When one of the world's most outrageous sports cars arrives in one of the most dramatic and picturesque settings on earth — Canada's Alberta Province — a high-octane journey is guaranteed. But host Arthur St. Antoine does much more than simply wring-out this very special GT-R. While exploring the Canadian Rockies
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MotorTranscript
00:00 Every auto enthusiast has his or her take on what constitutes a perfect road trip.
00:07 But I'm willing to bet our visions also have a lot in common.
00:10 Wide open roads with plenty of entertaining wriggles.
00:14 Scenery that causes the heart to sing and the eyes to smile.
00:19 Adventures to invigorate the senses.
00:22 And above all, a car guaranteed to leave enduring echoes on the soul.
00:28 Join me for all of the above and more as I explore the beauteous Canadian province of Alberta
00:34 in one of the most outrageous sporting machines in the world, the Nissan GT-R Black Edition.
00:41 I don't just write about adventure, I live it.
00:51 Especially wringing out the coolest cars on the planet.
00:55 Let's see just how far these incredible machines can take us.
01:00 Strap in for epic drive.
01:03 Well, it's been a couple of years since I've driven a GT-R
01:12 and I am psyched to be reacquainting myself with Godzilla.
01:16 Wow, what a machine.
01:24 This is the new Black Edition.
01:27 It's got this black and red leather interior, dark forged alloy wheels,
01:32 and a beautiful carbon fiber rear spoiler.
01:36 But God, this is such a sweet sports car. It's just so strong.
01:41 The engine gets all the headlines, but the chassis of this GT-R is really underrated.
01:49 It's really, really grippy.
01:52 And that four-wheel drive system can apportion 100% of the torque to the rear wheels,
01:57 but as soon as they start to slip, up to 50% can go to the fronts,
02:01 so you get this slingshot effect out of corners.
02:05 It's unlike almost any other car on earth.
02:07 It just puts the power down so well. That's what gives it that real head snap.
02:12 The ride is pretty firm, but it doesn't roll much at all,
02:20 which is what you want on a nice, smooth road like this.
02:23 And then the traction control, very, very limited at this point,
02:28 so it will just step out just a little bit in some of these tight corners.
02:32 The Brembos up front are almost 15.5 inches around with six piston calipers.
02:40 Ah, this car is so fast. Wow.
02:46 (car engine)
02:49 (music)
02:54 My journey begins in the bustling metropolis of Calgary, population just over a million.
03:01 Nestled amid the steel and glass towers downtown is the chic, boutique-style Hotel Arts,
03:08 which boasts not only a fabulous poolside lounge, but two award-winning restaurants.
03:15 Naturally, I take the opportunity to sit down with chef Craig Boge
03:20 for a sample of the restaurant's celebrated fare.
03:24 Well, Craig, this looks fantastic. Thanks.
03:27 What have you cooked up for us today?
03:29 We've decided to showcase probably our most popular dish from Raw Bar.
03:33 It's our latest restaurant. That's the one next door.
03:35 That's the one next door, yeah. We're actually sitting in Yellow Door Bistro right now,
03:38 which is another new restaurant of ours, but we thought we'd showcase this one.
03:42 It's pretty close to Duncan Lee, our executive chef's heart.
03:45 He's actually Vietnamese by birth.
03:47 So I've got some ingredients here, and I'm just going to plate it for you quickly.
03:51 We've got some lovely fried shallots here. It gives a nice little crunch to the dish.
03:56 And we just sprinkle a few on top.
03:58 And again, it's just very kind of sporadic plating.
04:00 We just kind of, a little bit of fresh spicy peanuts that we've toasted off,
04:04 we can just sprinkle on top here.
04:06 A little bit of fresh salt, obviously. I'll avoid the fingers with the chilies.
04:11 And how long has Raw Bar been here doing this?
04:14 It's been here probably since the start of the hotel, but we've just recently branded it,
04:18 rebranded it, probably the last four months.
04:20 So it's now known as Raw Bar by Duncan Lee.
04:22 So before it was sort of pan-Pacific style food,
04:25 where now we've gone very specific with that Vietnamese modern look.
04:29 And it's something unique, unlike anything else in the city right now.
