Volume 3 - Panorama 1992

Codename L

It's good that you like it! I'm putting a lot of effort into it. The worst part of the process is uploading the images... Damn you, ImageShack!!

Click to expand...

I know that you're putting a lot of effort into it, because of that I always reply to your chapters 👍..

Damn ImageShack? Nothing new..

This story gets more interesting by the second!!!!!💡

October 14th, 2005.


-"Finally! Thank you Lord!"
"Uh, uh? What? Did we arrive?"
-"Yes! And in the nick of time!"



"Uh, okay... Let me sleep..."
-"Do you know something? You are one of the very few people I know that can sleep comfortably in the Elise."
"Great... Now, shhh..."
-"Did I say that we got here? WAKE UP!!"
"Man, don't scream on my ear! You are going to give me a heart attack!"



-"Then get out of the car, Chester! We are here!"
"What are you talking about?! This is the wrong way!!!"
-"Oh, 🤬!!!"



"What the hell do you think you are doing?"
-"I'm sorry!!!"
"Are you crazy, you son of a 🤬?!!!"

As always, we are welcomed to Manhattan with arms wide open from its educated citizens

-"Hopefully, this is the correct place!"
"Yes, here it is."
-"Great!"

After a long trip, we are finally here. Eric's home, located at Manhattan's Times Square, is surely one of the biggest pains in the buttocks when the night comes. Eric is known to us for having a terrible time when trying to sleep. Never, EVER, try to wake up Eric at midnight. You are most likely to be thrown out of the building. Me and Chester have learned that the bad way.

-"Touch the bell."
"What do you mean "touch the bell"? What if he is sleeping?"
-"I don't think so. He only sleeps at night."
"Yeah, if he can sleep whatsoever!"
-"Come on, touch the bell!"
"I am not going to do it! If he is sleeping, it will be suicide!"
"Hey, who is out there?!!"
-"Hide, quick!"
"Oh, crap!"
"Who is there? You will beter have an explanation, or I will draw my bat!"

Did I forgot to mention that not only he is mad when he is awoken, but rather becomes violent? Well, you are about to know how much violent can he get!

"Come out from wherever you are hiding!"
"He is going to kill us, Charlie!"
-"Quiet. We have to think of something!"
"Yeah, but what?"
-"I don't know! Don't you have any ideas?"
"Let me think... Got it!"

I know = Good idea.
Got it = Bad idea.
Got it! = Really bad idea.

"Yeah, you better run, dude!"
"Uh? Chester, what are you doing here?"
"Have you forgot, Eric? We came here for you, AND our stuff!"
-"Yeah, Eric, we have to go to Germany today!"
"Charlie, you are here too! Oh, yes... By the way, did you know who was here a moment ago?"
"Uhhh... Charlie, do you know anything about what Eric is saying?
-"No no no. I have no idea."
"And why did you yell something like "you better run", Chester?"
"A guy tried to touch your bell."
"Oh, in that case, thank you very much!"

Phew... Case solved.

"Do you want to come in?"
-"Now that you mention it..."
"Yes, of course!"
"Pardon the disorder."

Eric's home is bigger than ours. That is because as a young man (he is around his late 40's by now!) he was a fine racecar driver. He won a lot of trophies in his prime, yet he didn't continue racing. An injury on his left arm got him disabled for a while. Later, he was recovered, but as he was getting older, he decided it would be better to stay away from racing, for the rest of his life.

"So... How's it going?"
"Fine, fine, fine. It couldn't be better. Sure, I could use some feminine company in the house, but, I believe I'm too old right now to find a lady around here."
"That's not the spirit, tiger."
-"He's right, Eric. You have many good attributes."
"Do you think so?"
"Sure! You have your... your..."
-"Decent conversation skills!"
"Right! Women love men who can talk!"
"I never thought of it that way!"
-"And you are... a..."
"A nice gentleman! Women loooove gentlemans. Have you seen James Bond on TV?"
"Well... I... don't believe I'm like him."
-"Nonsense! You are handsome (Yeah, right!), inteligent, you can drive like James too!"
"Right! Where have you seen a 48-year old gentleman like you drive the New York course like you do?"
"Never, but..."
-"See? You are great! You don't have to let down your spirit just because you are old!"
"... I'm going to my room now."
"Eric, wait! Charlie!"
-"What?" (A loud sound of doors can be heard coming from the background)
"You 🤬 up."

Like the RoadRunner, me and Chester run to Eric's bedroom, which is closed, and start whispering to the inside.

"Eric, are you okay?"
-"Eric, I'm sorry. I didn't meant it. I was just kidding."
"Get out. Leave me alone."
"Come on. Come out, Eric. You have nothing to be afraid of."
-"Please, Eric. Come here... with us."
"I appreciate your efforts, my boys. I really do. But please, I just want to be alone, nothing else. I only ask you this."
-"Eric... I'm going home."
"Charlie, wait!"
-"What's the point of going to Germany, after all? Test my skills? I can test them here, too. We had be better staying in Boston that going to a place we don't know anything about."
"Charlie... Don't..."

