[HWY84]

I picked up an Abarth in a town that was roughly 400 miles from my home - and then drove it back along as many back roads as I could!

I spent 9 hours in the car, through some incredible countryside and standard southern California freeway traffic. All of it was a blast!

Here's my first impressions overview after just 2 or 3 hours in the car - shot while driving an incredible back road through 40 miles of canyons and 4,000 feet of elevation change!

https://youtu.be/TiXFlrvNBw0

More detailed review to come!

 

[truebill]

Loved the video. I spend much of the year in Ojai, so I know that road and what a road for running your Abarth. One question: were you driving in Sport Mode or normal mode?

 

[HWY84]

Loved the video. I spend much of the year in Ojai, so I know that road and what a road for running your Abarth. One question: were you driving in Sport Mode or normal mode?

Thanks! I had never been on that road before - I'd only read about it. But it sure didn't disappoint!

I was in Sport Mode - I find the throttle mapping in sport mode is more fun for me, and better matches the feel of the rest of the controls (brake, steering, and clutch) inasmuch as it's more immediate, and small inputs are all that's required.

Why do you ask?

 

[Redtoys]

thanks for the great video. My fun drive home was with my wife and doubt she'd have been too pleased with a camera on. And I REALLY had to behave myself. Congrats on the new ride!

 

[HWY84]

thanks for the great video. My fun drive home was with my wife and doubt she'd have been too pleased with a camera on. And I REALLY had to behave myself. Congrats on the new ride!

Understood on all counts! I tried to get my wife to make the trek with me - but she was tied up with work. Would have been great to share the experience... but doing it alone meant no passengers to make carsick/terrified.

I tried to take advantage of that to the fullest! >

 

[LongBeachJim]

Hwy84,
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. As a SoCal native, I've been on rural roads like this all of my life. Your video left me with a longing to get out of the city. It finally rained today in the L.A. Area. At least I got to check out the wipers and how yesterday's two coats of Rejex held up to the weather.

 

[truebill]

I asked about sport mode, because everyone so far seems to feel a real difference in sport mode, and if you had been driving in normal mode, that would have meant sport mode would have been even better, and it looked really good!

 

[stevenvillatoro]

At least I got to check out the wipers and how yesterday's two coats of Rejex held up to the weather.

❤❤❤❤❤ my Rejex!! You clay bar'd it first, right? And 12 hours between coats?

 

[stevenvillatoro]

To HWY86, congrats on the car.

Very fun video. Check out the skid marks left by "the other car" at the 1:11-1:14 mark – wow!

A couple of questions:

1. Does the exhaust sound in the video seem representative of your real-world cabin-oriented experience driving it?
2. Has anyone tried removing the wind blocker to see how much effect it makes? It bugs me for visibility reasons.

Bonus question: How were the seats after 9 hours?

 

[RBH58]

2. Has anyone tried removing the wind blocker to see how much effect it makes? It bugs me for visibility reasons.

It does actually seem to make a difference.

 

[Greg]

I enjoyed watching that video. Thanks!

Greg

 

[RBH58]

Awesome vid! What a nice road! That's how you break a car in!

 

[HWY84]

Hwy84,
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. As a SoCal native, I've been on rural roads like this all of my life. Your video left me with a longing to get out of the city. It finally rained today in the L.A. Area. At least I got to check out the wipers and how yesterday's two coats of Rejex held up to the weather.

You're lucky to have roads like that so close by! Get out there!

It's been raining up here for the last 2 days, and the windshield/wipers were, frankly, not great until I put a coat of rainex on. Very smeary before, and now things are crystal clear. Enjoy your drive and report back!

I asked about sport mode, because everyone so far seems to feel a real difference in sport mode, and if you had been driving in normal mode, that would have meant sport mode would have been even better, and it looked really good!

Ah! I definitely feel that sport mode is better matched to the car - but I'm 90% sure all the sport mode does in the manual car is re-map the throttle pedal to open the throttle more quickly with less travel.

To HWY86, congrats on the car.

Very fun video. Check out the skid marks left by "the other car" at the 1:11-1:14 mark – wow!

A couple of questions:

1. Does the exhaust sound in the video seem representative of your real-world cabin-oriented experience driving it?
2. Has anyone tried removing the wind blocker to see how much effect it makes? It bugs me for visibility reasons.

Bonus question: How were the seats after 9 hours?

Thanks!

1. Nearly. The exhaust sound in the video is straight from my Pixel XL attached to the windshield (hadn't planned to shoot a video, so didn't bring real cameras or a mic!). Since the mic pickup was sheltered from wind noise up by windshield, it picked up less ambient whooshing, and the exhaust sound was slightly easier to hear without that wind noise. That said - it's darned close.

2. I have not - but I don't notice it bugging me in the rear view mirror, either.

Bonus Q: Interesting! The best way I can describe my answer is to say - I never even thought about it. That's a good thing! I am not tall, and not *that* wide (5'8" - 175) and the seats fit me really well. Like I said, I didn't even think about the seats, even when I woke up the next morning. Pretty good sign.

I enjoyed watching that video. Thanks!

Greg

Thank you!

 

[HWY84]

Awesome vid! What a nice road! That's how you break a car in!

Thanks! I'm still smiling all these days later - It was an incredible day!

 

[Amante]

Great vid, thanks! I LOVE Hwy 33! Rode it a few years ago on my motorcycle.

 

[HWY84]

Great vid, thanks! I LOVE Hwy 33! Rode it a few years ago on my motorcycle.

Thanks! I (now) also love 33! Funny you should mention riding it - I found out about the road on a "best motorcycling roads" site like Pashnit.com... can't remember the exact site.

I also ride, and love to plan out all my long trips to avoid as much superslab as possible and instead make the most of roads like 33. Makes every trip much more fun, and certainly more beautiful.