ironictwists Z4 - While on the PHN Alpine Tour (Again!)
Discussion
So last year I did this...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Then this year, I knew I would be doing the Alpine Tour again, but after last year I felt I had to have something more powerful. So it was either a TVR Chimaera, 986 Boxsters, S2000's...Then the Z4 was mentioned. Keeping in mind how much mileage I do (~35k a year), the abuse it was gonna get over the summer & the fact my priorities were more on adventures rather than the car itself this summer, the Z4 made total sense.
& so...I nabbed this at the very end of April!
It's the 3.0 with that lovely straight six, at 37,000 miles completely stock. A blank but reliable canvas to start off, & with the new acquisition, the summer began! In true IT style, it had it's little "foibles"...So within 24hrs the central locking packed up meaning the only way to get in was to JUMP in over the doors, which when meeting my soon to be girlfriend for the first time proved quite a challenge over the course of the day, memorable shall we say?!
Anyway, by the time of our first "official" date it was all fixed by the dealer (& Dads Day out was the first segment of the date)...Needless to say she loved the car once she could get in by actually using the doors.
Back to the car...Runflats! Bloody awful & god knows how BMW sold any of these new with them fitted, first thing you do should you buy a Z4 is ditch them for decent rubber! Aside from that it is an absolute peach
July came & went ^ & I soon found myself in August departing with the new girlfriend from the aforementioned first date all the way up to Scotland for a week long road trip, it was a bit of a shakedown before I headed to the Alps, just to see how the Z would fair! Amazing roads & scenery, & the Z performed beautifully in the terrain both in terms of poise & practicality...A few choice snaps below!
Gotta love Edinburgh at Sunset
Onto the West Coast!
We made every use of every inch of that boot!
& so by the end of August...We were ready for the Alps!
The tour we were leaving for was this->
http://www.petrolheadnirvana.com/driving-tours/alp...
The thing is with going on Tour, ESPECIALLY the Alpine Tour...It's addictive. The first time you go & you sample the roads, the weather, the banter, comeradery & sheer unadultered fun with fellow enthusiasts, over the course of the year you just want to go back. It's why as soon as I came back, I felt I had to go again next year! As a PH'er, it's like a welcome release from the normality of plodding back & forth from work with your P&J. If you love your car, & driving for the thrill of it...Take the thing on tour.
People describe it as a trip of a lifetime, & it is...So much so that I've done it 2 years in a row & will endeavour to do it next year too, because that moment when you're on a road which can only be described as sheer perfection in the way it twists & turns, the scenery is biblical, the sounds & noises of not only your car, but the noises & sight of some spectacular machinery on that same piece of road all going for it, as a petrolhead...It's about as good as life gets, & thats why it's so damn addictive.
Stay tuned for my pictures of 2011's Alpine Tour, take my word for it, it topped last year...& that says an awful lot!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Then this year, I knew I would be doing the Alpine Tour again, but after last year I felt I had to have something more powerful. So it was either a TVR Chimaera, 986 Boxsters, S2000's...Then the Z4 was mentioned. Keeping in mind how much mileage I do (~35k a year), the abuse it was gonna get over the summer & the fact my priorities were more on adventures rather than the car itself this summer, the Z4 made total sense.
& so...I nabbed this at the very end of April!
It's the 3.0 with that lovely straight six, at 37,000 miles completely stock. A blank but reliable canvas to start off, & with the new acquisition, the summer began! In true IT style, it had it's little "foibles"...So within 24hrs the central locking packed up meaning the only way to get in was to JUMP in over the doors, which when meeting my soon to be girlfriend for the first time proved quite a challenge over the course of the day, memorable shall we say?!
Anyway, by the time of our first "official" date it was all fixed by the dealer (& Dads Day out was the first segment of the date)...Needless to say she loved the car once she could get in by actually using the doors.
Back to the car...Runflats! Bloody awful & god knows how BMW sold any of these new with them fitted, first thing you do should you buy a Z4 is ditch them for decent rubber! Aside from that it is an absolute peach
July came & went ^ & I soon found myself in August departing with the new girlfriend from the aforementioned first date all the way up to Scotland for a week long road trip, it was a bit of a shakedown before I headed to the Alps, just to see how the Z would fair! Amazing roads & scenery, & the Z performed beautifully in the terrain both in terms of poise & practicality...A few choice snaps below!
