WJSOLOMON

Having the first 1,000 Mile Service with Moble 1 Synthetic Oil done earlier this week, I decided to have my assigned Service Tech install the Dunlop Winter Sport II Tires already mounted and balenced on extra dedicated OEM Wheels w/ Sensors, so on my return trip from the Sarasota area to Indy in early January, I wouldn't have to go through the additional hassle of having them shipped to the Atlanta Store next to the Hilton where I'll have the Overnight.

All in all, these Dunlops WS II were a pretty good choice! As mentioned herein, a Lot of things in life are "Compromises", and this Winter Tire situation is just another one of them, but a "reasonable" one.

Recommended and Approved for the SC 430 both by LEXUS and THE TIRE RACK over Blizzacs and Pirellis, they look Serious, have very little Wide Rubber Contact Sections so that Hydroplaning is no longer a concern on Heavy Rains traveling in excess of 55 mph, and their Aggressive ("Teeth") Bite sure looks ready to eat and grip through the Snow out on the open road.

Inflating them to 40 psi out of a maximum possible of 43 psi (unlike my Bridgestone RF with a Max Inflation of 51 psi), they still ride "Softer" than the OEM RF, but you can feel and hear their hollow "Ping" on the Expansion Strips, and know that they've been beefed up close to maximum allowable pressure. Running the Car with the Trunk and Rear Seat fully loaded with Christmas Packages for the Family, Car Cleaning Supplies, Luggage, and other Florida stuff, I fugured the 40 psi was a smart move, and soon under way, I was pleasantly convinced.

Driving down through Kentucky and into Tennessee in Heavy Rains, it tracked like a Trooper, accelerated, cornered, and braked just about as good as the OEM Bridgesone RF's. These Dunlops are made in Germany, and would be expected to do well on most High Performance German Cars!

However, unlike our often besmearched RF's, these Winter Sport II's have a much more limited High Speed "Comfort Zone" - pretty much like to stay between 75 - 85 mph for all day cruising on Dry Pavements. That seems to be their "Sweet Spot", and while they may start to "perspire" from 85 - 110 mph, they will rise to the occasion, but you know that they really don't Want to, and probably weren't really designed for Sustained Extreme High Speed Performance on Dry Pavements. These Great Performance Winter Tires "compromise" some High Speed Performance characteristics with Superior Legal Interstate Freeway Speeds driving through Heavy Rains, with NO feel of potential Hydroplaning in the curves or Severe Braking, and hopefully, will preform as well in Slush, Snow and "Black" Ice.

Coming down through the Mountains into Nashville, the roads were pretty much Wide Open, so I decided that I should be too!

Clicking on the Mysterious "James Bond-Like" ETC Switcn, I put the Pedal to the Metal (.........uh, wait a minute, can I still say that with our "Electronicly Controlled Throttle?), and turned up Faith Hill's new "Robusty" Sexy new CD in a (perferable for her) "Long Blond" Verson, and grinned from ear to ear when the Tach rose from 3,000 up through 4,000, and the Big 4.3 V8 with all 300 Horses pulling, and the massive 325 willing pounds of Torque emmited their Lusty Battle Cry. WOW - what a Sound of Power and Fury unleashed! ("Silver Spur" - when your Shark Grinning M3 tries to catch up and starts to strain as your RPM"s stretch to 7,900 to achieve your 333 HP, your sled must sound like Choir Boy Soppranos, and not the ones on HBO!)

Climbing easily up over 125, then 135, it sarts to "dance" at 140, and then flips the "Low Inflation" Warning Light on as you pass 142 mph. :eek:

It's plain to see that this excellant German Designed and Manufactured High Performance Tire was intended for Winter Driving at all Legal Domestic Interstate Speeds, which still puts it at the Top of most High Performance Tire Lists for Superior Performance on our kind of Car, for Severe Winter Driving, and for Responsible Adults / Mature Audiences only.

