You Should Make These Scenic Drives in Southeast USA at Least Once

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Whether you drive a fun sports car or a relaxing family vehicle, scenic road trips can make long drives worth the hours and mileage, and some of them can even be a destination. From relaxing ocean-side views to beautiful mountainous roads — perfect for the upcoming fall foliage, might I add, these are scenic drives in the southeast United States that are worth making a road trip on at least once in your lifetime.

The Tail of the Dragon — US 192

The Tail of the Dragon is the road of every eastern American’s dreams, and as a native Floridian, I am more than happy to drive the 9 hours into the Carolina mountains to experience the 11-mile stretch. The route, US 192, also known as Deal’s Gap or the Tail of the Dragon, is an 11 mile-long stretch of road between Tennessee and North Carolina that offers an exhilarating 318 curves in its short distance. That’s not all — through the trees, you can spot beautiful scenery of the mountains and see more than a few supercar rallies and motorcycle groups make their way skillfully through the turns. Surrounding roads like the Devil’s Whip and Cherohala Skyway offer just as stunning views for drivers who are looking for a little more peaceful of a ride.

The Florida Key’s seven-mile bridge

Seven mile bridge in Key West, Florida | Joe Raedle, Getty Images

The Florida Keys are connected by short bridges that allow visitors and locals to hop between islands, but the main stretch of road passes the Moser Channel in a bridge that stretches for a total of seven miles. Its smooth, straight roadways are perfect for any vehicle or level of driving experience, as heavy traffic and a low-speed limit mean you’ll be spending a majority of the time admiring the beautiful views. Crystal clear, bright blue water stretches out from either side of the bridge, with nothing but tropical Florida islands behind you and in front of you as you make your way toward the famous Key West.

The drive through the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest

Don’t worry, we aren’t skipping out on the states in between — Georgia also has stunning mountains with areas that are picturesque, especially in the fall. If you want those beautiful watercolors of orange, red, and yellow on your drive, the route through the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest is perfect for any driver and any car. Specifically, Route 197 along Lake Burton will make you feel like you’re driving through a movie scene, with enough turns and twists in an 8-mile stretch to be enjoyable for sports car drivers but enough straightaway and calm roads to be fun for a family trip. This is the happy medium between the slow straightaway of the Key’s seven-mile bridge and the rollercoaster that is the Tail of the Dragon.

These road trip routes are so beautiful that they are often part of destinations, with many car enthusiasts going out of their way to visit the Tail of the Dragon. Calmer roads, like the seven-mile bridge that runs through the Florida Keys, are just an added bonus to an already beautiful destination, but either way, these routes are worth driving at least once in your lifetime.

RELATED: The “Tail of the Dragon” Is One of the Most Scenic and Dangerous Drives

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Jeep Transmission Huge Class Action Lawsuit

by Gabrielle DeSantis

A new class-action lawsuit has been filed over the Stellantis Jatco JF011E transmission. It was Jeep’s CVT or continuously variable transmission. This isn’t the first time Jeeps have experienced transmission problems. These transmissions are found in both the Patriot and Compass. It could also be found in the Dodge Caliber.

The lawsuit alleges “violent jerking, juddering, and shuddering.” It covers a lot of cars including the 2010-2013 Patriot and Compass, and the 2010-2012 Caliber. Allegedly, vehicles with the transmission lag and fail to accelerate from a stoplight. It says that these transmissions overheat.

It is alleged that the Jeep vehicles lose power when heated up

The Jeep Compass Trailhawk | Scott Olson via Getty Images

When that happens the transmissions slow down and lose power. The lawsuit says that Chrysler hid the problems by issuing technical service bulletins to its dealers. But no recall was ever offered. The plaintiff of record purchased a new 2012 Jeep Compass, which he still owns today.

For its part, Stellantis says the lawsuit has no merit. It gives several reasons why. It states that in 2014 the plaintiff took his Compass into the local dealership to fix the transmission. At that time it has 20,000 miles on the odometer. The dealership repaired the transmission at no charge. When it happened again in 2018, the plaintiff never asked for any repairs. 

It also says that the Jeep Compass runs as it did when the plaintiff first bought it. Because he still owns it today, Stellantis says that proves their point. And because he has never requested any repairs to his Compass since 2014 shows the owner is satisfied with the SUV. And it notes that the statute of limitations means the lawsuit comes too late to be heard and that all warranties have expired. 

The plaintiff first experienced problems with his Compass two years after purchasing it

Jeep Compass
Jeep Compass | Stellantis

When the first incident occurred, the plaintiff says he was driving up a grade in 100-degree heat between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. At that point, the transmission temperature light turned on. Then, the Compass immediately slowed down. 

He pulled over and turned it off for 30 minutes. When he took off after that there were no further incidents. He took the vehicle to his local dealership when he returned to LA. It replaced a cooler bypass valve and the transmission level was topped off. The dealer told the plaintiff they tested it and it performed satisfactorily. 

Stellantis says, “After the repair was completed, Plaintiff told an FCA US customer service representative that ‘everything seemed  fine [ ] with the vehicle’ and he ‘would be sure to let the dealership know if he experienced any other concern with it.’ When the service representative followed up a few days later, Plaintiff reported his vehicle was ‘performing well’ and he would ‘be sure to keep them informed if there should be another vehicle concern.’”

RELATED: Jeep Cherokees Recalled Over Slipping Transmissions, Software Issues

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These Luxury Sports Cars Have Held the Cannonball Run Record

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Car enthusiasts and driving fanatics — or, at least, fans of the YouTube channel VINWiki — know of the crazy, illegal, cross-country race against time called the Cannonball Run. The driving experience is intense and strenuous, with an average of 1 to 3 drivers being included in the run. But, for as much stress as it puts on the drivers, there is also an unimaginable amount of strain on the vehicle chosen, as it is run consecutively for 25 – 40 hours straight at high speeds, in sometimes less than ideal conditions. The cars selected aren’t necessarily the fastest cars on the road, either, but typically something under the radar and capable of completing the journey. These are the cars that hold Cannonball Run records.

What is the Cannonball Run?

Arne Toman, 41, of Chicago, left, Forrest Sibley, 31, Atlanta , center, and Ed Bolian, 30, of Atlanta drove the 1974 Dodge Monaco Bluemobile a 2003 Silverado V8 to a first place finish in 34 hours 16 minutes where they pose September 19, 2016 in Redondo Beach, CA | Katherine Frey/The Washington Post, Getty Images

The Cannonball Run is a race against time that doesn’t follow any specific path. It is up to the drivers to decide which route to take from Point A, the Redball Garage in New York City, New York, to Point B, the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, California. The record itself is focused on a standard passenger car, but there are separate categories for electric vehicles, semi-autonomous vehicles, motorcycles, and even electric motorcycles, but the record that really matters is currently held by Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and Dunadel Daryoush. The goal is simple: drive over the speed limit, minimize stop time, and don’t get arrested.

What is done to the cars to make them Cannonball worthy?

There is a lot that goes into preparing a car for a Cannonball Run, as they typically take between 25 – 40 hours of consecutive, hard driving. This means maintenance such as tires, engine oil, transmission oil, spark plugs, and everything else that could go wrong on a car is tended to — the distance of the Cannonball Run can vary greatly depending on what route is taken, but, as a complete cross-country trek, it’s more than enough to put significant physical strain on every component of your vehicle. In addition to getting these cars in top shape, many of them are also heavily modified — with the exception being one rented 2019 Ford Mustang that made the trip during the pandemic.

In order to reduce the need for frequent stops, auxiliary gas tanks are typically added, allowing the vehicle to hold more fuel. As you can imagine, this adds a significant amount of weight and shifts in weight as the added fuel burn away, which is why Ed Bolian selected a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG with a self-level suspension to help compensate for the difference in weight.

Besides that, these cars are often endowed with lots of additional tech devices and setups such as police scanners, radar jammers, laptops that can monitor the car’s vitals, radios, and much more that aren’t commonly discussed. It is worth noting that a lot of the technology added to these vehicles is illegal in most states — but the Cannonball Run itself is entirely illegal, as to break the record, you have to go significantly over the speed limit.