I... I feel horrible. Eric is sensitive to his age. Getting older took him everything: his cars, his skills, his burning desire, his fame... His life. I have nothing to do left in New York. I will just buy some food for the road, and I'm going back to Massachusetts. I knew from the beginning that coming here was a big mistake.

"Charlie, wait! You can't give up now."
-"You always tell me that. Look what I just did!"
"You didn't do it on purpose! Eric knows that. He is just sad."
-"Because of me! Don't you understand it? Everything I try to do, I mess up! And everytime I want to help someone, I end up hurting them!"
"Charlie... Don't go back to Boston."
"Eric!"
-"Eric..."
"It's not your fault. It is true... I'm old. And every second that passes, I am getting older."
"Everyone does, Eric."
"But, just because I got older doesn't mean I can't pursue my dreams."
-"What do you dream of, Eric?"
"I dream of seeing you two getting older, like me. But unlike me, you will get married. You will have kids. Your kids will have kids!"
"Eric..."
-"That's beautiful, Eric. I'm truly sorry."
"Don't worry, Charlie. Once you get older, you will understand. Your father didn't want to understand it, at first. Me neither. But you know what? When he bought the F40, his dreams were fulfilled: he was young again. And if I find what I'm looking for, I will get young too. That is why I'm going to Germany... with you two."
"Great!"
-"Thank you! Thank you, Eric, thank you!"
"Now! Don't get sentimental, you know that I don't like to cry!"
"So, when are we going?"
"Well, the plane departs at... Oh, no..."

"What, what happened?"
"We missed it..."
-"What?!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"I'm sorry, boys. The plane departed at 10:15pm. But it seems our opportunity just passed us by..."
"That, that can't be!"
-"What are we going to do now??"
"Well, I have enough money left for another trip."
"Where?"
-"Yeah, where? If you don't have enough, we can give you some! I've been winning some races lately."
"We could buy some tickets to France. That would be ideal. There are good drivers in France, after all."
-"But why can't we wait until another flight to Germany?"
"I'm afraid that is not going to happen until two weeks, or so..."
-"Do we really need to get there that fast?"
"There is a race there, and I was told it was full of good drivers. I want you to be there. The flight to France departs tomorrow, and if I recall correctly, some friends of mine wanted to go there, yet they said they wouldn't be able to. They gave me permission to take their tickets and use them if I thought of it to be necessary. So, we are set."
"What do you think, Charlie? Is it France good enough for you?"
-"Do you want to know what I think? I think it's great. We are going to France, tomorrow."
"Excelent choice, Charlie!"
"Yeah, that's the true spirit of travel! Always aim for new places!"
"Oh, Charlie, I have something to tell you!"
-"Really? What is it?"
"You see, there's going to be a race tomorrow, early."
-"In Times Square?"
"Where else? Anyways, I was planning to enter you there."
-"Don't bother. Everytime you ask me to, I always say the same."
"But, why not?"



-"It's full of straights! No matter how good I can corner, my Elise was not made for straight line speed."
"He is right, Eric. If he knows he is going to lose, better to avoid the humilliation."
"You know something? You are right. It's not worth it. But since the plane to France is going to depart tomorrow, at 5:40pm, I thought it would be a good idea to go and check it out."
-"I never liked to see races where I'm not racing in. It's boring, like I always tell everyone, "what's the poing of seeing a race if you are not there? Go play a game or something. So, forget about it."
"Tell us, Eric. We just drove there, but I didn't saw any preparations for the race. How's that?"
"You would be surprised how fast can they arrange the preparatives. Every year is the same. They wake up early, and set up the grands. I believe I measured the time once. They didn't took longer than eleven hours."
-"Only eleven?"
"I told you you would be surprised!"
"Anyways, what do we do now?"
"Sleep. And if I ever found that guy again, he better be prepared!"

And so our trip to Germany delays... France, I have never been there before. In fact, I have never been outside the States in my whole life. We can't afford to lose our money outside our home, what would we do if we can't get back?And what about France's circuits? There's La Sarthe, where Le Mans is celebrated every year. I don't think I have enough stamina to endure 24 hours by myself. I have read in Internet that there are some places of interest there, but never thought of actually going. If France's drivers are as good as Eric claims them to be, then it will be sure a trip worth the money. Until we depart, we are stuck here, in this inmense concrete jungle...



To be continued...

Nice chapter, Codename L! 👍 I'm looking forward to read all next chapters.. Everytime the chapters get better ..

Go on this way, my friend!

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

... four days later (October 18th, 2005.)


"GO!!"



So, we are here, in France. Paris, to be more precise. We got here yesterday, and I've been practicing in the local circuit since the very first moment we arrived. Now, this is the first race in Europe. I hope they are faster than the drivers back home! I came all the way from Boston to Paris, so it'd better be worth the trip. This driver I'm racing against, Cole, is driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR. Let's see if he is good enough to my tastes.



