Yesterday, when we posted to our Facebook page our instrumented test of the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, the commenters went nuts. Not over the lumbering SUV, mind you, but over the car it was towing in the picture: my personal track vehicle, a 1998 Acura Integra GSR. Seriously, the vast majority of 250-plus comments focused on my 'Teg. Here, to calm the howling masses, are some details about my car and the story of how it came to be behind the Cadillac—it wasn't simply a photo prop.
It's worth taking a moment to consider the Integra's iconic status; it was once the standard for front-drive sports coupes, a level of respect that carries forward to today. With razor-sharp handling and a masterfully engineered Honda VTEC four-cylinder that screams to over 8000 rpm, these lightweight two-doors have evolved from must-have new cars to trustworthy track cars on account of their reliability and massive aftermarket support.
I've owned my Integra since 2002, and it saw its first track action the next year at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan. I was addicted from the first corner, and my 'Teg soon transitioned to full-time track duty. So, unlike most Honda freaks, who were largely interested in turbocharging 1.8-liter fours to ridiculous power levels, I instead focused on getting better tires, brakes, suspension bits, and most important, track time. Today, my car is fitted with a JDM SiR-G engine with a Type-R throttle body, a JDM Integra Type-R four-to-one exhaust header, and a Skunk2 intake manifold. It also has a U.S.-spec Integra Type-R five-speed with a 4.7:1 final drive, Tein coil-overs, Integra Type-R front calipers, redrilled Prelude-spec rotors, new bushings, and a 22-mm rear anti-roll bar.
Now, with countless hours and laps under my belt, I instruct at various high-performance driving events and car-club track days to help others safely experience the thrill of annihilating apexes. I was at the annual West Michigan Honda Meet at GingerMan last month—typically one of the most enjoyable track events of the year—when my eight-year-old clutch finally decided it hated its job and quit. There would be no limping home: The clutch disc was missing a spring. So I left the car in western Michigan and hitched a ride back to Ann Arbor to procure a trailer and a tow vehicle; being the staff photographer for C/D.com has its perks, and this is, as you might expect, where the Escalade comes in.
The massive Caddy was, at the time, the only vehicle in our fleet capable of heavy-duty towing, and once a co-worker offered his trailer for the day, off I went. The beat-up trailer and 16-year-old Honda being lugged behind a near-$90,000 SUV made for an interesting visual, so I shot the photos you see here and in the gallery. That particular Escalade had no trailer-brake controller, but it didn't really need one with just 2400 pounds (plus the trailer) to tug around.
- From the C/D Archives: 1997 Acura Integra Type R First Test!
- 2015 Cadillac Escalade AWD Tested: More Money—and More Compelling
- Cadillac Escalade Research: Prices, Reviews, Photos, News, Specs, and More
I've always driven my car to and from the track—it has no power steering or A/C—but the Cadillac convinced me I've been doing it all wrong. Ventilated seats, a quiet interior, a comfortable ride, big towing ability—it's now abundantly clear why folks who have the bucks buy luxury SUVs. Now I just gotta find someone to loan me one for more permanent tow-rig duty. It doesn't even need to be an Escalade.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment