Just Another Silver Porsche 982 GTS
Discussion
Portugal-MAD-Let's drink...
With the delights of the Serra de Estrella done it was time to head towards Madrid and collect my drinking buddy from the airport. I had to be there at around 1pm so decided to nightstop in the Madrid area.
I'm running a slightly tighter budget than some I read about on roadtrip threads and try to keep the hotel spend comfortably under £100/night, but was finding it hard to locate anything on the west side of Madrid so then found a Parador in a town called Chinchón, underground parking was available for €10/night. That was my sum knowledge of this little town to the South East of Madrid and I was in for a wonderful surprise.
The drive over was easy. An hour of fun roads from Covilha to start the day, then onto the A5 autovia (toll free motorway) for the bulk of the trip towards Madrid. Dropping down onto the spanish flatlands of Extremadura the temperature climbed into the low 30s and the largely traffic free route meant the miles were munched. Cruise control engaged at a sensible number and some tunes on...
Google maps
An enroute stop at the immaculate services for a cold coke and a half hour soaking up the Sun's heat then onward. No fuel needed for this 300 mile day trip, the 64 litre tank and 30+mpg gives a comfortable 400 mile range with reserves. Back onto the A5, wave as I pass Talavera de la Reina, birthplace of World Superbike Champion Alvaro Bautista, and follow Waze for the unremarkable remainder of the journey.
5 hours, and the GTS shows the breadth of its' talents. An hour of making progress on the fun stuff then just settle back and mile munch. At 5pm I roll into the rather picturesque town of Chinchón, there's a prominent sign a kilometre out of town saying campervans are prohibited and the road climbs into the ancient and increasingly narrow streets. Tarmac gives way to cobbles and I park outside my accomodation, checkin and get directions to the underground car park.
Bag in room, car off to the car park, it's a gloomy dark hole of a car park and as I absolutely trickle forward into the tight entrance the rear left wheel drops into a pothole and I ground the car amidships. b
ks. Into reverse and no nasty scrapping noise signals that my creeping approach had only just resulted in light vertical contact, I'd not dragged the arse of MSP along a jagged concrete curb. Jump out, kick some conveniently located rocks into the pothole and the second attempt is utterly successful.
Park up and a quick inspection doesn't reveal any visible damage. The floor has a nice uniform layer of dust, I reckon this will show in the morning if I've ruptured any coolant lines.
Fingers crossed, I need a beer.
The town is gearing up for a festival/bullfight and the bullring is the centre of the town. The barricades are up and the bars are open...
text
Emergency beer located in a great spot for some people watching, and remembering the dangers of dehydration one more with some nibbles before a plateful of lamb chops and an early night.
A good early morning walk reveals that when they aren't preparing for a bullfight that the arena is used as a car park. I'd probably use that option after the previous car park trauma. I'm becoming less concerned about parking MSP, people's reactions are very positive and there aren't any yoofs loitering in this rather smart town.
Onward to the joys of Madrid traffic the next morning, the only time on my trip that the volume of vehicles reminds me of the UK. Airport parking is €4 for 2 hours, a nice change from LHR and all billed via my Fulli Toll Tag. Collect my mate and up the autovia to Soria and then switch to the N-111 for the final hour and into the city of Logrono and an AirBnB for a few nights.
Tapas on Calle Laurel, some winery tours, mini daytrips,plenty of wine and the time flies by.
Given MSP's designation it would have been rude not to nip up this road...
TBC...
With the delights of the Serra de Estrella done it was time to head towards Madrid and collect my drinking buddy from the airport. I had to be there at around 1pm so decided to nightstop in the Madrid area.
I'm running a slightly tighter budget than some I read about on roadtrip threads and try to keep the hotel spend comfortably under £100/night, but was finding it hard to locate anything on the west side of Madrid so then found a Parador in a town called Chinchón, underground parking was available for €10/night. That was my sum knowledge of this little town to the South East of Madrid and I was in for a wonderful surprise.
