What is the best place to live when you enjoy driving ?

What is the best place to live in the US or abroad when you enjoy driving and own a 996 ? May be you could reply with the name of the place and rate the following points from A to F: - Where is Porsche heaven on earth: - Open road quality and variety: - Track proximity: - Running cost (gas prices, insurance, taxes): - Weather conditions: - Quality of life overall (safety, political, food and drinks...): - Comment: I hope this can be a fun thread and the rage against potholes and taxes can be kept low

North Carolina - anywhere from mountains to sea. - Where is Porsche heaven on earth: Tail of the Dragon and Virginia International Raceway - Open road quality and variety: See above + many other mountain roads and windy blacktop through the Piedmont. And of course, the beach! Highway 12 in November after the tourists have gone. - Track proximity: VIR/CMP/CMS/NCCAR... and not that far from Summit Point or Road Atlanta - Running cost (gas prices, insurance, taxes): Low - car insurance is gecko low. - Weather conditions: Perfect... but for that summer humidity thing. Rest of the year is like NorCal. Convertible weather nearly year-round. Quality of life overall (safety, political, food and drinks...): Tops in the nation - particularly in Raleigh or Charlotte. Barbeque... and BBQ Runs. Politics? Well, we elected Jesse Helms and Barack Obama. Take your pick. We don't ask your business here. - Comment: I grew up in Northern California and have lived all over, including Germany and the Northeast. But NC is my home now. Not the glitz of Newport Beach or the money of Connecticut, but good, real good. Nice people. And great PCA Regions - Hurricane and Carolinas! If the place had an autobahn it would be perfect.

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When I read the title of this thread I was going to chime in and write exactly what you just did!

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Shhh... maybe we shouldn't be telling anybody. Keep the roads clear for us.

LOL! Good thing I read all the other posts before posting mine: Asheville, NC. I don't live there, but I go there very often with the 996. Everyone else has told you why. Also it is always mentioned in articles in Road & Track and Motor Trend and Car and Driver, etc., as one of the top 10 places to drive a sports car. And it was the home of the original moonshine-running pre-NASCAR guys. LOL! Tail-of-the-Dragon, Route 64, Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smokey Mountains, Chimney Rock (home of the scariest SCCA Hill Climb this side of Pikes Peak) and film location for the movie The Last of the Mohicans, Biltmore Estate, cozy wooden weekend cabins with stunning views, and on and on and on. http://www.tailofthedragon.com/index.html

isn't the winter in the west part of NC, like Asheville a pain though ? quite snowy, no ?

My vote is Bavaria... Oh wait that's not part of the U.S. is it?

Germany. No other place like it. What do you get a ticket for on the autobahn? Running out of gas, driving too slow, passing on the right of any car. Everyone stays out of the faster passing lanes unless they are passing. Smoothest roads and best road engineers ever I'd venture.

As a relatively new resident of Colorado, I submit the following: - Highway 74 between Morrison and Evergreen - Highway 550 (Million Dollar Highway) between Ouray and Silveton, Colorado - Pike's Peak highway (I personally haven't driven this one, but I've heard good things...)

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Nuernburg is where I lived then just south in Schwabach. Vunderbar gegend und strassen

Isle of Man?

I wish I could hear about some resident of the Isle of Man, from what I heard, no speed limit on the back roads ! Germany autobahn is nice but speeding on the highway is a bit boring moreover most of them are only two lane. Living nearby the Nurhburgring should be quite fun for a year or two But so far I think North Carolina take the cake with the mountain and the ocean, without the outrageous cost of living of California. I saw a couple of rennlister from Asia, I wonder how good an it be over there.

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Mark, Are you going to Asheville this winter? If so, let me know when and maybe we can hook up for a cup of coffee one morning. I am working in Greenville, SC which is about 75 miles south of Asheville. I would be glad to drive up to Asheville to meet you, assuming that my @#$%^&* Honda has enough power to make the climb up the hills/mountains to get to Asheville!

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I've driven it in "regular" cars a few times and its a scary road to drive on. Given all of the tourist traffic you can't do any performance driving unless you're part of the July 4th race. So I would consider it a scenic road but not a driving road since you can't go more than 15 MPH most of the time anyway. The guys who race that road are pretty daring!

There isn't much good I can say about new york... Although there are 6 tracks within 5 hours of me (Lightning, Thunderbolt, Pocono, Monticello, Watkins Glen and Limerock).

Not Kansas. The gas is probably cheaper, but all our roads are straight, level and overly patrolled.

A) Camp 18 in OR to Longview WA over the mountains. B) Goldendale WA down to the river via Mt Adams. C) North cascades hwy, I5 to.. in the fall.

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Two words, Van. Bear Mountain. Seven Lakes Pkwy to Perkins Memorial Drive up the mountain. Yee-ha!

