Ferry or Tunnel in a GT3
Discussion
Just looking for some advice - trying to see a few stages of 'Le Tour de France' next weekend and just wanted to know if anyone has had recent experience of using either channel crossing method and is it ok in a GT3. i have axle lift, but still conscious that the car is fairly low for ramps.
Cheers
Peter
Cheers
Peter
Can't speak for the Ferry, but the Tunnel is fine with the caveat that you absolutely should get the high vehicle ticket as you'll end up in a carriage with a valuable few extra inches of width between the high curbs. It'll save any pain with scuffing wheels.
Ramps are no issue here, have done it in my old Lotus, my Porsche and my friend's 997.1 GT3RS
Ramps are no issue here, have done it in my old Lotus, my Porsche and my friend's 997.1 GT3RS
I always use the high version of Eurotunnel for both my Porsche, Ferrari and even my Lotus Elise. Easy to get on and off and no risk of being put on the high deck with the steep approach angles. As already no difference in price and Eurotunnel staff never queried why I have booked a high car. Obviously less high car places per crossing so made need to book earlier.
The drawback with the ferry is not just the ramps getting on and off but the cars are really squeezed on so risk of door dings with people who are just not interested. The other issue is coach passengers who think it is ok to drag their case against or over your car. To be fair this is only really an issue with cross channel ferries with the rather sad attitude of British travels who are not remotely interested in cars and cannot understand why anyone else should be. I regularly take cars on Mediterranean ferries and the attitude is totally different. The crew guide you on carefully, normally find you a quite spot on an easy access deck and other passengers in general take care near your car. However it does help if you are in a Ferrari and it is an Italian owned ferry company with an Italian crew
The drawback with the ferry is not just the ramps getting on and off but the cars are really squeezed on so risk of door dings with people who are just not interested. The other issue is coach passengers who think it is ok to drag their case against or over your car. To be fair this is only really an issue with cross channel ferries with the rather sad attitude of British travels who are not remotely interested in cars and cannot understand why anyone else should be. I regularly take cars on Mediterranean ferries and the attitude is totally different. The crew guide you on carefully, normally find you a quite spot on an easy access deck and other passengers in general take care near your car. However it does help if you are in a Ferrari and it is an Italian owned ferry company with an Italian crew
boxsey said:
My GT4 grounded when getting off the Hull/Rotterdam ferry but not when I got on. Also had no problem going on/off when returning. So I guess it can be a lottery as to how the crew position the ramps.
And the tides 
FWIW, I took the GT3 on Hull Rotterdam to DN19 and it was fine other than a small scrape exiting at Rotterdam
Eurotunnel is very unlikely to be an issue.
I not only use the high vehicle lane on the Tunnel with the Panamera (because it is so flipping wide) but, having been grounded with both, I also book it for my Alfa Spider 115 (very low sump guard) and 156 GTA (low splitter and exhaust).
My rule of thumb is that if you have to come to a near halt/approach at a funny angle for a UK road speed hump in any given car to clear it without graunching, the normal Eurotunnel ramps are also likely to get you either on ingress or on exit.
My rule of thumb is that if you have to come to a near halt/approach at a funny angle for a UK road speed hump in any given car to clear it without graunching, the normal Eurotunnel ramps are also likely to get you either on ingress or on exit.
Irrespective of any issues getting on and off the Shuttle, there is an aggressive unavoidable rubber sleeping policeman at the French customs on UK side that may well catch splitter/brake ducts on low cars. Take it very slowly and you should get away with minor scraping and minimal damage.
Having exited the train in France the approach angle to the concrete ramps can also cause grounding. Ignore the queues of motorists eager to get on their way and again proceed with due caution.
Finally on return to UK via Shuttle there are some steep ramps at the booths at the English customs on the French side. These too will catch low cars. If enough lanes are open and queues and the general scrum allow, booths 9 and 10 don’t have these ramps (yet).
You probably know this already, but be aware that the Tour de France event closes roads for miles around the actual route. I made the schoolboy error of wanting to see it come through our village in the Swiss Alps. To do this I had to cross the route the day before as the peleton headed east towards Bern. It was either wait 5 hours until the roads were reopened or a 200 km detour. The weather was good, I had the roof down and took the latter. (non Porsche)
That said it's a great event and well worth making the effort to see it.
Having exited the train in France the approach angle to the concrete ramps can also cause grounding. Ignore the queues of motorists eager to get on their way and again proceed with due caution.
Finally on return to UK via Shuttle there are some steep ramps at the booths at the English customs on the French side. These too will catch low cars. If enough lanes are open and queues and the general scrum allow, booths 9 and 10 don’t have these ramps (yet).
You probably know this already, but be aware that the Tour de France event closes roads for miles around the actual route. I made the schoolboy error of wanting to see it come through our village in the Swiss Alps. To do this I had to cross the route the day before as the peleton headed east towards Bern. It was either wait 5 hours until the roads were reopened or a 200 km detour. The weather was good, I had the roof down and took the latter. (non Porsche)
That said it's a great event and well worth making the effort to see it.
Edited by lowndes on Friday 6th July 06:26
Again thanks for all the advice. I suspect I’ll tunnel it on a high vehicle basis. Did the tour last few years and am well versed in how soon they shut the road network down - so I’ll aim for a random village on the Saturday (Bastille day!) and enjoy the finish in Roubaix on Sunday. For those that have never done it, it’s a spectacle and celebration, notwithstanding a bit of cycling as well.
Last question. 911.2 GT3 headlight adjustment. Not done it. Is it a case of RTFM or do you still buy deflectors.
Peter
Last question. 911.2 GT3 headlight adjustment. Not done it. Is it a case of RTFM or do you still buy deflectors.
Peter
PeterS67 said:
Just looking for some advice - trying to see a few stages of 'Le Tour de France' next weekend and just wanted to know if anyone has had recent experience of using either channel crossing method and is it ok in a GT3. i have axle lift, but still conscious that the car is fairly low for ramps.
Cheers
Peter
I took my 991.1 GT3 (with lift) to the Hebrides, soon after I got it - we used numerous ferries, both small and large without incident apart from a slight scrape at the rear when exiting one of the smallest ferries with a steep exit ramp.Cheers
Peter
On that note, someone asked me about this trip, but I have lost their email, so cannot contact them, if they read this, please send me another message!
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