My First Road trip | the peak district | lotus emira
So I finally took the car on a road trip...I've been wanting to get away for some time now and cover some miles in the Emira to see what it can really do, and also to see what its like to spend some real time driving the car over distance. I would love to go to Europe some day, but thought it might be wise to see just how comfortable it is on a long drive. and also try and find some roads where the Emira feels at home. Your classic English country roads. At the same time i wanted to find somewhere with good photo opportunities, somewhere with epic scenery open roads and big vistas. my choice, the Peak District and it really did deliver.
toyota gr yaris
Some stats:
3.5-liter supercharged v6.
Power: 400bhp, Torque: 420 NM 0-60 mph: Around 4.8 seconds
Top Speed: Approximately 170 mph Transmission: 6-speed manual SUSPENSION: TOURING SET UP
your typical Peak distric scene
I had 3 days on my own with the car and a camera. The plan, was to put the car to the test and shoot it as I went. I was looking for that perfect road and perfect conditions to properly open her up and experience all the good stuff I've read about the Emira for the first time. The roads in Surrey, where I live, although fun, are tight, bumpy and visibility is always poor with overgrown hedge rows, tree cover, tight blind bends and narrow lanes. Up in the peaks it couldn't be more different.
Firstly the roads are wide, I think its because they need to accommodate large agricultural vehicles that work up there. Or maybe its because they have so much more space, I never once found myself on a single track lane and the wider roads just give you that extra confidence. The Emira is a wide car and you really feel it sometimes.
Then theres the visibility, You can see for miles infront of you. This enables you to see what's coming both of the road itself and other users, making it easier to navigate at pace. Then theres the fact that most of these roads have either a 60mph or national speed limit, which I obviously stuck too and never exceeded!
I covered a lot of ground, I was staying in the heart of Hope Valley and surrounded by great roads and beautiful rolling hills. The weather was spot on. Dry bright and warm, with a smattering of clouds which worked perfectly adding interest to the sky when shooting.
And that was the other part of the plan, To shoot as much as I could. But specifically with a goal to capture the car in the stunning environment. When I started shooting cars I did just that, I concentrated way too much on the subject and not its relationship with the environment it was in. Getting hung up on the details and the best angles but not really thinking about the story the setting provided. I really wanted to work on this and that was the main reason for traveling somewhere like the Peaks.
Peak District NAtional Park
The road I wanted to find most of all, based on the research i had done was Snakes Pass. So as soon as I was settled after the three and a half hour drive up (which was a breeze in the Emira who delivered 36MPG which was a pleasant surprise) I set off to find it. Snakes Pass is a 14 mile drivers dream road that links Glossop just outside Manchester to Ladybower Reservoir just before you reach Sheffield.
Its a twisty road with lots of elevation changes, a couple of nice switch backs, plenty of adverse cambers and some decent straights. It requires a lot of concentration which is difficult whilst trying to soak up the stunning views. At the Glossop side, its rocky and harsh before opening up into wide open moorland of the summit and then a beautiful decent to the reservoir through alpine forests littered with little waterfalls and pretty rock formations. its well worth a visit.
I drove it back and forth 6 times that day slowly at first taking in the sights and getting a feel for it, stopping occasionally to take photos and enjoy the peace.
But it was the last time I drove it that will stay with me for a long time. Driving from Glossop towards Sheffield the sun was setting and the road was quiet. So quiet in-fact that I only saw one other car driving the opposite direction. It was like id hired my own personal track, it was amazing.
The Lotus really came into its own, sticking to the warn road, punching out of corners, breaking hard, using the lower end of the gearbox constantly shifting, its a technical road and at pace always changing quickly. The perfect drive the perfect road, the perfect car. My face was aching from the huge grin that I couldn't shift even if i tried. This one drive was why I bought this car. It all started to make sense. Its why cars like this are made, I dont think I've experienced anything like it, a true sense of joy and admiration for an object doing what it was designed to do so brilliantly. How can an object make you feel so exhilarated, properly emotional. Some people wont get it but some will, and its to those I'm speaking to now. 
I couldn't recommend the Peak District enough to anyone whop loves driving. its a playground for cars and if your into photography then again get yourself up there theres so many beautiful places to visit. Wynatts Pass is another road to enjoy, although at slow pace as its restricted but truly stunning.
The select photos from the trip can be seen here
Thanks for reading, catch you laters,Steve