ARCHER
10-31-2003, 11:18 AM
I have ~250 (mostly highway) miles on a new set of Pilots. Things have been busy as of late so I have not had the opportunity to scrub them in as I normally would.
After work yesterday, I took a fellow car enthusiast from our shipping dept. out in the M3. He had been dying for a ride but knowing that a "ride" would not explain the M3 adequately, I tossed him the keys. As we were pulling out of the parking lot he mentioned that his wife was also a car nut and worked only a few blocks away. So, true to my giving nature, we went and picked her up.
Now, I have seen this guy drive before and he is no granny. However, he was quite tentative behind the wheel of my car. I coaxed him to push it but he was reluctant. Honestly, I am much the same way when behind the wheel of someone else's car so I just sat back as he giddily rowed through the gears. After 15 - 20 minutes he pulled over, tossed me the keys and asked for a more thorough example of the car's capabilities. Who am I to refuse? After all, I am a giver.
Hard on the throttle, I entered the freeway wringing everything out of third gear. The debaffled air box was belting out a pronounced growl as we set a course for the downtown interchange. I rounded the entrance ramp to find approximately 300 yards of naked, curvaceous asphalt between me and the next car ahead. Salivating, and having taken this ramp hundreds of times before, I knew exactly what line I wanted and how fast it could be taken. I nosed in with the car settled at 4000 RPM in third, rounded the apex and slowly began to feed in more throttle as we exited. This was when my already white-knuckled passengers became vocal and began grabbing for hand holds. I believe a faint smell of urine was also noted.
Normally, the M3 clamps down on this "tightish" sweeper like a pit bull but yesterday the rear end began to gradually step out and the front tires were also losing adhesion. I gingerly eased off some throttle and without drama, the car settled right back into the intended line. It was all very progressive and controlled, but uncharacteristic of previous runs on the same piece of road. The suspension was not complaining in the least and the only point of weakness seemingly came from the contact patches. Obviously, the new Pilots need more scrubbing in and they will get it.
One side of me really wishes that the car had held the line in typical fashion. But on a certain level, I do draw some sick satisfaction from making my passengers squirm. Regardless, they were given a fairly representative taste of the E36 M3. And for me, it's all about giving.
After work yesterday, I took a fellow car enthusiast from our shipping dept. out in the M3. He had been dying for a ride but knowing that a "ride" would not explain the M3 adequately, I tossed him the keys. As we were pulling out of the parking lot he mentioned that his wife was also a car nut and worked only a few blocks away. So, true to my giving nature, we went and picked her up.
Now, I have seen this guy drive before and he is no granny. However, he was quite tentative behind the wheel of my car. I coaxed him to push it but he was reluctant. Honestly, I am much the same way when behind the wheel of someone else's car so I just sat back as he giddily rowed through the gears. After 15 - 20 minutes he pulled over, tossed me the keys and asked for a more thorough example of the car's capabilities. Who am I to refuse? After all, I am a giver.
Hard on the throttle, I entered the freeway wringing everything out of third gear. The debaffled air box was belting out a pronounced growl as we set a course for the downtown interchange. I rounded the entrance ramp to find approximately 300 yards of naked, curvaceous asphalt between me and the next car ahead. Salivating, and having taken this ramp hundreds of times before, I knew exactly what line I wanted and how fast it could be taken. I nosed in with the car settled at 4000 RPM in third, rounded the apex and slowly began to feed in more throttle as we exited. This was when my already white-knuckled passengers became vocal and began grabbing for hand holds. I believe a faint smell of urine was also noted.
Normally, the M3 clamps down on this "tightish" sweeper like a pit bull but yesterday the rear end began to gradually step out and the front tires were also losing adhesion. I gingerly eased off some throttle and without drama, the car settled right back into the intended line. It was all very progressive and controlled, but uncharacteristic of previous runs on the same piece of road. The suspension was not complaining in the least and the only point of weakness seemingly came from the contact patches. Obviously, the new Pilots need more scrubbing in and they will get it.
One side of me really wishes that the car had held the line in typical fashion. But on a certain level, I do draw some sick satisfaction from making my passengers squirm. Regardless, they were given a fairly representative taste of the E36 M3. And for me, it's all about giving.