San Francisco, CA
Life gifted a rare opportunity to be solo and free for a week. I seized it. Five years in the making.
About 1,400 miles of a variety of terrains and sceneries. From the typical American 8-lane ‘interstate’, to mountain passes, steep inclines, coastal roads, twisty single-lane roads, dirty and slippery roads, tunnels, bridges, small towns, rain, sunshine, the raging Pacific, the magnificent Coastal Redwoods, elk, deer, coyotes, bigfoots, bald eagles, disgusting fast food, fun folk.
The N54 is a beast. Not once in manual or in Sport+. Just an occasional downshift for fun corner exit and smart overtakes. And most miles in good ole drive and cruise control. The +/- 5mph worked great to follow traffic. And the computers did wonders at keeping the speed steady, even in very steep downhill. One interesting moment, in one uphill tight righthander, the computer cut and re-applied power on its own. Cool.
On average, 400 miles per tank. According to Copilot, that’s 27.6 mpg (in 'Murican talk) or 8.5 litres per 100 km. Yes, it’s a big and powerful engine, but I was expecting a bit better on the road. Oh well.
The cabin is comfortable. But at my age, height and girth, 6-8 hours was all I could take. Definitely no Cadillac. The heated seat and steering wheel were very welcoming in the 40F mornings. For us in LHD land, the cupholder is worth its weight in gold. And haters will hate, the auxiliary left foot brake pedal is the best accessory money can buy.
One mandatory moment of shameless indulgence: Not only the E89 is rare, but in those parts is practically first-ever-seen. And this trim is bitchin'. It's a head-turner, a conversation-starter.
So that’s finally the first proper trip report. Perhaps also the last. I doubt I’ll have the opportunity and fortitude for another one. What a lovely motor.
About 1,400 miles of a variety of terrains and sceneries. From the typical American 8-lane ‘interstate’, to mountain passes, steep inclines, coastal roads, twisty single-lane roads, dirty and slippery roads, tunnels, bridges, small towns, rain, sunshine, the raging Pacific, the magnificent Coastal Redwoods, elk, deer, coyotes, bigfoots, bald eagles, disgusting fast food, fun folk.
The N54 is a beast. Not once in manual or in Sport+. Just an occasional downshift for fun corner exit and smart overtakes. And most miles in good ole drive and cruise control. The +/- 5mph worked great to follow traffic. And the computers did wonders at keeping the speed steady, even in very steep downhill. One interesting moment, in one uphill tight righthander, the computer cut and re-applied power on its own. Cool.
On average, 400 miles per tank. According to Copilot, that’s 27.6 mpg (in 'Murican talk) or 8.5 litres per 100 km. Yes, it’s a big and powerful engine, but I was expecting a bit better on the road. Oh well.
The cabin is comfortable. But at my age, height and girth, 6-8 hours was all I could take. Definitely no Cadillac. The heated seat and steering wheel were very welcoming in the 40F mornings. For us in LHD land, the cupholder is worth its weight in gold. And haters will hate, the auxiliary left foot brake pedal is the best accessory money can buy.
One mandatory moment of shameless indulgence: Not only the E89 is rare, but in those parts is practically first-ever-seen. And this trim is bitchin'. It's a head-turner, a conversation-starter.
So that’s finally the first proper trip report. Perhaps also the last. I doubt I’ll have the opportunity and fortitude for another one. What a lovely motor.
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Scottish Borders
North West Surrey
At the summit of the picturesque fens
