Roadtrip to Germany

BillNick · January 30, 2023

Hi all,

Heading to Germany in the F in May with a friend who has a tuned RS3 and we are both bringing our brothers for company.

The aim is to enjoy 4 days behind the wheel of our beloved machines, see some EU sights and of course make use of the Autobahn's where we can. We plan to stop at the "ring" as there is some GT3 racing that weekend as well the Porsche and Mercedes museums (don't hate) after a night out in Stuttgart.

Anyway, has anyone driven to/through Germany before? Any pointers for a fellow petrol head? Places to visit, things to watch out for etc?

Thanks

B1RMA · January 30, 2023

11 minutes ago, BillNick said:

Hi all,

Heading to Germany in the F in May with a friend who has a tuned RS3 and we are both bringing our brothers for company.

The aim is to enjoy 4 days behind the wheel of our beloved machines, see some EU sights and of course make use of the Autobahn's where we can. We plan to stop at the "ring" as there is some GT3 racing that weekend as well the Porsche and Mercedes museums (don't hate) after a night out in Stuttgart.

Anyway, has anyone driven to/through Germany before? Any pointers for a fellow petrol head? Places to visit, things to watch out for etc?

Thanks

Well worth a visit to the AMG headquarters too.

BillNick · January 30, 2023

Ok Ill look that up thanks, assumed it would all be in one place?

Sixty · January 30, 2023

My two pennyworth:

Make sure you’ve covered all the legal bits before you enter Germany such as:

Display the environmental badge, also called Umweltplakette or eco sticker in your windscreen as it’s a requirement in some German cities. If you haven’t already got one there’s a reputable seller on eBay that I’ve used in the past [Link]. Careful when sticking them on as they are not interchangeable by design (they break into bits if you try to peel them back off).

Display UK and Union Flag labelled number plates (blue stickers will do) otherwise you’ll need to display the standard UK sticker on the back of your ‘F’, which will look naff. More info can be found on the RAC and AA websites.

General advice on the Autobahns:

While there are still some fairly long sections of Autobahn in between towns and cities that are not speed limited you’ll find quite a few sections restricted due to major roadworks that are still ongoing to many bridges and big intersections. While Autobahn driving can still be enjoyable we’ve noticed more and more trucks on the road in recent years, this coupled with a noticeable decline in their once notorious lane discipline makes for interesting driving at times.

German police are not renowned for their sense of humour… rules are rules, break them and you’ll pay the price (literally).

Once you’ve tired of the Autobahn there are some great A and B roads to explore depending on your final destination and limited time available. For example [Link] (forget the Romance bit in the link).

Finally, on minor roads where there are no priority road signs always keep in mind who has right of way at junctions as ‘right before left’ will normally apply (more info here [Link])

Good luck and enjoy your trip, we never tire of Germany and will be back again at Easter.

Spock66 · January 30, 2023

4 hours ago, BillNick said:

We plan to stop at the "ring" as there is some GT3 racing that weekend as well the Porsche and Mercedes museums (don't hate) after a night out in Stuttgart.

Both Porsche & Mercedes museums are worth a visit also the BMW museum in Munich.

Simon F · January 30, 2023

Having worked in Essen for some time a few years ago, my advice would be - don't bother visiting Essen!

But, it's near Cologne which is actually very nice.

dutchie01 · January 30, 2023

Heidelberg. Not too far off the ring and one of the most beautiful villages in Germany. Untouched by ww2 and stunning. Get a hotel with secured parking and enjoy the local wine!

mr2lad · January 30, 2023

5 hours ago, BillNick said:

Anyway, has anyone driven to/through Germany before? Any pointers for a fellow petrol head? Places to visit, things to watch out for etc?

Thanks

I used to live in Germany in fact spent most of my younger years in germany then in my late teens into my 20s served out in germany for 9yrs… moved back to germany for a brief spell in 2010….. tip for ya ,,,dont mention the war 😉

mr2lad · January 30, 2023

Reeperbahn in Hamburg is a must 🙈 and Eros centre in Bielfeld,

BillNick · January 30, 2023

1 hour ago, mr2lad said:

I used to live in Germany in fact spent most of my younger years in germany then in my late teens into my 20s served out in germany for 9yrs… moved back to germany for a brief spell in 2010….. tip for ya ,,,dont mention the war 😉

Ha I worked with a couple of Germans so already knew that rule lol

BillNick · January 30, 2023

2 hours ago, Spock66 said:

Both Porsche & Mercedes museums are worth a visit also the BMW museum in Munich.