Gotta love Edinburgh at Sunset
Onto the West Coast!
We made every use of every inch of that boot!
& so by the end of August...We were ready for the Alps!
The tour we were leaving for was this->
http://www.petrolheadnirvana.com/driving-tours/alp...
The thing is with going on Tour, ESPECIALLY the Alpine Tour...It's addictive. The first time you go & you sample the roads, the weather, the banter, comeradery & sheer unadultered fun with fellow enthusiasts, over the course of the year you just want to go back. It's why as soon as I came back, I felt I had to go again next year! As a PH'er, it's like a welcome release from the normality of plodding back & forth from work with your P&J. If you love your car, & driving for the thrill of it...Take the thing on tour.
People describe it as a trip of a lifetime, & it is...So much so that I've done it 2 years in a row & will endeavour to do it next year too, because that moment when you're on a road which can only be described as sheer perfection in the way it twists & turns, the scenery is biblical, the sounds & noises of not only your car, but the noises & sight of some spectacular machinery on that same piece of road all going for it, as a petrolhead...It's about as good as life gets, & thats why it's so damn addictive.
Stay tuned for my pictures of 2011's Alpine Tour, take my word for it, it topped last year...& that says an awful lot!
Edited by ironictwist on Sunday 25th September 12:22
Day 1 - Portsmouth to Bilbao!
So Day 1 arrived, I left work at Midday & headed down to Portsmouth for our mid Afternoon ferry to Bilbao...Arrived to see a few familiar faces & plenty of new one's! The lineup of cars this year was:
Mini Marcos
Ferrari 360 spider
BMW E46 M3 cab
Nissan R35 GTR
Ferrari 360 spider
Honda Civic Type R
BMW E36 M3
BMW E46 M3 cab
VW Golf R32
Lamborghini Diablo VT
Porsche 996 turbo
BMW Z4 3.0i
VW Scirocco R
Ferrari 360 Modena
...Although admittedly one car was missing at the Ferry terminal (But that's another story!
) - Anyway, this is a change from last year, the leisurely overnight ferry allowed us to get know our fellow tourists with time to spare, perfect way to start something like this. Nice & relaxed manner that allows us to get to know the people before we really got into the driving...But after 24hrs on a ferry we were all itching to be using a steering wheel again!
Apologies for the lack of photos on the first day, too busy nattering!
At the Ferry terminal!
Leaving Portsmouth!
The view of the channel as we left Blighty, lovely.
So Day 1 arrived, I left work at Midday & headed down to Portsmouth for our mid Afternoon ferry to Bilbao...Arrived to see a few familiar faces & plenty of new one's! The lineup of cars this year was:
Mini Marcos
Ferrari 360 spider
BMW E46 M3 cab
Nissan R35 GTR
Ferrari 360 spider
Honda Civic Type R
BMW E36 M3
BMW E46 M3 cab
VW Golf R32
Lamborghini Diablo VT
Porsche 996 turbo
BMW Z4 3.0i
VW Scirocco R
Ferrari 360 Modena
...Although admittedly one car was missing at the Ferry terminal (But that's another story!
) - Anyway, this is a change from last year, the leisurely overnight ferry allowed us to get know our fellow tourists with time to spare, perfect way to start something like this. Nice & relaxed manner that allows us to get to know the people before we really got into the driving...But after 24hrs on a ferry we were all itching to be using a steering wheel again!Apologies for the lack of photos on the first day, too busy nattering!
At the Ferry terminal!
Leaving Portsmouth!
The view of the channel as we left Blighty, lovely.
Day 2 - Bilbao to Pamplona!
Come late afternoon we hit Bilbao & depart the ferry...Well everyone did bar me & another random UK Z4 also on the ferry, who both spookily found their batteries flat??! After that slight hiccup we all lined up for a mini regroup before we set off on Spanish soil, caused quite a stir though at the terminal!
Lined up on Spanish soil
Some classics, you need guts & patience to bring these with you surely!
Our 1st fuel stop...The natural habitat for the Italian supercar
Arriving in Pamplona at the hotel!
Ground clearance matters!
Safe & sound
Day 3 is when the real fun starts!!