The drive over was easy. An hour of fun roads from Covilha to start the day, then onto the A5 autovia (toll free motorway) for the bulk of the trip towards Madrid. Dropping down onto the spanish flatlands of Extremadura the temperature climbed into the low 30s and the largely traffic free route meant the miles were munched. Cruise control engaged at a sensible number and some tunes on...
Google maps
An enroute stop at the immaculate services for a cold coke and a half hour soaking up the Sun's heat then onward. No fuel needed for this 300 mile day trip, the 64 litre tank and 30+mpg gives a comfortable 400 mile range with reserves. Back onto the A5, wave as I pass Talavera de la Reina, birthplace of World Superbike Champion Alvaro Bautista, and follow Waze for the unremarkable remainder of the journey.
5 hours, and the GTS shows the breadth of its' talents. An hour of making progress on the fun stuff then just settle back and mile munch. At 5pm I roll into the rather picturesque town of Chinchón, there's a prominent sign a kilometre out of town saying campervans are prohibited and the road climbs into the ancient and increasingly narrow streets. Tarmac gives way to cobbles and I park outside my accomodation, checkin and get directions to the underground car park.
Bag in room, car off to the car park, it's a gloomy dark hole of a car park and as I absolutely trickle forward into the tight entrance the rear left wheel drops into a pothole and I ground the car amidships. b
ks. Into reverse and no nasty scrapping noise signals that my creeping approach had only just resulted in light vertical contact, I'd not dragged the arse of MSP along a jagged concrete curb. Jump out, kick some conveniently located rocks into the pothole and the second attempt is utterly successful. Park up and a quick inspection doesn't reveal any visible damage. The floor has a nice uniform layer of dust, I reckon this will show in the morning if I've ruptured any coolant lines.
Fingers crossed, I need a beer.
The town is gearing up for a festival/bullfight and the bullring is the centre of the town. The barricades are up and the bars are open...
text
Emergency beer located in a great spot for some people watching, and remembering the dangers of dehydration one more with some nibbles before a plateful of lamb chops and an early night.
A good early morning walk reveals that when they aren't preparing for a bullfight that the arena is used as a car park. I'd probably use that option after the previous car park trauma. I'm becoming less concerned about parking MSP, people's reactions are very positive and there aren't any yoofs loitering in this rather smart town.
Onward to the joys of Madrid traffic the next morning, the only time on my trip that the volume of vehicles reminds me of the UK. Airport parking is €4 for 2 hours, a nice change from LHR and all billed via my Fulli Toll Tag. Collect my mate and up the autovia to Soria and then switch to the N-111 for the final hour and into the city of Logrono and an AirBnB for a few nights.
Tapas on Calle Laurel, some winery tours, mini daytrips,plenty of wine and the time flies by.
Given MSP's designation it would have been rude not to nip up this road...
TBC...
Edited by M11rph on Friday 16th February 19:42
Logrono-Haro-Bilbao-Pamplona-Bagnères-de-Luchon...Santander
After Logrono it was a 40km trip west to relocate to Haro for a couple of nights. More of the same with some wine based tourism. Haro is the centre for most of the Rioja wineries for those who don't know.
The harvest was being brought in with tiny tractors pulling bulging trailers of grapes to start their journey to becoming the delicious elixir that is a personal favourite. Like many wine growing areas the wealth generated means the towns and properties are generally well maintained and attractive, lots of good dining opportunities and of course tastings too.
The estacion area of Haro allows you to visit half a dozen wineries all on foot. A birthday treat was a glass of Rioja Alta's finest at a bargain €50. Fortunately my tastes are obviously not that refined, both of us drinking preferred the €7 tipple. Result.
Time to drop my mate off at Bilbao and take MSP to the pyrennes.
Google Maps
Drop off completed at Bilbao and a couple of hours later I pull into my nightstop on the outskirts of Pamplona. MSP finds a kindred spirit to snuggle up to for the night...
...and after taking full advantage of the fatboy breakfast in the morning MSP whisks me towards Bagnères-de-Luchon just across the border into France. Navigation is made easier when I realise the french abbreviate the placename to Luchon, suddenly the road signs make sense.
