Anyone driven a tour of France just to unleash the beast?

[ecain63]

I have an itch to drive the //M through France, taking in the silky smooth motorways and windy back roads in an attempt to exctract the full potential of the metal im driving. Has anyone done a tour of France with the same aim? Is it easy to get up to good speed without fear of being hounded by the 'onion toting' BiB? I drove my 205GTi-6 to Folembray (track day) in 2004 with a car tours company which was ok, but as i was part of a group there was not room for anything adventurous. Any ideas on a good route?

Obviously the fuel costs are going to be horrific but this is something i am prepared for as i think the experience will be worth the outlay. The rest should be hotel and food bills and the obvious ferry / chunnel crossing. In your opinion is it worth the expense? The UK is just so dull now with its crap roads, speed monitoring and overcrowding. I need space!!!

Eddie

P.S, if anyone fancies coming along...........

[Thejimreaper]

Eddie, personally I wouldnt bother with France. Get through it and Belgium and enjoy Germany instead. It has been a while since I have done it, but definitely worth every penny in fuel. I would have to be one of my best memories of driving ever, on the autobahns trying to keep up with Neil D in his M5 and my cousin in GT3. My cousin hit 186mph before having to slow. This may inspire you

Edited by Thejimreaper on Sunday 13th March 21:11

[ecain63]

Need some of that! To be honest its not so much the top speed I want to unleash, more the handling potential of the M on the winding back roads. Is Germany as good for the handling enthusiast as it is for the autobahn nutter?

[dcb]

Thejimreaper said:

Eddie, personally I wouldnt bother with France. Get through it and Belgium and enjoy Germany instead.

+1 petrolhead heaven.

French mway speed limit is about 10 mph faster than
the UK i.e. not that exciting. It's also a much bigger
country than the UK and the mways are mostly tolled,
so it's going to take a lot longer to get anywhere and
it's going to cost more.

The French aren't so uptight about speed as the Brits,
in that you have to try a lot harder to get a day in court
(96 mph versus IIRC 200 kmh).

The *average* speed on the German autobahns last time
I looked into this was 95 mph and it goes up a little
bit each year.

While the beer is world class the food's not too shabby
either. There are plenty of foreign restaurants
if you don't fancy sausages, sauerkraut, goat brain soup
or pig's knuckles again.

[Stedman]

Eddie, funny you mention that. The autoroutes are a no go for us wanting to stretch our diesel cars badged as M cars ...although where my parents live (mid France) there are some CRACKING roads. France should not be written off.

If you're around this week, i'll give you a bell and a heads up RE:France avec Goldsmith? I'm also going over there this week, you should definitely join moi

[Thejimreaper]

ecain63 said:

Need some of that! To be honest its not so much the top speed I want to unleash, more the handling potential of the M on the winding back roads. Is Germany as good for the handling enthusiast as it is for the autobahn nutter?

I would say it is, I have only driven the roads around the ring up in the hills but they are certainly great fun. When we were there we would go out for a pre dinner drive just for the sack of it and clock up 50miles!

[ecain63]

Stedman said:

Eddie, funny you mention that. The autoroutes are a no go for us wanting to stretch our diesel cars badged as M cars ...although where my parents live (mid France) there are some CRACKING roads. France should not be written off.

If you're around this week, i'll give you a bell and a heads up RE:France avec Goldsmith? I'm also going over there this week, you should definitely join moi

Hi mate, yeah I'm around this week. I don't have much news ref the Goldsmithing but its still in the pipeline. You gonna be at the meet on sunday?

Germany is sounding good!

[nick1275]

More than welcome to tag on my stag doo were going to Germany on a 4 day road trip!

[dcb]

ecain63 said:

Need some of that! To be honest its not so much the top speed I want to unleash, more the handling potential of the M on the winding back roads. Is Germany as good for the handling enthusiast as it is for the autobahn nutter?

I hear there's a one way toll road in the Eifel
mountains that's pretty good ;->

Plenty of interesting roads in the Black Forest and
Southern Bavaria, but for serious handling
challenges, you need Austria in the summer.