Come late afternoon we hit Bilbao & depart the ferry...Well everyone did bar me & another random UK Z4 also on the ferry, who both spookily found their batteries flat??! After that slight hiccup we all lined up for a mini regroup before we set off on Spanish soil, caused quite a stir though at the terminal!
Lined up on Spanish soil
Some classics, you need guts & patience to bring these with you surely!
Our 1st fuel stop...The natural habitat for the Italian supercar
Arriving in Pamplona at the hotel!
Ground clearance matters!
Safe & sound
Day 3 is when the real fun starts!!
Day 3 - Pamplona to Lerida - 225 Miles
"A trip up into the southern foothills of the Pyrenees and along the canyons and rivers that flow down from the mountains. Spectacular scenery and sinuous tarmac in equal measure, though you’ll struggle to believe you’re in Spain… "
Bingo! Gorgeous sweeeeping flowing mountain stretches!
Morning!
En route.
Fuel stop!
Parked up for lunch after an amazing set of twisties where "Flymo" became an apt name for my corner cutting antics.
A hell of a lineup.
The view from our lunch stop
En route.
Suits him, wouldnt you say?
& FINALLY A VIDEO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SOC7HOaSPg
"A trip up into the southern foothills of the Pyrenees and along the canyons and rivers that flow down from the mountains. Spectacular scenery and sinuous tarmac in equal measure, though you’ll struggle to believe you’re in Spain… "
Bingo! Gorgeous sweeeeping flowing mountain stretches!
Morning!
En route.
Fuel stop!
Parked up for lunch after an amazing set of twisties where "Flymo" became an apt name for my corner cutting antics.
A hell of a lineup.
The view from our lunch stop
En route.
Suits him, wouldnt you say?
& FINALLY A VIDEO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SOC7HOaSPg
Day 4 - 230 Miles - Lerida to Carcasonne
"A brisk drive up into the mountains and through the principality of Andorra, before descending into southern France and heading off to the 2500-year-old walled city of Carcassonne."
This was one of the best days of the tour...The banter, the route, the roads & scenery. The pictures do the talking!
1st fuel stop of the day!
Quick regroup after some very fast sweeping mountain roads, brilliant fun!
En route.
Andorran Border! Duty free anyone?
Then after an AWESOME set of hairpins through the foresty mountain roads a quick regroup, complete with cows.
Then on the way down...Mid hairpin. Lovely.
A bit of posing.
Cue waving!
More fuel stop porn...
Heading from Andorra through to France...Wild horses on the road, which proved interesting.
About to drive into a cloud...Really.
Just over the French Border, still mid cloud...Odd.
Cloudline!
En route to Carcasonne.
After a hard days driving, at the amazing walled city in Carcasonne's castle...If you've never been, it's a tiny little self contained world within those high walls. Definitely visiting again!
Blessed with the weather, TRULY!
Magnificent!
Nice way to end the evening!
Spoilt for arty shops!
Next...Day 5, & one of my personal highlights, the iconic Millau Bridge.
"A brisk drive up into the mountains and through the principality of Andorra, before descending into southern France and heading off to the 2500-year-old walled city of Carcassonne."
This was one of the best days of the tour...The banter, the route, the roads & scenery. The pictures do the talking!
1st fuel stop of the day!
Quick regroup after some very fast sweeping mountain roads, brilliant fun!
En route.
Andorran Border! Duty free anyone?
Then after an AWESOME set of hairpins through the foresty mountain roads a quick regroup, complete with cows.
Then on the way down...Mid hairpin. Lovely.
A bit of posing.
Cue waving!
More fuel stop porn...
Heading from Andorra through to France...Wild horses on the road, which proved interesting.
About to drive into a cloud...Really.
Just over the French Border, still mid cloud...Odd.
Cloudline!
En route to Carcasonne.
After a hard days driving, at the amazing walled city in Carcasonne's castle...If you've never been, it's a tiny little self contained world within those high walls. Definitely visiting again!
Blessed with the weather, TRULY!
Magnificent!
Nice way to end the evening!
Spoilt for arty shops!
Next...Day 5, & one of my personal highlights, the iconic Millau Bridge.
Edited by ironictwist on Monday 26th September 22:54
koolchris99 said:
Absolutley Chris, I've been eyeing up that setup, just need to save the pennies.Day 5 - Carcasonna to Carpentras - 260 Miles
"Carcasonne to Carpentras | Another fun filled day of driving through the challenging and picturesque French back roads with the added bonus of a trip to the stunning Millau Bridge, the Norman Foster designed jewel in the crown of French road building."
