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Who needs an SUV? We drove a 1998 BMW Z3 along the Pacific coast


It’s 10:15 a.m. in Redwoods National Park, and the atmosphere couldn’t be better: Ancient giants shrouded in mist with a sky as white as heaven. Below, ferns and mosses sparkle in the thin mist with delicate pink flowers that offer unexpected beauty. color between all those greens. And back to the trailhead parking lot, offering its own eerie contrast between the monotonous collection of small truckFamily SUV and heavy-duty pickup, is my little, Atlanta Blue 1998 BMW Z3.

There are some “What the hell are you doing here?” about the whole scene, and judging by the surprised reactions of the various families passing by, I am not alone in noticing. You see, besides being a spot often visited by families or maybe couples, Redwoods National Park is located in a remote part of one of the most remote parts of the country. Located in the top part of California, it is 5.5 hours drive from San Francisco and 3.5 hours from the nearest interstate. It was even a 1.5-hour drive from my overnight accommodation, just across the Oregon border, near the sprawling metropolis of Crescent City, Calif. So yeah, you have to drive a very long way to get there, and there aren’t that many people. Sign up to do it in a 25 year old roadster.

But I did! I’m moving from Portland to just outside of Los Angeles and need transportation Z3 about 1,000 miles. I can have drag it’s behind my ’13 BMW X5 xDrive35d or fenagled one 3500 . ram press truck or something? Maybe, but what’s the fun in that? Can I simply turn left in Portland onto I-5 and go all the way? Possibly, but my car absolutely sucks over 65 mph when accelerating – it’s loud, has slight cushioning, and the semi-finals are a bit intimidating. Also, what’s the fun in that?

No, I would “close the gap” on a stretch of Highway 101 I had never ventured, from about Yachats in the middle of the Oregon Coast down to Trinidad, Calif., about an hour south of Lady Bird Johnson Grove. Just as I suspected, I missed the most spectacular, the furthest, the least federal, and the absolutely perfect fit for a top-down journey. Drivers of minivans, family SUVs, and heavy-duty pickups all have no idea what they’re missing out on.

The day before that, after Oregon had properly flown my Z3 in a misty rain from Portland to the coast in Newport, I had dropped the top and applied a stiff, leathery tonneau visor that suppressed wind noise is very good (it would take me over a decade to realize that, previously I thought it was just for aesthetics). Put on your hat, zip up your jacket and the Harman Kardon sound system is playing road trip playlist via retrofitted aux jack, that afternoon driving past 101 majestic views of the curvy past of shorelines, trees and even sand dunes is one that I would never forget. There’s a point, just north of the border near Gold Beach, where I can’t help but look up at the trees and the blue sky passing by and raise my hand over the headlights. This is why we take road trips and ideally do it in a fun car we love.

And even though I’ve fallen in love with my Z3, have owned it for 15 years and wanted one from the moment I first saw it in “Yellow eyes27 years ago (well, I’m old), this would have been the longest I’ve ever driven in both distance and time. Although it’s a relatively small car by the standards of a national park parking lot, it is more spacious than a modern car. boxer or the new ND Miata. I’m 6 feet-3, and it was only on my third and final day that I drove along the more interstate stretch of 101 from San Jose to my new home in Agoura Hills, Calif. I’m just starting to feel like I need a few hours on the shelf to stretch out a bit. It’s also the part of the journey where the Z3’s noise/cushion/speed limits are most noticeable and annoying: “Well, the speed limit is 70, but I definitely don’t want to drive 70.” I might have been a little troubled after being the rabbit on my way back to the mighty zigzag stretch of Oregon and extreme northern California.

Indeed, although I lowered the roof as much as I could on the first day, after a short while on the second day across the Avenue of the Giants south of Eureka, Calif. (upper left), it’s too hot. It’s July, after all, and I’m more of a winter tweed hat-owner than a fun-loving person in the sun. Admittedly this meant the roof was up when I stopped to take pictures at one of my favorite places in the country: at the northern foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, next to the Coast Guard Station USA now and Starfleet Academy in the future. I could lower the hood, but then I had to put the tonneau on (this time, 100% for the sake of aesthetics), and man, I was tired after more than seven hours on a winding road in a car. old convertible. Cut me some slack. I still managed to get a few shots with a bombed stamp in the background, plus the confusing appearance of an elderly couple driving a 2008 car. renault Grand Scenic on Italian plate (top right). And here, I think my Z3 is an unexpected sight in a tourist parking lot. I really should have stayed to ask what their story was, but yeah, tired. Also, my Italian doesn’t go beyond some Dean Martin songs.

All told, the journey was a profound way to end my five years in Oregon. I will miss it dearly, and I will certainly regret not being able to be willing to take more trips to explore it on my Z3. That’s almost perfect in the journey, by the way. I have a small crack in the front right wheel and need to fill the tire at every stop to avoid me driving with 23 psi, but that’s it. Somehow, I’ve crossed the line between little use and neglect over the years – it’s only run 49,000 miles and I bought it for 37,800 in 2007.

Speaking of which, it has gotten a bit dusty in its new garage. Quick strolls to the hardware store are great and all, but I think another coastal trip is within its reach. Although I’ve now included all 101 from Los Angeles to Port Angeles, Wash., there are still a few Pacific Coast Highways to check out the list. Get ready for Big Sur, old friend.

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