Some enjoyable bits of road. There's more traffic but this is the fun kind meaning overtakes are required but not to the point where progress is slowed too much.
'Luchon feels very autumnal after the warmth of Spain. The summer visitors have left and the winter sports crowd are awaiting the snow.
I'm just using it as a base for a few days in the Pyrennes, so it works pretty well. Col du Portalet and the Col du Tourmalet make for enjoyable day trips. Being staple climbs of the Tour de France does mean they are cyclist-rich though...
Being NA means a power drop of about 3% per 1000 feet, so above 6000' MSP is down around 20%, and it is noticeable.
There's no lack of responsiveness just the aggression that the engine delivers above 5500 rpm is tempered. Subsequently I realise that this is a nice demonstration that 400HP is the perfect number for this car and me. Well done Porsche.
And then it's time to make my way back into Spain for a nightstop before catching the ferry.
The Izpegi Pass across the border is a nice surprise. A short and very winding climb to 2000m under brooding skies and with damp patches on the surface. There's enough of a drop off to focus the mind. Google Maps
I've got time in hand so get to the top, turn around and do the descent and obviously the climb again. Nice.
Next day and it's off to the ferry. Wine storage facility works perfectly, I'm glad this isn't optional on the 718...
and the good ship Pont Aven is waiting on schedule to swallow MSP up and back to the UK with a smooth crossing.
After Logrono it was a 40km trip west to relocate to Haro for a couple of nights. More of the same with some wine based tourism. Haro is the centre for most of the Rioja wineries for those who don't know.
The harvest was being brought in with tiny tractors pulling bulging trailers of grapes to start their journey to becoming the delicious elixir that is a personal favourite. Like many wine growing areas the wealth generated means the towns and properties are generally well maintained and attractive, lots of good dining opportunities and of course tastings too.
The estacion area of Haro allows you to visit half a dozen wineries all on foot. A birthday treat was a glass of Rioja Alta's finest at a bargain €50. Fortunately my tastes are obviously not that refined, both of us drinking preferred the €7 tipple. Result.
Time to drop my mate off at Bilbao and take MSP to the pyrennes.
Google Maps
Drop off completed at Bilbao and a couple of hours later I pull into my nightstop on the outskirts of Pamplona. MSP finds a kindred spirit to snuggle up to for the night...
...and after taking full advantage of the fatboy breakfast in the morning MSP whisks me towards Bagnères-de-Luchon just across the border into France. Navigation is made easier when I realise the french abbreviate the placename to Luchon, suddenly the road signs make sense.
Some enjoyable bits of road. There's more traffic but this is the fun kind meaning overtakes are required but not to the point where progress is slowed too much.
'Luchon feels very autumnal after the warmth of Spain. The summer visitors have left and the winter sports crowd are awaiting the snow.
I'm just using it as a base for a few days in the Pyrennes, so it works pretty well. Col du Portalet and the Col du Tourmalet make for enjoyable day trips. Being staple climbs of the Tour de France does mean they are cyclist-rich though...
Being NA means a power drop of about 3% per 1000 feet, so above 6000' MSP is down around 20%, and it is noticeable.
There's no lack of responsiveness just the aggression that the engine delivers above 5500 rpm is tempered. Subsequently I realise that this is a nice demonstration that 400HP is the perfect number for this car and me. Well done Porsche.
And then it's time to make my way back into Spain for a nightstop before catching the ferry.
The Izpegi Pass across the border is a nice surprise. A short and very winding climb to 2000m under brooding skies and with damp patches on the surface. There's enough of a drop off to focus the mind. Google Maps
I've got time in hand so get to the top, turn around and do the descent and obviously the climb again. Nice.
Next day and it's off to the ferry. Wine storage facility works perfectly, I'm glad this isn't optional on the 718...
and the good ship Pont Aven is waiting on schedule to swallow MSP up and back to the UK with a smooth crossing.
