro SS

Note the poor visibility inside the cabin , But cabin is sporty and undoubtedly feels like a proper MUSCLE CAR

Takes time getting used to though.



The Audio Screen & graphic inter-phase is similar to the one in CRUZE , also the key fob was the same



The glare was annoying, can anyone explain why some cars have it & why some dont ?



More like DEVIL Eyes - These are only present in the SS & up versions.



Factory Fitted BREMBO's

[thumpingheart]

Ooooh! Now thats what you call a road trip! That is supercool!

The pic are really awesome man! Highway 1 is to die for! And great choice of cars too. Camaro SS and Mustang! Incredible!

Cheers. Keep the pics comin'

[sidd25]

Seriously amazing road trip you guys had. Reminds of Zindagi na Milegi Doobara..

[karan561]

Originally Posted by thumpingheart

Ooooh! Now thats what you call a road trip! That is supercool!

The pic are really awesome man! Highway 1 is to die for! And great choice of cars too. Camaro SS and Mustang! Incredible!

Cheers. Keep the pics comin'

Thanks , truly was a dream to get behind the wheel of those iconic cars.

Originally Posted by sidd25

Seriously amazing road trip you guys had. Reminds of Zindagi na Milegi Doobara..

Yes, sure was of that level

[pganapathy]

awesome post and a really nice road trip. You guys must have enjoyed it so much.

[karan561]

NOTE : The SS Version had HUD installed incorporating the speed, gear, & outside temp.

[karan561]

Key Observations : FORD MUSTANG GT ;

- The GT Trim has a very impressive 5.0 L V8

- The performance from this Pony car is road ripping

- The rumble of the V8 and the howl in the upper revs was truly infectious.

- Shocking : The Gear Selector lacked " Sport " mode , nor there was a tiptronic shift option

- Steering feel was exceptional ( Handled better than the CAMARO )

- The ride quality was very comfortable as well

Also getting used to driving the MUSTANG was more easier than the CAMARO , strange but true.





Instrument Cluster, Steering - Very Retro





The visibility is better & the cabin felt more airy than the Camaro's





Note : GT Badging





Notice the ambient lighting & the illuminated door sills

[chevelle]

First of, Fantastic Road Trip. I am sure you must had a great time.

The pictures are superb. Please post more.

Originally Posted by karan561

Key Observations : Camaro SS

Note the poor visibility inside the cabin , But cabin is sporty and undoubtedly feels like a proper MUSCLE CAR

The glare was annoying, can anyone explain why some cars have it & why some dont ?


More like DEVIL Eyes - These are only present in the SS & up versions.

A few things. Glare is there in both GT and SS. Its true for their V6 counterparts. It is very bad when sun is straight up.

Devil Eyes a.k.a Halo lights are also available in v6 version with 1LT and 2LT options. Its a stand alone option or a part of RS package.

Originally Posted by karan561

NOTE : The SS Version had HUD installed incorporating the speed, gear, & outside temp.

The HUD is one of the awesome features of Corvette and Camaro. I love it. This is something every car should have.

Originally Posted by karan561

Key Observations : FORD MUSTANG GT ;

- Steering feel was exceptional ( Handled better than the CAMARO )

- The ride quality was very comfortable as well

Also getting used to driving the MUSTANG was more easier than the CAMARO , strange but true.

I found Camaro's steering more communicative over corners than GT's. Straight line both were at par. May be a little bit more in GT if really observed minutely.

Also ride quality of GT is very good but SS is even better especially on road. Have not driven it on track but i found SS's ride quality and suspension pretty awesome.

But I do agree, SS needs a little throaty roar from the back. Also the seats of SS are more comfortable than GT. This is after driving both for 4-5 hours continuously.

How did both fare FE wise?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by chevelle

First of, Fantastic Road Trip. I am sure you must had a great time.

The pictures are superb. Please post more.




A few things. Glare is there in both GT and SS. Its true for their V6 counterparts. It is very bad when sun is straight up.

Devil Eyes a.k.a Halo lights are also available in v6 version with 1LT and 2LT options. Its a stand alone option or a part of RS package.



The HUD is one of the awesome features of Corvette and Camaro. I love it. This is something every car should have.



I found Camaro's steering more communicative over corners than GT's. Straight line both were at par. May be a little bit more in GT if really observed minutely.

Also ride quality of GT is very good but SS is even better especially on road. Have not driven it on track but i found SS's ride quality and suspension pretty awesome.

But I do agree, SS needs a little throaty roar from the back. Also the seats of SS are more comfortable than GT. This is after driving both for 4-5 hours continuously.

How did both fare FE wise?

Yes, true that the halo lights would be available as an optional extra, it looks pretty bland without them.

Yes the HUD truly added to the driver involvement.

The FE i think both of them were pretty much at par but the Mustang would be slightly more economical i think as it was the lighter one & a smaller engine. But nothing magically different than the Camaro's for sure.

Id like to share one pic of the CAMARO at the fuel station .

Though my friend here looks panicked but i am sure there were more smiles behind the wheel for us

[reignofchaos]

Actually the fastest way from SFO to LA is 101->Pacheco Creek Pkwy->I-5. However its a super boring, arrow straight highway - there's absolutely nothing to see. Hwy 1 is way more scenic.

[VLOCT]

Real nice trip. Anyone who loves driving should do the SF to LA Highway 1 once in their life at least, if they get the chance.

Personally, I've always felt that the GTs, throughout the years, were more civilized than the Camaros although, the Camaros typically held the power advantage. However, when it comes to the exhaust note, Ford simply rules.

Cheers.

[karan561]

Would like to share the picture of the parking bay of " BH Car Rentals " at Las Vegas from where we picked up our CAMARO from ;