Tail of the Dragon Video: The Full Run
Here’s the video a lot of you have been waiting for. Unfortunately several sections had to be cut out due to some traffic, but I think you generally get the idea. And keep in mind that this particular run was done casually with some regard for the law.
For the tecnically inclined, this video was originally shot in Hi-Def on a Sanyo HD2. However at over 1 Gig, hosting the file would have presented some problems.
And for those who are particularly observant, yes the famous “Killboy” was taking photos during this run. Below is the 3rd shot he took of me as I went around his corner while shooting this video.
nice “california stop” gabe ; )
that’s one intense road…
and now . . . here’s a run done with some CASUAL regard for the law. 😉
this video was well worth the wait. thanks, Gabe.
it looks like everything i thought it would be and MORE!
im def. going to the dragon next year!
thanks Gabe!
OMG! I WANT TO GO!!!
Great video! I think I won’t do any work and just watch it all day.
Great video. After watching that I’ve got the need to go do some serious motoring this weekend!
One question, how do you mount your video camera in the car to get such great images?
Thanks for sharing the vid!
He didn’t wave enough to his fellow MINI motorists!
Oh well, I guess he was pretty busy staying on those twisties.
cool! do you leave dsc / asc on while driving the dragon? (i certainly hope you do)
nope.
DSC off. except on Saturday when it was wet and covered in oil.
Great video! And great camera set up. Did you craft that yourself or was that from a vendor?
Also, were the sections edited because of slow traffic or a few choice words for those who wouldn’t pull over? 🙂
Thanks again for the videos. It really helped give me a flavor of the road and the new MCS.
Awesome — sure brings back good memories. It was only 6 days ago, and it already feels like it’s been months . . . is it 2008 yet?
>cool! do you leave dsc / asc on while driving the dragon? (i certainly hope you do)
It’s usually off.
>One question, how do you mount your video camera in the car to get such great images?
<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/482602167_0d1247becd.jpg" width="468" />
Before anyone asks, no it doesn’t go all the way across and yes, it’s a hollow aluminum bar.
>Great video! And great camera set up. Did you craft that yourself or was that from a vendor?
Paul Rossman created that. You can buy something similar called a cruise cam. However Paul’s had a great mount that allowed for a huge amount of adjustment.
>Also, were the sections edited because of slow traffic or a few choice words for those who wouldn’t pull over? 🙂
Both 🙂 I’ll see you there next year Tom!
Sweet! Thanks for going to the trouble of shooting all of this Gabe. It gives such a great flavor for those of us who didn’t go. I’ve SO got the itch now! I’m dying to get my MCS on the track or at least on some piece of road like this.
I’m guessing you’ll discuss this in your “upcoming review,” but I’ll ask it now – how much did you miss the LSD in your R53 while driving the Dragon? And also, how is the balance on the R56 – is it still in need of a rear swaybar?
Very cool Gabe! Are going to see the other videos? Having yours and Brian’s side-by-side in the MF cabin started to make me sick with all of the motion!!! Lovin’ it!!!
Great video, but being there is sooo much more!! I don’t think any camera can show what the evelvation changes combined with huge camber changes in the road truly feel like. Gabe you’ve given a fantastic tease of how much fun the Dragon is.
Is it May of 08 yet?
Great video Gabe… when are you releasing it on HD-DVD & Blu-Ray? 😉
For those reading who haven’t been… the “full run” (starting at the stop sign that Gabe turned at… that’s Deals Gap) actually takes at least 20 minutes for most people (even without any traffic). Also, that lookout at the end is about the 80% mark – there’s still another couple of miles to go beyond that!
(Remember, the entire thing is over 11 miles… <strong>an average of over 29 turns per mile!</strong> It takes that simple calculation to really put it into perspective.)
It’s a long road trip to get there for most people… but COMPLETELY worth it. Nothing else out there quite like it. 🙂
YouTube/GVideo kinda kills the wow factor from the HD camera. Have you tried hosting it on MetaCafe? They seem to offer better quality.
-Brian
I understand that you don’t want to post any vids of anyone breaking the law so that nobody gets in trouble. But, why don’t you find a “stig” or “ghostrider” driver, to make an anon vid?
Not that I condone breaking the law, mind you. 😉
Were you in third gear for most of the way? It seemed like there wasn’t a lot of shifting? Hopefully I can make it next year if it’s possible with two little ones. 🙂
>YouTube/GVideo kinda kills the wow factor from the HD camera. Have you tried hosting it on MetaCafe? They seem to offer better quality.
I tried MetaCafe. The quality is barely any better and the sound is worse. The colors also aren’t as vibrant.
>Were you in third gear for most of the way? It seemed like there wasn’t a lot of shifting? Hopefully I can make it next year if it’s possible with two little ones. 🙂
Both 2nd and 3rd gear the whole time. If you watch close you’ll see my hand come off the wheel for a split second while shifting. You can also hear me matching revs whenever I do this.
Nice! All you need to do is put that soundtrack to the opening credits of the original Italian job and it would be perfect.
Can you convert it to divx or something and host it on
<a href="http://stage6.divx.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://stage6.divx.com/</a>
?
Gabe is there any chance of you release a torrent hd video ?
Ooooooo! Good call on the torrent! Yes, please!
Since there seems to be interest, I’ll torrent the HD file later this weekend. Look for the link info right here.
Great video. I’d love to see the HD as well. That is one very cool road – I have to get down there. It looks like a smooth Ravinia x100, without the driveways and the north shore gendarmes.
<blockquote> If you watch close you’ll see my hand come off the wheel for a split second while shifting. You can also hear me matching revs whenever I do this.</blockquote>
Split second shifts, huh. Not as fast as the split second “pats on the back” though. 😉
I use Metacafe and they have great quality – one of the best I have encountered. They look good and their sound is great. the one time i had a problem i went on the forums and they sent it through conversion again and it worked perfectly.
>I use Metacafe and they have great quality – one of the best I have encountered. They look good and their sound is great. the one time i had a problem i went on the forums and they sent it through conversion again and it worked perfectly.
Here’s the MetaCafe version of the same video. Again colors aren’t as vivid and the sound is subpar compared to Google Video.
<embed src="http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/573856/tail_of_the_dragon_full_run_motoringfile_com.swf" width="468" height="388" wmode="transparent" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><font size = 1><a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/573856/tail_of_the_dragon_full_run_motoringfile_com/" rel="nofollow">Tail Of The Dragon / Full Run / MotoringFile.com</a> – <a href='http://www.metacafe.com/' rel="nofollow">Funny blooper videos are here</a></font>
Gonna sound like a computer geek 😉 but it would be great if someone made a game of the dragon for those of us in Oz that will likely never have the chance to take our own MINIs and Minis over… Atleast if we did ever get over there we’d have the road sussed!
Have a Tail of the Dragon track on GT5….that’d be so awesome.
Except when the lucky folks that can really run it they’d be all over the double yellows. 🙁
<blockquote>Have a Tail of the Dragon track on GT5….that’d be so awesome.
Except when the lucky folks that can really run it they’d be all over the double yellows.
</blockquote>
That would be cool. I only bought GT4 to get the Nurburgring. Didn’t even look at the rest of the game. 😛
Just make it so that if you cross the double line you get penalized… and maybe have the occasional on-coming car to keep players honest. 🙂