The scenery would rival the creative minds of even the most optimistic car commercial director. A mid-October flurry of leaves, stunning reds, brilliant golds, cascades to the ground, dusting the open roads in a blanket of hues. Around are the sounds of nature settling, trees brushing in the wind, the light splatter of raindrops. And, against the peaceful, unassuming background of the Catskills mountains, comes the roaring 360 horsepower V6 supercharged engine on the new Jaguar F-Type, the deafening growl of a V8 Corvette Stingray, pumping out 460 horses, the sleek and controlled V-8 AMG’s new GT-S beast, which boasts a 0 – 60 time of just 3.7 seconds.
Monticello, New York does not seem like the kind of place where automotive enthusiasts might go to live out their teenage fantasies. But this past week we did just that, enjoying two days of testing through the International Motor Press Association, known as IMPA for short, on track, road, and off-road, a range of new cars and vehicles. We covered the event live from the front seat on Periscope, and posted photos of Challengers, BMWs, and even Fiats. Here are a few of the highlights from the event.
On The Road:
While hardly the stuff of subversive hipster novels, Tuesday was a great chance to explore and learn about the cars, without the pressure of getting them up to speed just yet. The mountains are full of gorgeous, winding roads, and we got the chance to throw ourselves into the turns, first in a brand new Ford Mustang, followed by a Chevy Corvette and the new Jaguar F-Type in Italian racing red. Each car came with its own passion and feeling, riding slick or strong, holding tight to the smooth roads. New technology abounded in every model, and it became a game of I-Spy, to see if we could find the hazards, windshield wipers, headlights, glove box. ( I jest, I jest.)
The mountains offered a wonderful chance to learn the new cars and get used to the power and intelligence behind them. But given that the area is largely residential, and that we knew we’d be blasting fire the following morning, we kept the speed to a minimum. There were many other elements to consider in all of the models, however, some of which was broadcast live from the passenger seat, (and for the parts that weren’t, I do have to issue an apology. We lost live-streaming signal a few times in the mountains.)
Overall, however, both Tomm and I agreed that the Jaguar was the sleekest and most controlled, a specimen of sports car that would grace both of our fantasy driveways, were it not for the considered cost of Jaaaag maintenance. But the ride was impeccable, the power was instant and the laughter was definitely real.
Off The Road:
While the light drizzle that graced us with its presence on both Tuesday and Wednesday served as a detriment to running laps on the track and road, it proved to be an enormous advantage to the more adventurous types of testing. We got the chance to take two vehicles on a total of three off-road courses, a Polaris two-seater that required head-to-toe clothing coverage, (no complaints here, I was freezing that day,) and a Land Rover, (with a roof and heating, for which we were all grateful.)
The Polaris beastie most definitely confirmed my lust for off-roading in any capacity. We traversed the back woods of the Monticello racetrack, keeping traction on rocky descents littered with slick leaves, riding through six inches of muddy waters, hedging the path a little too near to a picturesque lake that was much nicer to experience from the outside. Even as a passenger, or perhaps, especially as a passenger, the ride grew nail-bitey at times, (or it would have, had I not been holding tight to the hand bar in front of me,) but my God, it was fun. Laugh-out-loud, feel-insane kind of fun. If I thought I wanted to go off-roading before, that cinched it for sure.
Where Polaris was the dirt-magnet, makes for a great Facebook profile picture experience, Land Rover was the real test of mettle. On two separate off-road courses, one following a similar path through the woods, the other a man made dirt and sand track, the car, and its occupants, were pushed to the limit. Tomm white-knuckled the drive professionally and safely, including a few hill descents that required taking one’s foot off the brake, and several hairy turns with trees blocking mobility. All in all, the experience was unique and a helluva lot of fun. I don’t know for sure the availability of similar courses, but I’d suggest doing some research and finding one for a great and challenging activity.
On the Track:
Okay, blah, blah, blah. Ruby, you’ve talked about driving slow and staying safe and that’s well and good, but we want to hear about going fast. Well, let me tell you, we went fast.
The Monticello track is a 2.6 mile lap, in what used to be an old airport. The new facility is gorgeous inside and out – a horizon of fall colors the backdrop to the fastest 2.6 miles I’ve ever gone outside of an airplane.
We spent most of Wednesday out on the track, heads crammed into enormous, bulbous helmets, bodies ricocheting from side to side, as the impossible to recount g-force took over and demanded sacrifice. Tomm expertly maneuvered cones, curves and hairpin turns, taking on the straight away with enough power to fuel a small city for a year. We tested out the Jaguar F-Type, a car with a top speed of more than 170 miles per hour, the Nissan GT-R, with a range of horsepower from 545 to 600, the Chevy Corvette, who boasts a 0 – 60 time of 3 seconds.
But despite the monsters, the powerful engines, the strong steering, the controlled and winsome turning, one model rose above the rest. A car that is so much more it can barely be considered a car – the all together sleek, strong, and indisputably powerful AMG GT S.
By now you’ve seen pictures or videos of the GT make its long nose and tight body fit around corners and slide across the world’s finest tracks. But that’s nothing, not until you’ve felt the 503 horsepower 4.3 liter twin-turbo engine push you into your seat at 110 miles down the straight, a speed remarkably 83 miles slower than what it’s capable of. The car is controlled while it is wild, sleek, while it is beastly. It makes love to the track if it is riding on rails, as if it knows the path it is meant to take, at logic-defying speeds. This car was an effort of love from the minds at AMG, unrestrained, untamed, love for the automobile in its truest form. And it was a privilege to witness.
We’ll be back at Monticello next year, with a new lineup of the industry’s best awaiting our approval and our lust. But for now, I’ll content myself with the memories of dirty tires, Jaguars besting country lanes, and super cars earning their names.
Photographs by Ruby Rae Scalera