My New Celica*
Sometimes luck is on your side. In this case, we dumped the old red van and bought a brand new silver Celica GT-S, manual. It even has a sunroof, which everyone knows I have a weakness for, and it is a vast improvment over the 1997 Mercury Villager I was previously stuck in. John recently captured my new-car glee on his cell:
I look wooden, I know, but I did not want to put my arms around her for fear of scratching her paint. Anyhow, my stick skills are rapidly improving with hours of practice. And seriously, who would not want to practice driving in this awesome machine? Safe, good gas mileage, really comfy seats, handling like a dream (no surprise these things are frequently used in street rally races), and braking good enough to launch anything in the back of the car right through the windshield.
The final feature worth mentioning is the variable valve timing with lift. Now, variable valve timing is all well and good, but the “-S” in “GT-S” dictates the presence of this lift technology, which opens up the cam profiles and turns this 4-cylinder into a roaring monster in the top of the RPM range. As most people advised me before, it is nearly impossible to make the 1-2 shift and stay in lift, and I have not come close yet. However, I decided to pass somebody on a rural road, mashed the clutch, pounded into 3rd, and hit lift and it was like I was strapped into a rocket. What a rush!
I am wishing myself and my new car a safe and happy summer together, sans law enforcement. Those who speed, speed wisely, and I must be sure to do the same. Excuse me while I go take a drive.
* With the exception of specs, nothing stated above was true.