#for at least the next 24 hours that art style is in the driver's seat
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A little doctor and a little archaeologist
#thought i was done with the studio Ghibli stuff? Wrong!#for at least the next 24 hours that art style is in the driver's seat#my art#lavabean art#art#illustration#candela obscura#circle of tide and bone#rajan savarimuthu#elsie roberts#candela spoilers#candela fanart#co tide and bone#it's just.. what if they'd met years before#like before everything went bad for Rajan#and played around the ponds of Briar Green until one had to leave#and maybe one of them recognized the other when they were in University#beauty and the bees#rajan/elsie#studio ghibli
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Homecoming Part 2
Bryce x MC
Previous Part: Part 1
Next Part: Part 3
Rating: Light NSFW
Summary: Bryce and Casey start their Hawaiian vacation by meeting the Lahelas for brunch. Things go as badly as Bryce expected.
Author’s Note: My head cannon is that Bryce’s father rejects his own Hawaiian culture due to self-hatred issues. This was alluded to in Tattoo. Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future parts!
Word Count: 3700
Bryce awakens slowly as soft hands caress his bare chest, full lips pressing against his neck, and then his lips. He responds automatically, even though he’s half asleep, his hand rising from the sheets to tangle in her dark curls as he kisses her back.
She straddles his waist without breaking the kiss, her hands tangling in his hair. One of her hands trails down his chest, over his abs, lower.
She reaches inside his low riding pajama pants and grips him in her hand. He groans as he hardens. Casey chuckles. “Good morning to you too.”
Bryce’s eyes open, looking up at her with a grin. “What did I do to deserve this kind of wake-up call?”
Casey grins back at him. “You forgot to close the curtains last night. And the light was hitting you just right. You looked like-“
Bryce interrupts. “A Greek God?”
Casey rolls her eyes at his vanity, releasing his manhood. “You looked good. Really good.” She leans down and kisses him again.
His hands squeeze her rear end through her boy shorts. “What time is it baby?”
Casey pulls away to look at the clock. “5:30 in the morning.”
“You couldn’t have waited a few hours to jump me?” He jokes, pushing on the small of her back so she’ll let her hips fall against him.
“It’s 11:30 in the morning Boston time. And we went to bed Boston time, so it’s definitely time to get up.” After arriving at the hotel from the airport, they had eaten at the hotel restaurant, showered, and then fallen asleep almost immediately upon their heads hitting the luxurious down pillows.
“Well, even though it’s ungodly early Hawaii time, I can think of a few ways to pass the hours before we leave for the day.” He tugs her shorts off.
Two orgasms later they shower, separately because Bryce can never keep his hands to himself, before heading off to enjoy the resort pool. It’s still early, so they have the whole pool to themselves. Casey sits near the pool’s edge with a book she’s been reading for the last year. She’s still only halfway done. Reading for pleasure is a rare treat now a days, although she has read countless medical textbooks and journals over the last year. Her feet dangle in the cool clear water.
Bryce surfaces at her feet after swimming several laps at an athlete’s pace, tossing his hair to dry it somewhat. “Are you really not getting in?”
“Maybe later.” She says flippantly, not bothering to look up from her book.
Bryce takes her feet in his hands, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over the shooting star tattoo on her ankle. He waits a few seconds. “It’s later now.” He tugs her feet, and she barely has time to drop her book onto the dry pool edge before she’s under the water.
She comes up sputtering, glaring at her boyfriend.
He chuckles, releasing her feet and gripping the back of her thighs, pulling her to him and encouraging her to wrap her legs around him. “You look so good in that swimsuit.” She glances down at her dark green bikini. It is a good color on her. He kisses her, pressing her back against the wall of the infinity pool.
She bites his bottom lip roughly, following up by splashing him. He rubs the chlorine out of his eyes, releasing her in the process. “Hey!” He complains.
She splashes him again, lazily treading water. “That’s for pulling me in. You almost made me get the book I borrowed from Sienna wet.”
“I’m sorry. Can we kiss and make up now?”
Casey rolls her eyes, but indulges him anyway, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing him deeply. They’re so absorbed in each other, they barely notice the rest of the hotel waking up and joining them at the pool.
“Cannon ball!” A red headed child yells, effectively breaking them from their spell when they’re drenched in water.
Casey runs a hand through her damp curls, and then lightly runs her thumb over his kiss swollen lips. “You couldn’t find an adults only resort?” She jokes.
Bryce smiles, kissing her thumb before speaking. “There are a few, but they were so much more expensive.”
“Does this place at least have complimentary breakfast?”
“It does, but my sister invited us to family brunch. Can you wait, or do you want to grab something before we head out?”
“I’ll wait. But let’s go back to the room so I can get ready. I want to make a good first impression.”
Bryce tightens his grip on her, hugging her to him. “It doesn’t matter what they think about you. I know exactly who you are, and I like everything about you Dr. Valentine.”
“I like you a lot too Dr. Lahela. But be that as it may, I’m still going to put some effort in.”
…
..
.
Bryce glances at Casey from the driver’s seat of their rented car as she finishes twisting her dark curls into a delicate updo, a few tendrils framing her face. His eyes scan over her outfit. She’s put on a pretty red and purple floral strapless dress, completing the look with white wedges. She’s even wearing some light make-up. He’s not used to seeing her with makeup. When you have to be at the hospital at 5:30 in the morning, the extra few minutes of sleep is much more important than some lipstick and eyeliner. He thinks he likes her natural look better, but she didn’t ask so he keeps his opinion to himself.
He has put no such effort into his own appearance. Simply sporting a white button down, comfortable beige capris, and sneakers.
He allows one of his hands to leave the wheel, intertwining their fingers so she’ll stop nervously drumming on her thighs. “You have nothing to be nervous about baby.”
“I just want them to like me.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She wishes he would say, “Don’t worry, they’ll love you.” But he doesn’t. Just keeps insisting that it makes no difference.
“You haven’t told me anyone’s names.” Casey realizes.
Bryce takes the freeway exit, nearing their destination. “My father’s name is Aoloa. My mother’s name is Kate. My brother’s name is Francis. And my sister is Abigail. But I call her Abs. Francis’ wife will probably be there too. Her name is Gabrielle. And my nephew, Haku.”
Casey nods, retaining the new information. “And how old are your siblings?”
Bryce merges into the left lane, taking the next turn. “Francis is 5 years older than me. So he’s 32…no wait he’s 33 his birthday was last month. Abs is almost three years younger than me. She’s 24, turning 25 next month.”
“And your nephew?”
“Haku is 8.”
Casey does the mental math in her head, realizing Abigail must have had him while still in high school.
Bryce sighs as he turns onto a residential street. “We’re here.”
Casey’s jaw drops as she takes in the monumental mansion they’re approaching. Bryce stops at a large ostentatious gold gate, opening his window and typing a passcode into the security system. The gate opens, swinging inward.
Bryce stops in the round driveway, full of cars much more expensive than the one they have rented. He looks at her nervously. “Say something.” He begs.
“Your parents are a lot more than comfortable Bryce.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He repeats, once again. “I don’t like to tell people because I feel like they assume I’m just some spoiled rich kid who never had to work for anything. And that’s just not how it is Casey. Sure, my dad paid for private school and summer immersion programs in Europe, but none of that was for me. It was for him.”
“Was the down payment really a loan? It looks like it wouldn’t set them back at all to just give it to you.”
“It wouldn’t, but they didn’t. It was definitely a loan.” He takes a moment to compose himself. “Are you ready?” He asks.
“Are you?”
He smiles, squeezing her hand. “No, but I’ll never be ready.” He takes a deep breath before getting out of the car.
They walk hand and hand to the door. She hears him give another dramatic sigh before ringing the doorbell.
The door opens, a tiny native Hawaiian woman with dark brown skin standing in front of them. Her face lights up as she spots Bryce. “Bryce!” She exclaims as she hugs his waist tightly, since that’s where she can reach on the much taller man.
Based on everything Casey knows about his family, she thinks this woman can’t be his mother.
“Kehlani, I missed you.” Bryce says softly, hugging her back.
“Then you should have come home! I haven’t seen you since Haku’s first birthday!”
“You know it’s hard to get back here from the mainland. But the mainland has been good to me in many ways. The most important one right here. Kehlani, this is Dr. Casey Valentine, my girlfriend. Casey, Kehlani, she basically raised me.”
Kehlani smiles. “Don’t let your mother hear you say that. I’m just the lowly maid now, with Haku moving out soon and no need for a nanny.” Kehlani turns to Casey. “She’s so beautiful Bryce! And a doctor too? How’d you get so lucky?”
Bryce wraps an arm around Casey, pulling her to his side. “Hey, she’s lucky too. I’m quite a catch.”
Casey smiles at Kehlani, offering her hand for a handshake. “Nice to meet you Kehlani.”
