Thoughts from the Curb

Jul 4, 2008 - Behind the Scenes of Edmunds Testing

I snapped this photo during track testing this week and it got me thinking about the juxtaposed nature of this job. Yes, that's the Audi R8 we get drive around for three months. Undeniably cool.

But those are the videographers who get to stand out in 95-degree heat in Fontana, Calif., surrounded by a freight train, a junk yard, several cubic miles of asphalt, a Port-a-Crapper that suddenly began leaking and the smog-filled air that slowly hides the San Bernardino mountains as the day wears on. Also, the driver of the R8 doesn't have the air-conditioner on, so after countless acceleration, braking, skidpad and slalom runs, it can get a tad toasty. Make that a tad roasty if you're in the Viper ACR we had this week. Not that I hear much complaining, it's just the reality.

On such days, I'm usually sitting under a collapsable tent or in an air-conditioned car after its gone through its accel runs. I jot down numbers processed by Vehicle Testing Assistant Mike Magrath, which were generated by one of our road test editors and the high-tech V-Box vehicle testing thingy. As an editor, though, my principal job is just to ferry cars to and from the test track, and assist the testing team as need-be. I also will occasionally eat a sandwich and rip the gas cap door off a Jaguar XJ with my winter coat. It's hard work, but somebody's gotta do it.

-James Riswick 

9:46 am | Categories: behind the scenes at edmunds.com Permalink | Alert Administrator

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