So I'm heading home from work yesterday and settling into my lane for a nice
little putt across the Bay Bridge when this little BMW Z3 comes ripping
along like he's important and got someplace better to be.
Maybe I've been enjoying the Ian and Jan's discussion of racing Alpines just
a bit too much (gotta have some excuse, right?) and decide to give chase.
Alpine is feeling light an loose and the engine is purring along when I give
it a goose and twitch over into his lane. The tach and the speedo jump as
the exhaust gives a very satisfying roar and I'm after him. About the time
I'm thinking "Patrick, why are you bothering to try and catch this guy with
your 30+ year old Alpine," I realize I'm actually succeeding. As I creep up
on the guy I start to make out his vanity license plate "BMW M 3" Oh, Sh*t!
There are stupid people, idiots, and then we get to someone like me who
decides he can take on Bayerische Motor Wercke's newest little hot rod with
six cylinders of turbo charged fuel injected steroid eating steel with a 30+
year old British 4 banger.
I'm not gonna win, I know that. But this guy really does not know how to
use what he has. I'm able to keep up with him across the bridge. Alpine is
running great. Engine is perfect, acceleration strong and on demand,
temperature is right in the operating range (I've turned off the electric
fan to reduce draw on the alternator), exhaust system has a very satisfying
roar. The front end and steering are feeling perfect. As I come off the
bridge there's a nasty dip and bump which the Alpine breezes through like
it's glued to the pavement. We exit and accelerate out of the bridge. We
head into the straight off the bridge and he starts to pull away.
Apparently a small lead is not enough for him, he tries a dodge to the right
as we head into the curve that takes us onto Hwy 80 North. Foolish, I keep
straight on and gain a few car lengths as he realizes his mistake and ducks
back in front of me just in time. If he had not gained that distance on the
straight he'd have been toast.
As we're coming along the first Berkeley exit, what do I see merging onto
the freeway but a bright red Porsche Boxster. This is just too much for me.
I back off a few lengths and the Boxster accelerates in behind the BMW. I
lean back and laugh, a combined twelve cylinders and over $100k of the
finest production German steel in front of me and my little Alpine looks
better than all of them (in my not so humble opinion), costs one heck of a
lot less, and is keeping up just fine. This Porsche is so new the vanity
plates have not even come in from the DMV yet and he still has a paper
license plate. This is apparently too much for our BMW friend. He tries
something drastic and heads across four lanes in search of an advantage.
The Porsche jumps ahead and I'm right behind him. I catch a glimpse of the
BMW a time or two as he starts to fall back, catches up, loses a few
lengths. I try a maneuver that would get me in front of the Porsche, no go,
he may be new to his car, but he's no slouch, I slide back in behind him and
do my best to keep up with him for the next 5 miles.
We reach my turn onto Hwy 580 and wonder of wonders the Porsche is heading
my way also. I watch as the BMW heads on up North alone. The Porsche is
touch and go until he leaves the freeway and I head home alone.
I may not have won in this little matchup, but my little 30+ your old
British iron did pretty good. My mood was much improved and I walked
through the door with a smile on my face that I am still trying to explain
to my spouse. Brits rule, Germans drewl . . .
-Patrick
p.s. I did mention that this was in rush hour traffic and speeds never
exceeded 50 mph didn't I? ;-) Would not want to leave you with the idea
that we were exceedingly rude or in any fashion ungentlemanly about the
whole thing and we never got aggressive in lane changes or with any of the
other drivers on the road. Maybe I've been enjoying Ian's stories about
racing Alpines too much, next thing you know I'll be trying find an Alpine
to drop a Mazda race engine in and getting in real trouble.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 05 2000 - 08:38:38 CDT