Porsche 911 Carrera 2 S (991)
It's an open door policy at Cars And Coffee
"We have a misaligned body clock to thank for this particular one. With my body still on UK time I awoke at 5am on a Saturday morning with little chance of going back to sleep. The plan had been to go to the nearby
Cars And Coffee
event at Mazda's US headquarters in Irvine, California. Much like our own PH Sunday Service - just on a Saturday - it's a open invitation event to car enthusiasts to get up early, bring along an interesting car and kick tyres over a hot beverage (clue in name) and then get back home in time for breakfast.
"Like Sunday Service, Cars And Coffee rewards an early start. But not that early. So I checked my iPhone to see if I could find a suitable diversion that'd give the 991 Carrera 2 S press car we had a suitable work out and kill a bit of time. A quick squirt south along the I5, left along the Ortega Highway through Casper Regional Park towards Lake Elsinore and then back round via Corona on the Interstate looked doable so off I went, diverting en route to fuel up - Starbucks for the driver and Shell's finest for the 911. Ready to go!"
You'll understand why canyon culture rules
"The famous canyon roads are an integral part of Californian car culture and a welcome relief after the seemingly endless sprawl of eight-lane Interstates and stop-go suburbia. Irvine is on the southern edge of the LA sprawl so getting out onto interesting roads isn't too hard and the promise of a fabulous canyon drive followed by coffee and tyre kicking makes this an easy sell if you ever find yourself in the area.
"Beyond looking like a promising squiggle in the map it was impossible to say whether or not the Ortega Canyon Highway would fit the bill but thankfully it did, and then some. 28 miles of super smooth tarmac, crazily undulating road surface (Californian roads use steep cambers on tight corners) and stunning scenery is enough to blow the early morning cobwebs out, the final section tumbling down the mountain side to Lake Elsinore around cascading, wide open hairpin bends a spectacular climax to the route before a more calming return to Irvine along the Interstate. Sure, some of the detailing obsessed owners at Cars And Coffee might not be impressed with the brake dust and road grime on your car when you arrive. But you'll have the satisfaction of having walked the walk before talking the talk."
Well, you'd hope to see a muscle car or two
Highlights and lowlights:
"The Interstate sections are pretty dull, to be honest, and if you've got more time you could divert via the Pacific Coast Highway and cut inland after Dana Point. While scenic it's a busy, suburban road at this point so not exactly thrilling.
"We hit the Ortega Canyon Highway at around 6:30am on a Saturday, just as the sun was rising, and going east we had it pretty much to ourselves. Coming the other way it looked pretty busy though, with a steady stream of traffic heading towards the coast. With pretty much unbroken double yellow lines it'd be a wasted journey going west so pick your time accordingly and hope you catch it while it's quiet. To be fair American drivers are much more generous than British ones and you'll often find people pull over to let faster cars through where double yellows prevent overtaking.
"Depending on your car you may find the 55mph limit a little bit constraining too. Should you choose to enjoy the road to its potential it's worth keeping a little in hand in case you encounter any Highway Patrol - anecdotal evidence suggests they are equipped with forward facing radar too so even if you pass them going the other way they can clock you. You've been warned...
"Disclaimers out of the way it is a fantastic bit of road, especially the breathtaking final section."
And when you're done you can go to the beach!
Sights, stop-offs and diversions:
"If you're going with the intention of getting to Cars And Coffee you'll probably have the bit between your teeth and want to get there as soon as you can. It's worth it too - Californian car enthusiasts are both passionate and many are very well funded too. But it's not at all elitist - you'll get million-dollar Gullwings alongside mint muscle cars and rusty old rat look Beetles. Strike lucky and you may get manufacturers digging out concepts, classics and other oddities too.
"If you need to fuel up beforehand there are plenty of the regular food and drink chains around Irvine and once you're done with the meet you can head off to the coast and soak up some of the Californian beach vibe. As already mentioned, the Pacific Coast Highway is, at this point, more a stop-go suburban road but still evocatively sun drenched and chilled out. While you're in Irvine you might want to stop by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center (local spelling!) too - they've always got some interesting cars on show and are a great bunch. Say hi from us!"
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dreamdrives@pistonheads.com
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