Best Autobahn for Speed | FerrariChat

Best Autobahn for Speed

Discussion in 'Europe' started by Tradeur, May 10, 2005.

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  1. Tradeur

    Tradeur Karting

    Jan 9, 2005
    68
    London, U.K.
    Hello:

    I am planning a trip through Germany in my future Ferrari soon, and would like to know where are the best stretches of Autobahn to drive fast. It has to be 3 or more lanes, straight enough so we can see ahead, with no speed limit, and with as little traffic as possible on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

    I've done it once in a Mercedes and managed to top 300 km/h. One convenient spot was the A5 around Frankfurt.

    Any advice from the experts? Also, the exit numbers would be most helpful if you know them.

    Many thanks in advance,
    Tradeur.
     
  2. Wolfgang

    Wolfgang F1 World Champ
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    Mar 8, 2003
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    @Tradeur,
    please don`t!
    My advice: drive to Spa, Nürburg Ring or Hockenheim Ring, buy a ticket and drive like hell. No risk for other drivers and more security for you.
    IMO, its too dangerous for you and all the other drivers to speed on German highways.
    - you are not daily used driving this speed
    - you are used to drive on the left side of the road instead od right drive in Germany
    - maybe you are also driving a car with the steering wheel on the (wrong) side?

    No offence and please don`t get me wrong, thats just a friendly hint from somebody who is living and driving in Germany. I have seen so many cruel highway-top-speed-accidents on the german highway with U.K. registered cars and also with rental cars from US gents on vacation.

    Take care

    Wolfgang
     
  3. TinaDK

    TinaDK F1 World Champ

    Jun 23, 2004
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    I had the exact same thought yesterday evening when i read this thread.... I would choose a track instead of a highway too :)
    Much more safe and still a lot of fun and speed! :)
     
  4. Wolfgang

    Wolfgang F1 World Champ
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    Mar 8, 2003
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    Yes!
    and let me add: even with a brand new Ferrari (delivery May/June) he might not be used with it enough: /handling/reaction/traction/brakes...this takes a while (IMO).
    I`m sure he is definitely an awesome great & experienced driver, but this (the german-autobahn) is another party.
     
  5. TinaDK

    TinaDK F1 World Champ

    Jun 23, 2004
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    I agree... I didn't mean it personally :) Just though it would be more safe for everybody... and for the same reasons as you allready wrote :)

    I would say the same thing to others :) I really would hate if i harmed anybody on the highway "just" because i wanted to test my car :(
     
  6. Dino 208gt4

    Dino 208gt4 F1 World Champ

    Jun 24, 2003
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    mmmmm......where did I see that testa picture with 300+ on speedo.........................................?? ;)
     
  7. Wolfgang

    Wolfgang F1 World Champ
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    Mar 8, 2003
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    Read again & carefully! Its NOT the problem to drive +300km/h in Germany on the autobahn! BUT..... - please read again above!!!!!
     
  8. Dino 208gt4

    Dino 208gt4 F1 World Champ

    Jun 24, 2003
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    :D:D:D
     
  9. maranello71

    maranello71 Formula 3

    Jan 23, 2004
    1,221
    Chicagoland
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    Andre
    I recently tried to get the 550 to 300Km/h between Konstanz and Stuttgart, on a sleepy saturday afternoon (almost no traffic) - but as Wolfgang says, don't try it unless you know exactly what you are doing! The 550 is built for speed and feels like you could cruise at 280 all day, but you realise how dangerous such speeds are when the camper overtaking the VW Van which is just a blur in the horizon is suddenly right on your front bumper a split second after you'd even had time to see it in the distance.

    You have to be SO aware of everything that's happening within 2-3 Kms of your car, plus the road surface (pot holes can kill you at that speed), plus any curves (the big curves of the KN-S Autobahn become SERIOUS curves when you're doing 250+ Km/h) that it's not even fun any more.

    I found myself braking from 290 Km/h from what looked like miles from a couple of slow cars ahead, only to be right on them at 160-170 Km/h a couple of seconds later... Don't do this if you haven't got Wolfgang's kind of experience at these speeds.
     
  10. Tradeur

    Tradeur Karting

    Jan 9, 2005
    68
    London, U.K.
    Thank you all for your concern. I should have mentioned that I am a very cautious driver! The advice given by maranello71 (or by Wolfgang in a more controversial thread started by matterhorn762...) is eerily similar to the rules I had developed for myself and obeyed on my last trip.

