981 Cayman GTS - Schwarzes Ferkel
Discussion
When I was back in Aus I had a few chats with some petrolhead friends and family about Audi vs. Porsche so got to think about the differences a bit more. I put some of this down in a "mid engined cars" thing on the front page but I've refined it on the plane home. Maybe take it with a grain of salt in that the Audi was forcibly removed from our possession and not voluntarily given up.
8>6. The Audi V8 is hugely more characterful at all times but especially so at the 2-3k rpm you do 90% of the time. A V8 that revs to 8k is also incredibly amusing and I never stopped giggling when wringing it out. It has a useful amount of extra torque with its extra 800cc.
The Porsche is undoubtedly a special engine that feels strong but the extra pops on the overrun when you turn the exhaust on have started to feel simulated. I wish it revved all the way to 8k as I find I'm limiter bashing at 7750 and it feels like it could keep going.
The Audi open gate gearbox is thrilling to look at but is a little slow and challenging to use. Always felt unhappy unless you gently finessed it into 3rd - which given that it's the Italian Graziano box you can call character. I never wished to change the gearing and loved changing up and down for the sheer joy of blipping that V8. The super light flywheel meant it was easy to stall but gave incredible engine response. The front diff binds at full lock especially when cold or in reverse - combined with the light flywheel an uphill reverse park was essentially impossible. Clutch is nice and light for BBB in both cars. It would do great skids into 2nd gear in the wet and would tip into a touch of oversteer in the dry so never felt particularly 4wd.
The Porsche gearing does annoy me with 80mph in 2nd and 110mph in 3rd. Apart from that, the gearshift is night and day better than the Audi: BBB says "it's so easy, it's like an automatic - you just think about another gear". It's smoother, so much faster and it's harder to stall. Throttle response (larger flywheel) isn't quite as good as the Audi which BB is actually happy with - she hated the way if you mashed the accelerator in that it would ping an unready passenger's head back! I have noticed some sort of scrubbing or binding at full lock in the Porsche when cold but it's not anywhere on the same level as the Audi. I had it step out awkwardly at the back on the PZeros a couple of times and I didn't feel like it was telegraphed well but that's probably the cold / crap tyres / familiarity.
The steering is much more feelsome in the Audi so I was much happier chucking it around. Under and oversteer was well communicated and it felt natural winding off a couple of degrees for a neutral corner exit on the power - I am by no means a chest-wig driving god so have no idea what it felt like drifting.
I was hoping the Michelins would help steering feel in the Porsche but not really. I guess I need another Proper Drive to see if the limits are getting telegraphed better but on the PZeros, I felt understeer through the seat of the pants rather than the steering going light and it was quite noticeable. I've not wound the stability control off yet (Sports mode).
The Audi had the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in. They didn't hold you that well but the narrow footwell meant you could brace enough with your knees so it didn't become a problem. It was a very well put together interior even if the parts didn't seem that special (besides the exposed shift!). It felt like a super car in terms of sitting low with a very raked windscreen, but still had decent forward visibility. The "sand" interior wasn't very practical but it did make it feel a lot more special than a plain black interior.
The Porsche has a much, much more special interior. The (gorgeous) sports seats aren't that comfy but good enough with heat for my crippled back. But maybe too many options with Sports+ meaning the stiffest ride and the loosest stability control which in the UK is mental. Why did you have to option buttons on the steering wheel and why didn't that guy pay the extra? 8 years of extra technology do show with little stuff like much better parking sensors and lights etc. I'm still going to add Android Auto to it like the Audi so don't bother comparing the navigation.
Feel good in the Audi was higher. It looks like a more special car to me and feels more exotic with the engine under glass. I'd often look out the window and think "bloody hell, that's my car"! I got let out of junctions, had kids smile and point, had camera phones from other cars and had enthusiasts come up and talk to me. With soft wheely bags we managed 8 days of winter clothes, coats and boots so I can't complain about the luggage space. Rear 3/4 visibility was pretty terrifying which taught you to be very aware of other cars. It seemed to do 21MPG if you were cruising at 70MPH or blasting it up a mountain at 8000rpm. It had a large tank (80L ?) though so I always needed a pee and stretch long before it needed to be filled. It was a fantastic mile muncher and always felt stable and comfortable (except over concrete expansions). BBB was incredibly happy to be driven quickly as a passenger which is a completely new thing for her - she said she had loads of confidence in the car. It's a wide car so small parking lots were stressful and narrow roads weren't great although I felt like I could place it very accurately on the road. The doors are really long but if I put the seats back I could still slip in on the first detente so we never got in a situation where we couldn't get in. The Audi R8 forum (r8talk.com) is very friendly with not anywhere near as much of the posturing you get on lots of yank forums.
