There is something about the Boxster's second gear that is especially
satisfying. Never thought much about your favorite Porsche gear? And
even if you did, would you have settled on second as your favorite?
What's second, after all? Just the gear on your way to third. No one
cruises in second gear. If you are stuck in traffic, you are in first
gear, and this is not a place you want to be. Otherwise, you are trying
to get out of second and into a more respectable gear like third as
fast as you can.
Sunday, October 21, I became enamoured with second gear. The occasion
was the Utah Fall Finale, the last run of the season by SLC area Boxster
owners. Snow will be falling any day now, so we decided on the spur
of the moment to take a 300 mile jaunt over twisting mountain roads.
We had 6 cars, 4 silvers (Michael VT, Mike B., Jason, and me), an arena
red (Bill in SLC), and a speed yellow driven by Adam King.
Our route began with a long stretch of driving over Wolf Creek pass.
This was fourth gear territory, and the Boxster was definitely in its
element. Wolf Creek was just paved this year, and they resurfaced about
50 miles of road in the process. Beautiful surface, and 60 plus miles
of lightly traveled sweeping turns, high speed esses, and wonderful
scenery. The run up the pass follows the South Fork of the Provo River,
and the drive down the east side follows the Duchesne River. There were
some stretches where third gear came into play, but this was definitely
fourth gear territory. Fast and precise.
Spoilers Up, Duchesne River Valley
(photo by Michael VanTyne)
Heading south out of Duchesne, Utah, we entered Indian Creek Canyon.
Starting in near desert, the road climbs into pine forests and then
through the mining district in the area of Price, UT. This was also
fourth gear territory, with some long climbs that really let the Boxsters
stretch their legs. I think I even spent time in fifth and sixth gears
on this stretch of road.
Heading north in central Utah, we made our way to Eccles Canyon, then
onto Huntington Canyon and across the Mt. Nebo loop. All these roads
are designated U.S. Byways, and deservedly so. If you are not familiar
with the U.S. Byways program, you need to check it out (http://www.byways.org/travel/state.html?CX_STATE=UT).
On the Road to the Mount Nebo Loop
(photo by Michael VanTyne)
It was as we started climbing up the western end of Eccles Canyon that
I fell in love with second gear. The road climbing out of the canyon
and up to 10,000 feet was probably at one time a mountain goat trail.
At some point, someone with a perverse sense of humor and no vision
for the RV, paved the goat trail and called it a highway. Miles and
miles of twisting turns, hairpins, cascading esses, up and down elevation
changes, and more weaving and dipping around boulders and through ravines.
In second gear. Second gear, when the rpms are up, has a lot of grunt.
The engine screams as you accelerate through 50 yards of straightaway
between turns, grumbles as you brake into a hairpin, then growls to
life as you accelerate at the apex and throttle steer into the next
short straight, which was often little more than an opportunity to cut
through a couple of turns before hitting the next hairpin. Running between
4000 and 7000 rpm in second, the Boxster has the kind of torque that
allows you to throw the car around, feel the car jump forward under
acceleration, and power through turns while staying perfectly composed
as you stare off a thousand foot drop.
Unfortunately, my wife and I will not be having any more children.
Because if we were, boy or girl, I would name the kid Second Gear. It
was that good a day.
In the Twisties
(photo by Michael VanTyne)