Kehlani ignores the offered hand, pulling Casey into a hug. “Nice to meet you too Casey!” She releases the doctor, locking the door behind them. “Everyone is in the dining room. Do you remember your way around here?” She asks.
Bryce shrugs. “I’ll manage.”
Kehlani heads back to the kitchen and Bryce tugs Casey towards an ornate hallway. She distractedly looks around the foyer, at the large chandelier, the obviously expensive art lining the walls, a large family portrait hanging over the double staircase. She picks out Bryce in the portrait right away. He’s wearing a suit, hair slicked back in an unfamiliar style, lips tight and unsmiling. He can’t be older than 12. A hand rests on his shoulder, behind him his mother staring at the camera with a small disingenuous smile.
Casey is surprised that his mother is white. He never mentioned that to her. Her blonde hair and blue eyes stand out amongst her varying shades of bronze skinned children and her husband, whose complexion reminds her of Jackie.
She loses sight of the portrait as they make it into the hallway, taking a sudden right and entering the dining room.
“Uncle Bryce!” Haku drops the toy car he was playing with, running into his uncle’s arms. Haku’s loud declaration draws the attention of everyone else in the room to their arrival.
Bryce smiles, the most genuine smile she’s seen out of him all day, rustling Haku’s dark hair. “When did you get so big young man?”
Haku grins, revealing missing front teeth. “I’m the 3rd tallest in my class!” He brags.
Abigail approaches next, throwing her arms around Bryce in a warm hug. “I’m so glad you’re home.” She breathes in his ear.
“Like I’d miss you wedding Abs. Even if you are marrying a douchebag.”
Abigail’s eyes narrow. “Bryce.” She warns.
“Sorry. I’ll try to keep my thoughts to myself.” He seems to suddenly remember that Casey is there. “Abs, Haku, this is my girlfriend Dr. Casey Valentine.”
Haku waves at her and Abigail gives her a handshake. “Nice to meet you Casey. Last time I skyped with Bryce when he wanted to give me a Boston house tour, he couldn’t shut up about you.” Abigail is very pretty. Bryce’s brown eyes, complexion a mocha color a little lighter than his, and her hair a deeper brown that flows down to her waist.
Francis approaches. All the Lahelas are so pretty. He looks a lot like Bryce, but hair cut shorter and slicked back. His face is more severe, with stronger cheekbones and a more pronounced nose. “Well, I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing about you Dr. Valentine. Nice to meet you.” He kisses her hand, and she can’t help but blush a little.
Bryce glowers behind her. “Francis.” He greets coldly.
Francis nods. “Bryce.” He returns with the same indifference.
Bryce’s eyes fall on his sister-in-law, who’s gotten up to stand beside her husband. “Gabby.” This greeting is warmer, polite.
Gabrielle smiles. “Good to see you Bryce. And nice to meet you Casey.” Gabrielle looks a lot like Bryce’s mom when she was younger. Blonde hair, blue eyes, that ‘all American’ girl next door look. She’s more voluptuous than Kate was in her day though. And Gabrielle seems to be flaunting this in her too tight red dress. She seems to be at least ten years younger than her husband.
Bryce’s father is the next to leave his seat and approach the newcomers. He shakes Bryce’s hand, which Casey thinks is a strange way to greet one’s own son. His hair has greyed since the portrait was taken, and he’s gained some weight, but he’s still a very attractive older man.
“Casey, this is my Dad, Aoloa.” Bryce introduces, releasing his father’s hand and placing his hand on the small of her back.
“Everyone calls me Al.” He corrects, shaking Casey’s hand. He squeezes just a little too tight.
Bryce’s mother doesn’t stand, continuing to enjoy her mimosa at the table. “Come say hi to me dearest.” She slurs her words slightly, and Casey tries to pretend not to notice.
“Mom.” Bryce greets shortly, not moving from his current position.
Casey walks over, Bryce’s hand falling from her back. “Nice to meet you Mrs. Lahela.” She offers a handshake.
“Kate is fine.” She claims as she reaches for Casey’s hand, missing at first, her blue eyes looking glassy. Casey moves her hand to grip Kate’s, shaking softly. Casey can see some grey at Kate’s roots, but the rest of her hair is dyed the same platinum blonde from the portrait. Unlike her husband, and despite all the drinking, she has managed to maintain her figure. Appearances seem to be very important to the Lahelas. Although this is just a family brunch, they are all dressed in expensive labels that Casey recognizes from goofing around in Nordstrom’s with her roommates, trying to find the most overpriced items.
Bryce pulls out a chair beside his sister. “Honey, have a seat.”
She raises an eyebrow, he’s never called her honey before. It’s always babe or baby (lover sometimes when he’s trying to annoy her since he knows she hates that word). It’s like he’s putting on a show for some reason. She takes the offered chair, allowing Bryce to push it in.
He takes a seat between her and his mother, allowing Kate to place a sloppy kiss on his cheek. Her deep red lipstick that seems inappropriate for family brunch stains his cheek.
The rest of the Lahelas return to their seats just as Kehlani and another maid enter the room with the first course.
A decadent parfait is placed in front of Casey, an expensive golden spoon as well. Casey worries that maybe the spoon is for decorative purposes, and waits until she sees Aoloa use the spoon from across the table before she dares to.
“So where’s your future husband Abs?” Bryce asks, breaking the silence that has descended around the table.
“Ryan had to work. Some important business deal.” Abigail replies, waving her hand dismissively.
“Dad says Ryan is a workaholic. And that a real man spends time with his family.” Haku interrupts, messily eating his own parfait, using his fingers instead of the spoon.
“Hank.” Al says sharply, glaring at his grandson. “No one wants to hear what your no-good father has to say about any of this.”
“Dad.” Abigail’s tone is icy and her eyes have narrowed. “Don’t talk about Kahoni like that in front of his son.”
Bryce eye’s narrow as well. “Hank?” He repeats.
“Yes, Haku has decided to go by Hank now. It’s more American, more respectable.” Al reports.
“What’s unrespectable about a traditional Hawaiian name?” Bryce challenges.
“Bryce.” Francis warns, glaring at him from across the table.
“Haku, honey, do you want to eat in the living room where you can watch TV?” Abigail offers to get her son out of the room. Haku nods gleefully, scrapping his chair across the floor loudly before running out.
Casey watches Haku leave, feeling like he is the safest thing to look at in the tense room.
“So Casey Valentine,” Al starts, changing the topic. “Valentine is English, or Scottish, but you look……exotic. What are you exactly?”
Casey winces at ‘exotic’. Surprisingly, she’s been asked this rude question before. Usually, she just answers ‘human’ and leaves, but she’s less inclined to be rude to her boyfriend’s father, even if he’s being rude to her.
Bryce looks like he’s about to say something, so she places a hand on his knee and squeezes in a manner she hopes is reassuring.
“Valentine is Scottish. My father’s grandfather immigrated to the Dominican Republic from Scotland. So my dad is Dominican, mostly. And my mom is African American and Mexican. So I’m a little bit of everything.” She answers.
“So if you guys have kids, they’ll really be mutts, huh?” Al asks with a smile.
Casey’s eyes narrow. Sometimes, she does refer to herself as a mutt when she’s talking about her genealogy, but she says it in an endearing way. The way Al said it was lacking any of that warmth.
“We don’t all share your obsession with whitening the Lahela bloodline Dad.” Bryce says sharply.
“Bryce.” His mother warns this time, pausing for the first time in her consumption of the champagne and orange juice.
“What?” Bryce insists. “We all know it’s true. That’s why he spent so much time poisoning Abby’s relationship with Kahoni.”
Al snorts angrily. “Kahoni is a no-good Hula performer with no prospects who knocked up my sixteen year old daughter. Abigail finally came to her senses when she left him.”
“And now she just happens to be marrying the son of an important business prospect, who just happens to have blue eyes and blonde hair. I’m sure you had nothing to do with that.” Bryce retorts.
Al’s eyes narrow at his middle child. “I’m not sure I like where you’re going with this.”
Kehlani returns just then with the second course, waffles with fresh fruit. She pauses as she takes in the tension in the room. “Do you guys need anything?”
“More champagne would be great.” Kate slurs.
“Oh my god Mom it’s not even noon.” Bryce exclaims, standing from the table. “I need a minute.” He mutters before storming out of the room.
Casey stays and eats her waffles in silence, all the Lahelas attempts at small talk with each other quickly sputtering out. Bryce doesn’t return.
“I’m going to go check on him.” She finally decides after 15 minutes have passed. “Does anyone know where he might have gone?”
“Probably his room, go back out to the staircase, take the right one, and then it’s the second door to your left.” Abigail reveals.
Casey nods, thanking her as she stands.
“Casey.” Al interrupts before she leaves. “I wasn’t trying to offend you, and I’m sorry if I did. You’re very beautiful, and clearly smart too if you’re a doctor. I guess I was just surprised. Back in high school, Bryce used to bring home girls that looked just like his mother. Maybe his standards have changed out on the mainland.”
