AmKorp

This post if for all the people who live in Ontario (mainly near the southern parts: windsor, niagara, toronto, kingston, ottawa etc. - I guess where most of the population is concentrated). But I guess anyone can reply if they have suggestions!


I would like to know where you guys/girls like to go driving to show off the skills of you and your car. I'm talking about the kinds of roads you see in test drive videos, with winding, hilly parts with trees on both sides - maybe a lake, valley or mountains in the scenary?

I know there have to be some nice roads in our province that provide a fun ride and even maybe a nice looking photo opportunity.

So let's hear it folks, where do you enjoy driving/taking pictures of your cars? (Please provide road/hwy name or number and where it is near, if possible).

prospectjtaz

iTrader: (1)

Old Finch

prospectjtaz

iTrader: (1)

I'm kiddin, but i too am interested.

delhi

Caledon Hills area has some nice roads. Forks on the Credit is popular. Busy around the weekend but quiet on weekdays.
Also if you keep going towards Burlington/Oakville on Derry Rd and up the Halton Hills (i think that's what its called), you will come to Snake Road. It's nice, up hill down hill twisties. Quiet area. Still undiscovered.
There are more, but I've forgotten lots now. There's always the Niagara Parkway. Lots of cops and tour buses tho.

9291150

^ good suggestions, snake road is amazing but it has since deteriorated (I think purposely) in recent years to discourage us motorcyclists. The Forks are nice too, but it's usually too packed, and too heavily patrolled.

I moved to Georgetown (Halton Hills) because I used to always ride up there because it's at the foot of the escarpment...the closest thing southern Ontario has to mountains. Hills, curves, tree canopies, long unobstructed straights, no traffic and and next to no patrols...paradise. I'd be happy to host a RX8 ride up through my favorite motorcycle roads in the spring, there is no one road just dozens of side roads.

AmKorp

are there any road names or numbers that you can remember off the top of your head. Halton Hills looks like a very nice community and seems like it would have nice roads. Let us know if you have any of the side roads names or numbers.

9291150

Off the top of my head, 15sideroad to 10 side to 5 side are parts of my "lap"...just don't tell anybody (between Mountainview and Hy. 25).

The Chad

I took a trip up to Tobermory last fall - there's some great roads in Grey-Bruce area. There was a great drive starting at Thornbury (west of Collingwood) - Grey Rd 13 through Beaver Valley.

The area is fairly hilly and the views are nice.
Check out the following websites for more information and maps:

http://www.visitgrey.ca/
http://www.ridegreybruce.ca/routes.cfm


If you don't mind travelling down to the states, then be sure to check this out:
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/
They had a nice article in today's Star about it. I might make it down there one day since I have relatives in Asheville, NC.

qtwre

iTrader: (1)

River road is really good but I don't know where it is. North-ish. I've been there a couple times while following in a tour.

AmKorp

what city is River road in?

Chris_Bangle

iTrader: (2)

Nice to Monaco

A8 or something like that if memory serves me right, you can take either the highway or the road along the coast.

Back to real life.

As far as Ontario goes there are some decent roads beside Kingston.

AndrewE

I'm new to the forum, hail from the Ottawa valley, there are some wild roads north of kingston, not for the faint of heart

-=drift=-

ridge road in niagara is great.

AmKorp

do you know the names or numbers of the roads/hiways? Kingston would be pretty close since I live in ottawa as well.

climacus

I actually found Forks of the Credit to be pretty boring with this car. Unlike most cars, the RX-8 just ate up all the corners like they're nothing. I think you need to be doing more than twice the speed limit to make things interesting at the Forks with this car, but that's just flat out irresponsible.

delhi

I find taking the train hugging the Riviera's coast line more fun. Be sure to take the 2nd or 3rd hwy you drive. Cus the lowest one has lots of traffic light.
The Tuscan region also offer lots of nice roads from Chianti to St. Gimigniano.

Chris_Bangle

iTrader: (2)

^
Stoppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

AndrewE

Well to name a couple,old perth road(10), which is division st in kingston, exit 617 on the 401, go north on that, but the windy doesn't start for 20 + km, also Narrows Lock Rd(14) is a very very very windy road with a posted 60 km speedlimit for about 10-12 km cuz of the snaking curves.
There are tons in this general area but those ones are actually paved

Rotator

Southern Ontario Rds.

From GTA
1 hr - Hockley Valley Road just north of Orangeville - Between hwy 10 - Airport Road.
1.5 hrs - 518 between HWY 69 and 11 - just south of Parry Sound
1.5 hrs - Hwy 13 - between Bala and Severn Bridge - Enter off of Hwy 11 just north
2hrs - 632/7 north south between Rosseau and Port Sandfield.