I like the Porsche shape but it's still feels kind of ubiquitous. It still makes me grin when I see it outside but not as big as the Audi. In 3 months of the Porsche I've had two people give me the "slow down" move whilst driving <20MPH in 1st gear but this could be my habit of turning on the exhaust as soon as I get in it. The narrower body does make a difference when driving in narrow roads and the rear view is much better. It's averaged 32MPG since I got it and google says it's a 64L tank so more than enough. It's better on the Michelins but still not as nice on the motorway as the Audi - still a little darty or nervous in the steering and I don't think it rides as well. BBB says she doesn't have as much confidence in it from a passenger point of view, but that could be familiarity or the crappy tyres + cold weather for her first few drives. Luggage space seems more user friendly day to day but I'm not sure there is too much more than the Audi unless you start using the rear parcel shelf thing. You have to put the bucket seats all the way back (manual adjustment!) to get in without scraping your but over the leather - probably just an issue with the silly seats though.
Engine
8>6. The Audi V8 is hugely more characterful at all times but especially so at the 2-3k rpm you do 90% of the time. A V8 that revs to 8k is also incredibly amusing and I never stopped giggling when wringing it out. It has a useful amount of extra torque with its extra 800cc.
The Porsche is undoubtedly a special engine that feels strong but the extra pops on the overrun when you turn the exhaust on have started to feel simulated. I wish it revved all the way to 8k as I find I'm limiter bashing at 7750 and it feels like it could keep going.
Drivetrain
The Audi open gate gearbox is thrilling to look at but is a little slow and challenging to use. Always felt unhappy unless you gently finessed it into 3rd - which given that it's the Italian Graziano box you can call character. I never wished to change the gearing and loved changing up and down for the sheer joy of blipping that V8. The super light flywheel meant it was easy to stall but gave incredible engine response. The front diff binds at full lock especially when cold or in reverse - combined with the light flywheel an uphill reverse park was essentially impossible. Clutch is nice and light for BBB in both cars. It would do great skids into 2nd gear in the wet and would tip into a touch of oversteer in the dry so never felt particularly 4wd.
The Porsche gearing does annoy me with 80mph in 2nd and 110mph in 3rd. Apart from that, the gearshift is night and day better than the Audi: BBB says "it's so easy, it's like an automatic - you just think about another gear". It's smoother, so much faster and it's harder to stall. Throttle response (larger flywheel) isn't quite as good as the Audi which BB is actually happy with - she hated the way if you mashed the accelerator in that it would ping an unready passenger's head back! I have noticed some sort of scrubbing or binding at full lock in the Porsche when cold but it's not anywhere on the same level as the Audi. I had it step out awkwardly at the back on the PZeros a couple of times and I didn't feel like it was telegraphed well but that's probably the cold / crap tyres / familiarity.
Steering / Handling
The steering is much more feelsome in the Audi so I was much happier chucking it around. Under and oversteer was well communicated and it felt natural winding off a couple of degrees for a neutral corner exit on the power - I am by no means a chest-wig driving god so have no idea what it felt like drifting.
I was hoping the Michelins would help steering feel in the Porsche but not really. I guess I need another Proper Drive to see if the limits are getting telegraphed better but on the PZeros, I felt understeer through the seat of the pants rather than the steering going light and it was quite noticeable. I've not wound the stability control off yet (Sports mode).
Interior
The Audi had the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in. They didn't hold you that well but the narrow footwell meant you could brace enough with your knees so it didn't become a problem. It was a very well put together interior even if the parts didn't seem that special (besides the exposed shift!). It felt like a super car in terms of sitting low with a very raked windscreen, but still had decent forward visibility. The "sand" interior wasn't very practical but it did make it feel a lot more special than a plain black interior.
The Porsche has a much, much more special interior. The (gorgeous) sports seats aren't that comfy but good enough with heat for my crippled back. But maybe too many options with Sports+ meaning the stiffest ride and the loosest stability control which in the UK is mental. Why did you have to option buttons on the steering wheel and why didn't that guy pay the extra? 8 years of extra technology do show with little stuff like much better parking sensors and lights etc. I'm still going to add Android Auto to it like the Audi so don't bother comparing the navigation.