Casey nods tightly, that spiel doing nothing to endear Bryce’s father more to her. She follows Abigail’s instructions and knocks on Bryce’s door. “Bryce?” She calls out softly.
“It’s open.” She hears.
She walks into his childhood room. It’s sparsely decorated. Some sports equipment in the corner, photos of him and friends on his desk. And face down in his pillow on his queen size bed lies Bryce.
“You don’t lock your door after you storm off dramatically?” Casey asks.
He rolls over onto his back, meeting her gaze. “I knew you were the only one who would come after me.”
She joins him in bed, cuddling into his side. He drops a kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry about them.” He apologizes.
“You don’t have to apologize for your family.” Casey insists.
He shakes his head. “I do though. Because they bring out the worst in me. I shouldn’t have just left you down there. I shouldn’t have let them push my buttons like that. I don’t want to mess us up over them.”
“I wouldn’t let you mess us up. Not when my roommates have already replaced me for when our lease is up so I have to move in with you.” Casey jokes.
Bryce chuckles. “I’m serious though baby. You’re the best thing in my life.” He tilts her chin up to look at him. “And I love you.”
Casey’s eyes widen. He’s never said that before. His eyes scan her’s frantically as she remains silent.
He runs a hand through his hair nervously. “You don’t have to say it back right now. We’ll get there when we get there…”
She interrupts him with a tender kiss. “We’re there. I love you too Bryce.”
He grins, looking happier than she’s ever seen him. His lips claim her’s, and it quickly becomes heated. She rolls on top of him, straddling his hips.
“How many girls did you sneak up here in high school?” she questions as he rubs her thighs.
“None anywhere near as beautiful as you.” He answers immediately.
She smiles, “Good answer.” He tries to kiss her again, but she stands. “Let’s get back down there. I could smell some amazing dessert and I don’t want to miss it.”
Bryce sighs. “Do we have to?”
Casey nods. “But afterwards, we can go back to the hotel and then you don’t have to see them again until the wedding.”
Bryce scoffs. “As if I could be so lucky. There are countless wedding events that I’m required to be at. With those people.”
…
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Taglist: @octobereighth @sibella-plays-choices @hazah @akrenich @lovehugsandcandy @professorortegasstudent @regina-and-happiness @brightpinkpeppercorn @choicesarehard @lizeboredom @desiree-0816 @hellooliviaolivia @dreaming-of-movies @friedherringclodthing @weaving-in-words @fairydustandsarcasm
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Audi R8, RS3, and TTRS Take on Road Atlanta
ATLANTA, Georgia—Andy Pilgrim steps out of a 2018 Audi TT RS with a chuckle, casts a glance at the 2018 RS3 I’ve unbuckled from, and smiles. “That was fun, mate,” he says. “There’s really not much between them. You were keeping up well right there. Pretty even, I reckon.”
The 2017 sports-car racing season just concluded a few days earlier, and we’ve given these new cars a bit of a shakedown not far from Road Atlanta, host of the IMSA season finale. Pilgrim is satisfied that, during a roll-on acceleration run from about 25 mph to somewhere north of 100 mph, the TT RS’s only advantage over the more conventionally styled RS3 is its 287 fewer pounds and a slight jump ahead on initial takeoff. “A certified, overachieving giant killer,” he says of the $65,875 TT RS and its 3.6-second 0-60-mph time. The same description applies to the RS3 and its 3.9-second stat and is perhaps even more apropos given the $10,000 lower base price. Beyond the straight-line power, each car has an excellent chassis that allows for easy corner-entry rotation, plus strong brakes, world-class seats, and well-tuned suspension and steering, never mind more plebeian concerns like top-flight interiors and external lighting packages. In other words, exactly what we’ve come to expect from Audi’s range-topping models.
To our right, as a reminder of what Audi’s Quattro GmbH performance arm has been up to in the past several years, we’ve also parked a 610-hp R8 V10 Plus Coupe, 540-hp R8 V10 Spyder, and 605-hp RS7 Performance four-door. Refresher drives in each reaffirm their claims to being, in order, a borderline frighteningly quick mid-engine supercar, a bananas open-air monster, and a sharply styled vanquisher of more than a few chest-thumping executive stoplight burners.
Yet for all of Audi’s performance credentials established during more than 35 years of professional competition in rallying and road racing and by its first Rennsport production car, the 1994 RS2, the marque has suffered a bit in terms of its messaging. For one thing, though Quattro GmbH was its in-house equivalent of BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG divisions, most consumers identify “Quattro” with the company’s ubiquitous all-wheel-drive technology. For another, RS offerings traditionally have been few and far between compared to the number of rocketship models offered by other manufacturers.
The new TT RS and RS3, then, are as significant for the future they represent as they are for their individual capabilities. They are the first RS models launched since Quattro GmbH was renamed Audi Sport at the beginning of 2017, an attempt to create a stronger perceptual link between Audi’s motorsports activities and its performance-car range. Branding exercise aside, a strategy revision is likely of more interest to German hot-rod enthusiasts: Where RS models during the past decade-plus tended to arrive at the tail end of a given car’s life cycle—and even skip certain generations of those cars—they will now arrive within the first year or two of a new model’s introduction, and RS badging will be present on 10 different vehicles by the end of 2018, with the new RS5 up next at the beginning of the year.
Group therapy: Audi Sport’s production-car lineup already offers high-powered thrills, and there’s more on the horizon.
If that’s not enough to drill home the point, Audi has doubled down on its motorsports footprint, despite its withdrawal from the FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of 2016, bringing an end to the program that claimed 13 overall wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans during a 16-year span. Production-car-based customer racing is a giant part of the game in sports-car competition, with Audi Sport—it’s responsible for the RS street cars and customer racing programs—so far delivering more than 200 R8 GT3-spec cars worldwide (60 in the U.S.). Now, Audi plans for its two newest race cars to, in conjunction with the expanding road-car lineup, prove its commitment to performance product more than ever before. Notably, the RS3 LMS (more than 15 sold in this country so far) that in 2017 raced in the Pirelli World Challenge and the R8 LMS GT4 (more than 20 sold here) that just went on sale ahead of the 2018 season are intended to appeal to track-day enthusiasts as well as to aspiring pro racers. We put our resident hotshoe behind the wheel of each.
Pro Driver Pilgrim’s Debrief
Road Atlanta has a superb flow, some wicked-quick corners, and challenging elevation changes that make it a fantastic place to test both the R8 GT4 LMS and RS 3 LMS. Chances are you will see pro drivers campaigning these cars next year, but the bulk of owners and drivers will be amateurs.
Safety is a critical factor on the track. It’s impressive to see as standard equipment in both cars a rescue hatch for driver-helmet removal in the event of a crash, an FIA-approved FT3 fuel tank, Audi’s state-of-the-art racing seat that exceeds FIA requirements and features safety nets on both sides, and an OMP fire system. The driver’s seats are mounted in a fixed position, but owners can position them to their liking. Steering columns adjust for height and length, and the pedals are adjustable, as well. An actual fuel gauge mounted near the RS 3’s fill-up port is a significant feature crew members will love; such a thing is unheard of on most race cars.
Speaking of the $137,500 front-drive RS3 LMS, it was up first. Yes, front-wheel drive, but there really is no appreciable torque steer. The starting procedure in both cars is a competition setup: power on, ignition on, push a button on the steering wheel. Initially you feel a little steering “search” over bumps and undulations; this is fairly common with race cars on cool tires. Front-wheel drive means the sensation comes through a little more, but it goes away once the tires are up to operating temperature.
The baseline chassis setup was a bit soft, but it didn’t prevent me from dropping the hammer from the get-go. The RS3 LMS is quick—there are four different power maps available, either 290, 310, 330, or 350 hp from the 2.0-liter turbo-four—with nothing in the way of snappy vices. It happily crosses curbs and has impressive cor-nering speed, thanks to its downforce, up to 800 pounds of it. The front-drive layout only made itself obvious coming out of Turn 7, the circuit’s slowest corner, in the form of a little tire-slip understeer during power application, but it was minimal, and a slight adjustment of my turn-in technique took care of it.
The race cars’ interiors—this is the RS 3 LMS’—aren’t overly exotic, but there is no question when you climb aboard that you’re about to unleash exceptional performance potential.
Shifting in the RS 3 LMS is as quick as expected from a double-clutch automatic. After chatting with a couple of Audi’s pro drivers, I elected not to use the shift paddles and just let the transmission choose the gears. According to the pros who are more experienced with these cars, there is effectively no lap-time difference by doing so. And with the transmission shifting automatically, you don’t worry about hitting the rev limiter or making sure you’re in the correct gear for each corner.
The brakes do not feature ABS, but they work well. Modulation while trail-braking into slower corners is no issue, and the car’s downforce means you can use a lot of brake pressure at the end of the straights with no worries about locking up. This car can really throw out an anchor. Weighing only 2,712 pounds certainly adds to the nimble race-car feel.
