Summer '09

Greatest GT Car Ever?

Last night Su and I watched that BBC perennial “Top Gear”. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a television programme about three comedians messing with/driving/crashing cars. If you are familiar with it...well, you are!

Anyway, last night’s program had our three heroes driving GT cars to France. Ace ex-public schoolboy buffoon host Jeremy Clarkson drove a Ford GT (“my most favorite car ever!” he exclaimed), Richard Hammond (The Hamster “I’m not whitening my teeth!”) drove a Pagani Zonda (a what?), and James May drove a Ferrari something or other, a 460, I think. All three gushed on about how wonderful their cars were and how easy it was to cover the miles in them.

They also pointed out that, with their low ground clearance and extreme width, these cars were a complete liability when attempting to leave a public car park in Paris; in fact the Zonda had to be assisted with ramps to get down out of this park!

Which set me to thinking.... I had just returned from a boat race in Ohio and had driven about 1200 miles in two separate trips of four and eight hundred miles on Sunday afternoon/Monday morning. Towing a boat, to boot. Last Thursday, I had driven 900 miles to Kentucky in one go and, the month before, had covered 1150 miles in one continuous trip from Ohio to home lasting thirteen and a half hours, stopping for fuel, chocolate bars and the loo only.

I did all this in Su, my wife’s 2005 Dodge Ram Hemi pick up truck. No, not the most sexy GT car that I can think of but I can’t think of many other cars that can carry a driver so far a distance in so much comfort without him/her having to stop through tiredness. Add to that the luxury of sitting so high up in the air that you have a panoramic view over most of the other traffic out there plus the rear truck bed to stow all the gear necessary for running a vintage hydroplane in there and I think you’ll agree that that’s what you might call a “proper” car. Additionally, the driver’s seat is very comfortable, in fact far more comfortable than any Ferrari/Aston/Jaguar that I’ve ever driven, and I think that you might see why I like this truck so much.

Now I grant you that the Ram won’t zap down/up a twisty road with a Ferrari/Zonda/Ford GT but, when it comes to long distance cruising on America’s freeways, well, set that cruise control to an indicated 80 mph (78 mph actual, where the cops won’t bother you) and, whether towing or not, off you go and there’ll be little to compare with you when it comes to traveling over a long distance. Fuel consumption varies between 13.7 and 16.5 miles per American gallon, depending on whether or not you’re towing, so that probably compares well to the Supercar’s thirst too.

So back home with a dirty car, wait a few hours for God’s car wash (Florida’s summer afternoon monsoon rains) and she’s as shining again and as good as new. What a car!