ED Memories: August 4, 2023

Friday, August 4, 2023

We rise, shower up, and Andrew describes what we will get up to today. First off though is grabbing some snacks for the road and perhaps a spray wash. It rained in the night so the cars are looking grimy big time.  #detailluke is anxious!

Andrew and Chris are buzzing around engaged with each other talking discussing etc., and as predicted his presence has totally lightened the mood after the grim earlier disaster day. Now we can get on with enjoying the last few days as we head towards the Nordschleife. 

We hit a car wash and it turns out to be very humorous. We should be filming it with the Benny Hill theme song playing as we race around the cars trying to get them cleaned up on minimal Swiss francs. The wash cycle is 45 seconds for one franc. We have four francs. But you have to put them all in at once, no breaks! So you do the math! We park one car in the wash bay, one car directly behind. One person sprays, one wipes. Rinse. Jump in both cars. Drive first car out. Second car in. Jump out. Repeat wash. Two cars in three minutes. Hilarious! I'm grinning and dripping wet as I slide back in behind the wheel of the Boxster.

As we head up out of Zürich, the scenery gets more beautiful than you can imagine. Soft green meadows, perfectly manicured pavement. I know a certain fellow back home who would love the lawns! There are a few gentle switchbacks to help us gain altitude fast, and some small Swiss towns provide us with nice photo. The pace is relaxed and pleasant. My cheeks are already sore from smiling.

We reach some familiar roads from 2018, and drive right past the BMW dealership where we took Andrew's M2 for its first service. Somewhat fitting. Then it's time to climb into the mountains, via the Splügenpass which joined Switzerland in Italy. I remember it from last time. It's spectacular. Time now to spend a lot of time shooting video of the amazing esses and switchbacks. At one point a huge bus comes up the pass and people scramble to nervously get out of the way. It's busy, traffic wise, for a while, but we just work on getting things set up for effective filming. Cameras, GoPros, tripods, mounts, etc. and pretty soon it thins out enough to do our runs.

Let's go! Stage the cars. Cameras on. Batteries fully charged. GoPros recording. Microphones on. We do several runs, all first and second gear stuff in the cars are alive on the perfect pavement. Fantastic. So planted and stable. So much power and grip. Confidence-inspiring. And wonderful.

The clouds are rolling in an altitude though, so it's time to head into town down the pass where we have a hotel apartment booked. Super cheap, and it's brilliant. I have my own room and they give us custom safe parking, protected from any dings! I know I will sleep well tonight.

A simple pizza dinner (so cheap compared to Switzerland!) and it's a short walk back up the hill to the apartment. I'll shower in the morning, so after a quick look at some of the amazing footage, I say my 'good nights' and retreat to my cave.

I don't fall asleep right away though as my brain is buzzing along accessing the memories from the day. One of the best ones for sure so far I think, the combination of good moods, some extensive fun filming, and of course those roads. Something I'm noticing is how the tires really come alive when they warm up a bit. Not that there is no grip when you first start off and they are cold, far from it, but there is definitely WAY more grip after you have been pushing it for a little bit. With every kilometre traveled, I'm getting more and more confident in the car, and in my driving. My inputs are getting smoother, and I'm feeling the reaction to those inputs instantaneously.

Lying in the comfy bed, I retrace many of those curves from the Splügenpass, and wish that we could go back and do it again. But the consolation is that tomorrow there's something equally juicy: the Malojapass!

~ Luke

p.s. You can read the full, no-holds-barred accounting of this day at gtschronicles.com.