"They are fast!"
-"The Evo is pretty good, I want to take a good look at the european way of racing. This can't get even more exciting than it is right now."
"It'd be more exciting if Charlie losed one time. It's not even racing anymore."
-"That's why we came here after all, right?"
"Right. This driver, I know him personally."
-"From where?"
"He is the son of an old friend of mine, back when I was a kid in Spain."
-"Is he good?"
"Good enough to race against Charlie. He has had a fast develpment, his father taught him."
-"Just like you taught Charlie."
"That's right."



-"Ugh, the first corner, and it's so slippery. What's wrong with this place?"
"You may have or may have not noticed, but I have been told that you have only spent two days in here, so you must have realized by now. In here, there's a rain almost every day. So, pretty much every day this track is wet, and due to that, it difficults driving. It's a technical track, I would say. But that is not the only beauty about it..."
-"The left hand sweeper, this will be a hard fight. But if I stay cool and concentrate, I can endure this race."



"You can keep up! Amazing! When I started racing in here, back when I was twenty-one, I had a difficult time avoiding crashes. But you can take this sweeper like if you were used to doing it every single day of your life."
-"Thank good for the Internet. Since I've been watching a video since the first day, and practising at the same time, I know almost everything of this track. But the slippery condition is something that didn't happen today nor yesterday. Anyways, there's nothing to do to it."

-"How much did you say he has been in front of the computer?"
"Six hours a day, including today. That would make twelve hours, and a conventional lap at here takes around two minutes. That is, only a conventional lap. A fast lap is around one minute and ten seconds, let us say. I found that a video of that lap, with an in-car camera, so I told Charlie to watch it six hours straight."
-"One minute and ten seconds... Six hours... That would make how many laps per session?"
"308 laps per session. But the training didn't end right there."
-"What happened next?"
"Sixty laps in the actual track."
-"Wow..."



"Brake!"
-"Damn it!"
"With the handbrake, I bet you don't know when I'm going to slow down... Or will you?"

It's not as hard as I thought it would... But the track is making me hide the best of the Elise. Sure, that Evo has a huge advantage because of it's lenght and wide, which make him more likeable to crash in these narrow streets, yet Cole has managed to learn a perfect driving line. That is advantage of being the local, the one with the experience. But with 736 laps in my head around this place, I already have an idea on how to tackle this course. Let's hope it is enough to break his concentration loose.

"The short straight after the sweeper is next."
-"He surely is good. They don't call him The Local for nothing."



"These are the powerful brakes of my Evo, can you slow down faster than this?"
-"He is slowing down too fast! I may bump into him without even realizing."



"Follow me and don't get lost."
-"Are you toying with me? Looks like you are slowing down on purpose."

-"And sixty laps today, too?"
"And six hours in front of the computer, too."
-"Is he not exhausted? I don't recall him being in front of a screen for more than three hours."
"Stamina is something Charlie doesn't have. I'm building it for him."
-"I see... How do you think the race is going?"
"Cole is incredible good. I don't think he will lose the lead in the first lap."
-"So Charlie is going to lose?"
"I don't think that either."



"This corner is easily one of the hardest in George V Paris. A beginner would enter too fast for the car to respond, thereby crashing against the wall. But you... you seem capable of making it. Will you prove me wrong?"
-"Eric told me that this corner makes or breaks the lap. In warming laps I did it okay. But okay is not good enough in a race. I say, go for it!"



-"I did it! But the Evo is still in front of me..."
"When you get this close of the wall with the Evolution, you know you are giving the best of you!"

"When you race properly, you know it."
-"What does that suppose to mean?"
"Every time you make a lap, you know what you did wrong, and what you did right."
-"No, really?"
"You may think it is obvious, but the fact is that it is. The thing that is not so obvious is how much can you fix those mistakes."



"It takes a lot of skill to know were to improve. The minimal improve may cause undesired consequences on the long run. But that is just weird."



-"Pretty much like The Butterfly Effect, right?"
"You could say so, but only to a certain extent."

"This one is arguably the hardest corner of the whole circuit. Since George V is primarly composed of ninety-degree's corners, one would expect another ninety-degree's corner ahead, but is different here."



-"Oh, crap, I forgot about it!"
"And it seems you have failed to impress me... But it's okay, you are not a local, after all."

-"Which would be that certain extent?"
"You have to understand the concept of a racing line, first."
-"I understand it, what now?"
"There are many ways to go through a corner. Those many ways are called lines."
-"That is basic, but yeah, I know."
"Now you have to remember that the way you enter affects the way you come out of it."
-"That, too, is basic."



"Not as much as you think."
-"What?"
"Think for a second. If it were as basic as you say it is... Why don't you see world-renowned drivers all over the country?"
-"I think that I'm beginning to understand what you are trying to say."
"For the sake of consistency, I've told Charlie that a racing line is a line that will allow the optimum path through the corner. Nothing else."



