Day 8
February 5th 2010
As the second-to-last day of this event comes to a close, I thought I would put the scale of the drive into perspective for y'all. The total distance I will have travelled in a smart fortwo will roughly be 5,300 km once we arrive in Vancouver tomorrow. Let's say it's like leaving my hometown of Montreal and heading towards Los Angeles, California. How far do you think that is? According to Google Maps: 4,700 km. Montreal to Vancouver: 4,600 km. For fun; Montreal to Inuvik: 6,800 km.
Today's road led us through Dawson Creek where mile-marker 0 for the Alaskan Highway is located. The little town greeted us with a local photographer and a shop owner that handed out pins that commemorate the marker.
The total run of the smart winter expedition will be of just under 8,000 km! That is insane! Although road conditions have become "normal", that is to say that the ice and snow have been replaced by pavement, the roads are far from easy. Washer fluid has become more precious than gold and keeping headlights clean is the difference between staying on the beaten path and taking a plunge into the ditch. The trick is to increase the distance between cars, however that is proving to be difficult as the competition for the worse-off windshield is in full effect.
Mercedes plans to have one or more of these fortwos on display at the Canadian International Auto Show regala, that is to say, dirty, scratched and with all the battle scars. Moreover, it would seem that the most beaten-up fortwo will set up shop at Mercedes-Benz Canada headquarters as a display piece for a period of time. I, like everyone else, want the title of "drivers of the most mashed-up fortwo".
I mentioned a few days back about breaking down a few stats on the fortwo. The 2010 fortwo is powered by a 1.0L (999 cc) 3-cylinder gas-powered engine that produces 70 hp and 68 lb-ft of torque. The motor is rear-mounted and it sends its mighty arsenal to the rear wheels via a 5-speed automated-manual gearbox. Weighing in at 820 kg, the forwo requires a tad over 13 seconds to reach 100 km/h. If you are interested in more info on the 2010 smart fortwo, you can log on to smart's website.
So then, that's almost it... I've been to Inuvik and back. Now, here in Wiliams Lake, I'm a mere 530 km away from Vancouver, about 3,400 km from Inuvik and roughly 36 hours from heading back East. What an adventure.
February 5th 2010
As the second-to-last day of this event comes to a close, I thought I would put the scale of the drive into perspective for y'all. The total distance I will have travelled in a smart fortwo will roughly be 5,300 km once we arrive in Vancouver tomorrow. Let's say it's like leaving my hometown of Montreal and heading towards Los Angeles, California. How far do you think that is? According to Google Maps: 4,700 km. Montreal to Vancouver: 4,600 km. For fun; Montreal to Inuvik: 6,800 km.
Today's road led us through Dawson Creek where mile-marker 0 for the Alaskan Highway is located. The little town greeted us with a local photographer and a shop owner that handed out pins that commemorate the marker.
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The total run of the smart winter expedition will be of just under 8,000 km! That is insane! Although road conditions have become "normal", that is to say that the ice and snow have been replaced by pavement, the roads are far from easy. Washer fluid has become more precious than gold and keeping headlights clean is the difference between staying on the beaten path and taking a plunge into the ditch. The trick is to increase the distance between cars, however that is proving to be difficult as the competition for the worse-off windshield is in full effect.
Mercedes plans to have one or more of these fortwos on display at the Canadian International Auto Show regala, that is to say, dirty, scratched and with all the battle scars. Moreover, it would seem that the most beaten-up fortwo will set up shop at Mercedes-Benz Canada headquarters as a display piece for a period of time. I, like everyone else, want the title of "drivers of the most mashed-up fortwo".
I mentioned a few days back about breaking down a few stats on the fortwo. The 2010 fortwo is powered by a 1.0L (999 cc) 3-cylinder gas-powered engine that produces 70 hp and 68 lb-ft of torque. The motor is rear-mounted and it sends its mighty arsenal to the rear wheels via a 5-speed automated-manual gearbox. Weighing in at 820 kg, the forwo requires a tad over 13 seconds to reach 100 km/h. If you are interested in more info on the 2010 smart fortwo, you can log on to smart's website.
So then, that's almost it... I've been to Inuvik and back. Now, here in Wiliams Lake, I'm a mere 530 km away from Vancouver, about 3,400 km from Inuvik and roughly 36 hours from heading back East. What an adventure.