Planet 9

Cwinner19 · #1 08-09-2009, 08:17 PM

I was recently in Hawaii and drove this stretch of road may times in a Hyundai Sonota Rental Car. I've never missed my Cayman S more in my life than when I would come around the bend and see this beautiful stretch of road just screaming for a Porsche to drive on it.

This is on the Island of Kauai HWY 550 from Waimea to Waimea Canyon Lookout.

GPS Coord:
N 22 deg 01.338
W 159 deg 40.513

If anybody has ever driven this road in a Porsche, I will be forever jealous.

**jnscolo** · #2 08-09-2009, 09:45 PM

Awesome, awesome pic.

intubator · #3 08-09-2009, 10:24 PM

I agree with you, this is a great Porsche road! I was traveling on it last week from Hawi town to Waimea, unbelievable!!

Schwabe · #4 08-10-2009, 07:32 AM

looks awesome, at least you can see something unlike the Dragon:

Top Gear: The Best Road in the World

Tail of the Dragon and there is also Cantler on the Vimeo website, both in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.

DrKareem · #5 08-10-2009, 08:46 AM

Jabeel Hafeet, Al Ain, UAE

DrKareem · #6 08-10-2009, 08:47 AM

Some info about the road

The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the greatest driving road in the world. Stretching for 7.3 miles and climbing nearly 4,000 feet, it boasts 60 corners and a surface so smooth that it would flatter a racetrack. It could easily be described as the eighth wonder of the world, but almost nothing is known about its creation.

The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road must have cost $100 million to build, but its origins remain shrouded in mystery. You can buy an enormous guidebook detailing the hydrogeology of the local spring, or the DNA of the resident butterflies, but info on the road itself is almost impossible to find.

DrKareem · #7 08-10-2009, 08:48 AM

More

Cwinner19 · #8 08-10-2009, 09:20 AM

DrKareem, that looks like an awesome road! Hopefully I can make it to UAE someday and find a Cayman to rent to make a couple runs.

Schwabe · #9 08-10-2009, 11:06 AM

Here is the data for the Tail of the Dragon:

FACTS ABOUT THE DRAGON

TOTAL DISTANCE:
By Road:
Tabcat Bridge to Deals Gap - 11.1 miles
Tabcat Bridge to Hwy 28 - 11.8 miles
Tabcat Bridge to Fugitive Bridge - 14.0 miles
As the Crow Flies:
Tabcat Bridge to Fugitive Bridge - 6.0 miles

AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (ADT):
400 vehicles in 2002.

HIGHEST ELEVATION:
Deals Gap - 1962 feet

LOWEST ELEVATION:
Tabcat Bridge - 877 feet

ELEVATION CHANGE:
Tabcat Bridge to Deals Gap - plus 1085 feet
Tabcat Bridge to Fugitive Bridge - plus 321 feet

prodgers · #10 08-10-2009, 11:46 AM

Come To WA

I drive on Roads that are more scenic and twisty EVERY DAY

Maybe I will video one with my new camera on my way home today

jeffreybehr · #11 08-10-2009, 12:21 PM

...as Tail of the Dragon, but it's lots closer for us westerners. See my note in http://www.planetporsche.net/u-s-wes...ay-gilroy.html for some details.

Map of Paicines, CA by MapQuest

Cwinner19 · #12 08-10-2009, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Schwabe

Here is the data for the Tail of the Dragon:

Schwabe - Thanks for the info. Being from the SW, I have never heard about this road. I definitely feel the need for a road trip coming on! What an awesome road!

Originally Posted by prodgers

Come To WA

I drive on Roads that are more scenic and twisty EVERY DAY

prodgers - You are very lucky indeed! Enjoy those twisties!

Gatordave · #13 08-12-2009, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by Cwinner19

I was recently in Hawaii and drove this stretch of road may times in a Hyundai Sonota Rental Car. I've never missed my Cayman S more in my life than when I would come around the bend and see this beautiful stretch of road just screaming for a Porsche to drive on it.

This is on the Island of Kauai HWY 550 from Waimea to Waimea Canyon Lookout.

GPS Coord:
N 22 deg 01.338
W 159 deg 40.513

If anybody has ever driven this road in a Porsche, I will be forever jealous.

My wife and I were there on vacation in June. I kept telling her I wish I had the Cayman instead of the rental mustang. I feel your pain....

**ruwoodbury** · #14 09-02-2009, 11:33 PM

In April my I drove with my wife from the end/top of the Waimea road all the way down turning off the main highway and finishing on the stretch you pictured. We were in a rental Jeep Wrangler. After the turn off we only met a couple oncoming vehicles coming up so we virtually had the road to ourselves. I still had my S2000 then and ached to have a proper sports car to tear up and down that section.
When we were in New Zealand, driving a rental Toyota Corolla, we encountered the twistiest road I've ever been on and it went on for more then thirty miles. There were only a handful of straights and sometimes the road would be a series of wiggles that were like driving an oversized slalom. As I recall it was on the south island as we headed out of Picton towards Nelson.
I've got my own great twisty road several miles from my home that has very little traffic. It's the old route to a local ski resort--parts of it used to be used for a hill climb competition many years ago. Now there are more bicycles on it then cars. I drive it every couple weeks.
I'd love to be close enough to drive the Dragon or the Jabeel Hafeet. Thanks for the pics and info.
BW

Rod · #15 09-03-2009, 06:46 PM

Why Road Atlanta of course...Rod

Wolfie · #16 09-03-2009, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by DrKareem

Jabeel Hafeet, Al Ain, UAE

Amazing road.. and picture!

Thanks!

SinisterSC · #17 01-27-2010, 04:59 PM

I disagree...

jhemp42 · #18 04-25-2010, 10:01 PM

Sinister SC, could you give us a clue where this road is--I'm guessing either Colorado Rockies or Swiss Alps??? Great Pictures. JH

jhemp42 · #19 04-25-2010, 10:10 PM

My wife and I drove a Mustang convertible up the road to Waimea Canyon, and it twists and turns, goes uphill, downhill all the way. The canyon is actually deeper than the Grand Canyon. If I had unlimited funds, would sure take my CS on a ship with me, and revisit Kauai. The only other problem is that the views from the road are so spectacular you have to stop every 5 minutes to take a picture. JH

fastang · #20 04-25-2010, 10:54 PM

In Northern California Sierra Nevada foothills...
Only 30 minutes from Sacramento
The first 17 miles from Auburn to Foresthill are smooth and
freeway speed curves.
In Foresthill turn right on Mosquito Ridge Road...
600 curves in 36 miles. SWEET!
I've taken this road many times on my R1200c.
Only twice in my Cayman... and only half way both times.
I think going back up the mountain side is more fun.
Motorcycle Mosquito Ridge Road-* Foresthill, CA to French Meadows Reservoir