-"And do you think he understands it?"
"He may not, but I know he does feel the meaning. That's the only way he could get this far."



-"And what about Cole?"
"I didn't before... But I'm starting to believe he knows its meaning by now."





To be continued...

Nice write up.. Can't await the next part 👍

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

Thanks, brother! I'm giving this story the best I can, since it's getting a little dead already. Anyways, I'm in vacations so I can think before I write, and I must admit, it's going pretty damn well, just as I like it Next chapter will be an interesting one, without a doubt 👍

This story is so exciting, I can't wait for the next chapter!

Nice you stop by, BCS! You are always welcome to comment in here.

Thanks! That Elise is getting more impressive every time I see it! I have an Elise 111R on GT4! I tried to make it look just like yours! Your Elise inspired me to do that.

SU0213 are the rims you must look for

EDIT: And you will need a 3D Type CB black spoiler too.

Codename L

SU0213 are the rims you must look for

Click to expand...

haha, I'm going to make the Lotus Elise 111R look excatly like yours as soon as I get my new PS2 and my new GT4 disk.. (If not this week, then by the end of this month.. you know I haven't got that much time.. ..)..

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

Dude this story is awsome. i Spent 20 Minutes Reading every chapter and it get
s better and better. +rep

hey, it's the same guy who raced Tori at Citta 'di Aria!! j/k

next chapter, please.

An honor to have you comment here twice, =drifting24/7= I will start writing the next chapter right away. 👍

Attention: the next chapter will have different languages. At request, I will gladly translate in a separate post below the chapter. This goes precisely to moderators, which may think that my text is offensive. I make this message to avoid any further confusion.

October 18th, 2005.


...the last half of the orange.



-"Dammit! That corner costed me a chance to get ahead of me. I have only this lap and one more to end this race. If I could only get ahead..."
"You are a persistent one. But, we still have two laps, and I'm not going to let my guard off."



"Even though the Evo packs about a hundred horsepower more than the Elise, it keeps running right ahead of me. I believe the Elise weights about five hundred to six hundred kilograms less than my Lancer... That could be the reason - weight is his advantage. Pretty clever for a yankee."
-"Grrrr... Why do they make streets like this?!"

"The Evo is putting pressure on the Elise. Cole is known to toy with his opponent."
-"Has he ever lost because of that?"
"Only because he turned serious."
-"I thought losing came from toying with the opponent, rather than getting serious."
"Thought is the key word."



"Once again, this corner. It is much like an introduction. Fresh air injected directly into the driver's brain, which is exhausted from the close walls of Paris. Although in a race you don't spend here more than five seconds, those five seconds are pure relaxation."



-"Ready to continue, buddy?"
"What is the point on going full throttle there? After all, you have to brake at the end."



-"This place right here is a total nightmare. The first video Eric found for me was a disaster - The driver crashed on the very first lap in here, trying to jump over this bump in the course. He was going too fast... And I ain't going to take the risks."
"You are holding back... But why? Maybe it is because you are afraid of this corner?"



"I can't help but laugh at your skills, It's not that you are bad..."
-"There's no way to pass in here, it's impossible!"
"... it's just that I can't be beaten in here!"



"Ha, what did I told you? Cole is great."
-"I thought you were cheering for Charlie."
"Well, yeah, but."
-"But what?"
"It's the start of the last lap and he is still in the last place."
-"You say that like if there were more competitors in this race. Either you are on the front, or you are on the back."

"We are almost there again, Charlie. Will you make your move in Charles de Gaullie?"
-"I can't seem to keep my tires on the ground. Like if I'm going to aquaplane straight into the wall at any time."



-"But I have to try at least! There's got to be a way to pass him!"
"You are changing the way you drive. Eric told me before this race that you do ridiculous overtakes. In all of your races, I've been told."



"But do you at least have the guts to make a pass later, where the minimum mistake can cost you your life? If you are going to pass me, this would be your best bet!"
-"I'll be damned if my plan does not work!!"

"What does he think he is doing?"
-"What are you saying?"
"He missed the spot! The safest way to pass!"
-"I thought he saw that video for twelve hours!"
"The video was just a one lap time attack, with no other drivers around. You don't learn how to overtake in a time attack!"
-"Oh, 🤬 🤬!!"

"It's over. You lost, Charlie."
-"Now!!"

"What - the - hell?!"



-"I got you, my dear friend."
"Oh, I didn't saw that coming."



"Now I see what you were planning to do. Did you come up with this on your own? Or did someone else taught you?"
-"Please, don't try anything stupid. Once I gain the lead, you will stay there."



-"I'm a second away from winning this race!"
"He was right. Ridiculous pass, I tell you that. And who knows more about ridiculous passes than myself?"



-"I won."
"I'm finished with this race."

"He made it, he made it!"
-"Charlie is in the house, alright!!"
"But I feel sad for Cole."
-"It must suck to lose in your own neighborhood."