The view of Carcasonne castle come the morning...From my room!
The hotel
Before the off...
After an excellent set of twisties, quick regroup...
Above photo courtesy of the lovely Fru-KB
Then the journey to the Millau Bridge!
Iconic!
Above photo courtesy of the lovely Fru-KB
MORE Twisties!
Arrival at the hotel for Sunset
Day 6 coming up...DAWN RAID OF MONT VENTOUX IN ONE OF THE 360's!! & some of the most incredible passes I've ever done, including my 2nd time on the Petit St Bernard & one of the most memorable hoons of my life!
"Carcasonne to Carpentras | Another fun filled day of driving through the challenging and picturesque French back roads with the added bonus of a trip to the stunning Millau Bridge, the Norman Foster designed jewel in the crown of French road building."
The view of Carcasonne castle come the morning...From my room!
The hotel
Before the off...
After an excellent set of twisties, quick regroup...
Above photo courtesy of the lovely Fru-KB
Then the journey to the Millau Bridge!
Iconic!
Above photo courtesy of the lovely Fru-KB
MORE Twisties!
Arrival at the hotel for Sunset
Day 6 coming up...DAWN RAID OF MONT VENTOUX IN ONE OF THE 360's!! & some of the most incredible passes I've ever done, including my 2nd time on the Petit St Bernard & one of the most memorable hoons of my life!
danyeates said:
Looks wonderful. Very jealous.
TotalControl said:
Excellent read so far. Does bring back memories of when I was reading your thread last year too.
Vladikar said:
Brilliant post - your previous tour still stands as probably my favourite PH thread of all time, loved your little mx5!
Thanks chaps! Ashamedly, my little MX5 has been sitting for months & months not moving...The age old issue of having multiple cars, but not enough free time to be driving them both. I still claim the MX5 is far more fun, & much more grin inducing! But the Zed's a different type of fun, & a superb car that handles everything I throw at it with such ease. It's led a hard life already! It's a good thing I'm not taking it to Venice in 2 weeks, it deserves a rest!
Day 6 should be along later.
Day 6 - 300 Miles - Carpentras to Courmayeur
"An early start for a dawn raid on one of our favourite drivers roads. Mont Ventoux is a special stage of the Tour De France. A sinuous piece of tarmac with razor sharp hairpins and short hard straights leading up to a summit with a simply breathtaking view."
What we also covered was a series of incredible passes, specifically the Col Du Galibier, Col du Lautaret & my favourite, the Petit St Bernard pass chasing an M3 hairpin after hairpin!
Videos below are credit to Fidgit!
So...Wake up at silly o'clock for the Dawn Raid...
Sleeping Beauties! Passengering in the Black 360! Wanted the Z to have a breather!
...Then this awesome ascent happened
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NUUf_jONW8
At which point we arrived here...
AND then we made the descent!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HzGkNR_cA
Back in time for breakfast...Of which after we did a little bit more of Mont Ventoux & began our way over to the Cols!
Then off through the French countryside!
Lambo luggage!
En route to the Cols!
Nearly at lunch!
The view from our lunch stop!!
THEN! We got here! ****** hell!! Col Du Galibier!
After the descent down...
Fuel stop porn.
En route
Then we got here!!
Then I had the drive of my life chasing the E36 M3 up the Petit St Bernard pass, then down it...Every hairpin, every apex, on the button & on it's tail. That was nirvana, the scenery was ******* incredible, the light was fading & we had a beautiful sunset as the backdrop as we were hammering it along. About as good as it bloody gets...I wanted to stop for photos but in those rare moments where you have driving perfection the last thing you want to do is stop & start taking photos, no matter how incredible the view/scenery/backdrop was. The driving was even better.
Nearing our night stop!
Wrong turn, oops...
Finally at the hotel!
The view outside those door!
Next...Day 7, more passes! Muahaha! It's getting better & better!
"An early start for a dawn raid on one of our favourite drivers roads. Mont Ventoux is a special stage of the Tour De France. A sinuous piece of tarmac with razor sharp hairpins and short hard straights leading up to a summit with a simply breathtaking view."