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If I could find a job down there, I would move in a heartbeat. Really is the best all-around state in the country, IMO.

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Bear Mountain, West Point, Berkshires in Massachusetts, Poconos in Pennsylvania, Route 611 along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. There are quite a few but you need to get at least an hour outside of the city to see it all.

Ratings for NJ: - Open road quality and variety: Highways are getting better. Very limited variety. Pretty flat and boring. - Track proximity: Good (NJMP, Summit, Monticello, Watkins Glen, Pocono, Lime Rock) - Running cost (gas prices, insurance, taxes): Gas price is fair (+full service!!!!), High insurance and taxes. - Weather conditions: Fair - Quality of life overall (safety, political, food and drinks...): Actually pretty good! - Comment: Also, good network of dealers and independents. Overall, I don't think NJ would make it to the top 10. My personal best would be the Eifel region (home of the Nurburgring), followed by Bavaria. FM

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Tim, I have totally got you covered on this. I am sending you a pm with all my contact info. When I make my next trip that way we will get together. Make more time than coffee, though. T-o-t-D is a good haul from Greenville and we will need a couple hours of driving to get there togther. http://www.tailofthedragon.com/index.html Hey! You're not...uh...hanging out at that BMW factory, are you?

I've driven those roads wwest and I will be back in the northwest to visit my brother and sister in a few weeks, driving the Porsche all the way for the second time this year. Love the car

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OR and WA have some gorgeous roads, but over-enforcement in OR and bad maintenance in WA make them pretty bad driver's states IMO. Some of the good : Maryhill and Rowena loops both make for great road photos : And there's 821 : And Hwy 23 & 25 behind Mt St. Helens are pretty epic.

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I could make it an excuse for a drive from Cary.

There's a reason why the Monterey Peninsula hosts the ALMS, Concours d"Elegance and unveils it's newest Porsches, such as the Spyder, 918 and Panamera. You can't get a better ride out of your Porsche than tactically maneuvering Laguna Seca's "Corkscrew and Andretti Curve," the G16 through Carmel Valley(Piloti named a shoe after it) and the Big Sur coastline. You and your Porsche will experience the ultimate fusion between human and engineering skills. This is a benchmark place to be.

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You have postulated a very complex question. When you factor in all the variables, weigh them individually for impact/cost, etc. is it virtually impossible to not select the USA as a starting place. While I very much enjoyed living in Germany for many years and driving a couple of different Porsches of mine over there the overriding issue that kills that deal are the operating costs there--fuel is prohibitively priced, as is insurance. Offset that by better drivers and better road conditions? Quite subjective. If you can find an uncluttered area in the USA with excellent road conditions then you have a start. Are those two mutually exclusive? To find less dense traffic you have to go north. When you go north you wind up with the possibility that the roads will be impacted by frost heaves and damage by studded snow tires. "Porsche roads." That means twisties, without a school bus or grandpa slowing you down (considerate drivers who pull over for the Porsches). Mountain roads are the most enjoyable, and with them come stunning vistas. Cool enough weather (or warm enough) to enjoy the roads nearly year around without putting the top up. Sh&t. I think where I am is pretty close! This road is within a mile and a half of my house:

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I have had a brief chat with Tim and we are tentatively setting Sunday, October 10th, to meet in the morning in Hendersonville. Plan is to have breakfast, then do the Dragon. Then, if time permits, do Mount Mitchell and then Black mountain Rd to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock (US 64) and back to Hendersonville. I will be driving up from Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday and staying at a hotel in Hendersonville for those two nights, then Monday on to Peoria, IL. Tim will drive up from Greenville and then ride with me to the Dragon. A quick check of the Deals Gap home page and announced schedules shows that weekend free (so far) of major car clubs at the Dragon. If we want to wait two weeks (NOT!) we can join the LS1GTO folks and the TCCA (Tauras Car Club of America!!!!!!!!) SHO does make me giggle to think about those two clubs on the Dragon together. The landslide has finally been cleared, so the traffic is back up. When I went in June, the landslide had strategically occured just after the end of the Dragon and prevented new traffic from coming in from Tennessee. So the only vehicles were the ones that entered from the south and came back. No campers, RV's or trucks. It was nice. This will give me a chance to "road" test my brandspankingnew M030 RoW suspension and PZero's. Come join us!

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Bugger! I'll be back in PA for my son's birthday. I would love to be there, but the birthday in addition to not getting home for the month prior to that trip (too much business travel) means I'll have to pass.

Los Angeles, We have numerous canyons roads above Malibu and Mulholland Highway, fantastic driving roads. There's Tpoanga Canyon, Old Topanga Canyon, Stunt Road, Flores Canyon, etc, etc... Then on the other end of the Valley, Tujunga and Angeles Crest, etc.

Wayne, That's too bad you have a conflict! OK here is a solution: Just ship your car over to Greenville, and I'll dirve it on the Dragon. At least your car will have a good time!