Usability
Feel good in the Audi was higher. It looks like a more special car to me and feels more exotic with the engine under glass. I'd often look out the window and think "bloody hell, that's my car"! I got let out of junctions, had kids smile and point, had camera phones from other cars and had enthusiasts come up and talk to me. With soft wheely bags we managed 8 days of winter clothes, coats and boots so I can't complain about the luggage space. Rear 3/4 visibility was pretty terrifying which taught you to be very aware of other cars. It seemed to do 21MPG if you were cruising at 70MPH or blasting it up a mountain at 8000rpm. It had a large tank (80L ?) though so I always needed a pee and stretch long before it needed to be filled. It was a fantastic mile muncher and always felt stable and comfortable (except over concrete expansions). BBB was incredibly happy to be driven quickly as a passenger which is a completely new thing for her - she said she had loads of confidence in the car. It's a wide car so small parking lots were stressful and narrow roads weren't great although I felt like I could place it very accurately on the road. The doors are really long but if I put the seats back I could still slip in on the first detente so we never got in a situation where we couldn't get in. The Audi R8 forum (r8talk.com) is very friendly with not anywhere near as much of the posturing you get on lots of yank forums.
I like the Porsche shape but it's still feels kind of ubiquitous. It still makes me grin when I see it outside but not as big as the Audi. In 3 months of the Porsche I've had two people give me the "slow down" move whilst driving <20MPH in 1st gear but this could be my habit of turning on the exhaust as soon as I get in it. The narrower body does make a difference when driving in narrow roads and the rear view is much better. It's averaged 32MPG since I got it and google says it's a 64L tank so more than enough. It's better on the Michelins but still not as nice on the motorway as the Audi - still a little darty or nervous in the steering and I don't think it rides as well. BBB says she doesn't have as much confidence in it from a passenger point of view, but that could be familiarity or the crappy tyres + cold weather for her first few drives. Luggage space seems more user friendly day to day but I'm not sure there is too much more than the Audi unless you start using the rear parcel shelf thing. You have to put the bucket seats all the way back (manual adjustment!) to get in without scraping your but over the leather - probably just an issue with the silly seats though.
I've not updated the thread because nothing much interesting has happened.
I've been studiously embracing Porsche life:
Not driving the car, studying used pricing incessantly, getting the vehicle frequently detailed with expensive products and keeping it in an airtight garage, smack talking all other brands of sports cars as inferior, collecting Porsche caps and gilet[s], building out my ROLEX timepiece investment portfolio and loudly saying PorschAH rather than Porsch.
We've ticked over 40k miles, thus halving the value of the vehicle. We've used it mostly to go the the shops with occasional early Saturday morning Proper Drives in the local area and trips to the pub. The car continues to live outside in filthy ignominy although it's probably gotten a wash every second month which is some sort of record for me - the black seems to show up schmutz even worse the Audi black. Remind me to punch myself in the uturus if I buy a third black car.
BBB is currently showing 33mpg and a 459 mile range. I get less than that because I drive like a t
t.
The new tyres have made it a lot better, giving stupid amounts of predictable grip in the wet and dry. I've been exploring Sports mode with the last few damp drives and I'm actually really enjoying the way it works coming out of a corner: 2nd gear, power on when you see the exit and the car shifts under you - wind a small, very natural amount of lock off and exit the corner with the front tyres pointing straight ahead as you smear out to the edge of the road. I keep saying, I'm no hero drift king but the car gives you confidence (despite having no steering feel). The seats grip as good as they look so your ass lets you know the slide is happening pretty well.
This weekend we were away in Somerset with 1000 of BBB's outlaws (yay) for the August long weekend. I ducked out early on Sunday for a Proper Drive up to Cheddar Gorge and it was fabulous. I still find myself noticing the gearing on drives like this but I'm getting used to it. But above 4k rpm with the child-valve open this thing makes a crazy good noise, especially bouncing off some canyon walls.
If you're in the area please make sure you get up early and have a go, it's an amazing road. Ensure you keep a very keen eye out for the goats, this couple were the few that didn't just hang out in the middle of the road.
Up next we're planning our Spanish/Portuguese trip in October. I'm going to have the oil changed (not due a service until next year) and a general check over before the trip. I also want to get Android Auto added as using the inbuilt satnav for multi point drives isn't a realistic option.