What we also covered was a series of incredible passes, specifically the Col Du Galibier, Col du Lautaret & my favourite, the Petit St Bernard pass chasing an M3 hairpin after hairpin!
Videos below are credit to Fidgit!
So...Wake up at silly o'clock for the Dawn Raid...
Sleeping Beauties! Passengering in the Black 360! Wanted the Z to have a breather!
...Then this awesome ascent happened
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NUUf_jONW8
At which point we arrived here...
AND then we made the descent!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HzGkNR_cA
Back in time for breakfast...Of which after we did a little bit more of Mont Ventoux & began our way over to the Cols!
Then off through the French countryside!
Lambo luggage!
En route to the Cols!
Nearly at lunch!
The view from our lunch stop!!
THEN! We got here! ****** hell!! Col Du Galibier!
After the descent down...
Fuel stop porn.
En route
Then we got here!!
Then I had the drive of my life chasing the E36 M3 up the Petit St Bernard pass, then down it...Every hairpin, every apex, on the button & on it's tail. That was nirvana, the scenery was ******* incredible, the light was fading & we had a beautiful sunset as the backdrop as we were hammering it along. About as good as it bloody gets...I wanted to stop for photos but in those rare moments where you have driving perfection the last thing you want to do is stop & start taking photos, no matter how incredible the view/scenery/backdrop was. The driving was even better.
Nearing our night stop!
Wrong turn, oops...
Finally at the hotel!
The view outside those door!
Next...Day 7, more passes! Muahaha! It's getting better & better!
Vladikar said:
I have to do this and very soon... What's the breakdown situation if anything goes wrong? For example my car has no spare wheel onboard!
Everyone is required to ensure they have European breakdown cover before they come on tour...But on the odd occasion some of us had issues, other members of the group would help out to ensure we can all get to where were going (My Z4 being a recipient of such a service ) or escorted to a garage so the car could get the professional attention it needed (The Diablo)But there's also a support car with all sorts of tools available
Day 7 - 270 Miles - Courmayeur to Andermatt
"Today, we wake in the village of Courmayeur at the base of Mont Blanc ready for the Alpine portion of the tour. It’s passes day – the Grand St Bernard, Nufenen, Sustenen, Furka and Grimsel passes to name just a few. We have a carefully planned route to make the most of the day and leave with a huge grin on your face."
The view from my hotel room's balcony in the morning
Panoramic shot of our hotel
Courmayeur
It is as picturesque as it looks...
Staff seeing us off!
Fuel stop porn.
A very good reason why it's taped on...
Tunnel!!
Porn.
We went up that...
& thats what we left behind us..
Stopped by cows...
Regroup
En route
Lunch!
The next set of photos are of the most memorable, thrilling, exhilirating, awesome drive of my life, & as a passenger I got to take it all in. Grimsel, Sustenen & Furka passes passengering in the Black 360 of Mr.Fidgit! We were giving chase to the White & Red Spyder's with a Scirroco R & M3 giving chase to us 3...Un-f
king-believable. Words cannot do justice to what I saw & how I felt in all honesty. It was that awesome.
GLACIER STOP!
Yep...I know.
Back in Andermatt after our hoon!
View from the hotel room
"Today, we wake in the village of Courmayeur at the base of Mont Blanc ready for the Alpine portion of the tour. It’s passes day – the Grand St Bernard, Nufenen, Sustenen, Furka and Grimsel passes to name just a few. We have a carefully planned route to make the most of the day and leave with a huge grin on your face."
The view from my hotel room's balcony in the morning
Panoramic shot of our hotel
Courmayeur
It is as picturesque as it looks...
Staff seeing us off!
Fuel stop porn.
A very good reason why it's taped on...
Tunnel!!
Porn.
We went up that...
& thats what we left behind us..
Stopped by cows...
Regroup
En route
Lunch!
The next set of photos are of the most memorable, thrilling, exhilirating, awesome drive of my life, & as a passenger I got to take it all in. Grimsel, Sustenen & Furka passes passengering in the Black 360 of Mr.Fidgit! We were giving chase to the White & Red Spyder's with a Scirroco R & M3 giving chase to us 3...Un-f
king-believable. Words cannot do justice to what I saw & how I felt in all honesty. It was that awesome.GLACIER STOP!
Yep...I know.
Back in Andermatt after our hoon!