Interestingly, the RS 3 has some clever front-wheel-drive-specific tools. Drivers can use its long vertical rear-brake hand lever to drag the rear tires to help warm them up. There is also a small 10-position lever next to the hand brake; moving it adds or takes away only rear brake pressure, which could certainly help during long runs when the front tires start to go away.
In the case of the $249,500, 3,153-pound R8 GT4, going directly from the RS 3 LMS’s four-cylinder and front-drive to a rear-drive, normally aspirated, mid-engine 5.0-liter V-10-powered car making about 495 hp on this day (it will be restricted to less than 450 in race trim for most series) was instantly different by the sound alone. The abundance of Honda Civics with drain pipes sticking out the back suggest there is no shortage of folks who love a four-cylinder’s raspy sound. Race car or not, however, I’ll always prefer the scream of a V-10.
Break it down: Andy Pilgrim reviews his runs and provides feedback to Brad Kettler, head of Audi Sport’s customer racing in the U.S.
The R8 GT4 felt stable and hooked-up right out of the pits. The steering is not too quick, which suits a driving style that incorporates a slower initial steering wheel rate. With about 500 pounds of downforce, the car offers less aerodynamic grip than the RS 3 LMS, but you still feel it working, and it allows for carrying serious speed through Road Atlanta’s quicker turns. The ABS brakes are stunningly good and give massive stopping power. Traction control is adjustable and barely noticeable in the least aggressive setting. You can also switch it off.
Important note: The R8 GT4 is not a twitchy car on turn-in; the rear end is well planted. This is a major selling point for less experienced drivers and separates the R8 from other GT4 race cars I’ve raced and tested during the past two years. For context, it is possible to lap the RS 3 LMS around Road Atlanta faster than a production Porsche GT3 RS or Corvette Z06 with Z07 package (sub 1 minute, 30 seconds), and the R8 GT4 is even quicker, by about 4 seconds per lap.
The turnkey nature and accessible performance of these new Audi race cars, however, really stand out. They’re delivered ready to go. Owning one means you can show up at your favorite racetrack, drive it off the trailer, check the tire pressures and oil level, run 50 laps, and then go to dinner. Sure, you can fiddle with alignment, shocks, anti-roll bars, and wings if you want, but this test demonstrated you don’t need to do all of that to enjoy your day or weekend. That’s a big selling point, and track-day regulars and racers of all skill levels should give these cars a solid look. As I left the circuit, driving the R8 coupe road car from earlier in the day and listening to its exhaust crack on the overrun, I didn’t feel far removed from the race car I had climbed out of an hour earlier. Considering that’s the big-picture target Audi Sport aims for, it’s on the right track.
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Audi R8, RS3, and TTRS Take on Road Atlanta
ATLANTA, Georgia—Andy Pilgrim steps out of a 2018 Audi TT RS with a chuckle, casts a glance at the 2018 RS3 I’ve unbuckled from, and smiles. “That was fun, mate,” he says. “There’s really not much between them. You were keeping up well right there. Pretty even, I reckon.”
The 2017 sports-car racing season just concluded a few days earlier, and we’ve given these new cars a bit of a shakedown not far from Road Atlanta, host of the IMSA season finale. Pilgrim is satisfied that, during a roll-on acceleration run from about 25 mph to somewhere north of 100 mph, the TT RS’s only advantage over the more conventionally styled RS3 is its 287 fewer pounds and a slight jump ahead on initial takeoff. “A certified, overachieving giant killer,” he says of the $65,875 TT RS and its 3.6-second 0-60-mph time. The same description applies to the RS3 and its 3.9-second stat and is perhaps even more apropos given the $10,000 lower base price. Beyond the straight-line power, each car has an excellent chassis that allows for easy corner-entry rotation, plus strong brakes, world-class seats, and well-tuned suspension and steering, never mind more plebeian concerns like top-flight interiors and external lighting packages. In other words, exactly what we’ve come to expect from Audi’s range-topping models.
To our right, as a reminder of what Audi’s Quattro GmbH performance arm has been up to in the past several years, we’ve also parked a 610-hp R8 V10 Plus Coupe, 540-hp R8 V10 Spyder, and 605-hp RS7 Performance four-door. Refresher drives in each reaffirm their claims to being, in order, a borderline frighteningly quick mid-engine supercar, a bananas open-air monster, and a sharply styled vanquisher of more than a few chest-thumping executive stoplight burners.
Yet for all of Audi’s performance credentials established during more than 35 years of professional competition in rallying and road racing and by its first Rennsport production car, the 1994 RS2, the marque has suffered a bit in terms of its messaging. For one thing, though Quattro GmbH was its in-house equivalent of BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG divisions, most consumers identify “Quattro” with the company’s ubiquitous all-wheel-drive technology. For another, RS offerings traditionally have been few and far between compared to the number of rocketship models offered by other manufacturers.
The new TT RS and RS3, then, are as significant for the future they represent as they are for their individual capabilities. They are the first RS models launched since Quattro GmbH was renamed Audi Sport at the beginning of 2017, an attempt to create a stronger perceptual link between Audi’s motorsports activities and its performance-car range. Branding exercise aside, a strategy revision is likely of more interest to German hot-rod enthusiasts: Where RS models during the past decade-plus tended to arrive at the tail end of a given car’s life cycle—and even skip certain generations of those cars—they will now arrive within the first year or two of a new model’s introduction, and RS badging will be present on 10 different vehicles by the end of 2018, with the new RS5 up next at the beginning of the year.
Group therapy: Audi Sport’s production-car lineup already offers high-powered thrills, and there’s more on the horizon.
If that’s not enough to drill home the point, Audi has doubled down on its motorsports footprint, despite its withdrawal from the FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of 2016, bringing an end to the program that claimed 13 overall wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans during a 16-year span. Production-car-based customer racing is a giant part of the game in sports-car competition, with Audi Sport—it’s responsible for the RS street cars and customer racing programs—so far delivering more than 200 R8 GT3-spec cars worldwide (60 in the U.S.). Now, Audi plans for its two newest race cars to, in conjunction with the expanding road-car lineup, prove its commitment to performance product more than ever before. Notably, the RS3 LMS (more than 15 sold in this country so far) that in 2017 raced in the Pirelli World Challenge and the R8 LMS GT4 (more than 20 sold here) that just went on sale ahead of the 2018 season are intended to appeal to track-day enthusiasts as well as to aspiring pro racers. We put our resident hotshoe behind the wheel of each.
Pro Driver Pilgrim’s Debrief
Road Atlanta has a superb flow, some wicked-quick corners, and challenging elevation changes that make it a fantastic place to test both the R8 GT4 LMS and RS 3 LMS. Chances are you will see pro drivers campaigning these cars next year, but the bulk of owners and drivers will be amateurs.
Safety is a critical factor on the track. It’s impressive to see as standard equipment in both cars a rescue hatch for driver-helmet removal in the event of a crash, an FIA-approved FT3 fuel tank, Audi’s state-of-the-art racing seat that exceeds FIA requirements and features safety nets on both sides, and an OMP fire system. The driver’s seats are mounted in a fixed position, but owners can position them to their liking. Steering columns adjust for height and length, and the pedals are adjustable, as well. An actual fuel gauge mounted near the RS 3’s fill-up port is a significant feature crew members will love; such a thing is unheard of on most race cars.
Speaking of the $137,500 front-drive RS3 LMS, it was up first. Yes, front-wheel drive, but there really is no appreciable torque steer. The starting procedure in both cars is a competition setup: power on, ignition on, push a button on the steering wheel. Initially you feel a little steering “search” over bumps and undulations; this is fairly common with race cars on cool tires. Front-wheel drive means the sensation comes through a little more, but it goes away once the tires are up to operating temperature.
The baseline chassis setup was a bit soft, but it didn’t prevent me from dropping the hammer from the get-go. The RS3 LMS is quick—there are four different power maps available, either 290, 310, 330, or 350 hp from the 2.0-liter turbo-four—with nothing in the way of snappy vices. It happily crosses curbs and has impressive cor-nering speed, thanks to its downforce, up to 800 pounds of it. The front-drive layout only made itself obvious coming out of Turn 7, the circuit’s slowest corner, in the form of a little tire-slip understeer during power application, but it was minimal, and a slight adjustment of my turn-in technique took care of it.
The race cars’ interiors—this is the RS 3 LMS’—aren’t overly exotic, but there is no question when you climb aboard that you’re about to unleash exceptional performance potential.
Shifting in the RS 3 LMS is as quick as expected from a double-clutch automatic. After chatting with a couple of Audi’s pro drivers, I elected not to use the shift paddles and just let the transmission choose the gears. According to the pros who are more experienced with these cars, there is effectively no lap-time difference by doing so. And with the transmission shifting automatically, you don’t worry about hitting the rev limiter or making sure you’re in the correct gear for each corner.
