Alpines RULE!!!! - Ian
Patrick Wheeler wrote:
>
> 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.
-- Ian Spencer <www.sunbeamalpine.org> '61 Harrington Alpine B9104782 OD HRO '62 Harrington Le Mans BH9115930 OD LRX
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