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Yeah, I'm bummed - missing a get together with you and playing on the dragon would have been fun. I'm in PA this weekend and will be driving the 996 down to Cary on Monday... Finally! I'm getting together with Phil for breakfast tomorrow if you would like to join us.

I am in Dallas this weekend, so I guess I won't be able to make breakfast!

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the two of us have to stop splitting our time between states - it's very confusing. I figured you were in Greenville.

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No speed limit but roads are narrow and can have a another vehicle, livestock, or just about anything appear at any time. Some UK published car mags use the island to test (bike mags too) but have spotters to ensure the road clear for those that want to make high(er) speed runs. UK car mags like Scotland roads. too. Frankly, any road I'm driving on in my Porsche is a good road to be driving my Porsche. Sincerely, Macster.

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http://www.mir.co.im/

Having spent a large part of my life in NC, I'd be remiss if I didn't discourage you from moving there. Tail of the Dragon is a good road, but the Draconian enforcement on that road is enough to keep me away for life. As for the rest of the state, the NCSP is a bit overzealous. Only slightly less than Virginia where I just left. Now, I'm in Austin, and I love it. We have two tracks close by. Both are small, but a lot of fun. The cost of living is fantastic compared to DC where I moved from. The police in town are bad, but out on the roads in the countryside, they're not bad at all. Some of the roads by Lake Travis are a blast, and you can have fun at or below the speed limit. Oh yeah, and we have Formula One coming soon. =-)

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Is it really that bad ? That's why I'd love to hear from people outside of the USA... hoping some country are a little behind in the revenue collection...

its a good thing all of you tourist are in NC so you dont get in my way. On the Pig Trail in the Ozarks, there virtually no traffic. On the weekends there are several 'touring' bikers so they do jamb things up. Otherwise, I can go as fast as I want. Its not for the faint of heart. The only down side is how long Ill have to lay there before somebody finds me. http://www.mbworld.org/forums/sl55-a...pig-trail.html http://www.mbworld.org/forums/sl55-a...cenic-7-a.html

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I've heard things are bad at Tail of the Dragon but in the three times I've been there I've not seen it personally. The key is don't try to act stupid in the middle of a summer Saturday afternoon. Go on an off day or in the early morning and you'll be okay. But when traffic is built up of course the cops have to enforce the rules because there are too many people there to have the type of driving we consider to be fun. But yeah, I wish we could find a place that doesn't steal our money to drive our cars in an entertaining fashion.

I've seen many people get pulled for simply touching the line with a tire. They're vicious about speed limits. The road is often a topic for debate among the various Sheriff and AGs during campaign season.

Been to the Dragon several times. The NCHP and local Sheriffs are only going at you if you cross the yellow line or do something stupid like trying to practice trailing throttle oversteer. They have been set up at the same two spots each time, waiting for boy racers to "cross the line." It you treat the Dragon like an 22 mile long autocross (down and back), and the edge and center lines like continuous cones, you can have some fun. And just like an autocross, you get points (on your driver's license) for violating the "cones." Generally the edge cone violation is less about points and more about becoming a tree hugger. Literally.

Park Road 37 here in San Antonio. It is about 5-10 miles long (never measured, always focusing on driving) and have about a billion turns as slow as probably 15 MPH IIRC. Very fun road.

Enjoy the future. Explore the possible journeys of life. Many people are retiring to places outside the USA. It can even be a 6 months of the year arrangement for in the USA 6 months and off to Germany for the other 6 months. I do know in the time it takes to get in the car and up to operating temp then flying it on the autobahn you have already stopped to refuel 300 miles downrange before a plane trip would take off. This is before take-off involving the combination of driving to the airport 2-3 hours before departure, checking in bags, going through security, waiting for boarding, then taxing out and getting clearence for take off. For the easy life I think Germany has its stuff straight. Best of luck coming up with some sort of plan besides being a target for lasers and microwaves on the hwy. Of course driving isn't the only part of life but it sure helps having a 911. Cheap places to live isn't always good since some of the cheap places have life rated as cheap too.

There are great roads everywhere there are elevation changes and creeks. They key difference is traffic and law enforcement. I'd rather drive an 8-out-of-10 road with few other cars and no police than a 10-out-of-10 road with a bunch of clueless douchebags zooming around and cops looking for the slightest reason to screw with you.

Do the Dragon on a sunny Tuesday in November and it is an empty rollercoaster. Complaining about law enforcement cracking down on speeders using a public road like a race track seems sort of foolish to me. I have grown up and gotten over my dislike of the police. Mostly. Senseless speed traps simply for revenue generation still **** me off. But those exist everyhwere. If you really want to drive that fast, join PCA and head to the track (not that you have to join PCA to go to the track, just makes it easier and possibly cheaper).

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what he said...