The brakes do not feature ABS, but they work well. Modulation while trail-braking into slower corners is no issue, and the car’s downforce means you can use a lot of brake pressure at the end of the straights with no worries about locking up. This car can really throw out an anchor. Weighing only 2,712 pounds certainly adds to the nimble race-car feel.
Interestingly, the RS 3 has some clever front-wheel-drive-specific tools. Drivers can use its long vertical rear-brake hand lever to drag the rear tires to help warm them up. There is also a small 10-position lever next to the hand brake; moving it adds or takes away only rear brake pressure, which could certainly help during long runs when the front tires start to go away.
In the case of the $249,500, 3,153-pound R8 GT4, going directly from the RS 3 LMS’s four-cylinder and front-drive to a rear-drive, normally aspirated, mid-engine 5.0-liter V-10-powered car making about 495 hp on this day (it will be restricted to less than 450 in race trim for most series) was instantly different by the sound alone. The abundance of Honda Civics with drain pipes sticking out the back suggest there is no shortage of folks who love a four-cylinder’s raspy sound. Race car or not, however, I’ll always prefer the scream of a V-10.
Break it down: Andy Pilgrim reviews his runs and provides feedback to Brad Kettler, head of Audi Sport’s customer racing in the U.S.
The R8 GT4 felt stable and hooked-up right out of the pits. The steering is not too quick, which suits a driving style that incorporates a slower initial steering wheel rate. With about 500 pounds of downforce, the car offers less aerodynamic grip than the RS 3 LMS, but you still feel it working, and it allows for carrying serious speed through Road Atlanta’s quicker turns. The ABS brakes are stunningly good and give massive stopping power. Traction control is adjustable and barely noticeable in the least aggressive setting. You can also switch it off.
Important note: The R8 GT4 is not a twitchy car on turn-in; the rear end is well planted. This is a major selling point for less experienced drivers and separates the R8 from other GT4 race cars I’ve raced and tested during the past two years. For context, it is possible to lap the RS 3 LMS around Road Atlanta faster than a production Porsche GT3 RS or Corvette Z06 with Z07 package (sub 1 minute, 30 seconds), and the R8 GT4 is even quicker, by about 4 seconds per lap.
The turnkey nature and accessible performance of these new Audi race cars, however, really stand out. They’re delivered ready to go. Owning one means you can show up at your favorite racetrack, drive it off the trailer, check the tire pressures and oil level, run 50 laps, and then go to dinner. Sure, you can fiddle with alignment, shocks, anti-roll bars, and wings if you want, but this test demonstrated you don’t need to do all of that to enjoy your day or weekend. That’s a big selling point, and track-day regulars and racers of all skill levels should give these cars a solid look. As I left the circuit, driving the R8 coupe road car from earlier in the day and listening to its exhaust crack on the overrun, I didn’t feel far removed from the race car I had climbed out of an hour earlier. Considering that’s the big-picture target Audi Sport aims for, it’s on the right track.
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Audi R8, RS3 and TTRS Take on Road Atlanta
ATLANTA, Georgia — Andy Pilgrim steps out of a 2018 Audi TT RS with a chuckle, casts a glance at the 2018 RS3 I’ve unbuckled from, and smiles. “That was fun, mate,” he says. “There’s really not much between them. You were keeping up well right there. Pretty even, I reckon.”
The 2017 sports-car racing season just concluded a few days earlier, and we’ve given these new cars a bit of a shakedown not far from Road Atlanta, host of the IMSA season finale. Pilgrim is satisfied that, during a roll-on acceleration run from about 25 mph to somewhere north of 100 mph, the TT RS’s only advantage over the more conventionally styled RS3 is its 287 fewer pounds and a slight jump ahead on initial takeoff. “A certified, overachieving giant killer,” he says of the $65,875 TT RS and its 3.6-second 0-60-mph time. The same description applies to the RS3 and its 3.9-second stat and is perhaps even more apropos given the $10,000 lower base price. Beyond the straight-line power, each car has an excellent chassis that allows for easy corner-entry rotation, plus strong brakes, world-class seats, and well-tuned suspension and steering, never mind more plebeian concerns like top-flight interiors and external lighting packages. In other words, exactly what we’ve come to expect from Audi’s range-topping models.
To our right, as a reminder of what Audi’s Quattro GmbH performance arm has been up to in the past several years, we’ve also parked a 610-hp R8 V10 Plus Coupe, 540-hp R8 V10 Spyder, and 605-hp RS7 Performance four-door. Refresher drives in each reaffirm their claims to being, in order, a borderline frighteningly quick mid-engine supercar, a bananas open-air monster, and a sharply styled vanquisher of more than a few chest-thumping executive stoplight burners.
Yet for all of Audi’s performance credentials established during more than 35 years of professional competition in rallying and road racing and by its first Rennsport production car, the 1994 RS2, the marque has suffered a bit in terms of its messaging. For one thing, though Quattro GmbH was its in-house equivalent of BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG divisions, most consumers identify “Quattro” with the company’s ubiquitous all-wheel-drive technology. For another, RS offerings traditionally have been few and far between compared to the number of rocketship models offered by other manufacturers.
The new TT RS and RS3, then, are as significant for the future they represent as they are for their individual capabilities. They are the first RS models launched since Quattro GmbH was renamed Audi Sport at the beginning of 2017, an attempt to create a stronger perceptual link between Audi’s motorsports activities and its performance-car range. Branding exercise aside, a strategy revision is likely of more interest to German hot-rod enthusiasts: Where RS models during the past decade-plus tended to arrive at the tail end of a given car’s life cycle—and even skip certain generations of those cars—they will now arrive within the first year or two of a new model’s introduction, and RS badging will be present on 10 different vehicles by the end of 2018, with the new RS5 up next at the beginning of the year.
Group therapy: Audi Sport’s production-car lineup already offers high-powered thrills, and there’s more on the horizon.
If that’s not enough to drill home the point, Audi has doubled down on its motorsports footprint, despite its withdrawal from the FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of 2016, bringing an end to the program that claimed 13 overall wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans during a 16-year span. Production-car-based customer racing is a giant part of the game in sports-car competition, with Audi Sport—it’s responsible for the RS street cars and customer racing programs—so far delivering more than 200 R8 GT3-spec cars worldwide (60 in the U.S.). Now, Audi plans for its two newest race cars to, in conjunction with the expanding road-car lineup, prove its commitment to performance product more than ever before. Notably, the RS3 LMS (more than 15 sold in this country so far) that in 2017 raced in the Pirelli World Challenge and the R8 LMS GT4 (more than 20 sold here) that just went on sale ahead of the 2018 season are intended to appeal to track-day enthusiasts as well as to aspiring pro racers. We put our resident hotshoe behind the wheel of each.
Pro Driver Pilgrim’s Debrief
Road Atlanta has a superb flow, some wicked-quick corners, and challenging elevation changes that make it a fantastic place to test both the R8 GT4 LMS and RS 3 LMS. Chances are you will see pro drivers campaigning these cars next year, but the bulk of owners and drivers will be amateurs.
Safety is a critical factor on the track. It’s impressive to see as standard equipment in both cars a rescue hatch for driver-helmet removal in the event of a crash, an FIA-approved FT3 fuel tank, Audi’s state-of-the-art racing seat that exceeds FIA requirements and features safety nets on both sides, and an OMP fire system. The driver’s seats are mounted in a fixed position, but owners can position them to their liking. Steering columns adjust for height and length, and the pedals are adjustable, as well. An actual fuel gauge mounted near the RS 3’s fill-up port is a significant feature crew members will love; such a thing is unheard of on most race cars.
Speaking of the $137,500 front-drive RS3 LMS, it was up first. Yes, front-wheel drive, but there really is no appreciable torque steer. The starting procedure in both cars is a competition setup: power on, ignition on, push a button on the steering wheel. Initially you feel a little steering “search” over bumps and undulations; this is fairly common with race cars on cool tires. Front-wheel drive means the sensation comes through a little more, but it goes away once the tires are up to operating temperature.
The baseline chassis setup was a bit soft, but it didn’t prevent me from dropping the hammer from the get-go. The RS3 LMS is quick—there are four different power maps available, either 290, 310, 330, or 350 hp from the 2.0-liter turbo-four—with nothing in the way of snappy vices. It happily crosses curbs and has impressive cor-nering speed, thanks to its downforce, up to 800 pounds of it. The front-drive layout only made itself obvious coming out of Turn 7, the circuit’s slowest corner, in the form of a little tire-slip understeer during power application, but it was minimal, and a slight adjustment of my turn-in technique took care of it.
The race cars’ interiors—this is the RS 3 LMS’—aren’t overly exotic, but there is no question when you climb aboard that you’re about to unleash exceptional performance potential.
Shifting in the RS 3 LMS is as quick as expected from a double-clutch automatic. After chatting with a couple of Audi’s pro drivers, I elected not to use the shift paddles and just let the transmission choose the gears. According to the pros who are more experienced with these cars, there is effectively no lap-time difference by doing so. And with the transmission shifting automatically, you don’t worry about hitting the rev limiter or making sure you’re in the correct gear for each corner.