I've got an Insta 360 action cam, which is a GoPro rival. It'll shoot at 4k and 60fps and the footage is clearly much better, although if you had it in the windscreen on a sunny day it would overheat at 60fps in about 15 minutes, about twice as long as it takes a GoPro to shutdown.
The downsides are they are much bigger and obstruct your view, I find them very distracting and strictly speaking they are illegal.
Powering them & mounting them also need more thought.
I took my actioncam but didn't use it much, I will think of a better solution for getting some memorable footage but the dashcam is there for insurance evidence. I've had someone drive into me before and then bugger off and without video evidence the police where useless. A couple of years ago another driver scraped my daily and tried to avoid responsibility. My dashcam footage meant he was held responsible, had his insurance cancelled, and received a nasty fine whilst I only have a No Fault claim on my insurance.
In short the footage is clearly better but they aren't really fit and forget. They serve different purposes imo.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Glad my scribblings were of interest. It's been a bit of a trip report but I'll add some thoughts on the car more in keeping with the Reader's Cars forum later.
The downsides are they are much bigger and obstruct your view, I find them very distracting and strictly speaking they are illegal.
Powering them & mounting them also need more thought.
I took my actioncam but didn't use it much, I will think of a better solution for getting some memorable footage but the dashcam is there for insurance evidence. I've had someone drive into me before and then bugger off and without video evidence the police where useless. A couple of years ago another driver scraped my daily and tried to avoid responsibility. My dashcam footage meant he was held responsible, had his insurance cancelled, and received a nasty fine whilst I only have a No Fault claim on my insurance.
In short the footage is clearly better but they aren't really fit and forget. They serve different purposes imo.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Glad my scribblings were of interest. It's been a bit of a trip report but I'll add some thoughts on the car more in keeping with the Reader's Cars forum later.
End of Year Report
Approaching the end of the first year of ownership so a few stats and observations.
Mileage to date 7732
Fuel used: 1191.9 litres/ 262.2 gal.imp
MPG: 29.49
Oil used: 600 ml
Coolant: 300 ml top up
Tyres tread depth remaining (P-Zeros) F 3.9mm R 3.8mm
Problems /Negatives
No real significant problems with the car. Had a door card rattle and a slight knock from the rear on delivery both sorted by OPC.
Trim clip replaced on the door wiring loom and a bush in the rear suspension.
-My biggest gripe is the Bose. It just isn't very good, aggressive and muddled upper mids. I will eventually get around to
trying the Burmester speaker upgrade.
-Door bins could be a couple of cm "wider" which would make them much more useful.
-Handbrake. A perennial grumble from owners, it seems a bit counter intuitative to operate. Being a PDK means I rarely
use it though.
-Sport Chrono "clock" is a bit of a wasted opportunity and doesn't serve much purpose. A second MFD, or simple digital
speedo/gear indicator etc would work nicely imo.
Positives
Lots more of these!
Performance. Perfectly judged for my use. It is quite happy to pootle along with lots of torque, but get it over 5000 rpm ( peak torque)
and a whole new character emerges. Not brutal, but urgent and extremely responsive, and has still returned just under 30mpg since
delivery. From the tyre wear you can judge that it's not all been economy runs.
Practicality is unmatched in a 2 seater imo. It has easily taken luggage for two on longer trips without really considering packing light.
Front trunk means your luggage doesn't get cooked, whilst rear gets warm and is nice for pre-heating walking boots.
The storage is also covered so out of sight and secure, the net accessory for the engine cover is handy for a suit carrier type bag too.
Ground clearance is just about enough, the air deflectors ahead of the front wheels scrape periodically, which is a handy indicator.
Handling. Love it. Very communicative, get a corner right and the car seems to just rotated around you, a bit too much trail braking and
the weight on the front end is immediately obvious, power on too early and the weight transfer is likewise unmissable. The quick throttle
response sends small adjustments straight to the wheels and the effect is seemingly instantaneous.
The PSM (stability management) is perhaps where the years of development show. It is so incremental that it is almost invisble until
deliberately provoked, likewise the Torque vectoring. On tight turns and warm tarmac it's clear there is some extra magic going on to
flatter the driver, but without feeling like the car is doing it all.
