Author Topic: Road Trip: Tail of the Dragon in a 2015 BMW M6 (Read 8230 times)

Autos_Editor · « **on:** August 07, 2015, 06:30:38 am »

A tale of the Dragon tamed by traffic instead of a fire-breathing BMW.
Read More...

Ex-airbalancer · « **Reply #1 on:** August 07, 2015, 06:43:09 am »

The best thing about being in Tennessee is the $1.99 a gallon gas

JohnM · « **Reply #2 on:** August 07, 2015, 07:14:13 am »

There is nowhere in North America where you can use 600hp. Maybe you can risk your license and possible jail time once or twice but 600hp is all about posing and not about driving.

Cheers,
John Meyer

quadzilla · « **Reply #3 on:** August 07, 2015, 07:16:18 am »

Quote from: JohnM on August 07, 2015, 07:14:13 am

There is nowhere in North America where you can use 600hp. Maybe you can risk your license and possible jail time once or twice but 600hp is all about posing and not about driving.

Cheers,
John Meyer

I'm sure there are some tracks that would let you use all that power.

JohnM · « **Reply #4 on:** August 07, 2015, 07:52:32 am »

Quote from: quadzilla on August 07, 2015, 07:16:18 am

Quote from: JohnM on August 07, 2015, 07:14:13 am
There is nowhere in North America where you can use 600hp. Maybe you can risk your license and possible jail time once or twice but 600hp is all about posing and not about driving.

Cheers,
John Meyer

I'm sure there are some tracks that would let you use all that power.

It would be interesting to see the percentage of 300+hp owners who take their cars to the track. I'd guess less than 1/10 of 1%.

I'd rather drive a quick car at 8/10ths than a fast car at 5/10ths.

Cheers,
John M.

Hannibalsmith · « **Reply #5 on:** August 07, 2015, 08:20:39 am »

Enjoyed the article. Perhaps the new M2 would be better suited for this road.

DriverJeff · « **Reply #6 on:** August 07, 2015, 08:24:01 am »

I expect the percentage to be a bit higher than that -- I've seen plenty of fancy machinery being put to good use on track days.

But, you're definitely on to something with driving a slower car at 8/10 than a faster car at 5/10ths.

I've not driven the current gen M6 (though I did drive the previous V10 version and I've driven the new M5) and find it boring. It's a sensational car, but it's so capable that there's no thrill of driving. An FRS or Miata or even a new 228i doesn't have the same cachet by a looooonnng shot, but out on the country roads, it'll get my heart racing a lot faster.

I've been down to the roads around the Tail of the Dragon a few times now but never done the Dragon yet. It's one of those things I'm sure I'll drive it once at some point just to say I've done it, but my expectations of any sort of rip-snorting driving (or riding) experience on it are long gone since it's become a tourist trap and nothing more.

mlin32 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 07, 2015, 09:11:37 am »

You should have let me know. I live in that area (well, currently in Germany until Dec) and there are many better roads that are just as fun with less-driven in NC. I haven't even bothered with the Tail for that reason.

Hint: Many roads crossing/intersecting the Blue Ridge Parkway can be entertaining.

Noto · « **Reply #8 on:** August 07, 2015, 10:54:26 am »

Quote from: DriverJeff on August 07, 2015, 08:24:01 am

It's one of those things I'm sure I'll drive it once at some point just to say I've done it,

Call up Scott and the three of us can give 'er in a WRX, film it, and call it Departures S04E01. I'm down. I'll even do the Legal to save on the Goodmans bill.

Nice article, Mark!

Mark R. · « **Reply #9 on:** August 07, 2015, 01:10:35 pm »

Thanks for the kudos! I had fun on this drive. I've been to the Dragon a couple of times before but always off-season, when the road was empty.

First time was in a BMW Z4 3.0 on the way back from Daytona bike week, which was great. I helped pull a real estate agent and his Kawasaki Concours back up from a 40-foot drop off the road.

Second time was with the wife and young kids in a Hyundai Entourage on the way down to Florida. "I know this short cut south of Knoxville," I said. "It'll be pretty."

At least I made the kids turn off the backseat movie before I hit the first of the curves. I still have the photo of my wife at the Fugitive dam, looking a bit green and royally pissed.