The brakes do not feature ABS, but they work well. Modulation while trail-braking into slower corners is no issue, and the car’s downforce means you can use a lot of brake pressure at the end of the straights with no worries about locking up. This car can really throw out an anchor. Weighing only 2,712 pounds certainly adds to the nimble race-car feel.
Interestingly, the RS 3 has some clever front-wheel-drive-specific tools. Drivers can use its long vertical rear-brake hand lever to drag the rear tires to help warm them up. There is also a small 10-position lever next to the hand brake; moving it adds or takes away only rear brake pressure, which could certainly help during long runs when the front tires start to go away.
In the case of the $249,500, 3,153-pound R8 GT4, going directly from the RS 3 LMS’s four-cylinder and front-drive to a rear-drive, normally aspirated, mid-engine 5.0-liter V-10-powered car making about 495 hp on this day (it will be restricted to less than 450 in race trim for most series) was instantly different by the sound alone. The abundance of Honda Civics with drain pipes sticking out the back suggest there is no shortage of folks who love a four-cylinder’s raspy sound. Race car or not, however, I’ll always prefer the scream of a V-10.
Break it down: Andy Pilgrim reviews his runs and provides feedback to Brad Kettler, head of Audi Sport’s customer racing in the U.S.
The R8 GT4 felt stable and hooked-up right out of the pits. The steering is not too quick, which suits a driving style that incorporates a slower initial steering wheel rate. With about 500 pounds of downforce, the car offers less aerodynamic grip than the RS 3 LMS, but you still feel it working, and it allows for carrying serious speed through Road Atlanta’s quicker turns. The ABS brakes are stunningly good and give massive stopping power. Traction control is adjustable and barely noticeable in the least aggressive setting. You can also switch it off.
Important note: The R8 GT4 is not a twitchy car on turn-in; the rear end is well planted. This is a major selling point for less experienced drivers and separates the R8 from other GT4 race cars I’ve raced and tested during the past two years. For context, it is possible to lap the RS 3 LMS around Road Atlanta faster than a production Porsche GT3 RS or Corvette Z06 with Z07 package (sub 1 minute, 30 seconds), and the R8 GT4 is even quicker, by about 4 seconds per lap.
The turnkey nature and accessible performance of these new Audi race cars, however, really stand out. They’re delivered ready to go. Owning one means you can show up at your favorite racetrack, drive it off the trailer, check the tire pressures and oil level, run 50 laps, and then go to dinner. Sure, you can fiddle with alignment, shocks, anti-roll bars, and wings if you want, but this test demonstrated you don’t need to do all of that to enjoy your day or weekend. That’s a big selling point, and track-day regulars and racers of all skill levels should give these cars a solid look. As I left the circuit, driving the R8 coupe road car from earlier in the day and listening to its exhaust crack on the overrun, I didn’t feel far removed from the race car I had climbed out of an hour earlier. Considering that’s the big-picture target Audi Sport aims for, it’s on the right track.
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Today I woke up and did some yoga stretches, and started an hour meditation. I thought I had all the time in the world but after 30 minutes Ajay walked into my room, wearing the same clothes he’s been wearing since I met him. He sat down beside me and said sorry sir I’m late. I opened my eyes slowly and smiled and said no you’re not. I guess he was calling me and calling the wrong number so he came over. i got ready and we went down the three flights of stairs and met the family on the ground floor. They offered to make breakfast but they don’t eat until 10 a.m. it was before 8 still so we continued on. We stopped for chai along the alley and sat next to two guys reading the newspaper cross-legged, shirts and nice slacks, barefoot, red dot between their eyes, moustaches of course.
Then we got breakfast, which I’m sure is making me fat. Its potatoes, cauliflower in a soupy dish with deep-fried bread puffs and then jalebi and some sort of cream. I felt awful after that and we had a long day ahead. I can’t even remember how many tuk-tuks we took. At one point we were in a larger than normal one, and I was one of 14 people. At least I had a seat, there was the men from the family in the back, the three ladies in the middle with me and their two children and groceries and in the front was Ajay and the driver and two other guys. People pile in to save money if they’re all going the same direction. Before that we have to walk about a kilometre out of the alleys into the area where cars and rickshaws can fit.
We checked out an area that has gardens and trees and walking paths. It all sounds nice but right outside all these peaceful zones is constant honking and exhaust and dust. As we passed the guys playing badminton I noticed a big green field that looked like maybe a grass tennis court. I was about to ask why no one was using it when I saw it was a pond. After I took a rest to try and digest more of the deep-fried batter that was breakfast. Over the last couple days we’ve visited a number of temples. I heard somewhere there are 23,000 here in Varanasi. We made full use of the monkey temple, did a couple of the rituals like buying prasad and walking around it five times clockwise. I got red dots of my head from the Shiva temple and a beige dot from another temple and orange from the Hanuman temple. Today we went to the dog temple. Outside people feed the strays and some of them even wear garlands.
After a long rickshaw ride we got on a local bus. The ride was about an hour out of town towards Chunar City in Mizapur. We got off the bus and into another rickshaw and then walked for about 20 minutes. At this point breakfast is not sitting well and I get my first shot at a roadside toilet, complete with a hole, a bucket and a tap. That’s really all you need. We walked up a steep hill and found the Chunar Fort. Built in 1029 by King Sahadeo with improvements by Sher Khan in 1532. The place was a prison, complete with a palace next door and a brick wall that goes all the way around. All looking over the Ganges. After a brief tour we were off walking back down the hill, and all the way around the wall through the small village of Chunar.
The town seemed to have just about all a person would need. And after leaving the outskirts we walked along the river. Already being exhausted and a little sun burnt my mood plateaued. And then looking out off the road at a dusty field at some horses and donkeys, I suddenly became overwhelmed with disgust. Not only are the cows eating garbage. One donkey I could see had a rope tying its front legs together less than 12 inches apart, connecting its hind legs as well so it wouldn’t run away or barely move. Everywhere we walked just about everybody stopped and looked at us, I may have been the first white person some of them have seen. Lots of staring and then sometimes someone will ask ‘which country?’ And I’ll say Canada and they’ll look confused and maybe say America? Or Australia? Canada? But you’re not fat. Someone actually said that!
I met one guy who speaks great english down by the water last night, he said that people here say America anytime anyone goes anywhere far away. That man was one of the most interesting people I’ve met so far, he said he learned english on his own, as a lot of people here have tried. And mostly just to welcome people and be able to make tourist feel happy. He said it in a much more charming way, by saying I learned it so I could talk to you. He is only 24 and has a black belt in taekwondo and won first place for his age in mixed martial arts in all of India. We talked politics and religion and geography and myths. We talked briefly about what the Universe really is. I suggested it was a computer game, a program that is run by nature. He said its more like a stage.
I could go on about the people Ajay has introduced me to. Or have met on my own. A few of them are very curious and even though there is no common language there is always laughs and respect and namaste. One of them invited me over to his place while we were walking towards the water. I said what the hell and saw his place. He shares it with his dad I think. One of them spoke very well and was there making jewelry. The dad was sitting on a bed with an open view of the river. He’s the man in the pink room on my Flickr. They gave me food and tea and even spoke some french. Later that night Ajay translated for me as one older man asked questions. I sat patiently as the mosquitoes dined on my bare feet. There are elders and young guys and a guy who they say isn’t right in the head, a little slow. Sometimes people will give him money to go buy everyone chai. He comes back eventually with a bag of tea and some clay cups. The tea is always hot and delicious no matter where you get it. On the first day there I bought a round and there was barely enough for everyone. When his was poured he walked over to the river and tossed it in…
After a very long day of bumpy dusty roads and horrible traffic I came home to see my bathroom was unavailable due to repairs. This building is probably the oldest building I’ve ever been in. So after a nap and feeding some monkeys through the window I sit with the mother of the house and three very, very old ladies who only speak hindi. We have a chai and try a few of the words we know. Then I use their washroom to shave and have a cold shower…If I didn’t say this before, Indian style showers are sometimes buckets, sometimes, like this one, just a shower head beside the toilet, which is all you need! And I had to borrow a mirror to shave.
Namaste in bed Today I woke up and did some yoga stretches, and started an hour meditation. I thought I had all the time in the world but after 30 minutes Ajay walked into my room, wearing the same clothes he's been wearing since I met him.
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Audi R8, RS3 and TTRS Take on Road Atlanta
ATLANTA, Georgia — Andy Pilgrim steps out of a 2018 Audi TT RS with a chuckle, casts a glance at the 2018 RS3 I’ve unbuckled from, and smiles. “That was fun, mate,” he says. “There’s really not much between them. You were keeping up well right there. Pretty even, I reckon.”