I've been studiously embracing Porsche life:
We've ticked over 40k miles, thus halving the value of the vehicle. We've used it mostly to go the the shops with occasional early Saturday morning Proper Drives in the local area and trips to the pub. The car continues to live outside in filthy ignominy although it's probably gotten a wash every second month which is some sort of record for me - the black seems to show up schmutz even worse the Audi black. Remind me to punch myself in the uturus if I buy a third black car.
BBB is currently showing 33mpg and a 459 mile range. I get less than that because I drive like a t
t.The new tyres have made it a lot better, giving stupid amounts of predictable grip in the wet and dry. I've been exploring Sports mode with the last few damp drives and I'm actually really enjoying the way it works coming out of a corner: 2nd gear, power on when you see the exit and the car shifts under you - wind a small, very natural amount of lock off and exit the corner with the front tyres pointing straight ahead as you smear out to the edge of the road. I keep saying, I'm no hero drift king but the car gives you confidence (despite having no steering feel). The seats grip as good as they look so your ass lets you know the slide is happening pretty well.
This weekend we were away in Somerset with 1000 of BBB's outlaws (yay) for the August long weekend. I ducked out early on Sunday for a Proper Drive up to Cheddar Gorge and it was fabulous. I still find myself noticing the gearing on drives like this but I'm getting used to it. But above 4k rpm with the child-valve open this thing makes a crazy good noise, especially bouncing off some canyon walls.
If you're in the area please make sure you get up early and have a go, it's an amazing road. Ensure you keep a very keen eye out for the goats, this couple were the few that didn't just hang out in the middle of the road.
Up next we're planning our Spanish/Portuguese trip in October. I'm going to have the oil changed (not due a service until next year) and a general check over before the trip. I also want to get Android Auto added as using the inbuilt satnav for multi point drives isn't a realistic option.
Indeed, always enjoy seeing an update.
Pleased to report that I ending up settling on a 2018 F-Type R convertible, which I collected in June and have already put a very smiley 2,000 miles on. Mainly up and down the A34 to visit a new girlfriend, but certainly looking forward to some trips soon, and Cheddar Gorge is on the list for sure!
Pleased to report that I ending up settling on a 2018 F-Type R convertible, which I collected in June and have already put a very smiley 2,000 miles on. Mainly up and down the A34 to visit a new girlfriend, but certainly looking forward to some trips soon, and Cheddar Gorge is on the list for sure!
Car is booked in for a service at GT One and I've ordered the stereo kit from NM Automotive for them to fit at the same time.
1) You can't get a manual V8
but mainly
2) My boss had one for a while so all my mates would tease me for copying him.
But the F-Type R must sound fantastic with the roof off!
OssAndy said:
Always exciting to see your threads pop up again and interesting to read your updates. Do you find yourself missing anything from the v8 R8 experience or does the cayman reward in other measures enough?
Thank you, primarily the fabulously bonkers V8 is what I miss. And the extra theatre, steering feel and shorter gearing. But mainly the V8! elvismiggell said:
Indeed, always enjoy seeing an update.
Pleased to report that I ending up settling on a 2018 F-Type R convertible, which I collected in June and have already put a very smiley 2,000 miles on. Mainly up and down the A34 to visit a new girlfriend, but certainly looking forward to some trips soon, and Cheddar Gorge is on the list for sure!
I've looked at F-Types before but discounted them because:Pleased to report that I ending up settling on a 2018 F-Type R convertible, which I collected in June and have already put a very smiley 2,000 miles on. Mainly up and down the A34 to visit a new girlfriend, but certainly looking forward to some trips soon, and Cheddar Gorge is on the list for sure!
1) You can't get a manual V8
but mainly2) My boss had one for a while so all my mates would tease me for copying him.
But the F-Type R must sound fantastic with the roof off!
Edited by seefarr on Wednesday 30th August 13:38
seefarr said:
I've looked at F-Types before but discounted them because:
1) You can't get a manual V8 but mainly
I'm lazy. 1) You can't get a manual V8
but mainly seefarr said:
2) My boss had one for a while so all my mates would tease me for copying him.
I'm sure you'd expect no less of them. seefarr said:
But the F-Type R must sound fantastic with the roof off!
Can confirm, it absolutely does! A quiet start mode wouldn't go amiss but the rest of the time it's amazing.Ferkel is back from his trip to GT One. They did a minor service (despite it not being due until next year), replaced a steel exhaust part that was rusting away with stainless, painted a couple of places on the undertray and subframe that were starting to go brown and fitted the module from NM Automotive for Android Auto / Apple Car Play. And they seem a lovely bunch of very knowledgeable blokes too.