04:32 It really is. It's taken off.
04:34 And if you love Vietnamese food, then you've absolutely got to come down and try it,
04:37 because there are a lot of favorites and things that people love,
04:39 but just that are done slightly differently.
04:41 Another star at Hotel Arts is Calgary-based singer-songwriter Amy Thiessen.
04:50 Amy's got one album out already on iTunes, and another in the works.
04:55 She also knows the best night spots in town.
04:59 Coming here, you know, you think Calgary, you think oil and gas, you think rodeos,
05:04 but it's really a pretty chic city, great food as we just had.
05:08 And obviously a vibrant music scene, right?
05:10 Yeah, no, this city's exploded in like ten years.
05:14 Of course, I've got a Nissan GT-R waiting in the garage,
05:18 and Amy says she likes fast cars.
05:21 Amy, I want to thank you for a great time in Calgary last night.
05:31 Had a blast, so in return, you get to have a blast in one of the fastest cars in the world,
05:35 the Nissan GT-R. Are you ready?
05:38 I'm ready.
05:39 Okay, going into race mode here, ready for launch. Hang on.
05:43 Don't tell Mom, okay?
05:58 Amazing!
06:05 (engine revving)
06:07 Nestled in the shadows of the Canadian Rockies lies a working cattle ranch called Sierra West.
06:31 Owners Ginny and Randy Donahue maintain guest cabins on the banks of Todd Creek
06:36 and regularly host visitors for cattle drives, rodeos,
06:40 or just a leisurely afternoon exploring the prairie on horseback.
06:45 Ginny and Randy kindly saddle up a horse for me,
06:52 but somehow Randy just can't keep his eyes off that GT-R.
06:57 Time to give this cowboy a taste of some real horsepower.
07:01 Okay, Randy, you have, what, 34 horses?
07:11 Yep.
07:12 Well, I've got 545. You ready?
07:15 Yep, let's go. Give or art.
07:18 Holy s***!
07:24 (laughing)
07:25 Oh, man! Holy Christ!
07:29 I can't believe how this thing rides.
07:33 Thanks, Art, I appreciate that ride.
07:35 Yeah, Randy, it was a pleasure.
07:36 That was great.
07:38 Now that was a ride.
07:41 Holy s***, I don't got no horses that'll do that.
07:44 (laughing)
07:45 By the way, when it comes time to round up the herd at sundown,
07:51 did you know that GT-R actually stands for Grand Touring Ranch?
07:57 Yep.
08:00 (engine revving)
08:03 (dramatic music)
08:06 (dramatic music)
08:08 (dramatic music)
08:10 (dramatic music)
08:17 (dramatic music)
08:19 Yeehaw!
08:42 And at the end of another hard day working the range
08:45 and blasting your four-wheeled Godzilla into the horizon at warp speed,
08:49 what better way to wind down than with a cold brew,
08:53 some fabulous barbecue,
08:55 a few cowboy tricks,
08:57 a gentle sky...
08:59 and, of course, a guy doing really scary things with a whip.
09:10 (whipping)
09:12 (guitar music)
09:17 As the sun sets and the fire heats up,
09:24 I'm content to sit back, watch the sparks,
09:27 and listen as a local cowboy hums and strums his guitar.
09:31 For right now, at least, all is right with the world.
09:38 Nope, definitely not in Los Angeles anymore.
09:42 Don't see guys like these on Sunset Boulevard.
09:45 So now we're driving up to Highwood Pass at 7,239 feet.
09:51 This is the highest paved road in all of Canada.
09:54 As you can hear from the singing engine,
10:00 we're making some nice digits in this GT-R as the car does so easily.
10:04 (engine revving)
10:07 We've closed the road down today so we can really let it run,
10:11 and on this ascent, it just feels like a rocketing up into the clouds.
10:15 (engine revving)
10:19 From that high point, now I'm headed way down,
10:26 deep into Alberta's Canmore Caverns.
10:29 Local guide Adam Walker has been leading visitors
10:32 through these remarkable caves for years,
10:35 and after a 30-minute hike up the mountain,
10:38 at last we reach the front door.
10:41 Welcome to Ratsnest Cave. Thank you.
