Which way through Europe in typical Maranello speed??

When you're in Stuttgart it is very worthwhile heading also to the Mercedes Benz Classic retail centre in Fellbach. About 10 mins drive from the museum. This is where the customer cars are restored and classics are retailed, and it feels wonderful. If you turn up in a V12 Ferrari (car park immediately outside reception) they are sure to treat you with respect, even better if you call ahead.

https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/classic/classic-service-parts/mercedes-benz-classic-service-parts/

(BTW immediately behind the Classic centre in Fellbach are the legendary Holy Halls. These are the unmarked giant warehouses in an industrial area where the Mercedes Benz historic collection of cars from c1900 to present day, every model, almost every prototype, every strange limited edition, every racer, are kept, lined up and packed tight like any supermarket car park. Not for the public to view, but the greatest automotive sight I have ever seen!)

 

Darius,

I was more or less aware of speeding laws and general traffic in Switzerland, but that is utterly scary!

Switzerland is indeed a beautiful country, no question about it. Next time, I think I'll fly there. No point in risking it to that extent!

Back on topic: Are there still great Autobahns left without speed limits? And will they endure, with all kinds of environmental regulations coming out of Brussels almost every month? Are there still petrolhead heaven roads in Europe which we can enjoy freely but responsibly, without having to check our speedometer every 10 seconds?

Kindest regards,

Nuno.

 

Good tip from Darius! Erik, maybe it's too late now.... but, why not to pay a visit at the Porsche Museum at Zuffenhausen, as well a part of Stuttgart. Can't think of another sports car manufacturer who is closer to Ferrari according products and history and success....

Hope you'll arrive safely in Italy. Today it was already snowing at the greater Munich area, for tomorrow there are some more snow showers announced...

Nuno, I'm not that scared regarding the Swiss speeding fee's. They are just calculated on the income of the driver. A fee should be a real penalty for the driver. For example a fee of 100 SFR. for a foreign billionaire would be not even worth a smile. That's why they linked the penalty to the whealth situation of the driver... Sure, Mogulboy will chime in with some more informations but I think their point of view is quiet fair....

Second point Nuno, yes, there are still some German Autobahn's where you can enjoy driving without speed limit and at moderate traffic. Don't expect to have this possibility during the roush hours or daytime any more, but sometimes during the night you can enjoy driving at the speed-limiter (....BMW, 250 km/h) for a while..... Havn't tried it with the Maranello yet.

 

A-95 South of Munich to Garmish-Partischkirscshen (spelling is WAY off) was a great drive when I did it a year ago. No speed limit, but only two lanes on each side. I went 290 km/h with a rented BMW. They wouldn't rent me a Ferrari since I was 23 at the time.

 

I understand, Jürgen. It does makes sense and I understand the logic behind it. It's quite different from where I live in, and sometimes people like some leniency. But most countries have hefty fines and penalties regarding speeding which, to an extent, may very well be the only effective way for people to obey the law (although I believe speeding can't be directly associated with higher death tolls, with Germany supporting my claim: a country with a low death toll and yet with some autobahns without a speed limit).

Kind regards and thank you,

Nuno.

 

Back on topic: does anyone know this road?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs-G30Vv7ug

Details say it was the A10 (Berlin?) and A9 (Flaming?)

Seems to have a pretty smooth and nice layout, pretty scenery and few speed limit zones.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

Nuno, right, we are trained during the practical training lessons to achieve the driving license on the Autobahn to take care regarding the different speed levels of the cars arriving from behind.... Surely, in some cases without success.... ;- ( !

 

By the way, all German delivered car's from the big local performance car manufacturers (BMW, Audi, Mercedes) are generally limited to 250 km/h, with the exception of Porsche cars. Having just had this experience... (New Audi A8 plus, 605 hp, V8 Biturbo...)

Don't have any informations regarding export-markets, maybe the speed-limits are opened for the US or Canadian markets...?

 

Speeds for cars are definitely limited for Canadian cars, at least.

 

Are you going to visit Lauterbrunnen? It's a lovely little village we stayed in for a week a few years ago.

 

driving fast in france and enjoying it, is down to keeping the speed at 160 kmh or less. at that level if you get caught, its only 90 euros cash. over that it starts to get hairy.

btw, mogul boy, i am not speaking without experience about swiss driving fines - unfortunately.

net/net, if you want to drive a ferrari fast on the highway, pick a nice unlimited autobahn in germany and go out at about 4 am, or go to southern italy.

or join the mille tribute next year, and have a great time !

speeding on european highways is pretty much over. i am glad i experienced it in the good old days.

