Pub2Pub's TVR arrives in Patagonia
With more than 22,000 miles covered, the Pub2Pub team have just 1,200 left to go...
If you've seen our previous updates on the expedition, you'll know the score. A group of adventurers have set themselves the task of driving a TVR Chimaera from the northernmost bar on the planet, to the southernmost. From the frigid heights of Arctic Norway, they've journeyed across Europe, the USA, Central and South America, and have just reached Patagonia. So, what's new since our last update?
So how has South America treated the expedition so far? More of the trial-by-red-tape treatment? Not at all. Since arriving in Colombia and hitting the road south, Pub2Pub has found itself scrolling through a bucket list which should be at the top of everyone's dream driving experiences. Experiences like roaring across the Peruvian Highlands, 4,000m up with the roof down, or roaming the world's largest salt flats - the Salar de Uyuni, in Bolivia. They've driven the famous 'Death Road', near La Paz, and cruised past active volcanoes in Ecuador, rolled past Llamas on the Altiplano, and drag-raced a horse across a field in Colombia. And through all the challenges, the TVR has been carrying on, business as usual, with no serious maintenance required so far in the trip, other than a clutch change in Nicaragua (a new clutch being sent out from the UK by TVR specialists Powers Performance in less than seven working days - impressive stuff!)
For updates as the expedition closes on its final goal, feel free to head over to the Facebook page.
Previous PH updates below:
The journey begins!
6,000 miles in...
Pub2Pub makes it to South America
Pub2Pub would also like to thank their supporters, without whom the journey couldn't have happened:
The TVR Car Club, Dartmoor Brewery, Dewerstone Lifestyle Clothing, Powers Performance, GAZ shocks, IMS Diving Panama
And all the people who've helped the expedition along the way - you know who you are!
Words: Ben Coombs
But the longest for a sports car? not so sure, porsche did 37279 km with a 924 turbo when it was new, and i think they made an even madder trip when the 944 came out.
I scanned the booklet for the 924t trip, if anyone would like to read obscure stuff.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3GfYntUoi5aQ1Vs...
After reaching the southernmost bar, we'll still have the small matter of another 2,000 miles to drive, to get the car back up to Montevideo to be shipped home, so the final distance will be around 25,500 miles, or 41,000km.
Fingers crossed it goes smoothly!
After reaching the southernmost bar, we'll still have the small matter of another 2,000 miles to drive, to get the car back up to Montevideo to be shipped home, so the final distance will be around 25,500 miles, or 41,000km.
Fingers crossed it goes smoothly!
The distance is so bizarre its hard to grasp, Im glad mad people like you exist
The distance is so bizarre its hard to grasp, Im glad mad people like you exist
Here's a map of the journey so far, to (hopefully) add some perspective:
B-, must try harder
But when you're smashing out anything up to 600 miles a day under the equatorial sun, shade is a pretty welcome commodity. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!
Were there any unusual / amusing conversations with strangers? Somebody offer to buy the car on the spot? Wanna sell an organ? Come join our cult? Moments of the Tarantino / David Lynch variety?
Everyone is very interested in the car, especially since getting to Chile and Argentina. with people's reactions being overwhelmingly positive. Well, except for the mechanic who tried to buy it yesterday - claiming it looked 'abandoned' as an opening gambit. I mean, it's pretty filthy and has a cracked headlight, but abandoned? That's a bit rich...
I'm sure if our Spanish was better we'd have had some particularly surreal conversations, but we've not exactly been short of the strange and the surreal anyway. Wait for the book; it'll all be in there ;-)
As for the car meets, we've been mostly getting in touch with local clubs and enthuisasts as we've gone along. Doing so has opened the door to some fascinating experiences, and amazing metal:
We've raised some sponsorship (see the list of supporters at the bottom of the article), which has gone a long way to taking the financial 'bite' out of the trip, and are working on a way to make the journey pay for itself post-trip, so watch this space...
After a run on first and second editions, there's the guest appearance alongside Harris Monkey, and the inevitable invitation to join the chattering classes on "Have I Got News for You." Clarkson begins a punchy tete a tete in the papers and there are murmurs of a sort of A.A. Gill redux.
It's all too claustrophobic, I'm afraid. Eventually you're back in the Americas and taking meetings in Tinseltown. Step aside, James Corden!
Fun photos, BTW. In particular the pre-War stuff, baking there in the sun. Magnificent.
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