I'm on steel brakes and they've been given a good testing on my Iberian roadtrip. Making progress in high temps, either accelerating or firmly on
the brakes and they remained feelsome and strong. The front end always feeling planted on turn in.
PDLS lights. The first time you turn in to a hairpin in the mountains at night and the lights do their thing will make you glad you ticked the option box.
PDK. I'm a fan, for someone of my ability I am more likely to have the car in balance at corner entry, which makes me feel better about myself!
I like its flexibility. The ability to change the car's character with a turn of the mode dial, push the gear selector across into manual and use
the paddles or shifter for those semi-auto sequential style shifts. Fun.
Launch control is a fun party trick which will delight passengers used to more prosaic cars.
So you can guess from the above I'm enjoying MSP. I look forward to every drive in it, finding it rewarding yet easy to live with. I can't think of
another car with its breadth of ability.
Whilst it might be the "junior Porsche" the reactions it gets are entirely positive. Portugese road workers waving me down and asking to rev it up
and then do a launch on the tarmac they had just laid, elegant ladies saying "beautiful car" in Spain and even the "pops & crackles" crew giving it
a thumbs up. Its appeal might just be as broad as its abilities?
Plans
The year isn't quite done and MSP might be going to Germany for a few days. Other than that plans include back to the IoM, a longer Spanish
trip later in the year, NW France and some UK based mini roadtrips.
Happy driving all.
Approaching the end of the first year of ownership so a few stats and observations.
Mileage to date 7732
Fuel used: 1191.9 litres/ 262.2 gal.imp
MPG: 29.49
Oil used: 600 ml
Coolant: 300 ml top up
Tyres tread depth remaining (P-Zeros) F 3.9mm R 3.8mm
Problems /Negatives
No real significant problems with the car. Had a door card rattle and a slight knock from the rear on delivery both sorted by OPC.
Trim clip replaced on the door wiring loom and a bush in the rear suspension.
-My biggest gripe is the Bose. It just isn't very good, aggressive and muddled upper mids. I will eventually get around to
trying the Burmester speaker upgrade.
-Door bins could be a couple of cm "wider" which would make them much more useful.
-Handbrake. A perennial grumble from owners, it seems a bit counter intuitative to operate. Being a PDK means I rarely
use it though.
-Sport Chrono "clock" is a bit of a wasted opportunity and doesn't serve much purpose. A second MFD, or simple digital
speedo/gear indicator etc would work nicely imo.
Positives
Lots more of these!
Performance. Perfectly judged for my use. It is quite happy to pootle along with lots of torque, but get it over 5000 rpm ( peak torque)
and a whole new character emerges. Not brutal, but urgent and extremely responsive, and has still returned just under 30mpg since
delivery. From the tyre wear you can judge that it's not all been economy runs.
Practicality is unmatched in a 2 seater imo. It has easily taken luggage for two on longer trips without really considering packing light.
Front trunk means your luggage doesn't get cooked, whilst rear gets warm and is nice for pre-heating walking boots.
The storage is also covered so out of sight and secure, the net accessory for the engine cover is handy for a suit carrier type bag too.
Ground clearance is just about enough, the air deflectors ahead of the front wheels scrape periodically, which is a handy indicator.
Handling. Love it. Very communicative, get a corner right and the car seems to just rotated around you, a bit too much trail braking and
the weight on the front end is immediately obvious, power on too early and the weight transfer is likewise unmissable. The quick throttle
response sends small adjustments straight to the wheels and the effect is seemingly instantaneous.
The PSM (stability management) is perhaps where the years of development show. It is so incremental that it is almost invisble until
deliberately provoked, likewise the Torque vectoring. On tight turns and warm tarmac it's clear there is some extra magic going on to
flatter the driver, but without feeling like the car is doing it all.
I'm on steel brakes and they've been given a good testing on my Iberian roadtrip. Making progress in high temps, either accelerating or firmly on
the brakes and they remained feelsome and strong. The front end always feeling planted on turn in.