Ah good thanks. Not sure with the time we have we can get to both Stuttgart and Munich. So seen as I’m not a fan of BMWs, Stuttgart it is.

BillNick · January 30, 2023

@Sixty great advice I will read all of the links thank you 👍🏼

mr2lad · January 31, 2023

@BillNick Are you on the Lexus F owners Europe FB group…. Lots of owners in Germany on it, might be worth posting on there

BillNick · January 31, 2023

8 minutes ago, mr2lad said:

@BillNick Are you on the Lexus F owners Europe FB group…. Lots of owners in Germany on it, might be worth posting on there

That’s a great shout I’ll try and join now

RadicalCoupe-Fuji · January 31, 2023

I always wondered what the insurance situation is when you go on the nurburgring, your regular insurance won't cover it, is there special insurance or is purely at your own risk?

BillNick · January 31, 2023

I’m not taking it on the ring as there is a race meeting that weekend, however it’ll be the same as any other track day where you will need separate track cover. Though this is not mandatory like it is on the road, you pay to cover your own car against damage no matter the cause.

EP80 · January 31, 2023

1 hour ago, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

I always wondered what the insurance situation is when you go on the nurburgring, your regular insurance won't cover it, is there special insurance or is purely at your own risk?

When I looked into this personally, the only way to get insurance for a UK car was to go on a private track day, sort of like a package holiday but with laps of the track/insurance included. There weren't any UK companies who could do this at the time.

There are horror stories out there about driving without insurance, true or not.

OP, consider whether or not you need light deflectors, most people don't bother but to my knowledge they are required for some cars.

Bluemarlin · January 31, 2023

Also check your car insurance, as some who include/provide European cover only provide it for third party damage by default.

MNMJ · February 1, 2023

Autobahn 4 between Aachen and Duren is quite new, well sighted and 3 lanes. That is where I discovered that the limiter kicks in at an indicated 287 kmh (178 mph). Despite multiple goes, I couldn't get it above that.

The A4 is on the way to the Ring and merits an early morning blast, especially on Sunday when, if I recall, trucks are subject to restrictions. I know we were not allowed to move our Panzers around on Sunday back in the day.

BillNick · February 1, 2023

178mph still 10 higher than on book. Certain it'll go further. How did it feel at that speed?

Thanks for pointer on Sunday but I think we will be further South by then - Stuttgart.

Maybe another final blast on the way home...

F.A. · February 1, 2023

Could it be that a speedo indicated 178 mph is actually a true 168mph?

Did it feel like it could have kept going if there wasn’t a limiter in place ?

ColinBarber · February 1, 2023

^^^^this.

The speedo at a true 160 mph should read between 166 and 172 mph otherwise it is out of spec:

40 → 42.0 to 44.5
80 → 83.1 to 87.1
120 → 124.7 to 129.6
160 → 166.2 to 171.9
200 → 207.8 to 214.2

BillNick · February 1, 2023

Appreciate speedos are always on the fast side but I wonder if it makes it more accurate being a digital tachometer? Guess not as still a mechanical speed sensor feeding the output?

DavidCM · February 1, 2023

A GPS satnav will give you a more accurate reading.Might be better if you had a passenger to read it.

My knuckles were white and my bum tight at an indicated 150 mph on the bowl at Millbrook when I was having my "free" Porsche driving tuition,just before they opened their own track at Silverstone. Unfortunately rain stopped (high speed) play .It takes a lot of faith to take your hands off the wheel at about 125 mph.

MNMJ · February 2, 2023

16 hours ago, F.A. said:

Could it be that a speedo indicated 178 mph is actually a true 168mph?

Did it feel like it could have kept going if there wasn’t a limiter in place ?

Yes, it was still accelerating. Not strongly, but I would have estimated another 10-15kph.

I would guess that it was a true 168mph (270kph) or maybe 171mph (275kph). I recall one of the car magazines got a GPS measured 171 or 172 out of it

It felt smooth at that speed. Living in Germany for 2 years back in the day gave me confidence that modern cars can sit comfortably at full chat.

If you are near Stuttgart on a Sunday morning, you may find some hills to add a little extra speed,