Triple Bob · « **Reply #10 on:** August 07, 2015, 01:26:24 pm »

Quote from: Autos_Editor on August 07, 2015, 06:30:38 am

A tale of the Dragon tamed by traffic instead of a fire-breathing BMW.
Read More...

Dragon, pah! Try Satan, he's a little harder to tame.

Snowman · « **Reply #11 on:** August 07, 2015, 03:03:10 pm »

Only time I would drive this route is between November and March.... from a drivers prospective. I have no interest in tourist season.

Fobroader · « **Reply #12 on:** August 07, 2015, 03:29:59 pm »

Quote from: Snowman on August 07, 2015, 03:03:10 pm

Only time I would drive this route is between November and March.... from a drivers prospective. I have no interest in tourist season.

Kind of like BC, the whole province is a giant drivers playground when the campers and rental cars leave.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

Noto · « **Reply #13 on:** August 07, 2015, 03:40:24 pm »

Quote from: Fobroader on August 07, 2015, 03:29:59 pm

when the campers and rental cars leave.

...will that be before August 21?

Fobroader · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2015, 03:45:14 pm »

Quote from: Noto on August 07, 2015, 03:40:24 pm

Quote from: Fobroader on August 07, 2015, 03:29:59 pm
when the campers and rental cars leave.
...will that be before August 21?

Unfortunately you will face all the fury of idiocy thats gawking, terrified tourists scared of all the curves and drop offs. Beware of huge, rented RVs that do a double lane change panic stop so the missus can snap a photo of a chipmunk or flower.

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Noto · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2015, 03:50:48 pm »

Quote from: Fobroader on August 07, 2015, 03:45:14 pm

Unfortunately you will face all the fury of idiocy thats gawking, terrified tourists scared of all the curves and drop offs. Beware of huge, rented RVs that do a double lane change panic stop so the missus can snap a photo of a chipmunk or flower.

Damn.

well, if it's any consolation, we'll be in a 1998 Buick Century, so it's not as though we'll be the fast, hard-cornering ones.

mlin32 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 08, 2015, 10:38:24 am »

Quote from: Snowman on August 07, 2015, 03:03:10 pm

Only time I would drive this route is between November and March.... from a drivers prospective. I have no interest in tourist season.

The problem is that snow can occur at the higher elevations in the area anytime from late Nov-March. Although NCDOT is reasonably competent at snow removal, the road conditions can quickly deteriorate above 1300m.

Snowman · « **Reply #17 on:** August 08, 2015, 06:35:38 pm »

Quote from: mlin32 on August 08, 2015, 10:38:24 am

Quote from: Snowman on August 07, 2015, 03:03:10 pm
Only time I would drive this route is between November and March.... from a drivers prospective. I have no interest in tourist season.
The problem is that snow can occur at the higher elevations in the area anytime from late Nov-March. Although NCDOT is reasonably competent at snow removal, the road conditions can quickly deteriorate above 1300m.

I have driven 40 years in snow, I don't see that as a problem.

Seafoam · « **Reply #18 on:** August 08, 2015, 09:41:53 pm »

The last time I was on the dragon there were a lot motorcycles. Mostly Harleys doing the speed limit. This took the fun out of it for me.

My wife was probably happy though

Something can be said for going in the off season.

Blueprint · « **Reply #19 on:** August 11, 2015, 01:23:45 pm »

Quote from: Fobroader on August 07, 2015, 03:45:14 pm

Quote from: Noto on August 07, 2015, 03:40:24 pm
Quote from: Fobroader on August 07, 2015, 03:29:59 pm
when the campers and rental cars leave.
...will that be before August 21?
Unfortunately you will face all the fury of idiocy thats gawking, terrified tourists scared of all the curves and drop offs. Beware of huge, rented RVs that do a double lane change panic stop so the missus can snap a photo of a chipmunk or flower.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

When I drove from Jasper to Vancouver in a rental car, I shaved 3 hours off the Google Maps estimate - 1hr thanks to the time zone, the other two thanks to impeccable timing in passing zones, low-season traffic, and, of course, driving a rental car. Because rental cars are the fastest cars. The Mrs only wanted me to get us there in time for dinner, no stops. We had an extra afternoon in Vancouver