Saturday April 24, 2010 returning rental car from when the Hyundai was in the shop, I park behind a red Camaro, and decide to rent it for the weekend. They said it's the only one in the Enterprise fleet (maybe just in this region) and had just been dropped at this location. Sunday took it up the Foresthill Highway - photos below. I had a 1968 Dodge Charger in high school (last photo). It's been a long time since I've driven a real machine like this. The Charger 440 at 375hp had more horsepower than this 300hp V6 - but could not compare to the handling, comfort, stopping power, of this car. Both cars had the same sensation of sitting low, peaking over the dash.

TRIVIA: This video starts at the Foresthill bridge, which served as the entry stunt in Vin Diesel xXx movie. See video here.
Motor Trend 2010 Camaro shootout video here and Motor Trend editor says "wow" to the V6 base model.

PRO Amazing handling, seat comfort and adjustment, acceleration - fun to drive

CON Sound system is lame and integration into dash would make it hard to swap Windshield glass has distortion! I've heard of this but never experienced it. Unknown if problem is widespread. It made me feel dizzy.

The Hyundai that has new engine ... and the Camaro

State Public Health building in the background

It's in my driveway!!!

SUNDAY 4/25 ROUTE:

• From Sacramento up Foresthill Highway to an ATV parking area "A" Stayed there about 3 hours. It was a fast ride from Auburn to Foresthill as I easily passed the few other cars in the passing sections. The area of the highway past Foresthill was deserted and had some nice straight sections to put the 300 hp V6 to a test (I don't want to incriminate myself here.)

• I had never taken the road from Foresthill to Colfax so decided to take "Yankee Jims Road" "B" to "C" It was mostly a dirt road, often one lane. There were no rocks or bumps so it was not a problem and we went through a nice forested area.

• From Colfax: I-80 to 193 into Lincoln, then south on Highway 65 to stop at Thunder Valley for food "D"

At the ATV parking - snow in background

Relaxing at bluff at ATV parking, looking north towards Colfax

On the road to Colfax - past a waterfall

Coming up the canyon after crossing the river, towards Colfax (by now the car was a dusty mess)

A lime green Camaro at Thunder Valley - now I don't know what I want!

Destroying the evidence of the using the Camaro as an ATV

This is my 1968 Dodge Charger at Pyramid Lake in 1975 when I was 16. (The car had headers but stock exhaust. I had ripped out the exhaust and installed glass-packs on the headers, but didn't mount them. Eventually they bent down as shown in the photo. In fact later this day one broke off, making a very noisy "open header" exhaust drive home. I then had a muffler shop mount them correctly.)