The Cannonball records, cars, times, and drivers

35 hours + 54 minutes 1971 Dan Gurney, Brock Yates Ferrari Daytona
32 hours + 7 minutes 1983 David Diem, Doug Turner Ferrari 308
31 hours + 4 minutes 2006 Alex Roy, Dave Maher 2000 BMW M5
28 hours + 50 minutes 2013 Ed Bolian, Dave Black, Dan Huang 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
27 hours + 25 minutes 2019 Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, Berkeley Chadwick 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
26 hours + 38 minutes 2020 Captain Chaos 2019 Audi A8
25 hours + 55 minutes 2020 Fred Ashmore 2019 Ford Mustang
25 hours + 39 minutes 2020 Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, Dunadel Daryoush 2016 Audi S6

RELATED: The Number of Triple-Digit Speeding Tickets Issued Balloons

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Cristiano Ronaldo Drives His Lamborghini Urus to Manchester United Practice

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Cristiano Ronaldo is an international sports icon. Ronaldo is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, so he can pick just about any expensive supercar or vehicle out for himself. The professional soccer player chose one of the most unique SUVs on the market, the Lamborghini Urus, as his ride to a Manchester United soccer practice.

Cristiano Ronaldo owns a Lamborghini Urus

Cristiano Ronaldo is a multimillionaire, so the $220,000+ Lamborghini Urus actually is pretty affordable to this wealthy footballer. Ronaldo could potentially pay more in taxes than he did for the Urus. The sports superstar is an avid car collector. He owns multiple Bugatti models, Ferraris, a McLaren, a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, and of course, a few Lamborghinis.

The Lamborghini Urus is an anomaly because the crossover SUV has supercar components and specs, yet its utility and practicality are unconventional. The Urus has all the performance perks of a supercar, fused with the cabin space and cargo space of an SUV. According to AutoEvolution, the Manchester United player thought the Urus was the perfect vehicle in his collection to drive to practice.

RELATED: The Ridiculously Fast Lamborghini Urus Can Be Modified for Even More Speed

The Lamborghini Urus is easily one of the most powerful and dominant SUVs on the market. Italian luxury sports car automaker Lamborghini pushed the envelope and created the perfect combination of luxury and practicality. It is the world’s first-ever super sport utility vehicle.

The Lamborghini Urus is a super sport utility vehicle

Two Lamborghini Urus SUVs | Lamborghini

SUVs are typically designed to accommodate passengers more comfortably than sedans. Sports cars, on the other hand, often forego space to include components that are integral to overall speed and performance. Comfort is disregarded as supercar drivers duck into cramped cabins.

The Lamborghini Urus takes everything that makes a supercar great and fits it into a spacious and luxurious SUV, completely changing history. It’s an SUV that makes an insane 641 horsepower using a twin-turbocharged V8 engine. It may look like an SUV, but even when idling, it sounds like a supercar.

RELATED: Fast Luxury SUVs to Buy if You Can’t Afford a Lamborghini Urus

The Lamborghini Urus SUV can go from 0-60 miles per hour in a mind-blowing 3.1 seconds. It comes standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Acceleration is a huge part of the Urus’ identity. It comes standard with carbon-ceramic brakes so drivers can still safely top on a dime in this ridiculously fast SUV.

How does the Urus compare to other Lamborghini models?

A white Lamborghini Urus SUV is displayed. The Lamborghini Urus is a super sport utility vehicle.
The Lamborghini Urus | Zhe Ji via Getty Images

The Lamborghini Urus is novel in many ways, but that doesn’t mean the SUV’s price is higher than its other family members. In fact, the Urus is actually the least expensive model the brand produces. It’s also the most practical by far because of its cabin and cargo space. It’s safe to assume that only the rich drive Lamborghinis, but if any Lambo could be a daily driver, it’s the Urus.

The super-SUV is faster than the Lamborghini Gallardo but slower than the Lamborghini Aventador. Recent Aventador models use V12 engines that make 729+ horsepower. The expensive Urus is as attainable as Lambos can get and also twice as practical as any other model before it. It’s the perfect SUV for superstar athletes that desire both comfort and speed.

RELATED: Kim Kardashian Covered Her Lamborghini Urus in Something Ridiculous

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