Coming into Nashville and down through their confusing "Spaggetti Bowl" of Interstate Options, it was reading 50 Degrees out and Nightfall had settled in. I was making some "Brisk" Lane Changes using the 'Dynamic Dual" of "ETC" and "Manual Mode" on the tranny, when I noticed what appeared to be one of those New 2002 Lincoln Continental Sport Sedans quickly approaching me in the far right hand lane, and "coming on fast!". Glancing first to my Phantom II Radar Detector / Scrambler, with it's little brother backup of the Escort 8500 tucked in right beside it on the Windshield under the RV Mirror, then glancing at my Speed, I kicked her on down and brought her up to 88 mph, through the sweeping curves.

I didn't realize until I saw his Headlights dip and flip skyward momentarily, that this dude was downshifting one of those new Sport Versions that Continential provides with a Manual 5-Speed, and he had the Horses and Torque Range to pull straight up along side of me! There we were, "neck and neck" so to speak, and I took a good look at him - hair slicked back with long sideburns like an "Elvis Sighting", with a trimmed goatee, shimmering ear rings in both ears, a semi-toothless "red-neck" grin, and his Lincoln a light shade of pink that Mary Kay would have "died for" (no pun intended ).

Next thing I know, he had tapped his Florshiem Patent Leather Loafers to the throttle, and seemed like he was trying to touch my outside Mirror with his, as he was getting dangerously close now.

I knew that I couldn't out run him if I tried, his was the more powerful sled. Then in came to me, sort of in a '"flash", so to speak.......I reached low behind and to the left of the Steering Wheel, and turned up the Interior Light Control until the Navigational System Screen Lit Up, and seemed to SCREAM with White Light..........."WHAM!"

When I "Flashed" him with the LEXUS GPS Screen, it literally "Bumped" him like, Two Lanes Over, and he was so taken be suprise that he headed for the first available Exit, and sped off into the night down State Highway 69, for more amicable "play mates". I can only presume so, as His License Tag read: "LAVANDER LARRY".

I was kind of shook up over the entire incident too, as I've never had my LEXUS SC 430's "manhood" so threatened before by a Domestic / Continental (say......they Could be "Switch / Hitters" after all, with their Special 5-Speed "Tranny". Uh, "Mr. Obvious", like, would that be "Forward", or are most of those gears intended for "Reverse"?) Don't Go There!

At any rate, the next thing I know, is that I'm roaring on down I-65 into the darkness at 85 mph ++, listening to that really SEXY Duet song by Ann Murray and Jan Ardon called "Insensitive" (what do you mean "Is that a 'two part' word?"), and watching the Nav System show me that I'm making good speed traveling Due SOUTH on I-65................oops there!

I was supposed to have headed EAST on I-24 into Atlanta for the Night, Not SOUTH into Birmingham! Now I really felt somewhat "screwed" by" L. L." (will this show up in my LEXUS Profile?????

By the time that I was able to turn and head East on I-20 and reach Atlanta, it was well past 1:00 in the morning, and in this Town, they don't even sell Beer at the Gas Stations after Midnight. Damn!

Fortunately, the nice Hilton Security Guards directed my to a Steak / Sea Food Place just two Lights away called "BARNACLES", they said served until 2:00 AM.

As it turned out, they were closed, but the Rocking Place next door to them called mysteriously "8353" wasn't!

A $10.00 Cover Charge, $5.00 Beers, and the Hottest Exotic Dancers this side of the Mississippi! "HOLY S_ _T, MR. OBVIOUS, THEY'RE NOT ONLY TOPLESS, BUT................SAY, IS THAT REALLY MISTLETOE HANGING AROUND THOSE PRETTY WAISTS"?

I settled in at the corner of the Bar where I could watch all of the Dancer's Stations in the Mirror, snugged down my New Black LEXUS Ball Cap with the Gold "L" smartly displayed front and center, and was washing down some "Hot Wings" with a few cold Samual Adams and minding my own business, when this "Exotic Princess" seductively approached me, bent over and whispered in my ear: "Well 'Mr. Lucky', or whatever that 'L' stands for on your Cap, feel like getting 'Lucky' tonight, or maybe you'd just prefer to give me my Christmas Kiss............... under the Mistletoe?"

I bit down hard in my Chicken wing, wondering when I awoke at Day Break, if I would have the taste of "gristle" (or was it "Krystle") on my breath .............................

anthonycecil

A great story, well done, just wish I were with you at the end Tony