European Delivery and C4S Recap
07-24-2013, 01:12 AM
#31
Instructor
Thread Starter
Yes
07-24-2013, 01:00 PM
#33
Instructor
Thread Starter
07-27-2013, 02:12 PM
#34
Instructor
Thread Starter
Hi All,
The cargo ship with my car docked in Davisville, RI on Thursday, July 25. This is less than a month after I returned the car to the factory on Sunday, June 30. I used http://www.marinetraffic.com/ to track the location of my ship. I hope I can upload the next few postings soon -- but it will take a few more days.
All best,
Alan
The cargo ship with my car docked in Davisville, RI on Thursday, July 25. This is less than a month after I returned the car to the factory on Sunday, June 30. I used http://www.marinetraffic.com/ to track the location of my ship. I hope I can upload the next few postings soon -- but it will take a few more days.
All best,
Alan
08-11-2013, 03:44 PM
#36
Instructor
Thread Starter
Sorry for the long delay, folks. My 94 year old father went into the hospital unexpectedly. He's okay now! but I got caught up with few things at home. Here is an update on return of my car and rest of my trip.
1. I picked up my car last Friday, August 2. Drop-off in Germany to pickup in Chicago = less than five weeks!
Detailed timeline: Returned car to factory in Stuttgart on June 30. It was on a cargo ship within a week. The ship docked in Davisville, RI on Thursday, July 25. The ship was unloaded and en route to its next US port Saturday afternoon. The car remained in Davisville for a few days and I received an email from my dealer on Wednesday, July 31 that the car left Davisville on a truck. I expected the car the following week. To my surprised I received a phone call on Friday, August 2 at about 12:30pm that the car just arrived! Arrangements were made to pick up the car later that afternoon.
2. I used http://www.marinetraffic.com/ to track my car across the ocean, however, Googling the ship's name brought up several websites that tracked it's position across the water. It was fun watching it's progress every few days.
3. I remain pleasantly surprised how well the car drives around town. No question it's terrific at high speeds. Yet, compared to Porsches of 20 years ago it's super easy to drive at low speeds around town!
1. I picked up my car last Friday, August 2. Drop-off in Germany to pickup in Chicago = less than five weeks!
Detailed timeline: Returned car to factory in Stuttgart on June 30. It was on a cargo ship within a week. The ship docked in Davisville, RI on Thursday, July 25. The ship was unloaded and en route to its next US port Saturday afternoon. The car remained in Davisville for a few days and I received an email from my dealer on Wednesday, July 31 that the car left Davisville on a truck. I expected the car the following week. To my surprised I received a phone call on Friday, August 2 at about 12:30pm that the car just arrived! Arrangements were made to pick up the car later that afternoon.
2. I used http://www.marinetraffic.com/ to track my car across the ocean, however, Googling the ship's name brought up several websites that tracked it's position across the water. It was fun watching it's progress every few days.
3. I remain pleasantly surprised how well the car drives around town. No question it's terrific at high speeds. Yet, compared to Porsches of 20 years ago it's super easy to drive at low speeds around town!
08-14-2013, 01:49 AM
#37
Instructor
Thread Starter
Section 4 - EUROPE HIGHLIGHTS
A. MY DRIVING ITINERARY, PART 1
Factory to Hotel to Baden-Baden
Hectic. I encountered rush hour traffic leaving Zufenhausen and construction congestion near the Graf Zeppelin Hotel. Then I sustained heavy traffic on the Autobahn Routes 8 and 5 towards Baden Baden. Recommendation: return to hotel after picking up your car and stay in Stuttgart overnight. Then leave late the next morning or early afternoon for your next destination to avoid heavy traffic and to get a chance to recover from the awesome adrenaline rush of European Delivery.