PDLS lights. The first time you turn in to a hairpin in the mountains at night and the lights do their thing will make you glad you ticked the option box.
PDK. I'm a fan, for someone of my ability I am more likely to have the car in balance at corner entry, which makes me feel better about myself!
I like its flexibility. The ability to change the car's character with a turn of the mode dial, push the gear selector across into manual and use
the paddles or shifter for those semi-auto sequential style shifts. Fun.
Launch control is a fun party trick which will delight passengers used to more prosaic cars.
So you can guess from the above I'm enjoying MSP. I look forward to every drive in it, finding it rewarding yet easy to live with. I can't think of
another car with its breadth of ability.
Whilst it might be the "junior Porsche" the reactions it gets are entirely positive. Portugese road workers waving me down and asking to rev it up
and then do a launch on the tarmac they had just laid, elegant ladies saying "beautiful car" in Spain and even the "pops & crackles" crew giving it
a thumbs up. Its appeal might just be as broad as its abilities?
Plans
The year isn't quite done and MSP might be going to Germany for a few days. Other than that plans include back to the IoM, a longer Spanish
trip later in the year, NW France and some UK based mini roadtrips.
Happy driving all.
Apologies for the formatting issues in the previous post. No idea why and it reverts to the mess above whenever I try to fix it. Moving on...
Whilst MSP hasn't really been driven on salty roads over the winter I gave the underside a good clean. Then wheels off for the arches and to inspect the tyres. Found some "workshop damage" on a rear wheel inner rim, a bit frustrating but just cosmetic.
Removed the bits of tarmac and tar which the rear wheel barrels seem very fond of collecting. Renewed the ceramic coating on the wheels and put it all back together. All ready for the summer now.
Whilst MSP hasn't really been driven on salty roads over the winter I gave the underside a good clean. Then wheels off for the arches and to inspect the tyres. Found some "workshop damage" on a rear wheel inner rim, a bit frustrating but just cosmetic.
Removed the bits of tarmac and tar which the rear wheel barrels seem very fond of collecting. Renewed the ceramic coating on the wheels and put it all back together. All ready for the summer now.
New Rubber, we're off to Germany.
I managed to squeeze one last roadtrip into Year One's insurance mileage allowance, a quick trip to Germany and France.
A few weeks ago I did the "collar mod" on the exhaust valves. As delivered, the exhaust valves close even when you've selected them open at various times. It isn't that intrusive, but does result in some rather odd sounds as they abruptly open and close at 3800 rpm in particular. The mod is a simple way to restrict the degree to which the valves close. In turn that removes the abrupt sound changes and results in a much more natural progression through the full rev range.
Before setting off and bearing in mind I would be on the Autobahn at some point I decided for a slightly early tyre change. The Pirelli PZero were getting close to 3mm all around after 8000 miles and were definitely past their best. The front end still felt planted and secure under braking and turn in but the lack of traction out of corners was notable.
So off they came and each corner got a nice new Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. This was the night before departure so I had a quick 50 mile run and then checked that my nuts were suitably torqued and pressures were spot on. Check the fluids (none required), clean and vac and she's all ready to go.
The night boat from Harwich to the Hook of Holland is a very civilised way of travelling. A 6pm departure from home and a 3 hour drive later and I'm in the queue for the boat with a scheduled 11pm departure. A long way from being full and by 10:20 I'm in my cabin and asleep...
...all very comfortable. Arrival is 08:00 (local) and I'm up a couple of hours before that for some exercise and a fatboy breakfast, shower and back to MSP. Getting on/off a ferry never gets old, it really puts me in roadtrip mode and adds to the pleasure.
I end up being the very last vehicle through customs, but an hour after getting off the ferry I'm leaving the port. I was stopped at each border crossing on this trip, just a quick look for any stowaways! If you want to become a smuggler then get a Cayman as all the border officials were surprised that there was a front and rear storage area..."but where is zee engine?" The next 911 to pass through may have a more difficult time explaining why they won't open their rear boot.
