Having woken up this morning bright and breezy at 4.30am I was trying to decide what to do as I couldn't go back to sleep.

So after having some breakfast and then going to top up the fuel tank I decided to take my Spec C over the A4069 Black Mountains Road - one of the best driving roads in the UK and frequently has magazine shoots plus Top Gear and Fifth Gear are known to frequent it.

So after some runs back and forth taking in both directions (with no troublesome traffic to get in the way) I decided to let the car cool down for a while and stop and take some pics against the stunning landscape plus the sun as it was rising over the horizon.

It is without a doubt one of my top 5 favourite roads in Wales, but we are so spoiled for choice in Wales that I am always finding new roads as I did during the week when I drove the Ebbw Vale to Llangynidr Mountain Road which is a real cracker as well.

I am going to be organising another SWS run shortly to take in a lot of the best driving roads in South and Mid Wales so if you are fairly local to the area then keep an eye on the regional Welsh section.



/\ That hairpin is an absolute peach when driving in both directions, and of course I slowed down. /\

 

Great pics mate, I was up at 4:30 am too luckily I managed to nod off again though

 

Awesome pictures mate. Well worth getting up early for. What a blessing to have such beauty on your doorstep hey!

 

+1 you are so lucky mate to live in such a place, and not the concrete jungle in the midlands

 

great pics and that road is a nice drive.

whats in your exhaust ?

 

Don't reckon my Subaru parked outside Doncaster Dome would quite have the same effect!

 

I've been getting up at around 4.00am for the last two weeks due to having to be in work for 6.00am, and with an hour travel to work I am almost on auto pilot when I get up at 4.00am.

Yes it is very nice up there and at that time with no traffic that road is like a tarmac rally stage / super special stage with all it's turns, dips, off camber corners, blind summits and every possible type of driving pleasure possible without having a female in the passenger seat.

If you fancy coming down to the area then we often at SWS take out groups of members from other areas and have a long standing regular arrangement with a group from the South East.

 

Stunning

 

It's a yellow mico fibre cloth, it is a bit of a long standing joke in SWS as the Show and Shiners all put one up the exhaust tail pipe when at a show to signify they have finished cleaning their cars.

I was wondering who would be the first to notice it.

 

Awesome Ty. Thanks for the pictures. Reminds me of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ6yr...eature=related

Wish we had roads like that here.

 

ARAF! Oh how that brings back fond memories.

Great pictures there mate, awsome sights

 

I was the first to notice that cloth matey, just didn't post

I am sure I was on that road last Sunday on my m'bike. Bit of a ****** going up around that hairpin on a bike!

 

How were the PS's now you've got them and the brakes run in?

Your ride height looks spot on btw

 

It's not too bad up there, the one thing I will say is that there was some ice in places which made for some 'interesting' moments.

The very same road, I would love to happen upon the Top Gear crew when they are filming; I have seen them on that stretch of road and on other parts of the Brecon Beacons (but they have always been parked up in a laybay) but not on that particular programme. I'd love the chance to overtake Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond or Captain Slow.

Anyway, you get better weather than we do over here so you win some, you lose some...

I have some very fond memories of going around that hairpin sideways and then leaving some 11's on the road, and of course a load of tyre smoke.

 

It's easy in a car, it's the homocyclists that get in the way on that road; when will they learn that men in tubby Power Ranger suits can't keep up with a good car on that road.

They are great, I really like them although the shoulders seem to be wearing quicker than the rest of the tyres and I have checked the pressures and they are 100%.

But I am getting the geometry sorted next week plus a set of coilovers fitted but I am unsure as to what ride height to go for, perhaps it will be sitting a little lower.

 

The carcass and sidewalls are totally different to a normal road tyre. Did you notice the inside was totally smooth and not rough crosshatched? More like a motorsport tyre.

That makes for a soft wall, so while initial turn-in may be slightly vague, mid corner grip and what happens at the limit is where it's happening. I've just fitted a set and am running slightly higher pressures. This should offset some of the shoulder wear, and reduce vague turn-in

Edit: Interesting to see what you make of the coilovers once you're used to them


.

 

He's joined the show and shine brigade. Ty what are you doing??? Cars looking good though back to original look

 

Amazing pics ty, car is looking really well mate

Wiley

 

dam, that makes me want to get the scooby back on the road

 

Awesome, thats what these cars are made for

 

No blinking show and shine here Rich, just a bit of a joke that's all. I really prefer the standardish look.

Thanks Wiley, your car is looking good and I bet you can't wait to get it back from Enginetuner - once you have it back you'll have a new appreciation for exactly how fast these cars are, let alone with an uprated power output.

 

Well the weathers good at the moment so take full advantage of it, I'm assuming it SORN'd at the moment?

They certainly are especially that road and a few others around the Brecon Beacons National Park, it's like a real world version of some of the best Forza / Gran Turismo tracks.

 

I'm running tyre pressures of 34F and 32R, how does this compare to your pressures? The pressures I'm running I think are what are recommended by Prodrive when using their lowering springs.

I'm having BC coilovers fitted (the later type with better top mounts) after having the earlier Apex/BC coilovers fitted to the car when I bought it I was a little reluctant to say the least.

After having spoken to a few members with them fitted they all said they are great and they've obviously been improved with better damping and recoil rates plus better top mounts.

I'm not looking to drop it loads only perhaps around an inch more than the Prodrive springs allow but to stiffen the damping rate so as to make the best use of the uprated front and rear anti roll bars; well that's the theory but what it'll be like in practice remains to be seen.

 

Yes, saving up for coilovers, will be interested in how you rate the new BC.

 

i love that road, i go up there now and again its a nice road to drive on.

 

Looked a nice morning out ,not a car in sight

 

awesome dude

 

I'll post up my thoughts when I've had a chance to see what I think of them.

One of the best, I just wish they'd sort out some of the tarmac up there.

Thanks.

 

There were a few but they didn't prove to be too much of a problem, but they did look twice at me after I'd overtaken them and then passed them again going in the opposite diection.

 

Stunning car and scenery