New Android Auto + rock n roll:
They also took pity on how filthy it was so here's a slightly cleaner car:
The last job was to chip the steering rack. Yes, that's a thing apparently. I explain what I want and ask for suggestions that don't include how much it will impact my residuals here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
And I'm almost certain it made quite a positive difference for £36 of labour! It's all very subjective and it can be difficult when you go looking for a difference, you may find it even if it's not there but it's better. Even driving through train-strike London traffic, there's more of a ripple of feedback of what's going on at the front wheels. I had one mercifully clear "40" section and there is certainly more feedback in corners - it loads up with weight in a natural way as the front tyres are under load and if you wind off lock or back off, it lightens up. It's a lot like steering feel!
But the only way to be sure is to find some nice empty roads so on Friday I'm getting the ferry to Spain and Portugal, just to be sure. For science!
Frunk luggage is good and we'll fit our Medium Eastpak in the back. Still with loads of room for coats, shoes and all the booze we'll buy.
Roll on more road trip adventures!
New Android Auto + rock n roll:
They also took pity on how filthy it was so here's a slightly cleaner car:
The last job was to chip the steering rack. Yes, that's a thing apparently. I explain what I want and ask for suggestions that don't include how much it will impact my residuals here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
And I'm almost certain it made quite a positive difference for £36 of labour! It's all very subjective and it can be difficult when you go looking for a difference, you may find it even if it's not there but it's better. Even driving through train-strike London traffic, there's more of a ripple of feedback of what's going on at the front wheels. I had one mercifully clear "40" section and there is certainly more feedback in corners - it loads up with weight in a natural way as the front tyres are under load and if you wind off lock or back off, it lightens up. It's a lot like steering feel!
But the only way to be sure is to find some nice empty roads so on Friday I'm getting the ferry to Spain and Portugal, just to be sure. For science!
Frunk luggage is good and we'll fit our Medium Eastpak in the back. Still with loads of room for coats, shoes and all the booze we'll buy.
Roll on more road trip adventures!
Edited by seefarr on Wednesday 4th October 19:36
981Boxess said:
seefarr said:
Just for clarification, BBB is a woman (not an inflatable variant) and that is your luggage - is that what you are saying?Question 2) - no, our medium Eastpak fits really well in the back boot with more space around for coats etc. Three cases is a little annoying but we put "occasional usage" stuff in the CabinMax which works as a backpack, and don't take it in every night. That's how we travelled in the R8 and it worked well.
We made it on the ship - the effectively brand new Santoña. The drive down wasn't too busy but displayed typically British horrendous road manners. Twice I had to knock off >20mph in a big hurry as people pulled out on me, once without even indicating. <\oldmanshakesfistatclouds>
Anyway, made it with loads of time, lined up, laughed at £150k camper vans and people who try to drive off with the handbrake on. As you do.
There were two Porsche Boxsters in line next to us so as I went past I gave it sports exhaust + small rev which netted me the classic "Nobody cares about your car, you just look like an idiot." from the always sensible BBB.
We're on the slow 36hr trip down to Santander so depart at 21:30 Friday and arrive 08:00 Sunday. I thought we were calling into France for a crew change but apparently Santander port doesn't open overnight so they just do the trip slowly. Nothing to do but drink beer and stare at the ocean, so I'm happy!
We're in a "Club" cabin so get access to the club lounge, so free wine and some buffet food all day. BBB thinks it's worth it because of the ready access to French cheese and wine but I drink beer mostly and the lunch didn't look great. But the cheese was fantastic so....
We're up early tomorrow to presumably get in line to get in line to get in line... but after that we're off for a trip through the Picos de Europa mountains and then back up to a fancy dinner and posh hotel. Can't wait!!
Anyway, made it with loads of time, lined up, laughed at £150k camper vans and people who try to drive off with the handbrake on. As you do.
There were two Porsche Boxsters in line next to us so as I went past I gave it sports exhaust + small rev which netted me the classic "Nobody cares about your car, you just look like an idiot." from the always sensible BBB.
We're on the slow 36hr trip down to Santander so depart at 21:30 Friday and arrive 08:00 Sunday. I thought we were calling into France for a crew change but apparently Santander port doesn't open overnight so they just do the trip slowly. Nothing to do but drink beer and stare at the ocean, so I'm happy!