The first night is in Oberhausen, to the west of Dusseldorf. Not the most exciting bit of Holland, but after another hour we're in Germany on the A57 on a Sunday morning. That means many fewer lorries and there's not much traffic so progress is brisk.
Autobahn driving is enjoyable. Obviously the speeds are high, but I enjoy the self discipline and mental challenge it represents along with the responsibility that high speeds bring. I confirmed MSP's declared top speed.
Oberhausen might not be a top holiday destination, but the hotel was perfect. A nice big room, comfy bed and jetwash like shower. Parking in pole position too.
It's been years since I've visited Dusseldorf so a small Alt Bier is mandatory and obviously helps prevent dehydration. Delicious...
And the next day it is onward to Trier which means plenty more Autobahn. Good conditions again, namely dry, not too windy and generally light traffic.
Deployed the action cam in an effort to improve quality from the earlier offerings, shame I've got my nose sticking into the left of frame!
There's a slightly longer version here.
That night I stayed at Kloster Steinfeld, there's a clue in the name which I somehow missed whilst hurriedly booking. It's a monastery, which means it is a little bit spartan on the food front. But very scenic with some wonderful twisty roads on the edge of the Eifel mountains.
What I wasn't expecting was the snow. Proper thick chunks coming down in the evening. It melted a couple of hours after sunrise, but the temperature had been down to -5c and MSP had a nice covering of ice.
Which was a good test of her de-icing capability as I'd brought nothing with me. There must be a heater element in the screen blower as within a minute all the screen ice was gone, the rear demisted and I moved the car into the sun and went for a coffee to let nature remove the remainder. Those toasty warm heated seats and steering wheel were much appreciated.
Some nice twisties, taken rather slowly as there were icy patches in the shade, but the new Michelins once up to temp gripped nicely on some very mixed surfaces. Track was west through Luxembourg and Belgium, across the Ardennes and just into France for a night at the Chateau Fort de Sedan.
.
A very impressive building. I had been looking forward to a posh dinner here and was rewarded by being served two of the worst courses of food I can remember, I didn't make it to the end of the tasting menu and left with my glass of wine and had a bag of ready salted crisps in my room. They were lovely.
And so onto the most important part of the trip. A visit to the Thiepval War Memorial where my Great Grandfather is remembered. He'd been a fireman on the trains and joined up in August 1914 and having survived the main Somme battles was killed a week before Christmas 1916. I have some of his letters and they are deeply poignant, he was 26 and left behind two small children.
So I spent an hour in the Museum which was fantastically well presented before going up to the memorial and finding his name amongst the 73000 + who had no identifiable remains to bury. Sat there and read his letters.
The irony of turning up in a german car wasn't entirely lost on me, but I think as someone who appreciated machinery he'd have "got it".
And so to home. Across northern France, it really is dull, and to Calais. Load up with duty free, pole postion, and back home for a party. Amazing how much you can squeeze into a week!
MSP was fantastic. Nice and stable at high speed, comfortable, shrugged off the ice, dealt with the snow and continues to make me smile with anticipation each time I turn the key.
That is definitely the end of Year One ... 10 000 fun miles
I managed to squeeze one last roadtrip into Year One's insurance mileage allowance, a quick trip to Germany and France.
A few weeks ago I did the "collar mod" on the exhaust valves. As delivered, the exhaust valves close even when you've selected them open at various times. It isn't that intrusive, but does result in some rather odd sounds as they abruptly open and close at 3800 rpm in particular. The mod is a simple way to restrict the degree to which the valves close. In turn that removes the abrupt sound changes and results in a much more natural progression through the full rev range.
Before setting off and bearing in mind I would be on the Autobahn at some point I decided for a slightly early tyre change. The Pirelli PZero were getting close to 3mm all around after 8000 miles and were definitely past their best. The front end still felt planted and secure under braking and turn in but the lack of traction out of corners was notable.
So off they came and each corner got a nice new Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. This was the night before departure so I had a quick 50 mile run and then checked that my nuts were suitably torqued and pressures were spot on. Check the fluids (none required), clean and vac and she's all ready to go.
