MN

One factor to be considered is traffic. Especially during holiday season the Autobahn can be maddeningly slow. But it is something hard to explain how it feels to haul at terminal velocity along the Autobahn.

P.S. Yes, I run out of oil first on my GTS '92 on a empty Autobahn (A7 Hamburg to Sylt, early Sunday morning before the current construction)

Vilhuer

Based on trees that was filmed some time in early spring or late autumn. Definitelly not during holiday season. It was done around 100 miles north of Cologne on A1 which means around Munster or little north of it. That is one of the busiest roads in Germany and usually full of trucks. Much of the stuff what moves to and from Scandinavia goes through it. Since road is so empty it must been done on Sunday when most trucks are not allowed to drive around.

A7 north of Hannover has three lanes on each direction which has miles long straights with no speed limit when traffic is light. But it's also too busy on holiday season except maybe during the night. We usually use either it or more western A1 route going from Travemunde ferry port to Nurburgring. One year we ended up spending hour standind still from 11 to 12 PM in intersection of A352 and A2 which is just south of A7 towards the Ring. Want to try avoid this kind of instancees? Go in May or November and hope weather is nice.

A1 just north of Ring towards Cologne has maybe 20 miles on non limit section. It's long downhill towards north and very good place to blow up an engine. On Porsche Club Finland yearly trips it has happened more than once I think. Automatic S4 is very good tow vehicle. We have tried it there. For high speed runs prepare to go there very early in the morning.

Vilhuer

Averaging 100mph for one tankfull is very difficult, 120mph almost impossible. We have tried it many times. Not saying it can't be done but roads and times must be selected very carefully.

Vilhuer

Or maybe that Corvette video is 100 miles south on Cologne which would mean around Trier. In there most of the road is too twisty for long high speed runs. North from A1/A602 intersection road is little better but there are too steep hills etc towards the Ring. Though we have seen 170 mph there for very brief time in stock GTS.

linderpat

Of course I stopped for gas. I said I drove 120 mph or so for 6 hours. During that time there would certainly have been stops. My only point is that out west, in the upper regions of the country where it is empty, you can, for the most part, drive as fast as you want and be unmolested doing so. Yes, occasionally I got a ticket, typically when near a population center. But the roads are great, the scenery is better, and your car is your real limiting factor. We had some good fun runs out there with the local car clubs and with friends and their cars.

Leon Speed

If you want to travel fast on the Autobahn for extended periods of time, plan on lifting for long left curves and bring plenty of oil. No 15W-50 or 20w-50 available in Germany. And plan on moving over for the new turbo diesels behind you.

James Bailey

Now THAT is funny

blau928

Hey Erkka,

Funny you mention Travemuende, I know it well, and go to the fish market in the old harbor all the time and watch the ferries in the Skandinavien kai come and go. I also have a very good friend in Scharbeutz. Last summer I went to Denmark via Puttgarten, and it was great on the A1 going and A7 coming back via Fynshav/Sonderborg/Flensburg. Fun summer trip that was.!

By the way, the A1 renovation between HH and Bremen is now finished, all new autobahn all the way from the 261 near Maschen to just past Bremen. My old girlfriend lived near Cloppenburg, and I used to drive the A1 in traffic, and it was no fun during construction...!!!

That spot on the A7 near Hannover is just awesome, I look forward to it every time I go to Frankfurt or Hannover.. The A2 is not bad either between Hannover & Berlin, and the A9 between Berlin and Munich is also good.

It is refreshing to know that someone else in a 928 on RL knows these roads, and understands what it takes to move around the place. Refreshing indeed.

blau928

I have been saying this for years, and nobody believes me...! It is the main reason I switched to renting a TDI when I am in europe, as they are so fast, and so cheap to operate compared to a gas powered high performance car..!!

New Audi/BMW TDIs

blau928

Not to worry, I will call all my friends with children, and get the holiday schedules. Also plan to have specific stages where the banzai runs can happen with careful planning...

For example, leaving a hotel very early one morning, say 3am to get ahead of the rush hour traffic, then stopping for a good breakfast during rush hour, then continue after, with a break for lunch, etc. etc..

Hey, you should come down from Finland and join us for the "928 One Lap of Germany"

blau928

+1 zee ferry feeling I vish to haf zee achtundzwanziger fahrers experience..!

hwyengr

While you have a good point, I just have to point out that the 70mph design speeds are based on empirical tire friction tests from the '50s. And the turns are banked, up to 6% in snow country and 10-12% down south.

Vilhuer

On 170 mph top speed GTS run from Ring to Trier we were "racing" BMW 535d. From 50 to 155 mpg there was nothing between them. Only when BMW hit it's stock 155 mph limiter we managed to left it behind. Friend has similar 535d with some tuning which will leave any stock 928 behind on any speed needed be it GT, GTS or whatever.

On long high speed run stock 928 has no hope in hell in keeping up with any modern 3L turbo diesel. They can make almost twice the distance compared to 928 on single fillup. During minimun 8-10 minute long 928 fillup diesel can cover maybe 10 miles. For 928 to catch that up means it has to fly to catch up before it needs fillup again. Faster the speed larger difference there is in consumption in favor for diesel engine.

Modern 5 series has 70L fuel tank. For going as fast as possible in autobahns my weapon of choice would be BMW M550d xDrive Touring. It has 3L turbo diesel with three turbos and 381hp @ 4000-4400 rpm and 740 Nm @ 2000-3000 rpm. That's 546 foot-pounds TQ. Remove speed limiter and it can hit 185 mph in full comfort.


Thats around 25s from 0 to 150 mph.

blau928

We must be brothers from different mothers, I posted a picture I took in a regular 730D with the needle pinned at 250KmH on the A7 and when I tell people I can do that all day in that car, and not have to stop for fuel, I can just about beat anything on a long distance haul other than a jet.

I also had the same experience with a 530D kombi and A6 TDI Sport Quattro, and it was just as insane, and like you, I prefer the kombis, because everyone thinks "Opa Auto" until you just leave them behind and then they back off because the gas is so expensive at those speeds..!!

If I would have to live in europe again, I would get an A6/M550D and have the VMax lifted right away...!! Oh, I just love those things...!! TDI

blau928

I understand perfectly what you are saying.

However, until you drive on a properly maintained autobahn roadway in Germany at speed without bumps and all the atrocities of a lack of good maintenance on most USA roads, there is nothing like it for the experience. Not to mention you will probably get arrested for speeding in short order in pretty much all of the USA.

I am speaking from experience, in both the USA and Germany. I have lived on the east coast, and west coast, and have driven both coasts from Canada to San Diego out west, and New England to Florida on the east coast. I have not done much of the Midwest, but with all the cop lights I see with the time spent in Minnesota, Wisconsin, & Illinois, no thanks, I'll take my chances elsewhere.

Case in point.. I was just driving my Aston Martin not too long ago, when a new Z28 decided it was party time.. At 170, the Z28 drops off, but then, I hit a huge bump in the road, and blew out two perfectly good Michelin PS2's on the front wheels from the crappy road. Just had to order a new set of Pilot Supersports all around.

This does not happen in Germany, they fix the roads all the time, and the unlimited parts are as smooth as silk. If the road gets crappy, they will put a speed restriction up, and fix the road. Most of the summer traffic is from "Baustellen" Fixing the road traffic jam....

Just saying, different strokes for different folks, I vote Autobahn everytime... Nothing like in anywhere else.. You have to drive it to realize the feeling of bliss that you get.

Imagine, passing the silver and blue Autobahnpolizei and it's perfectly legal, and they give you a thumb up in a cool car. Where else can you do that??