"Well done. Now I will just follow you to the finish line to make your victory official."
-"You are one hell of a driver. Although the race was easy in itself, the fact that I did not know how to pass at the first lap was enough to make me shiver. I will remember this race forever."



"And so, you are the winner. Congratulations! Not every day I get defeated by foreigners."
-"Thanks. And not every day I get the chance to see a spanish man living in France driving a japanese car."
"Oh, did you notice? "
"Well, thanks for letting Charlie race against you."
"My pleasure, Eric. I will always accept your requests."
"It didn't seem like an easy race."
"That's because it was not one at all."
-"I wonder when will you race, Chester?"
"He does not race?"
"No, he is into motorcycles."
"I'd rather crash in a car than get hit in a motorcycle. It's too dangerous."
"And do you think racing in these narrow streets is safe?"
"At least I know how to race."
"Hey, let's not start an argument here."
-"No, let the argument begin! "
"You are right. I beg your pardon."
"How come you talk so sophisticated?"
"My family is... How do you americans call it? Economically healthy."
-"Where did you get that car?"
"I got it for my birthday."
-"Really? I too got my Elise for my birthday!"
"That makes us two, then."
"Don't you have to go home, Cole?"
"Not really. I have a party to attend to in two hours."
-"That pretty explains the way you are dressed."
"True. Too fancy for my taste."
"Well, it's not any party. My brother is getting married."
"Who? Michael or Richard?"
"Michael."
"How old is he? I can't remember."
"Twenty-nine. How long is it that you don't see him?"
"Since he was ten. The last time I saw him was when your mother died..."
"Oh..."
"I still remember that day... He is too cold..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Father told me that Michael did not cried when mother died."
"That's cold."
-"Was there any reason for him to act like that?"
"None at all. I was five back then, but I still remember that."
"Cole, I'm sorry, but we have to depart now. I have to meet with someone in Italy."
"Who?"
"You will find out when we get there. Cole, if you would excuse us, we have to go."
"Not a problem, Eric. Have a safe trip."
"Have fun at the party!"
-"Bye, Cole!"
"Au revoir!"
"See ya!"
"... wait!"
-"Huh?"
"Charlie, if you ever have the chance, let's race again."
-"Sure, when I return from Germany."
"Fantastic. Good-bye."
"¡Hasta luego, Cole!"
"¡Mucha suerte!"



Ese chico... Conduce sin sentido o propósito. Va a llegar lejos... lo presiento. Por eso que quiero correr contra él de nuevo. Hasta entonces...



To be continued...

Nice chapter, Codename L 👍.. Well written, I hope you'll post the next chapter soon .. If you need help, feel free to tell me, I'm here for you ..

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

Keep up the good work L. This is 🤬 Amazing. I wish i could say it. But Wtf does he say at the end?

I knew someone had to ask!

Ese chico... Conduce sin un sentido o un propósito. Va a llegar lejos... Lo presiento. Es por eso que quiero correr contra él de nuevo. Hasta entonces.

That boy... Drives without a meaning or purpose. He is going to get far... I can feel it. That is why I want to race with him again. Until then.

Cole was born in Spain. So I thought it would be logical for him to think in spanish.

i'm only chinese lol. I'm not spanish, lol.

October 19th, 2005.


Once again, Eric has succeded to amaze us. From France, we are going to Italy. Venice, more precisely. Still, Chester and I don't have any idea why are we going there. Perhaps to race? We have a few days left before the race in Germany takes place. I wouldn't mind traveling a little more before leaving Europe.

"You said we were going to Venice. But why?"
"What did I told you back in Paris? You will find out when we arrive. I just hope everything is ready."
-"That sounds to me like a race."
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"Come on, it's not time for jokes."
"Oh, but I feel a little happy."
"And how's that?"
"Why? Can't I feel happy once in a while?"
"If you had an explanation, sure."
-"But you haven't told us why we are going to Venice yet."
"I have to meet with someone. He has something ready for me."
-"What would "something" mean, exactly?"
"It's none of your business. Now, let's get out of here. We have to get there in seven hours. He won't be waiting for too long.

Six hours later...

"Hey, hey boys, we are here!"
"I hear you. We are going to stop right now."

Here we are, Venice. I must say, the place is beautiful, but still, I have a lot of questions left to be answered.

"We are going to wait at the restaurant."
"Which one?"
-"Yeah, it's full of restaurants here."
"The one in your right. No, no, the other one. Yes, that one."

"The man you were talking about... When will he get here?"
"He should be coming in ten minutes, or so."



-"So we will finally find out!"
"Exactly. I can't express you how excited I am."
"We will find out ourselves in ten minutes."



-"Why are you so excited?"
"As Chester said, you will find out in ten minutes... Now should be nine."



-"Please, park it very carefully. I don't want to see it any different than the way it is now. Do you understand?"
"Yes. Right away, sir."
-"If you return it to me any different, I will be glad to sue you."
"Ye-yes, s-sir!"
-"Marvelous, now go."

