I don't recommend I5 (notice I didn't callit "the" 5.. subtle difference between SoCAL and NorCAL speak... among other things I won't go into). Reason is that there are too many CHP's on it in the left lane... and too many trucks in the right lane.... and just when you think you've got a clear left lane for that 100mph sprint, an SUV or local yokal in their '61 Chevy pick-up with bald tires traveling 5mph faster than the trucks (70mph trucks) pulls out to pass a line of 10 trucks, and by the time this SUV or picker pick-up get's around the trucks and finally pulls back into the right lane, a 1/4 mile ahead, a truck going 72 mph pulls out to pass another line of trucks that are only going 70... and so it goes all the way to the Grapevine... then the CHP's prowling big time... all the way to the top and all the way back down... nice drive going down into San Fernando Valley though.... if it weren't for the CHP that's a 150mph driver's heaven... 4-5 lanes wide in each direction, smooth asphalt, smooth swooping curves, nicely banked... traffic then becomes spread out and the fast cars stay in the left and the slow ones at least 1 lane to the right most of the time.... but the CHP's pretty heavy along there for good reason... speed nirvana, and finally all the way into Pasadena where the traffic comes to a stop/go crawl for the next 20 miles 'til you get to Anaheim (Disneyland) or maybe even Irvine, before traffic picks up again.
I'll say this about LA and SoCal driving though... with the excemption of getting thru LA on either side of it, they like 80-85 as pretty standard fare.... bumper to bumper (almost) and the SoCal drivers have some semblance of driving discipline.... a survival induced form, since driving 85 mph with one car length's clearance to the car in front of you has a tendancy to keep all drivers pretty much in-line without creating any dumbo surprises. I think Nascar learned how to draft by watching LA drivers. Reminds me of my driving in GErmany... fast cars on the left, anybody slower on the right... don't pull out without checking in your rear-view mirror for any oncoming cars up to a km or 2 behind that are moving up fast. Driving Discipline for high speed driving.
Anyway, if you like to drive fast, don't use I5.... the CHP will give you a reckless driving ticket if caught going over 85... and up to 85 you'll just get a whopping ticket ... what is it? $10/mile over the limit or something... is it $20/mph over the limit? Whatever... too many of 'em and too many trucks leaving the left lane open to the "enforcement" drivers who pin the needle on 70 mph with their cruise-control and there you sit waiting for a gap in the trucks in the right lane so you can pass the "enforcer" types.
101 South, south of King City all the way to Paseo Robles is also a beauty of a high speed drive... little traffic on that segment, great smooth asphalt much of the way... very few trucks, beautiful driving for high speeds... but alas, the CHP's on the prowl there too, so I can't recommend going over 80-85 max... and slowing down to 70-75 when you see a black-white going the opposite direction on the other side of the road... 'cause bet your bippy, they'll turn around as soon as they're out of your site and come on to you like you were standing still... and tell you they clocked you going 90mph... so you'll settle for the 20-25 minute duration while they write the speeding ticket you're happy to be getting instead of an insurance killer of a reckless driving ticket.... didn't happen to me but my daughter attended UC Santa Barbara and we met parents of her friends that had this happen... and similar stories.
For the moment the CHP's targeting certain stretches in CA because they're understaffed (CA's budget crunch) and can't cover the bases like they used to... so for some reason they like these obvious high-speed stretches of road... probably because they can stay fully engaged pulling over speeders with virtually no down time cruising along looking for them... efficient economic return with limited available resource. But they just got a hiring budget so are out trying to recruit 250 or someodd new recruits... so in a year or so, I think the CA driver's free-for all with 80-85 mph standard fast lane fare will become seriously restricted.
Yep...long gone are the days when you could drive with a few under your belt, go well over the speed limit and when you got pulled over the CHP could just as easily buy you a cup of coffee as give you a ticket for going only 5mph over the limit (when you were probably doing 40 or 50mph over the limit).
When I lived in Germany and was driving there in the early 60's the standard "joke" was that the only reason the Volkspolizie needed their high speed MB's on the Autobahn's was to keep the fast lane clear of slower drivers.... since they were the ones causing the accidents (no speed limits on the Autobahn's in those days).
For slower speeds, but really exhilerating sports driving, Highway 50 from just east of Placerville all the way to South Tahoe's another great driver's road... 2 lanes (1 in each direction... no center divider), but with a passing lane extending for about 1/2 mile in length about every 4 miles or so. Great winding tire screeching turns and a lot of braking into the turns and down-shifting, then the windup to just over peak torque while you shift up coming out of the turns. Very few cops unless you travel that highway on a Friday or Saturday (going to Tahoe) or Sunday (returning from). I recommend Tues's and Wed's.... mid-morning to mid-day. I drove this a couple months ago with my wife's SL500 ... amazing how well that heavyweight, but power packed thing can negotiate the turns and accelerate out and up. Tromp down on 300 horses and it really accelerated amazingly even considering it's mass. Used a good bit of fuel though!!!, and probably took 10k miles off the sport tires over that 50 mile stretch.... but with top down, sun shining, beautiful scenery (my wife could see it... but my eye's were glued to the road) ... it was a great drive. Highly recommended for sports driving styles.
Longtooth
67 250SL US #113-043-10-002163
'02 SL500 Sport