 

Few remarks make me more jealous than this one. The downside of being 31! When I was born, glamour was already dying. I do love however to hear stories of old.

Northern Italy, namely Emilia Romagna and Veneto are infested with speed control cameras, like Autovelox and Tutor. They're also quite unforgiving.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

I taught electronic warfare at the NATO school in Oberammergau when I was stationed with the USAF in Heidelberg from 1987 to 1989. Class was on Monday, so on Sunday I would take my 87 Z51 Corvette south from Mauer to the autobahn and drive south into Bavaria. No trucks on Sundays and very light traffic, so maintaining 210-230 kph was very easy and safe. Glad I got to see that while you could still do it. About the only thing that kept up with me were the big S class coupes (380/500 SECs). For some reason, Porsche drivers never seemed to be going very fast back then, whether 911s or 944s. Had a similar experience when I picked up the 308 GTS in Koblenz in 1981 and drove her back to the UK. A lot less traffic then than even in the late 80s and very few cars capable of high speeds on the roads. That has really changed.

 

Terry, nice memories from times which have passed. Remember driving with my father proudly in the family BMW 2000 during the early 70th, at 180 km/h you were amoung the fastest cars at the Autobahn.... Same with the early 5 series cars of the following decade, these cars were fast and reliable, as well as the first series 7 examples in the family. Surely, the big Mercedes sedans and coupes where always close...., but practically nothing else.

At that time, 911's where capable to achieve higher speeds, but in a much more stressful way. 928's where always faster and less exhausting, think, you couldn't keep up with an expirienced driven 928/928S with an Ferrari 308 on a German Autobahn for a long time...

By now, everything has changed, nearly every vendors sedan is capable to reach 200km/h and they are frequently using this speed region. Above this speed, driving has becoming quiet hairy during the regular traffic hours... There are still much slower cars on the road.....

 

well it was not lost until a few years ago.

only about 6 years ago, i broke the unofficial record for monaco to geneva. but now, that one will hold. it can never be broken again without risking big jail time.

but voters only have themselves to blame - you vote people in that hate cars and you get increasingly harsh laws against speeders.

the swiss penalties for excessive speed in some cases are harsher than the penalties for assault, mugging etc.

mostly it has to do with money. money from fines, money from the insurance industry.

anyway, be careful what you vote for.

 

Ross, I'm intrigued to know the record, type of car, etc. Without self-incrimination.

It's hard to know what kind of political party is pro-Ferrari driver. The draconian changes in French speeding laws were brought in by Jacques Chirac, who was from the right of the spectrum, to many people's surprise at the time. Speed cameras were introduced into the UK by the Conservative party. London's cycle lanes (nothing against cyclists, but the new kerbed lanes hit traffic speeds badly) were introduced by a Conservative mayor.

Nobody knows who will ultimately be responsible for the end of derestricted Autobahns, but it's quite possible Germans won't know when they vote them in.

 

I love this account of the journey. Thank you for bringing it alive.

 

I'd be fine with the $ from fines. It's the threat of Jail time, loss of license and taking away of your car that what's stopping me...


That said, drove through France earlier this year and the roads where completely empty, stuck to 160kph mostly but every now and again I stretched myself to well beyond that...

 

darius, you have a pm

 

one time i was driving from Nancy back to London in the 512tr. the wife was asleep. the roads were empty. it was a sunny afternoon. and french highways are very well made. i just kept pressing on and was going about 250kph in a long right sweeper, when i went under and overpass and noticed 2 motorcycle cops resting there in the shade. the look on their faces when i passed them at that speed was priceless.

but i was a bit worried...so kept going down the road a ways and then took an exit, slinked off into a little village, and parked behind a big truck and told the wife (now awake) that it was time for a break...

got away with that one.

 

Very lucky!

Even in Spain here the (toll) roads are virtually empty. 10 minutes north of Barcelona and you'll hardly see anyone on the road. 15 minutes south, the same. But I was very surprised at France...as long as it's a weekday and not during or very close to holidays, there really where zero people on the toll roads. Sustained periods of significant speeding may not be possible anymore but the odd push here and there...

Not Veyron but FF, friend of mine did well above 300 regularly from Milan to Monaco until recently (moved).

 

Received!