"So I just told her: I lost my phone number, can I get yours?"
"Hahahahaha, I can't believe it!"
-"Things only get funny when Eric is drunk..."
"What are you saying? I'm not drunk! Good Lord, after what happened to your father I gave up drinking."
"Seems like you have failed to succed, Eric."
"May I interrupt you for a moment, gentlemen?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Chester!"
"Allow me to introduce myself... I'm Richard Matthew Shepard. And you must be..."
"Eric Cañas."
"A pleasure to meet you. And these boys here would be?"
-"Charles Richard Williams."
"Chester Williams."
"Oh, so you two are brothers then. Or maybe relatives?"
-"Brothers."
"So it be. Mr. Cañas, I have kept my word. How about you?"
"I'm a man of word. Did you brought it?"
"Yes. Please, follow me. Unless you haven't finished your dinner."
"We have finished already."
"Well, then. Come with me."



"It's the black Mercedes. Bring it to me."
"Yes, sir."
-"Where are we going?"
"We? Nowhere."
"How is it?"
"In perfect conditions, just as we arranged."
"And which would be the price?"
"The same as we accorded on the phone. Please, keep in mind that the car is in perfect conditions, and tuned. Thus the need to raise the price. I believe you will understand me, this is not an easy car to come by."
"I understand."



"What? So you are going to buy it?"
"Yes. I thought it was time for a change. The Crossfire is good, but I'm afraid it is not what I was looking for in the first place."
-"And what is going to happen with the Crossfire, then?"
"I'm going to lend it to Mr. Shepard."
"That's right. The car, plus money. It's a fair deal, I think."
-"It's a scam!"
"Charlie is right. Eric, have you ever thought of this before?"
"I know what I'm doing, and I don't need anyone else to tell me what is good for me."
"Here it is, sir."
"Thank you."



"Beautiful, don't you think?"
"Yes, amazing. Does it have any problems at all?"
"Were you listening to me at all? I said it once, and I'll say it again. The car is perfect as far as I know."
"Alright. I trust your word."
"And you, kid... Learn when to shut up."
-"Mother-"
"Charlie! Shh!"
"Here are the keys of the Chrysler."
"Well then. Now I've got to go back home. If you have any problems, please contact me."
"Of course."
"Here are the keys of the Benz, now I'm going. Until later!"
"Good bye!"

Yes, you better run, mother 🤬 Because if I ever see you again, I will give you some reasons to run.

"And now what?"
"Now we are going to Germany. But -"
"But what?"
"Not without first making a little stop in Assisi."
-"Where's Assisi?"
"It's close to Germany. At least, closer to Germany than Venice."
"Are you going to buy another car?"
"No. I have to test this one."
-"Then, let's hurry. I want to get a good sleep once in a while."
"Man, let's go to Germany. I don't want to spend my entire days in Europe traveling."
"Believe, Assisi is worth the trip. Let's get going, you will see how good it is once we get there."


Assisi, Italy. October 20th, 2005.


-"Let's see what you can do, monster!"



-"Beautiful place... Only in Europe."
"Eric is sure having a good time, don't you think?"
"I never saw him so eager to drive."



"He is fast. I dare to say he is even faster than you."
"But he has retired already. I have nothing to fear."
-"This place is crowded, like if there had been a very important race just a few minutes ago. I wonder why the crowds are so noisy..."



-"Have I ever drove one of these before? The handling of this car reminds me a lot of a BMW. I remember someone very important saying that about this car, now that I think about it."



-"But this sure isn't a BMW. It's completely different, in a good way, so to speak. And a lot lighter than the normal Mercedes-Benz that you see everyday on the road."
"There are many people in here."
"Yes, I noticed. But why?"
"Follow me, let's see if we can hear them."



-"Control... Power is nothing without control. And this car has the control, it's always prepared to be thrown into a corner. Like if it has a brain on its own."
"Listen carefully, Charlie..."

"Wow, that last race was awesome! The two cars were neck-and-neck..."
"The black RX-7 looked gorgeous and cool. The Evo VIII is awesome, too! Both were incredibly fast..."
"The RX-7 was amazing! He made a pass on such a narrow road! I never saw anything like that before!"
"Hey, were those two drivers from Japan?? That would explain why the last race was between Japanese cars..."



-"This is as far as I go. No need to continue with the test, I'm already satisfied with my only lap. It's a shame we have to leave now, but we have to go to Germany. We can't keep delaying this trip any longer."
"What does that mean?"
"There was a race here."
"I see."
"Once he finishes with the car, what are we going to do?"
"Go to Germany, I suppose."
"We have nothing left to do in Europe."
"That's up to Eric. I don't mind having to race some more. That's why we came here, right?"



To be continued...

Nice one, Codename L 👍 I can't await the next one ..

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

That was great. I like how you showed the Agressive side of charlie. Walk away you mother *censored* lol. i love that. NIce one.