10:43 Looks cool. Yeah, ready to go?
10:45 Yeah, you keep it locked to keep people from getting hurt in here, yeah?
10:48 That's right, yeah. It's a protected site, so we want to look after the cave,
10:51 but we also want to look after the cavers, right?
10:53 So we limit access to the cavers if they have appropriate experience.
10:57 Okay. And that's us. All right. Let's go.
11:02 This is not some gentle cave stroll.
11:05 Yeah, after getting that 30-minute hike uphill just to get here,
11:10 it's nice and cool, 41 degrees in here.
11:14 It's pitch black in here.
11:16 The going is tight, many stretches require safety lines,
11:20 and then I strap in for a rappel down a 65-foot chasm.
11:24 In other words, it's really cool.
11:27 Well, Adam, we have been climbing down and rappelling
11:31 and slithering on our backs for two hours or so now.
11:35 Hours.
11:36 And we are in the grotto, right?
11:38 The grotto, one of my favorite rooms in the cave, for sure.
11:41 We're at one of the deepest points on the tour,
11:43 about 165 feet below the entrance,
11:46 and we're just covered in cave formation,
11:48 all made by that water you hear dripping in the background.
11:51 And then to your right, you have this big blob of rock.
11:54 It's the largest, oldest formation in the cave.
11:58 It's about 750,000 years old and a meter thick.
12:02 Cool. And where do we catch the elevator to get back out?
12:04 Well, we'll work a little farther than that one.
12:07 We've got a little bit of climbing to do.
12:09 Finally, our team emerges topside,
12:12 but as if to give us all a wake-up,
12:14 we're greeted by an evening rain.
12:17 An incredible experience, but I'm about as black and blue
12:20 as if I'd just played four quarters against the Oakland Raiders.
12:24 Just trust me on this one.
12:34 Banff National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies,
12:38 is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
12:42 At its center lies Lake Minnewanka,
12:45 17 miles long, almost 500 feet deep,
12:49 and absolutely breathtaking.
12:52 Even the GTR can't do this place justice.
12:55 So I swap my wheels for a tour boat
12:58 and head out onto the glacial water and into the morning mist.
13:02 This is the kind of lake you might expect to find in Switzerland or even Norway.
13:07 This kind of mountain expanse all around you.
13:11 Beautiful, beautiful water, and it's just so unspoiled up here.
13:15 But forest, and apparently a lot of bears.
13:19 John Muir once wrote,
13:36 "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread.
13:40 Nature's sublime wonderlands, the admiration and joy of the world."
13:45 Almost makes me think he was talking about this place.
13:49 You're talking about a car as fast as the Nissan GTR.
13:59 Everybody's always interested in the engine, the acceleration,
14:03 how much grip it has, what's the top speed.
14:06 But what doesn't get a lot of attention
14:09 is that the GTR is actually a really good road car.
14:12 One you can actually take on a long trip and be quite comfortable.
14:15 You can put the adjustable suspension in the comfort mode.
14:18 It's not a Lincoln Town Car, but on the other hand,
14:21 it's not a steel canoe over a rock waterfall either.
14:24 It's actually pretty decent.
14:26 It's relatively quiet at speed.
14:28 You've got automatic climate control, Bose audio,
14:32 and these great Recaro seats.
14:38 The other important element of a great road trip is the environment.
14:42 Otherwise, you could just drive the whole way in a steel tube.
14:45 You have these mountains towering over low plains,
14:49 so it's a really dramatic skyline.
14:51 You have these lush forests,
14:53 and then through the woods you see these amazing turquoise lakes.
14:57 It's just so pristine and so fresh-looking
15:01 that it just takes your breath away.
15:03 And believe it or not, even in a car like the GTR,
15:06 you're not always thinking about the driving.
15:08 Sometimes you're just enjoying the road
15:10 and soaking up this unbelievable atmosphere that Banff has.
15:14 It's just awesome.
15:16 In the northwestern corner of Banff National Park
15:19 lies the Columbia Ice Field.
15:21 Within the ice field lies the Athabasca Glacier,
15:24 which, thanks to some supremely cool monster trucks known as snowcoaches,
15:29 is the most visited glacier in North America.