The 2017 sports-car racing season just concluded a few days earlier, and we’ve given these new cars a bit of a shakedown not far from Road Atlanta, host of the IMSA season finale. Pilgrim is satisfied that, during a roll-on acceleration run from about 25 mph to somewhere north of 100 mph, the TT RS’s only advantage over the more conventionally styled RS3 is its 287 fewer pounds and a slight jump ahead on initial takeoff. “A certified, overachieving giant killer,” he says of the $65,875 TT RS and its 3.6-second 0-60-mph time. The same description applies to the RS3 and its 3.9-second stat and is perhaps even more apropos given the $10,000 lower base price. Beyond the straight-line power, each car has an excellent chassis that allows for easy corner-entry rotation, plus strong brakes, world-class seats, and well-tuned suspension and steering, never mind more plebeian concerns like top-flight interiors and external lighting packages. In other words, exactly what we’ve come to expect from Audi’s range-topping models.
To our right, as a reminder of what Audi’s Quattro GmbH performance arm has been up to in the past several years, we’ve also parked a 610-hp R8 V10 Plus Coupe, 540-hp R8 V10 Spyder, and 605-hp RS7 Performance four-door. Refresher drives in each reaffirm their claims to being, in order, a borderline frighteningly quick mid-engine supercar, a bananas open-air monster, and a sharply styled vanquisher of more than a few chest-thumping executive stoplight burners.
Yet for all of Audi’s performance credentials established during more than 35 years of professional competition in rallying and road racing and by its first Rennsport production car, the 1994 RS2, the marque has suffered a bit in terms of its messaging. For one thing, though Quattro GmbH was its in-house equivalent of BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG divisions, most consumers identify “Quattro” with the company’s ubiquitous all-wheel-drive technology. For another, RS offerings traditionally have been few and far between compared to the number of rocketship models offered by other manufacturers.
The new TT RS and RS3, then, are as significant for the future they represent as they are for their individual capabilities. They are the first RS models launched since Quattro GmbH was renamed Audi Sport at the beginning of 2017, an attempt to create a stronger perceptual link between Audi’s motorsports activities and its performance-car range. Branding exercise aside, a strategy revision is likely of more interest to German hot-rod enthusiasts: Where RS models during the past decade-plus tended to arrive at the tail end of a given car’s life cycle—and even skip certain generations of those cars—they will now arrive within the first year or two of a new model’s introduction, and RS badging will be present on 10 different vehicles by the end of 2018, with the new RS5 up next at the beginning of the year.
Group therapy: Audi Sport’s production-car lineup already offers high-powered thrills, and there’s more on the horizon.
If that’s not enough to drill home the point, Audi has doubled down on its motorsports footprint, despite its withdrawal from the FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of 2016, bringing an end to the program that claimed 13 overall wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans during a 16-year span. Production-car-based customer racing is a giant part of the game in sports-car competition, with Audi Sport—it’s responsible for the RS street cars and customer racing programs—so far delivering more than 200 R8 GT3-spec cars worldwide (60 in the U.S.). Now, Audi plans for its two newest race cars to, in conjunction with the expanding road-car lineup, prove its commitment to performance product more than ever before. Notably, the RS3 LMS (more than 15 sold in this country so far) that in 2017 raced in the Pirelli World Challenge and the R8 LMS GT4 (more than 20 sold here) that just went on sale ahead of the 2018 season are intended to appeal to track-day enthusiasts as well as to aspiring pro racers. We put our resident hotshoe behind the wheel of each.
Pro Driver Pilgrim’s Debrief
Road Atlanta has a superb flow, some wicked-quick corners, and challenging elevation changes that make it a fantastic place to test both the R8 GT4 LMS and RS 3 LMS. Chances are you will see pro drivers campaigning these cars next year, but the bulk of owners and drivers will be amateurs.
Safety is a critical factor on the track. It’s impressive to see as standard equipment in both cars a rescue hatch for driver-helmet removal in the event of a crash, an FIA-approved FT3 fuel tank, Audi’s state-of-the-art racing seat that exceeds FIA requirements and features safety nets on both sides, and an OMP fire system. The driver’s seats are mounted in a fixed position, but owners can position them to their liking. Steering columns adjust for height and length, and the pedals are adjustable, as well. An actual fuel gauge mounted near the RS 3’s fill-up port is a significant feature crew members will love; such a thing is unheard of on most race cars.
Speaking of the $137,500 front-drive RS3 LMS, it was up first. Yes, front-wheel drive, but there really is no appreciable torque steer. The starting procedure in both cars is a competition setup: power on, ignition on, push a button on the steering wheel. Initially you feel a little steering “search” over bumps and undulations; this is fairly common with race cars on cool tires. Front-wheel drive means the sensation comes through a little more, but it goes away once the tires are up to operating temperature.
The baseline chassis setup was a bit soft, but it didn’t prevent me from dropping the hammer from the get-go. The RS3 LMS is quick—there are four different power maps available, either 290, 310, 330, or 350 hp from the 2.0-liter turbo-four—with nothing in the way of snappy vices. It happily crosses curbs and has impressive cor-nering speed, thanks to its downforce, up to 800 pounds of it. The front-drive layout only made itself obvious coming out of Turn 7, the circuit’s slowest corner, in the form of a little tire-slip understeer during power application, but it was minimal, and a slight adjustment of my turn-in technique took care of it.
The race cars’ interiors—this is the RS 3 LMS’—aren’t overly exotic, but there is no question when you climb aboard that you’re about to unleash exceptional performance potential.
Shifting in the RS 3 LMS is as quick as expected from a double-clutch automatic. After chatting with a couple of Audi’s pro drivers, I elected not to use the shift paddles and just let the transmission choose the gears. According to the pros who are more experienced with these cars, there is effectively no lap-time difference by doing so. And with the transmission shifting automatically, you don’t worry about hitting the rev limiter or making sure you’re in the correct gear for each corner.
The brakes do not feature ABS, but they work well. Modulation while trail-braking into slower corners is no issue, and the car’s downforce means you can use a lot of brake pressure at the end of the straights with no worries about locking up. This car can really throw out an anchor. Weighing only 2,712 pounds certainly adds to the nimble race-car feel.
Interestingly, the RS 3 has some clever front-wheel-drive-specific tools. Drivers can use its long vertical rear-brake hand lever to drag the rear tires to help warm them up. There is also a small 10-position lever next to the hand brake; moving it adds or takes away only rear brake pressure, which could certainly help during long runs when the front tires start to go away.
In the case of the $249,500, 3,153-pound R8 GT4, going directly from the RS 3 LMS’s four-cylinder and front-drive to a rear-drive, normally aspirated, mid-engine 5.0-liter V-10-powered car making about 495 hp on this day (it will be restricted to less than 450 in race trim for most series) was instantly different by the sound alone. The abundance of Honda Civics with drain pipes sticking out the back suggest there is no shortage of folks who love a four-cylinder’s raspy sound. Race car or not, however, I’ll always prefer the scream of a V-10.
Break it down: Andy Pilgrim reviews his runs and provides feedback to Brad Kettler, head of Audi Sport’s customer racing in the U.S.
The R8 GT4 felt stable and hooked-up right out of the pits. The steering is not too quick, which suits a driving style that incorporates a slower initial steering wheel rate. With about 500 pounds of downforce, the car offers less aerodynamic grip than the RS 3 LMS, but you still feel it working, and it allows for carrying serious speed through Road Atlanta’s quicker turns. The ABS brakes are stunningly good and give massive stopping power. Traction control is adjustable and barely noticeable in the least aggressive setting. You can also switch it off.
Important note: The R8 GT4 is not a twitchy car on turn-in; the rear end is well planted. This is a major selling point for less experienced drivers and separates the R8 from other GT4 race cars I’ve raced and tested during the past two years. For context, it is possible to lap the RS 3 LMS around Road Atlanta faster than a production Porsche GT3 RS or Corvette Z06 with Z07 package (sub 1 minute, 30 seconds), and the R8 GT4 is even quicker, by about 4 seconds per lap.
The turnkey nature and accessible performance of these new Audi race cars, however, really stand out. They’re delivered ready to go. Owning one means you can show up at your favorite racetrack, drive it off the trailer, check the tire pressures and oil level, run 50 laps, and then go to dinner. Sure, you can fiddle with alignment, shocks, anti-roll bars, and wings if you want, but this test demonstrated you don’t need to do all of that to enjoy your day or weekend. That’s a big selling point, and track-day regulars and racers of all skill levels should give these cars a solid look. As I left the circuit, driving the R8 coupe road car from earlier in the day and listening to its exhaust crack on the overrun, I didn’t feel far removed from the race car I had climbed out of an hour earlier. Considering that’s the big-picture target Audi Sport aims for, it’s on the right track.
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Audi R8, RS3 and TTRS Take on Road Atlanta
ATLANTA, Georgia — Andy Pilgrim steps out of a 2018 Audi TT RS with a chuckle, casts a glance at the 2018 RS3 I’ve unbuckled from, and smiles. “That was fun, mate,” he says. “There’s really not much between them. You were keeping up well right there. Pretty even, I reckon.”