Highest road in the UK 2,000 feet, Cairnwell Pass, just south of Braemar.

Highest road in Germany about 5,500 feet, Ross Feld Ring Strasse.

Highest road in Austria about 9,200 feet near Soelden

[Stedman]

ecain63 said:

Stedman said:

Eddie, funny you mention that. The autoroutes are a no go for us wanting to stretch our diesel cars badged as M cars ...although where my parents live (mid France) there are some CRACKING roads. France should not be written off.

If you're around this week, i'll give you a bell and a heads up RE:France avec Goldsmith? I'm also going over there this week, you should definitely join moi

Hi mate, yeah I'm around this week. I don't have much news ref the Goldsmithing but its still in the pipeline. You gonna be at the meet on sunday?

Germany is sounding good!

When suits you? From Tuesday i'm off until April! Where is this meet?

[ecain63]

Stedman said:

When suits you? From Tuesday i'm off until April! Where is this meet?

Anytime in the evening really.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[zs]

2 or more Viper here toying with the late June Nurburgring 24hr races weekend idea... more the merrier but nothing confirmed yet.. Love French roads though too - 1 day we'll come up through from Spain....hmmm 1 day!

[FUBAR]

Here you go

Belgium and Germany is where it's at

FYI My pooper dropped out at 186mph in Germany

[Thejimreaper]

zs said:

2 or more Viper here toying with the late June Nurburgring 24hr races weekend idea... more the merrier but nothing confirmed yet.. Love French roads though too - 1 day we'll come up through from Spain....hmmm 1 day!

Pete keep me posted on your plans, been thinking of doing this myself. I know a great b+b nearby that will probably be free as well.

[ecain63]

Thejimreaper said:

Pete keep me posted on your plans, been thinking of doing this myself. I know a great b+b nearby that will probably be free as well.

Me too. That could be my key!

[ironictwist]

Do it. Abroad is where the funs at. See below! Includes videos too!

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[ecain63]

ironictwist said:

Do it. Abroad is where the funs at. See below! Includes videos too!

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Now that's what I'm talking about.

[DC]

Thejimreaper said:

zs said:

2 or more Viper here toying with the late June Nurburgring 24hr races weekend idea... more the merrier but nothing confirmed yet.. Love French roads though too - 1 day we'll come up through from Spain....hmmm 1 day!

Pete keep me posted on your plans, been thinking of doing this myself. I know a great b+b nearby that will probably be free as well.

And me...

[M5 Mark]

Forget France I'd say. Ironically the French are right nazis about speed yet the Germans are not! Got pulled over (when they caught up) by a plain clothes 530d last year when I went past them at 180+. All perfectly legal! Was just a few miles short of Austira and the cops wanted to look at the car and check it wasn;t stolen as it was heading to the border so fast! I've done Germany a few times now and will go back again this year for sure. I LOVE the plae, where else on the planet can you pass a copper at 180 and it's fine?! The lane disciplin there is SO amazing, no worries about people not checking mirrors(still be sensible to assume they don;t though!) they use all lanes, no middle lane hogging and respect someone flashing from a distance at speed and move over. Great roads, great driving disciplin, great friendly people. (shame they keep starting world wars after promising they won't though) AND it is the home of the M5 after all!

Lasy year did a few days there, early mornings and early nights and there are awsome roads, my favprouite being the A5, you can cruise at over 200 for miles at a time! Perfectly straight autobahn, very few exits (where speed limit does apply) As for handling, well at 180+ the slightest curve does involve some handling talents!

Better yet enjoy the Autobahns and get on the ring, all the cornering you want in a safe and legal environment!

I'll be happy to join any others heading that way or get something started. I will go this year, just a matter of when

[M5 Mark]

Yeah really, I'm not doing it justice, can't wait to get back there! Brilliant times!

Only video I could find was on the trip down to Italy to Supersprint, so car was back to basic, with all the bolt ons removed and running the wrong software. Still happy to sit at 200 for miles Must take some new ones this year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpmBP_5iVgQ

Edited by M5 Mark on Tuesday 15th March 18:59