{"id":73683,"date":"2023-10-10T13:23:11","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T17:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/?p=73683"},"modified":"2024-03-25T11:19:24","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:19:24","slug":"you-do-what-with-a-pacifica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/showcase\/2023\/10\/you-do-what-with-a-pacifica.html","title":{"rendered":"You Do What With a Pacifica?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s easy to talk about fast Mopars\u00ae<\/sub>, but today, I want to talk about the joy of driving slow cars FAST! I have been exploring the limits of this concept for decades. Don’t get me wrong, I love hopping behind the wheel of SRT\u00ae<\/sup> Hellcats, Demons, and Vipers with the intent to destroy all on a racetrack. But a different satisfaction comes from outrunning Corvettes and Porsches with an R\/T Neon.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I’ve been exploring this concept lately\nwith my 115k-mile Chrysler Pacifica shop van. A van? On Track? Why?\n#BecauseFUN!!!! I’ve been throwing the Pacifica around on tracks, at autocross\nevents, and backroads for three years. It has never failed to put a silly grin\non my face in this environment. I know, I know. There’s nothing like the\nadrenaline rush you get when pushing a high-performance machine to its limits.\nBut here’s the deal: fast cars can be expensive, and driving them hard can be\nfinancially crippling. Plus, not everyone has the wallet to own a\ntrack-specific vehicle. I have great news! As long as your daily driver has\n3\/32 or more tread left at each corner, a solid battery hold down, suitable\nseat belts, and good brakes, it is ready to have some “Slow Car Fast”\nfun.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There’s a sense of rebellion to this as\nwell. Nobody expects a minivan to lay waste to a twisty road or hold its own on\na track. It’s like defying expectations, thumbing your nose at the status quo,\nand saying, “Hey, I’m gonna have fun, and I don’t care what you\nthink!”<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Autocross is one of my favorite\nplaygrounds for thrashing the Pacifica. It’s like a puzzle, a high-speed maze,\nand a test of driver skill all rolled into one. A minivan might be the last\nvehicle you’d want to take to an autocross event, but hear me out. It’s all\nabout the added challenge. The Pacifica’s V6 engine has enough power to get the\nkids to practice and the groceries home before the ice cream melts. But it’s\nnot exactly a rocket ship. It does have enough power to make things\ninteresting. Autocross is all about precision, technique, and getting close to\nthe cones without knocking them over. I have been blown away by how well the\nPacifica’s chassis performs in a parking lot full of orange cones. Body roll?\nYeah, it’s there, but nowhere near as much as you would think. What body roll\nit has simply adds to the fun. Learning when the van needs a violent drop\nthrottle oversteer to move enough weight onto the front tires to turn in and\nrotate the rear is a hilariously good time. The van’s wheelbase makes moving\nweight around reasonably easy to manage. It always amazes me with predictable\nturn-in and decent balance through the middle of a corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n