Steve 96C4S

So I decided to travel to Scandinavia for 11 days and just got back.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/stev...o%206%204%2013

I posted here if anyone lives here that maybe we can meet for a dinner one night but it just didn't work out with anyone being able to meet. No worries there... a guy from my old BMW bimmerboard did and we had a fantastic day together with him and his wife touring the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen's suburb, checked out his boat and had lunch. He picked me up in his 7 series and we had a blast (with total strangers). What fun.

My first day in Copenhagen I'm walking along the street near the city hall and spot my only 993 I'd see for the trip. Made me happy for some reason.



Been noticing a lot of the 997's in my area, my next door neighbor has a triple black cab, and have decided that I actually am not really into that look anymore. I much prefer the look of our ancient 993's. When I saw this lone 993 sitting there on the street thousands of miles from my home, it even more confirmed it for me. There's nothing like them on the road. A modern classic.

Interesting that about 1/3 or more of the cars I saw in Stockholm were wagons. On the way back to the airport at the end of the trip I noticed all the cars going by. Mostly Mercedes, Saab, Volvo and BMW wagons! Hardly any sedans. It seems like in America wagon's aren't that cool yet in Sweden, they are literally everywhere. Mercedes has these C220 Wagons we don't even have here.

Didn't see one Blazer, Suburban, Tahoe, Denali, or hardly any SUV's other than a few Mercedes GLK's and BMW X3's and 5's.

Over the years I'd ask people while traveling through Europe about Scandinavia and if they've been. Most people said they hadn't and hadn't any interest in it really. Some that had been to one of the countries said it was just OK and moderately interesting.

I'm glad I went. It was WAY better than I thought it would be! Amazing, actually...

JonasO

In Sweden wagons are the most popular, I think that over 2/3 of sold cars in Sweden are wagons. I have a Audi A6 Avant, wouldnt think of bying a sedan...

SUV's where popular but the trend is downgoing, people are bying diesel wagons due to taxregulations.

Next time you are here, give me a hint and I'll show you Sweden! :-)

Steve 96C4S

2/3rds? Wow, I understand that now better after being there! It did seem like an awfully large amount.

But why so many wagons? Do single people ever buy a wagon there or is it almost always families? In the US, it's deemed as partially uncool to drive a wagon as a single guy. At least that's my perception, I could be wrong.

Sorry I missed you while there... would have been fun to do a meal together. Doubt I'd go back to Sweden as I like to explore new places with each trip I go on but thanks for the offer.

appear

Hi Steve

Great to hear you enjoyed Scandinavia! My C2S is parked 150m away from where that photo is taken (near Gothersgade) in Copenhagen - shame I didn't see your original message about visiting. I see a 993 (other than mine) on a weekly basis, but the community is stronger around the older 911s around here, because a low-spec, high mileage 993 begins at 95k USD in Denmark, and the veteran cars can be had for much less due to funny tax-laws. A base C2 manual 991 begins at 340k USD, new Turbo S 750K USD. So we ride em' like we stole em' for a reason over here, most often, it's because we have!

When I toured the US (SF-LA-SD-Vegas-NYC) by car about a month ago I had the very same feeling about seeing other 993s so far from 'home' - to me they're europeans, so when I see them in the US it's a familiar feeling.

Scandinavia is very green/ECO aware, to the point of most people being almost religious about it (did you notice all the bikes, the stone-age/RAW food and all the microcars?). Therefor the american SUV and low-milage big-cars trend is unpopular here + the US car brands in general are not represented over here - I've seen 2-3 Chryslers this year. To make matters worse the car brand Daewoo is being sold under the Chevrolet brand, and it's basically worse than owning a pink MX5.

Did you go to 'Banevingen 5' in Copenhagen - I believe it's the largest (or one of) Porsche Center in Europe + Lambo, Aston etc are right across the street.

Steve 96C4S

Sorry I missed you while in Copenhagen as well! I didn't get to see Banevingen 5. I was too busy checking out all your museums! I had such a great time in your biking city. I never even rode a bike. I've never seen so many people biking anywhere. It was crazy! I almost got hit a few times since I wasn't used to looking both ways before stepping off a curb. People biked in suits, beautiful women biking to work with their long flowing blonde hair, older women and men biking. It was cool.

Kind of wish I rented a bike there but honestly, I was a little intimidated by the whole biking thing and the thought of spilling off the bike at some point held me back. I'm a biker here in the states, but when I travel, I just foot it.

appear

I can't answer for sweden, they do not have the crazy car-tax laws we danes do - I'd go "Rudy" if I lived there!