Baden Baden through Black Forest to Zurich, Switzerland
I only stayed one night in B.B., drove one day through the Black Forest and continued into Switzerland. Terrific stretches of driving and beautiful scenery southbound on Routes 500, 28 294 and 462. Next time I will stay overnight in Baden Baden for two or three nights and try out the local spa and restaurants. Baden Baden is nice base to explore day trips and I would have tried some of the smaller mountain roads between the bigger routes mentioned above. Helpful tip #1: if you see lots of motorcycles approaching from the opposite direction you know you are in for some fun twisties!Helpful tip #2: Speed limits on the secondary roads are enforced! I was was pulled over by a cop within 24 hours of picking up my car. The cop was actually friendly and helpful; he urged me to slow down and stay safe and he provided some nice travel tips. The drive over the border into Switzerland was uneventful. A uniformed agent looked at me, made sure I had a toll sticker on the windshield and waved me through. Speed limits are strictly enforced throughout Switzerland so I figured this would be a good place to break in my car. I revved the engine but enjoyed the roads more for their scenic vistas rather than all out performance driving.
Klausen Pass
Klausen Pass is the first major mountain pass south of Zurich, Switzerland. There were some very scenic stretches of road on the way to the Klausen Pass. Best views were south along the western shore of Lake Zurich and along the eastern edge of Lake Lucerne. Next time I will try to drive along the eastern shore of Lake Zug. I approached KP via Altdorf and drove up through many pretty villages. The peak of the pass was 40 degrees (F) colder than the base. Roads were very narrow and sometimes wet (there is snow up top). Stretches are VERY NARROW. You barely think a single car can get by then a bus comes from the opposite direction! I drove the pass late on a Sunday afternoon approaching dusk. Little traffic. The drive down the decent was more spirited.
Zurich to Basel
Two-thirds of the drive was uneventful and boring. Then I came across an abandoned farm road with awesome switchbacks that went through cut-outs of rock and sandstone. I have to go back to my map notes to identify the roads (edit here later). The experience taught me to study Google maps for small twisting roads and to at the in-car GPS more than my Michelin map. Lesson learned: if the road is jagged you are in for a good time!
Basel to Lausanne
I loved the city of Basel, but driving to and from Basel was mostly dull and boring (except for one stretch of road described above). Even the Michelin scenic roads on the way to Lausanne were disappointing. Perhaps I missed the “right roads”. If you drive to or from Basel focus on small roads that go through National Parks (which I skipped).
Excursions from Lausanne
I never drove from Lausanne to Geneva, however, I went clockwise around Lake Geneva to Montreux and Evian, France. This was my first experience driving through Europe at night. The small towns and villages look amazing under the lights. This was not a hard core vroom vroom experience; but I did get a chance to explore the upper limits of the RPM range on the French side of the boarder. One you get settled with the car find some desolate roads for some exciting night drives.
Lausanne to Interlaken by way of Berne
Lausanne to Berne was filled with traffic and straight highways. Kinda boring. But approaching Interlaken was another story -- a gorgeous story! I identify the the best driving routes in Switzerland I suggest looking for highways that run along big bodies of water. You’ll see beautiful mountains on the other side. If there is a wild and crazy switch back road on your map -- likely a major or minor mountain pass -- go for it! Otherwise I would skip the secondary roads to drive highways that run along major bodies of water. My entrance into Interlaken remains one of the scenic highlights of my trip. Many gorgeous panoramas coupled with low-to-mid speed twisties.
Around Interlaken
Interlaken was not prominent in my trip research, however, I had three excellent driving experiences near Interlaken: One was a day trip to Lauterbrunnen, which is a low valley between enormous mountains. Another was a drive around Lake Thun; I stopped at four castles and then found a dynamite stretch of road (one of my favorites of the entire trip). Then I found an unexpected mountain pass departing Interlaken to the north. If you think of Lake Thun as the face of a clock, and drive between 1 o’clock and 3 o’clock you will find many twists, turns and elevation changes... all along the water... with great views of the mountains. I drove back an forth on this section, i.e., from north to south, back to the north, and back again. This is a great region worth exploring more next time!
Interlaken to Liechtenstein
My original plan was to drive from Interlaken to the major Swiss mountain passes: Grimsell, Susten, Furka, Gothard, etc. Then continue to Chur, Davos, etc. to trace the Top Gear route to Stelvio. But unseasonably late snow closed many roads. So I took a detour to the north. Yet it’s funny how things work out: departing Interlaken for the north took me through an amazing mountain pass through the Sadelwald mountain range, which I never heard of before. Despite this it was a great drive that combined speed, handling challenges and very pretty views.
