I was in 'Vegas on business this week. Nothing to do with 'vegas itself, so what happened there doesn't need to stay there. I spent the other day in almost straight-thru teleconferences - even missing the teaming event the folks I was there to meet with put on. So, after a full day of this stuff, cooped up in my room the entire time (and with the minibar emptying out), I finally made my escape at about 4:30 and went across town to the GM Experience. This was a much-needed "escape", of just the kind I like, absolutely required after all this teleconference stuff. Driving is - after all - What it's All About, and even though I'm not in the market for some of these cars (and with some, never will be), it was great to drive them all.
Reference: http://www.thedrivevegas.com/
Review: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2006-04-06-vegas-off-roading_x.htm
I started with a Solstice. Unfortunately, the engine feels "agricultural" - like a tractor engine. I literally thought the hand-brake was on. This car would not work for me as it stands... it'd be ok for daily commute but not at all enough for track events. It very very badly needs a turbo (and a weight loss program). I also drove a 2006 Z51 'vette on the same course, and it was day and night different - as you'd expect. The C6 is - as many of you know - a far better car than the C5. The seats actually hold you in place, the dash is easier see over, and the squeaks - while still present - are considerably less. Note that the GM folks don't make a Z06 available... if they did I'd have spent the entire time in it.
I also drove a new CTS-V (terrible shifter - long and poorly placed, weird ergonomics), an STS-V (great engine - 469 horses - and a responsive tranny - a far better car than the CTS-V, and very flat handling), and also a GTO (horribly out-dated - no enthusiast value at all, and it rolls in the turns like a pig - I hated it). Got the STS-V to very carefully toe-steer with it's tail (the true benefit of an IRS) - it was *very* "point-able" with its blown 4.4 and very good gearing - and more importantly it's level handling (although I noted to the instructor that the right-left front tire needed about 2 pounds of air). I liked that car (if I were ever in the market for such a thing... of course an M5 or something of that type would be a better choice). The CTS-V was also fun... although very clearly dated and the driving position was terrible.
I wrapped up the day by driving an H2 and a 2007 Escalade on an off-road course with hills and mixed-level stuff. Neither are my type of vehicle. The H2 (just as shown in the USA Today article) goes only on the off-road course, which includes a fairly tall hill with 60 degrees angles. The course starts with a 1 foot shear concrete wall - so you learn immediately you can't just slam into it. You have to use the H2s "creep" gear for the course. After the off-road part, it goes onto a short road course with three 180-degree turns. Turning radius of the H2 was very good (they didn't have an H1 and I didn't bother with the H3). The Escalade, by comparison, was just ok on the off-road, it clearly didn't have the front diff that worked so well in the H2. Since I had never driven off-road to this degree, it was interesting. I did pass up on some of the other trucks, a big Buick, and that silly Chevy 2-seat truck (now cancelled, fortunately).
Normally this is two laps apiece, but the place was empty and I started talking to one of the instructors who knew about The Drivers Edge. So I got in several more laps in various cars (I didn't care to in the GTO - that thing is pointless). The instructors are a mixed lot: either no experience at all in any kind of performance driving, or some with some racing experience - some active. One I talked to said she was at first excited by the job but that it got progressively more boring as the job wore on - gigantic crowds and unruly people. I gathered that the place has been open since April 10th.
BTW, notice how you have to take a breathalyzer test when you go in - zero tolerance. This is a feature of having the event in 'vegas... where open bottles are the routine.
This is not anything more than a test drive... GM has offered this as a rolling road show in the past, and I think it's Land Rover who has a similar off-road course in Houston and Porsche who has a couple of hundred yards of auto-x in Houston? So, it was fun, and revealing, and I think my impressions would hold true elsewhere.
Anyone buying one of these would be better doing an extended test drive from a dealer (see my site for my original S2000 test drives: one here in 'vegas on back-country roads that went on for hundreds of miles, and another outside the dealer's lot on back roads in San Marcos - that left the salesman sweating and gripping the door handle with both hands). You have to drive these things thoroughly before committing... and that was exaqctly what I was doing.
Don't forget The DrivingEnthusiast.net's Rule of Automotive Acquisition: (with apologies to the Ferengi) never buy what you test drive. About 20k miles down the road it will be suspiciously and prematurely eating oil because you drove the wee out of it before the engine was broken in. Leave the test drive car at the dealer and start fresh with a pristine car - undriven and ordered new off the line, and carefully break it in.