October 22th, 2005.


We have arrived in Germany. I have to admit that all of this traveling has tired us, specially myself. This makes me think: What if the race is easy, and all that we've been through was pointless? After all, there were supposed to be good drivers in Germany, and I would be dissapointed if the race was easier than expected. But no matter, because I met some good drivers like Cole... Come to think about it, he was the only driver I have met thus far. The other person I met in my way to Germany was that Richard, but that is something I had rather forget for now. I mean, who did he thought he was when he told me to "learn when to shut up"? You don't tell that to a person you have just met! It's just common sense, after all.
Anyways, you may think that my narrative skills suck, right? Well, I can't help myself but to resume everything in the fewest words possible. Would you rather like me explaining every car, person, road, tree we come across during this trip? I think I guessed right: You don't.
Now, I have to race in this racetrack, Deep Forest Raceway. A fact is that this track was built not so long ago. I believe around two months, or so. But the biggest problem, as usual, is to know the course. There aren't many racers around here, as I had expected, but well, that's better for me.

"What now?"
"Now, my dear Chester, we will wait until we can start the race."
-"When is that going to happen?"
"Around... Six or seven hours."
"Are you saying you woke me up from my sleep just to wait "six or seven hours"?"
"I wanted Charlie to watch the course."
"Yes, but I'm not Charlie. I'm Chester!"
"Charlie, Chester. What's the difference anyway? Both of your names begin the same!"
-"Eric, when can I test the track?"
"There's another man running right now. Perhaps you will race against him?"
-"I don't see anyone in the track itself."
"He may be in another part of the track. People don't call this track "Deep Forest" for nothing."
"I heard people baptized this place themselves."
"Well, actually the place was called Deep Forest way before the racetrack was built."
-"Didn't they choose to change the name?"
"They thought about it, and the sponsors of the track decided to make a poll, just to see what people thought it should be called."
"And they choosed Deep Forest Raceway."
"... No. They choosed "High Speed Ring". But since the name didn't fit, and there was another track being built in Germany who suited the name better, the sponsors decided to sell the name to the other track. They got plenty of money, due to the fact that a track with the words "High Speed" attracted more people. At the end, the sponsors choosed to keep the original name of the forest and just add "raceway" to it."
-"Interest lesson of sports!"
"I thought that it would be good to know it. Anyways, this person is taking to long to drive the course."
-"What could be called a fast time in here?"
"It all depends. A fast car, with around 400 horsepower can get around here in one minute thirty, or less."
-"And my Elise?"
"I can't tell you. As I said, a car "can", but that doesn't mean the driver will reach that time. You defy the laws, it seems, so you may entablish a lap time of about one to two seconds faster than the normal."
"Is he that good?"
-"Of course I am!"
"Don't be overconfident, Charlie. You don't want to be losing just now."
"Hey, isn't that the driver? He just parked."



"He has not parked. He is going to do another lap."
-"If he is going for another lap, when the hell will I have the chance to test the track?"
"You will have to wait your turn."
-"But it's my turn already!"

"The last lap was okay. But I think I can make it faster. I was drifting too much."

"Look, he has started!"
"What a traction!"
-"Isn't that the same car I raced the other time? Back in Seattle? The AC?"
"No, this is a Shelby Cobra. This one has better performance. If he is indeed going to race in the same race as you are, you had better be careful."
-"But I have a weird feeling about that car."
"What do you mean?"



-"Yes. Like if I had raced against that same car before."
"They could be called twins, but under the hood they are different. The Cobra is lighter than the AC, too."
"But it depends on the driver too, right?"
"I'd say this driver is good, but if he drifts, he can't have much control over the traction of his car."
-"You are right about that."
"Wait a minute, Eric."
"What's the matter?"
"A moment ago, you said the Cobra is faster AND lighter than the AC, right?"
"Yes. Your point?"
"If I recall correctly, a car like the AC has like 400 horsepower."
-"Like the example he gave me."
"Precisely. Now, Eric. With a car that is lighter than the AC, and with more than 410 horsepower, I presume."
-"... How the hell am I going to beat it?"
"You know what, boys? I have no idea."
"This can't get worse."
-"You tell me that! I'm the one driving the underpowered son of a 🤬!"
"Charlie, watch your mouth!"
"Oh, damn! That does not only end there! If he can control over 400 horsepower to drift, what will he do when he races properly!
"Stop scaring Charlie! We don't even know if he is going to race. Look, he has returned!"



"Really, really good. It's a nice improvement, no doubt the V8 from Ford does wonders with this car. And the handling is amazing for a car this old, too. The money was well spent. The only thing left to do is to wait for the race, and later, return home."

-"Should I tell him to get out of the track?"
"If you don't want to wait another two minutes, I would recommend you to do that."
"Besides, if you don't go, this guy won't leave this place anytime soon."

Will he accept my petition? Or will he send me to hell? Who knows?