    By the way, I have absolutely no intention of going at 300 km/h with the Ferrari, for the very reasons enumerated by Wolfgang... I'm thinking 200km/h would be feasible, 225 challenging, and 250 enough excitement for one day, but I could adjust downwards according to what I feel.

    Unfortunately I don't go to tracks because there are too many turns, it attracts some really crazy Porsche drivers, and I don't think my insurance would allow it.

    So my question remains: where are the best places on the Autobahn to enjoy the potential of my Ferrari in a responsible manner?

    Special thanks to maranello71 for suggesting the A81 between exits 23 and 41! I love its downhill straight just as you arrive towards Singen... Any other suggestions from fellow Euro F-chatters?
     
  11. Martin D

    Martin D F1 Rookie

    Nov 7, 2004
    3,184
    Germany
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    Martin Dietz
    The A81 from Heilbronn to Würzburg is also very nice. I drove there one Sunday morning at ca. 8 o'clock and I saw not many cars. You could drive as if you were on the Nordschleife. My Audi runs "only" 200km/h but I drove most of the time full speed. And my Dad drives there with his A6 250km/h if there is not much traffic.
    With our old A6 we reached 265 km/h when we drove behind some GSG9 vans. Only we, a porsche and a BMW850 could follow them. All the other cars (especially lots of Mercedes SL) couldn'follow.

    Martin
     
  12. Tradeur

    Tradeur Karting

    Jan 9, 2005
    68
    London, U.K.
    Martin:

    Thanks for the tip! I remember going there on the first day of my Autobahn trip, but unfortunately I was not confident enough to go on the left lane, so I don't know what it feels like. Next time I will try in the right conditions!

    There is something about Audis... When I came back from the Autobahn all my friends asked me what brand were the fastest cars: BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari? I said: wrong, most of the really fast drivers were in Audis! I even saw fathers in Audi Avants driving their whole family much faster than me. Very impressive...
     
  13. Martin D

    Martin D F1 Rookie

    Nov 7, 2004
    3,184
    Germany
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    Martin Dietz
    Our old Audi had two seats in the back. So a 7 seater Audi A6 Avant with 200hp. In 2002 I was on an America exchange from school and when the americans visited us we drove with SEVEN people down to Singen to the Autosalon. My Dad told me to look behind me and I saw a tuned 360 Modena. I had my videocamera and a photo with me and so I filmed it. After a short time came a Mercedes SL AMG. The Ferrari and the Mercedes driver knew each other and we drove in front of them with over 200km/h. Then we let them overtake and followed them. This was possible because there was a lot of traffic but we were most of the time close to 200 or even faster.
    And the funny thing was that both cars also went to the Autosalon.

    Audis: There are many buissinesmen who drive Audis and they drive fast as my Dad does. I heard very often that the Mercedes have not the "understatement" that Audi has, because they're not "dezent" (as we say) and they don't look as if they could drive that fast. Most of them run "only" 250km/h but if you have an RS4 or RS6 you can make them running faster.

    Today I talked with a friend who drove to Berlin last year. He told me that the Autbahn in east Germany are very good and I've heard that from many others too. I don't know where exactly but the streets are in generell much beter in east Germany than in other parts. So maybe somebody else has more infos about that.

    Martin
     
  14. Dino 208gt4

    Dino 208gt4 F1 World Champ

    Jun 24, 2003
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    Better roads in eastern Germany?????? Think he has been in another eastern Germany as I was last year...........had the feeling somebody trow me back 60 years in time!! :(
     
  15. Wolfgang

    Wolfgang F1 World Champ
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    LOL, joke of the week :D
    I also know the roads in eastern germany very well......I don`t know what he is smoking (sorry Martin;)) but whatever its is the roads might get more colorfull but not better!
     
  16. Dino 208gt4

    Dino 208gt4 F1 World Champ

    Jun 24, 2003
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    :D Joke of the month!!
     
  17. Martin D

    Martin D F1 Rookie

    Nov 7, 2004
    3,184
    Germany
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    Martin Dietz
    I just wrote what I've heard. I've never been there. I'll ask him tomorrow again where he was exactly and I'll tell you. Maybe it's only the Autobahn to Berlin that is in good conditios but I don't know.

    Martin
     
  18. Tradeur

    Tradeur Karting

    Jan 9, 2005
    68
    London, U.K.
    Martin, thanks for asking your friend who drove to Berlin. I am interested to know what you find out.

    This month the UK car magazine Evo have an article about the best spot on the A5: they say it is between exits 23 and 25, between Frankfurt and Darmstadt. It has 4 lanes.