Liechtenstein to Feldkirch, Austria
I drove through Liechtenstein mostly so I could say I went to Liechtenstein. After a few pictures I drove over the Austrian border. Soon I the difference between the Germany, Swiss and Austrian approaches to speed limits.
The Germans = Drive as fast as you and your car can safely navigate, but it’s your responsibility to manage to your limits. Misjudge your limits and pay dearly
The Swiss = We don’t want the hassle of cleaning up any mess, so we’ll set speed limits that are strictly enforced. But we’ll vary the limits often as the terrain changes.
The Austrians = We have speed limits, but we sorta trust you and can’t be bothered to vary speed limits on secondary roads as conditions vary. This means speed limits will be too low in a few places and ridiculously high in a few other places.
So remember that Austrian speed limits are just that: limits. Not minimums! You can absurdly overdrive some Austrian back roads. This creates an opportunities to really open up your car once you familiar with your surroundings. I got to discover this in Feldkirch and put this to good use later in Austria. IMHO Austria provided the best mix of challenging terrain, scenic mountain passes and highway driving vs. Switzerland and Italy. I still favor Germany for the Black Forest and unrestricted sections of Autobahn.
Feldkirch to Meersburg, Germany
I continued to Lake Konstanz, a vacation destination for local Germans. It’s a pretty region but the drive there was generally high congestion and low interest. Traffic around Lake Konstanz was constant. Pretty vistas from time to time. Ferry was effective way to go back and forth across lake. Recommend the area if you have specific hotels or activities on your personal agenda. Otherwise suggest skipping if your priority is driving.
Fussen, Ruette and Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles
This area has some interesting driving coupled with mind blowing castle views. King Ludwig’s castles are Germany’s least historically significant, but they are some of the most recognizable. I didn’t love this region, however, it is worth exploring for the castles. Further, the southern end of the Romantic Road makes for some spirited driving. Some small, random roads around lake Bandwald were my favorites. Again this highlights the benefit of departing “famous roads” to explore “short cuts” through farms, roads that run along bodies of water and small roads the zig-zag back and forth on your GPS screen.
Linderhof Palace to Innsbruck, Austria
I went east from Fussen to Linderhof Palace, a castle where Ludwig actually lived most of his adult lift, and then continued to Garmisch, Germany, home of the 1936 Winter Olympics. The autobahn was unrestricted and went right past the Olympic ski jump. If you are here take a detour: ski jumps and bob sleighs are a theme of the next few cities.
Part 2 to follow shortly...
A. MY DRIVING ITINERARY, PART 1
Factory to Hotel to Baden-Baden
Hectic. I encountered rush hour traffic leaving Zufenhausen and construction congestion near the Graf Zeppelin Hotel. Then I sustained heavy traffic on the Autobahn Routes 8 and 5 towards Baden Baden. Recommendation: return to hotel after picking up your car and stay in Stuttgart overnight. Then leave late the next morning or early afternoon for your next destination to avoid heavy traffic and to get a chance to recover from the awesome adrenaline rush of European Delivery.
Baden Baden through Black Forest to Zurich, Switzerland
I only stayed one night in B.B., drove one day through the Black Forest and continued into Switzerland. Terrific stretches of driving and beautiful scenery southbound on Routes 500, 28 294 and 462. Next time I will stay overnight in Baden Baden for two or three nights and try out the local spa and restaurants. Baden Baden is nice base to explore day trips and I would have tried some of the smaller mountain roads between the bigger routes mentioned above. Helpful tip #1: if you see lots of motorcycles approaching from the opposite direction you know you are in for some fun twisties!Helpful tip #2: Speed limits on the secondary roads are enforced! I was was pulled over by a cop within 24 hours of picking up my car. The cop was actually friendly and helpful; he urged me to slow down and stay safe and he provided some nice travel tips. The drive over the border into Switzerland was uneventful. A uniformed agent looked at me, made sure I had a toll sticker on the windshield and waved me through. Speed limits are strictly enforced throughout Switzerland so I figured this would be a good place to break in my car. I revved the engine but enjoyed the roads more for their scenic vistas rather than all out performance driving.