The 2017 sports-car racing season just concluded a few days earlier, and we’ve given these new cars a bit of a shakedown not far from Road Atlanta, host of the IMSA season finale. Pilgrim is satisfied that, during a roll-on acceleration run from about 25 mph to somewhere north of 100 mph, the TT RS’s only advantage over the more conventionally styled RS3 is its 287 fewer pounds and a slight jump ahead on initial takeoff. “A certified, overachieving giant killer,” he says of the $65,875 TT RS and its 3.6-second 0-60-mph time. The same description applies to the RS3 and its 3.9-second stat and is perhaps even more apropos given the $10,000 lower base price. Beyond the straight-line power, each car has an excellent chassis that allows for easy corner-entry rotation, plus strong brakes, world-class seats, and well-tuned suspension and steering, never mind more plebeian concerns like top-flight interiors and external lighting packages. In other words, exactly what we’ve come to expect from Audi’s range-topping models.
To our right, as a reminder of what Audi’s Quattro GmbH performance arm has been up to in the past several years, we’ve also parked a 610-hp R8 V10 Plus Coupe, 540-hp R8 V10 Spyder, and 605-hp RS7 Performance four-door. Refresher drives in each reaffirm their claims to being, in order, a borderline frighteningly quick mid-engine supercar, a bananas open-air monster, and a sharply styled vanquisher of more than a few chest-thumping executive stoplight burners.
Yet for all of Audi’s performance credentials established during more than 35 years of professional competition in rallying and road racing and by its first Rennsport production car, the 1994 RS2, the marque has suffered a bit in terms of its messaging. For one thing, though Quattro GmbH was its in-house equivalent of BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG divisions, most consumers identify “Quattro” with the company’s ubiquitous all-wheel-drive technology. For another, RS offerings traditionally have been few and far between compared to the number of rocketship models offered by other manufacturers.
The new TT RS and RS3, then, are as significant for the future they represent as they are for their individual capabilities. They are the first RS models launched since Quattro GmbH was renamed Audi Sport at the beginning of 2017, an attempt to create a stronger perceptual link between Audi’s motorsports activities and its performance-car range. Branding exercise aside, a strategy revision is likely of more interest to German hot-rod enthusiasts: Where RS models during the past decade-plus tended to arrive at the tail end of a given car’s life cycle—and even skip certain generations of those cars—they will now arrive within the first year or two of a new model’s introduction, and RS badging will be present on 10 different vehicles by the end of 2018, with the new RS5 up next at the beginning of the year.
Group therapy: Audi Sport’s production-car lineup already offers high-powered thrills, and there’s more on the horizon.
If that’s not enough to drill home the point, Audi has doubled down on its motorsports footprint, despite its withdrawal from the FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of 2016, bringing an end to the program that claimed 13 overall wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans during a 16-year span. Production-car-based customer racing is a giant part of the game in sports-car competition, with Audi Sport—it’s responsible for the RS street cars and customer racing programs—so far delivering more than 200 R8 GT3-spec cars worldwide (60 in the U.S.). Now, Audi plans for its two newest race cars to, in conjunction with the expanding road-car lineup, prove its commitment to performance product more than ever before. Notably, the RS3 LMS (more than 15 sold in this country so far) that in 2017 raced in the Pirelli World Challenge and the R8 LMS GT4 (more than 20 sold here) that just went on sale ahead of the 2018 season are intended to appeal to track-day enthusiasts as well as to aspiring pro racers. We put our resident hotshoe behind the wheel of each.
Pro Driver Pilgrim’s Debrief
Road Atlanta has a superb flow, some wicked-quick corners, and challenging elevation changes that make it a fantastic place to test both the R8 GT4 LMS and RS 3 LMS. Chances are you will see pro drivers campaigning these cars next year, but the bulk of owners and drivers will be amateurs.
Safety is a critical factor on the track. It’s impressive to see as standard equipment in both cars a rescue hatch for driver-helmet removal in the event of a crash, an FIA-approved FT3 fuel tank, Audi’s state-of-the-art racing seat that exceeds FIA requirements and features safety nets on both sides, and an OMP fire system. The driver’s seats are mounted in a fixed position, but owners can position them to their liking. Steering columns adjust for height and length, and the pedals are adjustable, as well. An actual fuel gauge mounted near the RS 3’s fill-up port is a significant feature crew members will love; such a thing is unheard of on most race cars.
Speaking of the $137,500 front-drive RS3 LMS, it was up first. Yes, front-wheel drive, but there really is no appreciable torque steer. The starting procedure in both cars is a competition setup: power on, ignition on, push a button on the steering wheel. Initially you feel a little steering “search” over bumps and undulations; this is fairly common with race cars on cool tires. Front-wheel drive means the sensation comes through a little more, but it goes away once the tires are up to operating temperature.
The baseline chassis setup was a bit soft, but it didn’t prevent me from dropping the hammer from the get-go. The RS3 LMS is quick—there are four different power maps available, either 290, 310, 330, or 350 hp from the 2.0-liter turbo-four—with nothing in the way of snappy vices. It happily crosses curbs and has impressive cor-nering speed, thanks to its downforce, up to 800 pounds of it. The front-drive layout only made itself obvious coming out of Turn 7, the circuit’s slowest corner, in the form of a little tire-slip understeer during power application, but it was minimal, and a slight adjustment of my turn-in technique took care of it.
The race cars’ interiors—this is the RS 3 LMS’—aren’t overly exotic, but there is no question when you climb aboard that you’re about to unleash exceptional performance potential.
Shifting in the RS 3 LMS is as quick as expected from a double-clutch automatic. After chatting with a couple of Audi’s pro drivers, I elected not to use the shift paddles and just let the transmission choose the gears. According to the pros who are more experienced with these cars, there is effectively no lap-time difference by doing so. And with the transmission shifting automatically, you don’t worry about hitting the rev limiter or making sure you’re in the correct gear for each corner.
The brakes do not feature ABS, but they work well. Modulation while trail-braking into slower corners is no issue, and the car’s downforce means you can use a lot of brake pressure at the end of the straights with no worries about locking up. This car can really throw out an anchor. Weighing only 2,712 pounds certainly adds to the nimble race-car feel.
Interestingly, the RS 3 has some clever front-wheel-drive-specific tools. Drivers can use its long vertical rear-brake hand lever to drag the rear tires to help warm them up. There is also a small 10-position lever next to the hand brake; moving it adds or takes away only rear brake pressure, which could certainly help during long runs when the front tires start to go away.
In the case of the $249,500, 3,153-pound R8 GT4, going directly from the RS 3 LMS’s four-cylinder and front-drive to a rear-drive, normally aspirated, mid-engine 5.0-liter V-10-powered car making about 495 hp on this day (it will be restricted to less than 450 in race trim for most series) was instantly different by the sound alone. The abundance of Honda Civics with drain pipes sticking out the back suggest there is no shortage of folks who love a four-cylinder’s raspy sound. Race car or not, however, I’ll always prefer the scream of a V-10.
Break it down: Andy Pilgrim reviews his runs and provides feedback to Brad Kettler, head of Audi Sport’s customer racing in the U.S.
The R8 GT4 felt stable and hooked-up right out of the pits. The steering is not too quick, which suits a driving style that incorporates a slower initial steering wheel rate. With about 500 pounds of downforce, the car offers less aerodynamic grip than the RS 3 LMS, but you still feel it working, and it allows for carrying serious speed through Road Atlanta’s quicker turns. The ABS brakes are stunningly good and give massive stopping power. Traction control is adjustable and barely noticeable in the least aggressive setting. You can also switch it off.
Important note: The R8 GT4 is not a twitchy car on turn-in; the rear end is well planted. This is a major selling point for less experienced drivers and separates the R8 from other GT4 race cars I’ve raced and tested during the past two years. For context, it is possible to lap the RS 3 LMS around Road Atlanta faster than a production Porsche GT3 RS or Corvette Z06 with Z07 package (sub 1 minute, 30 seconds), and the R8 GT4 is even quicker, by about 4 seconds per lap.
The turnkey nature and accessible performance of these new Audi race cars, however, really stand out. They’re delivered ready to go. Owning one means you can show up at your favorite racetrack, drive it off the trailer, check the tire pressures and oil level, run 50 laps, and then go to dinner. Sure, you can fiddle with alignment, shocks, anti-roll bars, and wings if you want, but this test demonstrated you don’t need to do all of that to enjoy your day or weekend. That’s a big selling point, and track-day regulars and racers of all skill levels should give these cars a solid look. As I left the circuit, driving the R8 coupe road car from earlier in the day and listening to its exhaust crack on the overrun, I didn’t feel far removed from the race car I had climbed out of an hour earlier. Considering that’s the big-picture target Audi Sport aims for, it’s on the right track.
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