    The journalist drove a Porsche Carrera GT at 325km/h on this stretch of Autobahn. The Porsche belonged to a guy (whose name is not printed...) who apparently drove his other car, a McLaren F1, at 355km/h on the same piece of road last year. This place is precisely where the German driver Rudolf Caracciola set the record for the fastest speed on a public road in a Mercedes-Benz in 1938: 432km/h. This record still stands today!

    On a sobering note, another German pilot named Bernd Rosemeyer was killed on the same road attempting to beat Caracciola's record just minutes after it was set. According to the article, the main dangers are:
    - cross-winds
    - expansion joints (discontinuities) on the road
    - other cars even if they are very far and not yet on the left lane
    - curves where you don't have enough visibility of the cars ahead of you.

    Apart from that, any favorite spots from the experts out there, Wolfgang and Dino 208gt4?
     
  19. Dino 208gt4

    Dino 208gt4 F1 World Champ

    Jun 24, 2003
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    Sorry, I am not an expert!! But like the A31 from Oberhausen to Emden.
    Only 2 lanes but 100km straight line and less traffic !! ;)
     
  20. Wolfgang

    Wolfgang F1 World Champ
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    Mar 8, 2003
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    O.K. gents,
    I thought to let this thread go on with a serious discussion....wrong thoughts.
    I thought that I and and all the other serious gents here like Roel, Andrea, Tina hit the nail and you understand the danger....wrong toughts.
    The discussion in going totally in the wrong way and its all about speeding on a german autobahn
    @tradeur,
    once again sorry, your last post shows how less you know about the autobahn and speeding! The A5 between Darmstadt and Frankfurt has 2 and sometimes 3 lanes without speed limit! The 4 lanes part around the airport is speedlimit 100km/h! There are NO curves! No problems with wind cause its always surrounded by a huge forrest. Anyway.
    The speed records has been driven when the autobahn was CLOSED!!!!!!
    They colsed the autobahn for 1 hour to break the record - no more cars on the road!

    @Martin & @tradeur,
    feel free to keep on with your discussion by PM each other.

    THREAD CLOSED!

    Wolfgang
     
  21. Wolfgang

    Wolfgang F1 World Champ
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    Mar 8, 2003
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    Well, maybe I have done a fault?!
    Sorry and my appologize if I have offended you Tradeur / Martin.
    thanks a lot for your mail trateur – great reading and very true!
    Too many emotions on my site. I have lost so many friends on the highway and race track during the last years.
    I know, as a moderator I have always to stay liberal minded.
    I have jused my mod power to close this thread and I have pushed my opinion a bit to hard to the thread; but isn`t this human to show one`s emotions?!
    I have had a very long discussion with Ton Visser today, several mails from fchatters and Rob.
    But in the end the German law makes it possible for everybody in the world to drive on certain parts of the autobahn as fast as they like!

    Take care

    Wolfgang
     
  22. Dutchman

    Dutchman F1 Veteran
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    Dec 4, 2002
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    Good move Wolfgang!
    No problem! I know how it feels if you lose someone who was close to you.
    Remember how I freaked out against Helmuth S.? It is more or less the same story. It makes us all human.

    The autobahn will always be an item for discussion. It will attract people from all over the world just because the law permits them to drive fast. This will definitely attract foolish people too. As a message to you all I want to say: stay rational. Don't make your urge someone elses grief! Be safe!

    :)

    Ton
     
  23. TinaDK

    TinaDK F1 World Champ

    Jun 23, 2004
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    Just because the law says you can... it's not necessarily very vice :/
     
  24. Tradeur

    Tradeur Karting

    Jan 9, 2005
    68
    London, U.K.
    Dear Wolfgang:

    Thank you very much for re-opening this thread. Your words show you have a big heart! The Autobahn is one of the last areas of freedom in the world, and with freedom comes responsibility.

    I am finalizing the details of my next trip, and I would like to stay one night in Cologne (which I am told is a beautiful city). So any advice from fchat members for unrestricted roads in the Cologne area will be much appreciated...

    Safety-wise, my wife will be in the passenger seat, and she is more strict with me than a BMW electronic speed limiter. I am proud to participate in a forum where people are both passionate about Ferrari and rational about the risk of speed, and I will marry passion with reason in the same spirit.
     
  25. Dutchman

    Dutchman F1 Veteran
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    Dec 4, 2002
    6,184
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    Jens and I used to take the cars for a spin on the A555 from Cologne to Bonn. Not busy and fairly straight.

    Take care!
     

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