Klausen Pass
Klausen Pass is the first major mountain pass south of Zurich, Switzerland. There were some very scenic stretches of road on the way to the Klausen Pass. Best views were south along the western shore of Lake Zurich and along the eastern edge of Lake Lucerne. Next time I will try to drive along the eastern shore of Lake Zug. I approached KP via Altdorf and drove up through many pretty villages. The peak of the pass was 40 degrees (F) colder than the base. Roads were very narrow and sometimes wet (there is snow up top). Stretches are VERY NARROW. You barely think a single car can get by then a bus comes from the opposite direction! I drove the pass late on a Sunday afternoon approaching dusk. Little traffic. The drive down the decent was more spirited.
Zurich to Basel
Two-thirds of the drive was uneventful and boring. Then I came across an abandoned farm road with awesome switchbacks that went through cut-outs of rock and sandstone. I have to go back to my map notes to identify the roads (edit here later). The experience taught me to study Google maps for small twisting roads and to at the in-car GPS more than my Michelin map. Lesson learned: if the road is jagged you are in for a good time!
Basel to Lausanne
I loved the city of Basel, but driving to and from Basel was mostly dull and boring (except for one stretch of road described above). Even the Michelin scenic roads on the way to Lausanne were disappointing. Perhaps I missed the “right roads”. If you drive to or from Basel focus on small roads that go through National Parks (which I skipped).
Excursions from Lausanne
I never drove from Lausanne to Geneva, however, I went clockwise around Lake Geneva to Montreux and Evian, France. This was my first experience driving through Europe at night. The small towns and villages look amazing under the lights. This was not a hard core vroom vroom experience; but I did get a chance to explore the upper limits of the RPM range on the French side of the boarder. One you get settled with the car find some desolate roads for some exciting night drives.
Lausanne to Interlaken by way of Berne
Lausanne to Berne was filled with traffic and straight highways. Kinda boring. But approaching Interlaken was another story -- a gorgeous story! I identify the the best driving routes in Switzerland I suggest looking for highways that run along big bodies of water. You’ll see beautiful mountains on the other side. If there is a wild and crazy switch back road on your map -- likely a major or minor mountain pass -- go for it! Otherwise I would skip the secondary roads to drive highways that run along major bodies of water. My entrance into Interlaken remains one of the scenic highlights of my trip. Many gorgeous panoramas coupled with low-to-mid speed twisties.
Around Interlaken
Interlaken was not prominent in my trip research, however, I had three excellent driving experiences near Interlaken: One was a day trip to Lauterbrunnen, which is a low valley between enormous mountains. Another was a drive around Lake Thun; I stopped at four castles and then found a dynamite stretch of road (one of my favorites of the entire trip). Then I found an unexpected mountain pass departing Interlaken to the north. If you think of Lake Thun as the face of a clock, and drive between 1 o’clock and 3 o’clock you will find many twists, turns and elevation changes... all along the water... with great views of the mountains. I drove back an forth on this section, i.e., from north to south, back to the north, and back again. This is a great region worth exploring more next time!
Interlaken to Liechtenstein
My original plan was to drive from Interlaken to the major Swiss mountain passes: Grimsell, Susten, Furka, Gothard, etc. Then continue to Chur, Davos, etc. to trace the Top Gear route to Stelvio. But unseasonably late snow closed many roads. So I took a detour to the north. Yet it’s funny how things work out: departing Interlaken for the north took me through an amazing mountain pass through the Sadelwald mountain range, which I never heard of before. Despite this it was a great drive that combined speed, handling challenges and very pretty views.
Liechtenstein to Feldkirch, Austria
I drove through Liechtenstein mostly so I could say I went to Liechtenstein. After a few pictures I drove over the Austrian border. Soon I the difference between the Germany, Swiss and Austrian approaches to speed limits.
The Germans = Drive as fast as you and your car can safely navigate, but it’s your responsibility to manage to your limits. Misjudge your limits and pay dearly
The Swiss = We don’t want the hassle of cleaning up any mess, so we’ll set speed limits that are strictly enforced. But we’ll vary the limits often as the terrain changes.
The Austrians = We have speed limits, but we sorta trust you and can’t be bothered to vary speed limits on secondary roads as conditions vary. This means speed limits will be too low in a few places and ridiculously high in a few other places.