The night boat from Harwich to the Hook of Holland is a very civilised way of travelling. A 6pm departure from home and a 3 hour drive later and I'm in the queue for the boat with a scheduled 11pm departure. A long way from being full and by 10:20 I'm in my cabin and asleep...
...all very comfortable. Arrival is 08:00 (local) and I'm up a couple of hours before that for some exercise and a fatboy breakfast, shower and back to MSP. Getting on/off a ferry never gets old, it really puts me in roadtrip mode and adds to the pleasure.
I end up being the very last vehicle through customs, but an hour after getting off the ferry I'm leaving the port. I was stopped at each border crossing on this trip, just a quick look for any stowaways! If you want to become a smuggler then get a Cayman as all the border officials were surprised that there was a front and rear storage area..."but where is zee engine?" The next 911 to pass through may have a more difficult time explaining why they won't open their rear boot.
The first night is in Oberhausen, to the west of Dusseldorf. Not the most exciting bit of Holland, but after another hour we're in Germany on the A57 on a Sunday morning. That means many fewer lorries and there's not much traffic so progress is brisk.
Autobahn driving is enjoyable. Obviously the speeds are high, but I enjoy the self discipline and mental challenge it represents along with the responsibility that high speeds bring. I confirmed MSP's declared top speed.
Oberhausen might not be a top holiday destination, but the hotel was perfect. A nice big room, comfy bed and jetwash like shower. Parking in pole position too.
It's been years since I've visited Dusseldorf so a small Alt Bier is mandatory and obviously helps prevent dehydration. Delicious...
And the next day it is onward to Trier which means plenty more Autobahn. Good conditions again, namely dry, not too windy and generally light traffic.
Deployed the action cam in an effort to improve quality from the earlier offerings, shame I've got my nose sticking into the left of frame!
There's a slightly longer version here.
That night I stayed at Kloster Steinfeld, there's a clue in the name which I somehow missed whilst hurriedly booking. It's a monastery, which means it is a little bit spartan on the food front. But very scenic with some wonderful twisty roads on the edge of the Eifel mountains.
What I wasn't expecting was the snow. Proper thick chunks coming down in the evening. It melted a couple of hours after sunrise, but the temperature had been down to -5c and MSP had a nice covering of ice.
Which was a good test of her de-icing capability as I'd brought nothing with me. There must be a heater element in the screen blower as within a minute all the screen ice was gone, the rear demisted and I moved the car into the sun and went for a coffee to let nature remove the remainder. Those toasty warm heated seats and steering wheel were much appreciated.
Some nice twisties, taken rather slowly as there were icy patches in the shade, but the new Michelins once up to temp gripped nicely on some very mixed surfaces. Track was west through Luxembourg and Belgium, across the Ardennes and just into France for a night at the Chateau Fort de Sedan.
.
A very impressive building. I had been looking forward to a posh dinner here and was rewarded by being served two of the worst courses of food I can remember, I didn't make it to the end of the tasting menu and left with my glass of wine and had a bag of ready salted crisps in my room. They were lovely.
And so onto the most important part of the trip. A visit to the Thiepval War Memorial where my Great Grandfather is remembered. He'd been a fireman on the trains and joined up in August 1914 and having survived the main Somme battles was killed a week before Christmas 1916. I have some of his letters and they are deeply poignant, he was 26 and left behind two small children.
So I spent an hour in the Museum which was fantastically well presented before going up to the memorial and finding his name amongst the 73000 + who had no identifiable remains to bury. Sat there and read his letters.
The irony of turning up in a german car wasn't entirely lost on me, but I think as someone who appreciated machinery he'd have "got it".
And so to home. Across northern France, it really is dull, and to Calais. Load up with duty free, pole postion, and back home for a party. Amazing how much you can squeeze into a week!
MSP was fantastic. Nice and stable at high speed, comfortable, shrugged off the ice, dealt with the snow and continues to make me smile with anticipation each time I turn the key.
That is definitely the end of Year One ... 10 000 fun miles
Edited by M11rph on Sunday 5th May 10:12
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