15:32 Tell me a little bit about this machine we're driving.
15:34 This thing is just absolutely huge.
15:36 How many people can you get in here?
15:38 This bus can hold 56 passengers.
15:40 It's got a Mercedes diesel engine, 380 horsepower,
15:44 1,100 foot-pound torque per axle,
15:48 which is very impressive, and especially where we're going.
15:51 So it's not built for speed. It's built for mobility.
15:54 Exactly. Going up and down steep terrain and also up glacial ice.
15:58 All-wheel drive, so six wheels are turned by the engine.
16:01 How many degrees can this thing handle?
16:04 This thing can handle 36% grade, or 22-degree angle.
16:09 And we're going down a 19-degree angle shortly.
16:12 Very impressive.
16:14 And the tires, you're running at very low pressure, it seems.
16:17 Yes, 18 psi per tire, filled just with air.
16:21 $5,000 a piece for each tire, but they'll last up to six years.
16:25 We don't really spin out tires too much, but the rubber does get old.
16:29 Do you have any idea what this thing costs all in?
16:32 All in, this one costs $800,000 to refurbish the bus,
16:36 but a brand-new one out of Calgary is $1.2 million for a brand-spanking-new.
16:41 So even more than my GT-R.
16:43 That's right.
16:45 After being careful not to let driver Shane and his snow coach eat my GT-R alive,
16:51 I climb aboard for a little 4-1-1 on this supersized machine as we head up the glacier.
16:58 Glacier's up there as well.
17:00 So that's the Columbia ice field that feeds the glacier below, pretty much.
17:04 Shane, you were saying we're right on the edge of British Columbia here.
17:07 That's right.
17:08 British Columbia is actually going up to the peak of Mount Snowdome,
17:12 which is a triple continental divide which has water flowing to three different directions
17:16 right from the middle of that peak.
17:18 You said three oceans.
17:20 Three oceans are fed, the Arctic Ocean to the north from Jasper National Park,
17:24 then the Pacific Ocean in the west through British Columbia,
17:27 and then the drainage to the east is in Banff National Park,
17:30 which flows all the way across Lake to Lake Winnipeg to Hudson's Bay Drain to the Atlantic.
17:35 All the way down here.
17:37 That's right.
17:38 You want to fill it from there or do you want to fill it up from--
17:42 I was thinking from here would be better.
17:44 You get it from where it's not at the bottom.
17:53 I see a business opportunity.
17:55 Fantastic.
17:56 And if steep angles and icy heights aren't enough for you,
18:02 step out onto Alberta's recently completed Glacier Skywalk.
18:07 Look at that, 980-some feet straight down.
18:13 You can feel the cantilever moving a little bit too.
18:15 Kind of interesting.
18:17 But when you come here, don't just look down.
18:22 Look out.
18:24 Whether you're driving a GTR supercar or just a whole home rental,
18:48 the Canadian Rockies will not disappoint.
18:52 The roads are superb, the vistas never-ending,
18:55 and every pull-out another picture postcard vision you'll carry with you always.
19:01 And finally, after a blast along the undulating Bow Valley Parkway,
19:14 I arrive at the Baker Creek Chalets,
19:17 an intimate mountain resort of log cabins,
19:20 suites, and an excellent bistro.
19:23 Add a warm fire, a glass of cool whiskey,
19:27 and the evening transforms into relaxing fresh-air perfection.
19:32 If you've never experienced Alberta, come. Do it.
19:36 Bring a great car, like my Nissan GT-R Black Edition,
19:40 and the roads will reward you with mile after mile of curves and straights and sensory bliss.
19:48 But really, any ride will do.
19:51 Because Alberta is a setting worth savoring slowly,
19:55 whether slithering through a cave, or exploring on horseback,
19:59 or just stopping to smell the trees, soak up the panoramas,
20:03 and having a sip of the freshest water you've ever tasted.
20:08 I know I'm coming back, because I'm all about the perfect downshift.
20:15 [Tires screech]
20:18 [Music]
20:22 [Music]
20:26 [Music]
20:29 [Music]
20:52 [Music]
20:56 [Music]
21:00 [Music]
21:03 you