So remember that Austrian speed limits are just that: limits. Not minimums! You can absurdly overdrive some Austrian back roads. This creates an opportunities to really open up your car once you familiar with your surroundings. I got to discover this in Feldkirch and put this to good use later in Austria. IMHO Austria provided the best mix of challenging terrain, scenic mountain passes and highway driving vs. Switzerland and Italy. I still favor Germany for the Black Forest and unrestricted sections of Autobahn.
Feldkirch to Meersburg, Germany
I continued to Lake Konstanz, a vacation destination for local Germans. It’s a pretty region but the drive there was generally high congestion and low interest. Traffic around Lake Konstanz was constant. Pretty vistas from time to time. Ferry was effective way to go back and forth across lake. Recommend the area if you have specific hotels or activities on your personal agenda. Otherwise suggest skipping if your priority is driving.
Fussen, Ruette and Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles
This area has some interesting driving coupled with mind blowing castle views. King Ludwig’s castles are Germany’s least historically significant, but they are some of the most recognizable. I didn’t love this region, however, it is worth exploring for the castles. Further, the southern end of the Romantic Road makes for some spirited driving. Some small, random roads around lake Bandwald were my favorites. Again this highlights the benefit of departing “famous roads” to explore “short cuts” through farms, roads that run along bodies of water and small roads the zig-zag back and forth on your GPS screen.
Linderhof Palace to Innsbruck, Austria
I went east from Fussen to Linderhof Palace, a castle where Ludwig actually lived most of his adult lift, and then continued to Garmisch, Germany, home of the 1936 Winter Olympics. The autobahn was unrestricted and went right past the Olympic ski jump. If you are here take a detour: ski jumps and bob sleighs are a theme of the next few cities.
Part 2 to follow shortly...
01-02-2015, 06:42 PM
#38
Rennlist Member
anxiously waiting for part #4...
01-15-2015, 06:02 AM
#41
Re: Cayman vs C4S Experience
Thanks for bumping this thread, Larry.
Alan, thank you for sharing your experiences and shedding light into the dynamics of the options as well as your tour of European delivery. Highly insightful stuff!
I have been following along for a couple of years and eagerly await your experience driving the 981S and how you felt it compares with your car; the main reason being that I have had two Caymans within the past year (2014 S, now a 2014 base) and have been thinking about moving to a base 991 Cab. Obviously your car is different since it is a four-wheel drive S in coupe trim, but still... good to know, in addition to read onwards about how the rest of the tidbits are folding out / coming along in continuation, as has thoroughly been quite an enjoyable read. Deeply appreciated!
With mindfulness,
Sina
Alan, thank you for sharing your experiences and shedding light into the dynamics of the options as well as your tour of European delivery. Highly insightful stuff!
I have been following along for a couple of years and eagerly await your experience driving the 981S and how you felt it compares with your car; the main reason being that I have had two Caymans within the past year (2014 S, now a 2014 base) and have been thinking about moving to a base 991 Cab. Obviously your car is different since it is a four-wheel drive S in coupe trim, but still... good to know, in addition to read onwards about how the rest of the tidbits are folding out / coming along in continuation, as has thoroughly been quite an enjoyable read. Deeply appreciated!
With mindfulness,
Sina
Last edited by Setuber; 01-15-2015 at 06:34 AM. Reason: Grammar Touch-ups
07-31-2015, 03:26 PM
#42
Rennlist Member
Alan, I just received the paperwork for my European delivery.
Porsche says they keep my VAT deposit if I go over 6000KM (3750 miles).
German tax law, BMW, Mercedes, Audi have no such restrictions?!
You did it?
Porsche says they keep my VAT deposit if I go over 6000KM (3750 miles).
German tax law, BMW, Mercedes, Audi have no such restrictions?!
You did it?
07-31-2015, 03:27 PM
#43
Rennlist Member
Hi Everyone,
I returned home about a week ago. I'm still processing all that I experienced driving 4,250 miles through 7 countries, staying over night in 27 cities and visiting more than 40 cities total in 45 days! Plus there was time spent in Italy before the drive and a trip to London afterwards. What a trip! Epic! Awesome! Whoo hoo!
I returned home about a week ago. I'm still processing all that I experienced driving 4,250 miles through 7 countries, staying over night in 27 cities and visiting more than 40 cities total in 45 days! Plus there was time spent in Italy before the drive and a trip to London afterwards. What a trip! Epic! Awesome! Whoo hoo!
