For reasons known or unknown, say that your flight from New York to Los Angeles has been canceled. You’ve got an ultra-important meeting with a guy about a horse, and there’s no other option but to drive. What car do you take, and how do you modify it?
This hypothetical was largely stolen from The Drive’s resident Cannonballer, Alex Roy, who posed the question on Twitter just yesterday. Having driven from the Big Apple to the West Coast in a hurry more than once, he’s got experience with the subject matter.
Typically, I’d agree with Mr. Roy, who says German sedans are the end-all tool for cross-country speed record runs. However, for the sake of conversation, I’ll contribute the idea of a Volvo 850R. A wagon seems like the obvious choice for a long road trip, and my 6-foot, 5-inch frame will thank me for the extra room. Still, it couldn’t be just any 850R. It’d need to be a touch more powerful, but not so fickle that I’d be at risk of breaking down at each exit. Let’s say…tuned to 450 horsepower with all the supporting mods—turbo, upgraded cooling, and extra fuel. Oh, and brakes. Definitely brakes.
Throw in some primo GPS equipment and the new Valentine V1 Gen2 radar detector, then I’ll be set. With a huge range, ultra-quick scanning, and built-in Bluetooth capability, the latter seems like the right choice. Then again, that’s coming from someone who’s longest road trips were behind the wheel of a 1.0-liter EcoBoost-powered Ford Focus. It had the six-speed, at least.
As for your pick, it can be from any time period, so get creative. We’re all ears!
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