ED Memories: July 22, 2023

Saturday, July 22, 2023

We are up early on Saturday because we want to get on with enjoying our new babies. Step one after a quick bite is installing the radiator grills on our two cars. We start with Andrew's, getting down low onto the ground to gain access. The grills tuck in from behind so it's tricky to get them in place. Lots of blue tape to protect the bumper from scratches, and we pull up the handy install videos from YouTube to guide us. It's fiddly work, but with a little patience and a handy hook tool that we brought along with us, we get the grills in place and they look pretty sharp.

After using Andrew's car as the prototype (a theme that we will continue to run with)  we turn to the Boxster and repeat the process. Andrew and Jen zip off for groceries and snacks, while I continue to fight at the front of the Boxster. It takes less time now thanks to experience which is a good thing, because it's starting to drizzle. All in all, I think it took half the time the second time around! With both sets of radiators properly protected, with a very OEM look, we are pleased with the end result, and are ready to head off. 

We do our first fuel up of the cars and because it's so expensive in this little town, we don't fill up 100%. Instead we jump on the road and head south towards Austria through a mix of small towns and some bits and pieces of autobahn. Jenn rides with me for a little while, and while it is nice to have the company, I have to say I do like being on my own in the car. Just me and my beautiful machine getting to know each other. 

As we continue driving, we implement the "Preuninger method' for breaking in our engines. Essentially each 200 km we drive allows us 500 more maximum revs, slowly working our way up the tach. I increase the revs now to 5000 RPM, and the exhaust note changes. There's power too, woah. It takes some effort to resist letting the reps climb higher, but it won't take us long given the distances we are traveling, before we will be free to rev all the way to the glorious 7800 RPM redline. 

At some point we pull over a hiking trail parking area, and have a little snack while Andrew shoots some drone shots. Already I have a sense of the comfort of this car for road-tripping. I was initially a little concerned about the width of the sport-plus seats across my shoulders, but as I wriggle and snuggle along I realize that they are just fine. Different than the S2000, but grippy and snug and not at all uncomfortable. 

As the kilometres continue and we carefully make sure to vary our speed, gears, and revs, I find myself remaining fresh and clear-headed with little sign of the fatigue that one gets when driving in a less-comfortable vehicle. It bodes well for the rest of the trip as we will be covering some long distances and spending lots of time behind the wheel.

One of the niggling back-of-the-mind worries about getting a new vehicle, and knowing my propensity for long drives, has been put to rest. The Boxster is comfortable, plush even, compared to the S2000. The cabin is quieter, the seats are just as comfy, and the fabric is more pleasant to the touch than the leather of the Honda. Put the top down and there's less buffeting, and one should not underestimate the fatiguing effect of both wind and cabin noise in a convertible. Clearly in all those ways this car is a step up from the S2000 and should make those long journeys to see the folks in New Brunswick that much easier.  

A bit of autobahn to make some time allows us to stretch the legs of our cars a little more, and as expected they are completely unperturbed at higher speeds. It's almost like they are laughing at us, and how little we are tapping into their potential so far. "Patience" I keep saying to myself as I smile stupidly in the mirror. I'm grinning a lot, and it's evident in both our voices as we chirp back-and-forth on the radio that we are properly gleeful. 

We are heading southward and we top up with fuel at a spot where the prices are a little better. I noticed the car is still calibrating its fuel range, and I have to get used to a gas gauge that reflects how you are driving. No simple fuel level meter in this car, and I don't think I've ever seen a car reading almost 800 km of range before! Obviously purring along on the highway, with the big 4 L motor running on three cylinders at times, it's tuned pretty darn efficiently, especially for such a potent sports car. No doubt the estimated fuel range will drop when we start really hammering it in the twisties. But I know it's gonna be worth it.

After we fuel up, we take the opportunity to spray wash the cars. I get hosed (pun intended) by the facility though, as they give me €10 worth of non-refundable tokens and I only use three!  I give the rest to a lucky fellow who says "Ah now you know about German gas stations" and we have a good chuckle. Just as we are finishing though, a combine harvester roars by in the neighbouring field and blasts corn or wheat husks all over our wet cars! We try in vain to get out of the way, but to no avail and now the cars are all covered with dust and little bits of stuff stuck to them, offending my detailing brain!

Time is ticking on, so we give up and head back out for some further nice, easy driving, mixing up the revs and speed. We are up to 5500 RPM now woot woot! Finally, the mountains of Austria show up in the distance. It's been a long time since I've seen mountains, and as always, they impress. We do a little border photography to show the cars entering the country and then buy the vignette for Austria for only €11. I carefully choose the location on the front windshield, as I know I will keep the sticker on the car as a memento for years to come, just as Andrew had done on his M2.

I've been driving with the top down this whole time, and one thing in a convertible you certainly notice is any kind of change in temperature. As we drive into the valley, it cools down quite a bit, but the combination of excellently positioned vents, some warm air, and a heated steering wheel really make it just fine. I try out the heated seat (luxury!) for a minute and wow – very warm! It makes the drive all the more pleasant, and I managed to stay top-down even in the coolness. 

When the sun finally dips down and disappears, I put the top up and suddenly the car is like a cocoon. As the darkness closes in around us, the impressive headlights cut through, and my world shrinks into the cockpit and the gorgeous red Cayman illuminated ahead. Andrew does what would turn out to be a defining characteristic of the trip, and finds us an excellent hotel for the night. It's super-quiet when we arrive, and we feel like we are the only guests there. Even though we have missed the dinner hour, we are nonplussed. We snack instead - breakfast will be a welcome feast!

In the end, I'm late to bed as I need a little alone with my phone time and a shower / shave, and to write up the day for both Friday and today. I'm caught up finally!

~ Luke