Really not many roads in Ontario that are that fun compared to other parts of the world.
My idea of fun is a road that you don't have to double the speed limit to explore the adhesion limits of the car.
I like to be able to get a little 4 wheel drift action at speeds not exceeding 120kph. Any faster and it is not healthy for your license, or potential unscheduled offroad nature excursions.

Many places in OZ - Adelaide Hills, Gold Coast.
US - West Virginia, California Coast, Tahoe area.
Just about any place with hills above 1000' vertical.
Many Many places in Europe (outside of summer)

I like roads that almost dare you to do the posted speed limit. Lots of 2nd gear turns and such.

4th gear sweepers at 160+ aren't my idea of fun on public roads. Too many things than can go wrong at those speeds.

eug

iTrader: (2)

Some of the twisty bits on the trans-Canada around Lake Superior is a good drive.

delhi

Why not join the numerous autocross events around GTA? It's in a safe environment and you can certainly learn alot from the vetran racers. Alternately track/lapping days are great if not a bit expensive. These are the best ways to hone one's driving skills and not endanger other people on the suggested public roads.

Rotator

Autocross?

Sitting in a parking lot baking for a day to have possibly 4-6 minutes of driving is not my idea of fun.

Autocross is so far away from real driving scenarios except if you are trying to hone your emergency lane changing skills.
Does autocross make you a better driver? Sure if your goal is to get that pre-christmas mall parking spot before Grandma.

From High School - Energy = 1/2mv^2. Loosing the back end at 50kph is a whole lot easier to save than loosing it at 150kph by a factor of 9. What makes you comfortable in a 2nd gear turn is a whole lot different than a 4th gear sweeper.

The skills learned in a parking lot simply are not that transferable to a road coarse.

I admire drifters a lot more than autocross folk - anyone that pitches a 600hp car sideways in excess of 100mph mere inches from a concrete wall and holds it there is AMAZING. That is car control. Not fast, but pretty to look at.

The inputs required for parking lots are far more aggressive than what is practical.
A good autocross set-up would be terrible on a road coarse.

Everyone gets their kicks out of something - autocross seems to me like a notch above drag racing - lots of waiting around and little driving.

Sure it is a lot cheaper than a real track day - but I value my time as well.

Hell, some people get a kick out of polishing their cars for 12 hours and trailering it to some field to sit and have people admire their work.

I purchased the 8 to drive it, on public roads, as fast as is practically safe. I accept all the associated risks and consequences of my actions. Simple as that.

I don't need big brother to control everything we do.

So back to the thread topic - Can anyone suggest other roads in Ontario where we can have some fun?

climacus

You do have some good points. It's a lot of fun throwing cars around at the autox, but in a way it teaches you to be a jerky driver, which isn't something you do at high speed.

I think the problem is the OEM suspension on this car is tuned for high-speed GT type scenario. At the autox the soft springs and low roll stiffness really work against you in the transitions. Mind you I'd still take it over any hopped up FWD with hyperactive spring and shocks. To me there is nothing lamer than autocrossing a FWD car and fighting understeer everytime you put down the hammer. And if you hop the car up to the point where it becomes neutral, then all you have is an undrivable car on the street.

delhi

Disagreed to the point that it is laughable. Good autoX drivers always do well in track events. Many of the top track racers like the Speed GT racers graduated from autocross driving competitions.
It requires fast reaction which is always never useless. It teaches you to plant the car at the right apex, proper racing lines all. If you master this in fast transitions, track racing which has slower transition stages will be easier. People suck at autoX because they are jerky. Fast drivers are very smooth. Next time check out your pride and ask for a ride with the veterans. U'll learn alot.
I suppose F1 folks start out in track races huh? Wrong... it's from go-karting events.
Drifting has no real road driving application. And it is the slow way to race. It's just for entertainment purposes nothing more. If you cannot control a car at 50kph you WILL NOT be able to control the car at 150. Simple as that.
I suppose you also admire the guys that can spill pasta out of their nostrils and people who kisses King Cobras. Pure entertainment with zero life application.
Granted the popularity of local GTA autoX have exploded and the long periods b/t runs is frustrating. It's a case of poor management on the event providers. Having said that there are still some excellent events held by the likes of the Corvette club which is more stringent on the number of participants.
Do what you want to do, just not on public roads.

AmKorp

I love how there is always that one person who immediatly assumes that every thread talking about tight corners and speed limits is about street racing. I started the thread and I just read through all of the posts again and nowhere do the words "racing" come in. not until someone recommends that we shouldn't endager other ppl's lives by driving on curving roads. This thread was just for imformation about roads that could provide some amusement while driving the posted speed limits. Just like people who live all over america (and some in canada) goto the "Tail of the Dragon", I wanted a closer and cheaper alternative within my home province.

AutoX is great if you want to spend money smelling other ppl's poorly tuned cars' fumes and sit in a huge asphalt parking lot in the peak of summer.

I'll stick with REAL driving on REAL roads, only people who have no self control do autox!!