Massive USA Road Trip for S19?

[Spectre]

Confuse a Nebrask Redneck Cop - drive an 'personal' imported RHD car.

America you really need an equivalent to our SVA.

http://www.dvtani.gov.uk/uploads/veh...svabooklet.pdf

Soon to be :

The Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) scheme is replacing the Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) scheme. From now on, you can use the IVA scheme for any type of vehicle needing type approval except for special purpose light goods vehicles.

We used to have one.

Then in the 80s Mercedes got pissed off that we were importing Mercs from Europe for tens of thousands less than they were ripping us off for here, including models we wanted but they couldn't be arsed to import. Mostly they were ticked off over all the profit they were theoretically losing, so they spent a few million bucks getting personal importation banned on a safety basis via various fake grassroots entities (among other things.) Thus we all got screwed.

It did backfire a little on them when they wanted to import the G-Wagen into the US some 20 years later to take advantage of the craze for super high end SUVs. They found that someone else had actually spent all the money to legalize the G-Wagen under the rules Mercedes had had instituted and they weren't about to let Mercedes muscle in on it. Mercedes ended up paying millions for the Federalization rights.

[nickgeorge25]

Iain May just posted this picture. Based on the "TOYOTA" sign in the background, this is definitely Willow Springs Raceway, just south of Mojave, CA.

Picture taken in this exact spot...
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.87...t=h&gl=us&z=18

[Greylopht]

Looks like Willow Springs. The other pic was Red Rock for sure. Well then that means they took boring old 15 (Vegas to Barstow 15, cut to 58 to Mojave and down 14 to Rosemond) instead of something more fun like 95, over fish lake to 6 and then see if the Viper ditches it over the whoops on 120. I live on the corner of Hwy 6 and Hwy 120 and cant say they came this way, though another group of Vetts passed about three PM. To bad I would love to see the LFA uncorked on 120, it works my Legacy out QUITE well in the switchbacks. Perhaps they will visit the old Honda test track by California City since they are just a stones through, that would be a hoot since it is still for sale.

[nickgeorge25]

They will be in LA on Friday morning, if not already there. JC needs some volunteers.

A test of Twitter. Top Gear needs two girls to get into the back of an Aston Martin in Los Angeles tomorrow morning.

[Elijah B.]

They will be in LA on Friday morning, if not already there. JC needs some volunteers.
A test of Twitter. Top Gear needs two girls to get into the back of an Aston Martin in Los Angeles tomorrow morning.

I could wear a wig. And fly to Los Angeles.

Would my beard be a give away?

[Alasondro Alegré]

http://plus.google.com/photos/111810...369?banner=pwa

[Omnigear]

damn slow drivers on the left.....

[nickgeorge25]

@ 0:54 in the second video... are those airplanes next to the track??

[nickgeorge25]

@jcrclarksonesq: @MrJamesMay has just been told he is not allowed to smoke outside in California. Give me strength.

@MrJamesMay: @jcrclarksonesq Distract the waiter. I'm going to try for a smoke. #SmokinInnit

@jcrclarksonesq: @MrJamesMay has found somewhere in California where he thinks he won't be seen smoking.

@thehamsterscage: Both @jcrclarksonesq and @MrJamesMay have been busted for smoking after hotel staff saw the pic on Twitter. #DaftArses

@MrJamesMay: The hotel manager is on twitter. Bollox. #Busted

@thehamsterscage: ...this from James, whilst talking to the waitress.

[polonyk]

This is hilarious
Times like this I wish I had a twitter account...

[Omnigear]

where is that picture taken?

[sweeeeet]

I think the photo Hammond tweeted today is hwy 74, Palms to Pines, above Palm Desert, near Palm Springs, ca.

[nickgeorge25]

James and Jeremy just tweeted about departing the US... gotta be near Mexico now.

UPDATE:

Plane delayed by two hours. We are heading back into San Diego for more drink.

A quick check on flightaware.com shows a British Airways flight from San Diego back to London Heathrow tonight, also delayed. Coincidence?

So no Mexico -- looks like this trip is over -- they are headed back to the UK.

[Omnigear]

drug war stopped them from goin?

[Alasondro Alegré]

http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/iv...,4428971.story

[leviathan]

Large album of a sighting in Palm Springs, courtesy of reddit: http://imgur.com/a/P45hm 46 pictures of guys and their cars.

[nickgeorge25]

http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/iv...,4428971.story

So maybe they did pop into Mexico for a few hours... interesting!

“Top Gear,” a top-rated British television show about cars, stopped briefly in Calexico on Saturday to film a portion of a road trip through western desert cities such as Palm Springs before driving into Mexico.

Producers were tight-lipped about the specifics of the episode and responded to questions about the shoot with sarcasm and profanity. One official said the producers chose to stop in Calexico because it’s simply part of the episode’s route.

So to sum up the trip, based on twitter posts and other sightings...

Las Vegas, NV
Rosamond, CA - Willow Springs Raceway
Los Angeles, CA
Palm Springs, CA - Pines to Palms Highway
Calexico, CA - Border crossing into Mexico

[02122]

Seriously? You can't smoke outside in California? I hate smoking, but that's ridiculous.

Anyway, there's lots of good driving roads in the Northeast. They need to expand their horizons.

[Dr_Grip]

Seriously? You can't smoke outside in California? I hate smoking, but that's ridiculous.

In some parts of CA (Pasadena, for example) smoking in banned within a 20-feet radius from any door or window that leads to an area where smoking is prohibited. Same goes for outdoors dining areas. I guess one of this two facts got them.
(And, as far as I remember, it's not that different in MA)