In Denmark it's a value for money thing - the cars are so expensive and the stationcars (as we call wagons) are only a slight premium for a lot more car. Furthermore it's a way to get SUV-funcitionality without the unloved SUV car-type.

However I'd say 1/3 of all cars on the road (2/3 of all new being sold) are mini cars. 1/3 are stationcars and 1/3 is sedans, SUVs ect.

appear

Imaging driving into the city and back every day? Thats my DD route in my 993 - there's a 'moment' on almost every trip, but so far no casualties or bike-scratches. A 993 w. 200Cell cat + RSR cans and motorsound seems to clear the way if they huddle Like someone else said here - Loud Porsches saves lives - it's never been more true than in Copenhagen!

There is no social code about who rides bikes and not. A lot of the best paid people I know (guys who can afford 991s), ride their bike to and from work. Hot girls on bikes is an actual problem though, the likeliness of people dozing off while waiting with the bikes at the lights is very high.

JB 911

Great trip, thanks for sharing! I remember some crazy car laws in Norway. Good laws, but just not what we are used to. Visiting my sister who still lives there. She was in the shops and I went back to the car to wait. It was about -5c COLD. So who wouldn't start the car up to warm up. In 10 minutes I had three people knock on the window and tell you you can't idle a car in park in Norway, it is against the law. The first one, I thought the person was just some zealot and ignored them. It was maybe 7 or 8 minutes in when I got the next two. Litrally, people wouldn't walk by without rapping on your window! Wow! After the third one, I was starting to feel pretty guilty so I shut it off. Luckily my sister reappeared before frostbite set in.

Steve 96C4S

Wow, that does seem crazy to me too, but we live here, not there! There, what you did must have seemed insane to them. Perspective.

JonasO

Ok, the offer is on if you ever come over here again.

I think single people buy wagons as well, the Sweds are a practical people (Ikea, Volvo etc, etc) so we go for practical cars i think. US cars is not so popular, but Swedes love german cars so VW, Mercedes, Audi, BMW wagons are wery popular.

We dont buy or drive pickups unless its for a work related purpuse, I have understood that pickups are very popular vehicles in the states, even for singles. If you drive a pickup in Sweden and are single, you will probably stay single...

There is great differences between our car behaviour in Europe and USA, but
the love for Porsche is the same, thats a proof of the greatness of Porsche and 993:s.

LimeyBoy

Glad you enjoyed your trip, been many times to Scandinavia, especially Denmark and always recommend it very highly as a vacation destination. Beer, food, countryside, cities, culture and the people - all good. Never surprised to see all the wagons and diesels over there as it has been like that for a while, but with the staggeringly high car tax I am always surprised how many sweet cars I see driving around.

Robert993TT

It´s nice to see that you did visit the Louisiana art museum. The guard told me not to take pictures of that chair when I visited the same exhibition. Guess he was not around when you took that picture.

Swedes choose wagons for practical reasons and the fact that they are easier to sell down the road. I think most younger single guys in the Scandinavian countries choose to buy smaller hatch backs or coupes. Once they get to the point of starting a family they usually end up buying a wagon or a smaller SUV. Pick-up trucks are not that easy to use on everyday basis if you don´t live outside the cities. For the same reasons you don´t see many cars our size in say Italy. I would have swapped a normal sized swedish station wagon for an old Fiat 500 when it comes to find a parking lot in just about any Italian village or city. If I go there I rent the smallest car they rent out and still I am jealous when I see someone in an 1960 Fiat 500 or 600 that seems to be the perfect size for that kind of road environment they have. When you see an Fiat 500 of that vintage in Sweden they looks out of place.

The fuel prices are probably the reason No 1 why you don´t see that many American cars on the roads in the Scandinavian countries. You guys still have cheep fuel compared us here in Europe. As a result your cars has big displacement engines and usually are quite heavy. Fuel, weight and big engine displacement are highly taxed in Europe. Before the oil crisis in the 70´s I think American cars where a more common sight over here. With that said there are a big community that collect older American cars from the golden age of the American car industry that just happened to end when the oil crisis hit.

ehanauer

In Germany, it's hatchbacks. My informal observations concluded that about half the cars on the roads there were hatches.

Also, about 48% of new cars sales in Germany in 2011 were diesels.

Robert993TT

Around 60% of new cars sales today in Sweden are diesels in Sweden. In early 2000 the figure where around 5- 6%.

Steve 96C4S

Funny how diesels are so generally unpopular here (numbers-wise) yet so popular there...