Johnny Mayday

This post on the HP — where a driver wrecked, setting his 911 ablaze — made me think about driving on the Autobahn. It's a bucket list thing for cars guys, and I'm sad to admit I haven't. If you have, what was it like?

Mike Murphy

You're going to get a bunch of people with responses that all say the same thing about driving on the Autobahn: it's awesome the way skilled drivers know how to communicate, behave properly, use their mirrors, and generally follow the rules. It feels way safer than driving in the US. When I got back to Chicago, driving here at 70mph versus 124mph on the autobahn, felt way more dangerous and out of control than on the Autobahn.

The only thing to watch out for on the 'bahn is the sudden slowdown for traffic bottlenecks. I'm not talking about when the limits of 110 or 130 come up, but rather, even on no-limit sections, traffic can still go from 120+ to 5 in a very short timeframe. Oh, and there's always some jackass who drives slow in the left lane every one in awhile.

dave2020

^^^ +1 spot on

Johnny Mayday

Thanks! This is a great post.

Sportplus727!

Driven on the Autobahn? No

Rode on the Autobahn? Yes, I was on vacation with my parents in Central Europe, Germany included, in Easter 2016.

I would definitely go back and when I am in Germany, get a rental and drive on the Autobahn and experience it for myself.

mark_schnell

My experience (20 years ago) on the Autobahn was somewhat tainted by the car I was driving... a rented SIAT that maxed out at 120mph. I had it floored, and my parents in their rented Audi walked away from me.


Lesson learned: rent a decent car (or do European Delivery on your Porsche/ BMW/ whatever)


Most people knew the rules about moving over. Just dumb foreigners had to be reminded to move over with a quick lichthupe ...

Chuey665

Hella all. First post as I joined up today. My first time on the Autobahn was December 1999. It was fun and more involved then driving in the US. Oh spend almost half your time looking back in your mirrors. Having "the right car" can make all the difference. Plus if it is one of the busier two lane Autobahnen it can be tricky. The right car allows you to pass slow traffic and trucks.

Even tooling along at 100mph, which is slightly faster then the average car you will be passed by Porsches, BMWs and Benz's. Last year I got to drive to the Hamburg airport alone in my rental VW Diesel Passat. It was great! I was doing 200kmh. Or 125 or so for you non metric folks. I made some awesome time!

A friend of mine had an MB E500 and he lived at 160mph all the time. Thrilling experience!
Pp

Gadsby

First the autobahn is just an interstate freeway and there are plenty of speed limits when you get into major metro areas.

That being said I drove it from 87-90 in Frankfort area and it was awesome, back then the superbikes were the fastest thing you would see, actually you would hear them long before they passed you! Left turn signal and high beams streaking down the left lane. Opel GT was a cool car back then but not too fast. Actually siezed the motor once. Bone yard had one for $100 and back up and running.

As stated, crashes are usuallly big when they happen but otherwise much more pleasant than us freeways.

Now days when I'm there i find it usually packed with traffic since I usually fly into Zurich and drive north.

BertoneBertoni

We drove from Wetzlar through Germany to Salzburg this year and into N.Italy...and back.....via Lake Garda. The autobahn, as ever, can be a wonderful thing, especially when you get that little white circle with the black diagonal: "de-restricted"....and everyone just goes for it. I've driven it many times but never in a 911....until now. The most gratifying thing is the respect for the 911: it arrives in a rear-view mirror and people move over....even M4s. No silliness, no undertaking, no brake-testing....just respect. Apart from the cretin in the UK-registered 570S that undertook us and a stream of traffic on a restricted section of roadworks. You just can't buy class..... :-)

mrhebert

I took delivery of a new Porsche at the factory. We drove all over Germany in the two weeks of free insurance. We were passed by VW GTIs many times when were were cruising along at 120-130mph. Generally it is a lot of concentrated driving, slow down areas come up very fast, and the German Police are usually in those zones.