-"Excuse me."
"Yes? Who are you?"
-"You don't know me, and I don't know you either, but I'm going to compete in a race today, and..."
"You want to test the track?"
-"Well, yes. You see, I come from America, and this is the first time I come to Deep Forest."
"Oh, understood. Then I will head for the pits. The track is yours now."
-"Thank you very much."
"Wait a moment. You said you were going to compete today in a race."
-"Yes."
"There are going to be a few races today, but I must ask you. Which one exactly?"
-"I can only tell you the hour of the race, around 4pm."
"I think you mean 3:30pm. There are no races at 4pm that I have heard of."
-"Well, my friend, who is over there, told me that we had to wait around six to seven hours before the race started."
"I see. And what car are you driving for today's race?"
-"The Lotus Elise 111R, it's over there."
"I don't see it, but it's a good car! Pretty amazing. Handles wonderful."
-"Do you own one?"
"I never had the chance to do so, but I can tell you from my previous experiences."
-"Oh, great!"
"Well, you want the track, and I'm only bothering you here, so, I will head for the pits. I'll see you later."
-"Thank you!"

"It seems he made it."
"The Cobra is heading for the pits now, the track is under Charlie's control now."


Six hours and two minutes later...


"Are you ready?"
-"I have a good idea where to drive and such."
"Perfect. You have around twenty minutes before the race starts. These germans are very accurate. If you don't get to the track in time, they will get mad."
-"And we don't want mad germans chasing us, right?"
"You know what? That is an stereotype. Who taught you that?"
-"Dad..."
"Don't worry, you will be fine. Why don't you go over to the pits and take a soda, or something like that?"
-"Sure, when the race is about to begin, give me a call or something."
"Hurry, seventeen minutes to begin the race!"
-"Alright. See you in a moment!"

"Oh, it is you again, boy!"
-"I'm sorry, but do I know you?"
"You do, but probably you can't recognize me."
-"I never saw an elder around here."
"Would you bet your life? I'm the Cobra driver you just saw today."
-"Really? You look... Well, older."
"Everybody tells me that. Without my racing outfit and my googles, I look older. The outfit is the one which makes me look younger. I have it since I was twenty-four."
-"How long have you been racing?"
"A long time. I used to race primarly in my home, in Costa Di Amalfi."
-"Sounds italian."
"Check out your big brain! Yes, it's an italian island. You should go there sometime."
-"I will, but now I have to race."
"Me too."
-"What? I thought you were just testing the track."
"You have a slow mind. It was obvious that I was going to race. Why would I have so interest in testing the track then?"
-"Now that I think about it, it was obvious."
"Anyways, do you know who are you racing against today?"
-"No. Could you give me a hint or something?"
"You don't need a hint, there they are!"



"That is a Ford GT Concept, but you must know that already, since you come from America."



"Mercedes SL 65 AMG. Heavy, but with lots of power."



"The RUF. I don't know the precise model, I just called it that. It's fast, you can be sure about that."
-"Looks like a Porsche to me."
"Because it is built on a Porsche chassis."
-"I see. It's tuned, right?"
"You hit the spot. You could say it is a tuned Porsche, though it's not. And, to finish this talk, that is the car you want to look after."



"A friend of mine drives that car."
-"It's a Dodge Viper."
"GTS-R Concept. His driver is good, so you can't rely on being faster than him just because of driving skills."
-"I can't rely on anything to beat him. My car is a Lotus Elise."
"Yes, you told me that. But now, let's be serious."
-"Huh?"
"Yes, what modifications have you done to it?"
-"Well, other than the spoiler, the car is intact."
"Intact?! You are going to get trashed, boy! I don't know how good you are, but with only a spoiler as a modification, you have no chance whatsoever to win this race!"
-"Looks like you haven't seen me race."
"In my entire life, and when I say that, I mean it, have never saw a car with 200 horsepower beat a beast of 500 horsepower. Only a spoiler! God! What do you expect to do with a --"
-"... Something wrong?"
"This may sound like a weird question, but..."
-"... but what?"
"What color is your Elise?"



To be continued...

OMGGGGggggg when is honda arriving? too many damn american cars.

Moar!

Don't know if there is going to be moar. As I said to a GTP member recently, if the story continues with lack of popularity, this may as well be the end.

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I love this story! If you end it... I'll never see a freaking honda! Omg why you gotta end it?

The effort, the countless swearing I yell to ImageShack when uploading my images, all of that sums up. Add the lack of popularity, and you have a story ready to end. I would have really liked to continue it, I mean it. I have some great ideas in my brain, and in the game. But it seems Initial D has won over originality...

And I did not even make it to chapter 10

Dude... I support you!!!! I love Euro Challenge!!! Come on man Where's all your Readers?????? I'm reading every chapter over and over again and Taking in all it's glory. How can you stop? Stop using Imageshack?!? I dont know but It was such a great story. I wanted to see eric race!!!

Are you locking this story?!?!?!? OMG if you do then.... HULK ANGRY!!!