Speed dating with cars @ Run to the Sun Part 1
Run to the Sun is a magical event that proves the car god’s love us and want us to be happy. After working the smell of passion from a Lotus Evora S a friendly gent from Ford invites you into a 2012 Mustang Boss 302.
“Don’t do anything crazy,” he says, “but we’re here to have fun.”
For the next twenty miles it’s not kosher to let the Mustang’s 440hp engine dip below 4,000rpm. She growls an angry song and begs for more, more, more all the way up to her 7,500rpm redline.
On this stretch of Highway 2 in the Snoqualmie National Forest there’s little reason to worry about a cop ruining the fun. Ford’s PR guy rides shotgun and recites technical information about the car through a giddy smile as we break 100mph like it’s nothing.
Technically we’re both at work, but most guys dream of spending their retirements this way.
Before the ride can reach a full-blown joygasm the trip odometer warns we’re supposed to exit the highway into a ranger station at 23.4 miles from our last stop for the next car exchange.
We rumble into the empty parking lot. I kill the engine and we exchange business cards. After all the high-octane noise it’s dead silent in the forest now.
A tumbleweed of Evergreen tree branches rolls lazily across the two-lane pavement.
Half a minute later the other twenty four press cars appear on the horizon and stream into the parking lot in a disjointed flash convoy:
-Acura TL SH-AWD
-Audi A6
-Audi A7
-BMW 650i Convertible
-Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
-Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible
-Chrysler 200C
-Dodge Charger SRT-8
-Fiat 500 Convertible
-Honda Civic SI Coupe
-Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec
-Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
-Kia Optima Turbo
-Lexus IS-F
-Lotus Evora S
-Mazda 5
-Mazda RX-8
-Mercedes-Benz CLS63
-Mercedes-Benz SLK350
-Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
-Suzuki Kizashi
-Volkswagen Beetle Turbo
-Volkswagen EOS
-Volvo S60 R-Design
Auto journalists sprout from the vehicles in tandem with the cars’ ride-along PR reps. Business cards explode into the air like confetti as the journalists make their way to the next vehicle on their list.
Back in the cars journalists shake hands with another PR rep and the procession roars back onto the highway and out of sight.
Stunned hikers immerge from their hiding places in the thicket to compare pictures of the happening on their iPhones.
Run to the Sun carried on this way for two days straight in 15-20 mile increments until every journalist, columnist, blogger, vlogger and auto media generalist in attendance had the chance to experience each car on the list. Needless to say there were a few stories that arose from the event that bear repeating.
Stay Tuned.
“Don’t do anything crazy,” he says, “but we’re here to have fun.”
For the next twenty miles it’s not kosher to let the Mustang’s 440hp engine dip below 4,000rpm. She growls an angry song and begs for more, more, more all the way up to her 7,500rpm redline.
On this stretch of Highway 2 in the Snoqualmie National Forest there’s little reason to worry about a cop ruining the fun. Ford’s PR guy rides shotgun and recites technical information about the car through a giddy smile as we break 100mph like it’s nothing.
Technically we’re both at work, but most guys dream of spending their retirements this way.
Before the ride can reach a full-blown joygasm the trip odometer warns we’re supposed to exit the highway into a ranger station at 23.4 miles from our last stop for the next car exchange.
We rumble into the empty parking lot. I kill the engine and we exchange business cards. After all the high-octane noise it’s dead silent in the forest now.
A tumbleweed of Evergreen tree branches rolls lazily across the two-lane pavement.
Half a minute later the other twenty four press cars appear on the horizon and stream into the parking lot in a disjointed flash convoy:
-Acura TL SH-AWD
-Audi A6
-Audi A7
-BMW 650i Convertible
-Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
-Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible
-Chrysler 200C
-Dodge Charger SRT-8
-Fiat 500 Convertible
-Honda Civic SI Coupe
-Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec
-Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
-Kia Optima Turbo
-Lexus IS-F
-Lotus Evora S
-Mazda 5
-Mazda RX-8
-Mercedes-Benz CLS63
-Mercedes-Benz SLK350
-Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
-Suzuki Kizashi
-Volkswagen Beetle Turbo
-Volkswagen EOS
-Volvo S60 R-Design
Auto journalists sprout from the vehicles in tandem with the cars’ ride-along PR reps. Business cards explode into the air like confetti as the journalists make their way to the next vehicle on their list.
Back in the cars journalists shake hands with another PR rep and the procession roars back onto the highway and out of sight.
Stunned hikers immerge from their hiding places in the thicket to compare pictures of the happening on their iPhones.
Run to the Sun carried on this way for two days straight in 15-20 mile increments until every journalist, columnist, blogger, vlogger and auto media generalist in attendance had the chance to experience each car on the list. Needless to say there were a few stories that arose from the event that bear repeating.
Stay Tuned.