View from the hotel room
Edited by ironictwist on Tuesday 4th October 00:40
Well, I have to confess I've been completely inundated with the busiest period in the calendar year for my work, then a birthday spent in Venice. Then it hit me that I've not finished off this thread yet So while I upload the rest of the remaining snaps, here's a teaser from the lovely Fru-KB snapping the Zed!
Stay tuned!
So while I upload the rest of the remaining snaps, here's a teaser from the lovely Fru-KB snapping the Zed!Stay tuned!
richtea78 said:
Great pictures, Ive often thought about one of these tours but put off by the idea that it seems to have a lot of expensive metal there and the people would be a bit snobby?
You would think so, but actually there aren't any ego's at all...The guys that run the tours are very keen on ensuring that tours dont end up full with people which are "that sort" if you know what I mean!I should know, I turned up last year in my MX5! See the thread for when I did it last year here-> http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
But anyway, definitely go. You'll regret it if you don't, people often have said to me "It's a once in a lifetime trip", the trouble is when you've been once you feel as though you need to do it again, it's quite an odd addiction! Hence why I did it again this year! Fortunately the guys at PHN improve the trip year on year, so it's never quite the same as the year before
Having said, this year was better than last year, which is a pretty impressive achievment considering what we did last year!
Downton Mini said:
KP328 said:
Great pictures, nice seeing a Mini Marcos being used in the tour.
^^^ This fantastic pictures that Mini Marcos to me was car of the tour simply becuase it was the smallest and onldest car there (well form the pictures it is) and the owners/drivers weren't scared to mix it with the big boys, Having said that some stunning motors thereA clear weekend means I can finally get this thread updated!
Day 8 - Andermatt - Davos - 243 Miles
"That grin will be a permanent feature on your face with the thought of more passes and a trip to one of the most famous of them all the Stelvio pass. Before that though, we will be warming up with the Julier pass and then having the Umbrail, and Fluella passes for dessert as we head towards our overnight stop in the lovely town of Davos."
Morning!
...Unreal.
En-route!
Parked up before we hit the San Bernardino pass!
Regroup after the pass!
My girl!
FUEL STOP PORN!
En route to the Julierpass
Were here! The scenery could be described as stunning!
Nothing like an ice cold mountain lake to dunk your legs in & soothe your driving feet!
En route to Lake Livigno
Border crossing into Switzerland!
At Lake Livigno, parked up. One of my favourite places on earth
...This is heaven.
It was as amazing as it all looks
...& there's still more of Day 8 to come...!
Day 8 - Andermatt - Davos - 243 Miles
"That grin will be a permanent feature on your face with the thought of more passes and a trip to one of the most famous of them all the Stelvio pass. Before that though, we will be warming up with the Julier pass and then having the Umbrail, and Fluella passes for dessert as we head towards our overnight stop in the lovely town of Davos."
Morning!
...Unreal.
En-route!
Parked up before we hit the San Bernardino pass!
Regroup after the pass!
My girl!
FUEL STOP PORN!
En route to the Julierpass
Were here! The scenery could be described as stunning!
Nothing like an ice cold mountain lake to dunk your legs in & soothe your driving feet!
En route to Lake Livigno
Border crossing into Switzerland!
At Lake Livigno, parked up. One of my favourite places on earth
...This is heaven.It was as amazing as it all looks
...& there's still more of Day 8 to come...!
Edited by ironictwist on Saturday 12th November 00:27
So carrying on from Day 8, we were at Lake Livigno, which as previously stated really is one of my favourite places on earth 
How can it not be with a view like this?
After crossing the border we went through the longest tunnel I've had the pleasure of going in...Some amazing noises reverberating through!
Then...Passes! Umbrail, Stelvio & Fluela!!
As we climbed Umbrail, things were going well...I say "were" because the day before when climbing the Nufenen pass, the little Z4 gave up. We think altitude may have had some influence & one of the coilpacks may be on it's way out. But so long as you were staying below 2000ft, it was ok.
So as the Umbrail got closer to Stelvio it started to struggle more & more...& eventually gave up, just as Stelvio was in sight!
Fortunately Mr.Stanley stayed behind to make sure I wasnt on my lonesome.
I've seen worse places to break down...Hackney being one.
So anyway, it was clear the Zed couldnt make it to the top of Stelvio, which was a shame. But fortunately I had done Stelvio before so it wasnt the end of the world We decided then to make our way back the way we came, hooked onto the Fluelepass & made progress to Davos to meet with everyone else...Great spirited run following the R32. Blissful scenery in places as we hit the Fluelapass at Sunset.
On the plus it meant I was there to see & hear everyone arrive at Davos! Here they come!
How can it not be with a view like this?After crossing the border we went through the longest tunnel I've had the pleasure of going in...Some amazing noises reverberating through!
Then...Passes! Umbrail, Stelvio & Fluela!!
As we climbed Umbrail, things were going well...I say "were" because the day before when climbing the Nufenen pass, the little Z4 gave up. We think altitude may have had some influence & one of the coilpacks may be on it's way out. But so long as you were staying below 2000ft, it was ok.
So as the Umbrail got closer to Stelvio it started to struggle more & more...& eventually gave up, just as Stelvio was in sight!
Fortunately Mr.Stanley stayed behind to make sure I wasnt on my lonesome.
I've seen worse places to break down...Hackney being one.
So anyway, it was clear the Zed couldnt make it to the top of Stelvio, which was a shame. But fortunately I had done Stelvio before so it wasnt the end of the world
We decided then to make our way back the way we came, hooked onto the Fluelepass & made progress to Davos to meet with everyone else...Great spirited run following the R32. Blissful scenery in places as we hit the Fluelapass at Sunset.On the plus it meant I was there to see & hear everyone arrive at Davos! Here they come!
Day 9 - Davos to Offenburg!
Leaving Switzerland take in some great roads as we had to our night stop in Offenberg, Germany...Before that the winding picturesque roads of the Black Forest!
Early morning at the Hotel, lovely.
Our first fuel stop for the day.
& yep, we're still in...
Bit filthy.
Diablo interior, considering when this was made...It still looks the business.
Now en route! Cows on the road.
Bit random to spot a Cobra round here.
Arrived in a VERY hot Offenberg at sunset again, what a day, the Black Forest was as awesome as I remember.
Day 10 - Offenberg to Calais
A straight through blast back with the intention of visiting Reims for photos at the old grandstand!
Morning.
Now after we left Offenberg & got into France, the nearer we got to Reims, the wetter & greyer it got. It then turned into what can only be described as a torrential downpour. Complete with thunder & lightning.
& my roof was down. Naturally, I was completely soaked.
So when we all finally pulled in for a fuel stop, the car was soaked completely! Put the roof up, filled up, shut the doors & locked the car via the fob.
Came back a minute later, & it wouldnt unlock, at all. We reckon the rain must've got in somewhere to cause it to be this "difficult" After what must've been 20-30min, it finally decided to start working so I could get in & after then I wasnt too keen on locking the thing again
The closer we got to Blighty, the better the weather became...
Then on we got...
.
& that was it...The most amazing 10 days, even better than 2010's tour, & that takes some doing.
Leaving Switzerland take in some great roads as we had to our night stop in Offenberg, Germany...Before that the winding picturesque roads of the Black Forest!
Early morning at the Hotel, lovely.
Our first fuel stop for the day.
& yep, we're still in...
Bit filthy.
Diablo interior, considering when this was made...It still looks the business.
Now en route! Cows on the road.
Bit random to spot a Cobra round here.
Arrived in a VERY hot Offenberg at sunset again, what a day, the Black Forest was as awesome as I remember.
Day 10 - Offenberg to Calais
A straight through blast back with the intention of visiting Reims for photos at the old grandstand!
Morning.
Now after we left Offenberg & got into France, the nearer we got to Reims, the wetter & greyer it got. It then turned into what can only be described as a torrential downpour. Complete with thunder & lightning.
& my roof was down. Naturally, I was completely soaked.
So when we all finally pulled in for a fuel stop, the car was soaked completely! Put the roof up, filled up, shut the doors & locked the car via the fob.
Came back a minute later, & it wouldnt unlock, at all. We reckon the rain must've got in somewhere to cause it to be this "difficult"
After what must've been 20-30min, it finally decided to start working so I could get in & after then I wasnt too keen on locking the thing again The closer we got to Blighty, the better the weather became...
Then on we got...
.& that was it...The most amazing 10 days, even better than 2010's tour, & that takes some doing.
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