We're in a "Club" cabin so get access to the club lounge, so free wine and some buffet food all day. BBB thinks it's worth it because of the ready access to French cheese and wine but I drink beer mostly and the lunch didn't look great. But the cheese was fantastic so....
We're up early tomorrow to presumably get in line to get in line to get in line... but after that we're off for a trip through the Picos de Europa mountains and then back up to a fancy dinner and posh hotel. Can't wait!!
Yesterday was day one in Spain for a brisk 277km / 5 hr trip through the Picos.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/s4MUD4MjaDdPD73R6
Passport control was really fast and we were onto a motorway quickly. Actually, passport control worked too well and I picked the wrong first waypoint in a rush so we ended doing 20mins in the wrong direction before realising.
Hero from the ferry who had a police escort on the motorway:
When we turned off the motorway and got to the first proper road, the N-621 I was.... underwhelmed. Day tripping Spaniards on Harleys, tour buses and British camper vans as far as the eye could see had me pretty depressed. We ended up following the hordes for an hour to the town of Pores. We ended up in town and had to fight to get back to the N-621 again but once we did it was miraculously empty!
Stay tuned for 100s ofAudi Porsche on a mountain photos!
Great road surface and a fair upward incline to go with our twisty roads and I was very happy. And the scenery is properly, off the scale nuts.
6 speeds, 6 cylinders and 600 corners.
We turned off to the LE-2703 and the road surface was pretty horrible. I'd checked this road in a couple of places on Maps but had obviously missed this but and it was slow going for the first 20 mins. Probably a good time to say how amazingly well Ferkel deals with crappy tarmac - you know the roads are awful but it blends out the worst of it and never feels like it nails the bump stops.
There were also sheep and Ferkel stared down the giant sheep dog.
But the road got it's act together and we were in and out of forest with some fabulous sections. We turned off onto the N-625 for a quick blast to a lunch stop at Oseja de Sajambre.
From there BBB drove us down an amazing but very tight gorge (we won't mention being overtaken by Blue Van Man) to our overnight at a fancy hotel (Palacio de Luces Relais&Châteaux) outside of Lastres. The hotel was so much better than I am as a human but seemed like a decent price and the restaurant is Michelin star level.
We went down to town to try to find some tapas of anchovies (FAIL) and some beer (GREAT SUCCESS!). Then back the hotel for a decent view to end our first day in Spain.
BBB feels she's less comfortable at speed as a driver than she was in the Audi - "it feels light" which we think is the fact that it's ready to change direction. But otherwise very happy with driving and passengering.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/s4MUD4MjaDdPD73R6
Passport control was really fast and we were onto a motorway quickly. Actually, passport control worked too well and I picked the wrong first waypoint in a rush so we ended doing 20mins in the wrong direction before realising.
Hero from the ferry who had a police escort on the motorway:
When we turned off the motorway and got to the first proper road, the N-621 I was.... underwhelmed. Day tripping Spaniards on Harleys, tour buses and British camper vans as far as the eye could see had me pretty depressed. We ended up following the hordes for an hour to the town of Pores. We ended up in town and had to fight to get back to the N-621 again but once we did it was miraculously empty!
Stay tuned for 100s of
Great road surface and a fair upward incline to go with our twisty roads and I was very happy. And the scenery is properly, off the scale nuts.
6 speeds, 6 cylinders and 600 corners.
We turned off to the LE-2703 and the road surface was pretty horrible. I'd checked this road in a couple of places on Maps but had obviously missed this but and it was slow going for the first 20 mins. Probably a good time to say how amazingly well Ferkel deals with crappy tarmac - you know the roads are awful but it blends out the worst of it and never feels like it nails the bump stops.
There were also sheep and Ferkel stared down the giant sheep dog.
But the road got it's act together and we were in and out of forest with some fabulous sections. We turned off onto the N-625 for a quick blast to a lunch stop at Oseja de Sajambre.
From there BBB drove us down an amazing but very tight gorge (we won't mention being overtaken by Blue Van Man) to our overnight at a fancy hotel (Palacio de Luces Relais&Châteaux) outside of Lastres. The hotel was so much better than I am as a human but seemed like a decent price and the restaurant is Michelin star level.
We went down to town to try to find some tapas of anchovies (FAIL) and some beer (GREAT SUCCESS!). Then back the hotel for a decent view to end our first day in Spain.
BBB feels she's less comfortable at speed as a driver than she was in the Audi - "it feels light" which we think is the fact that it's ready to change direction. But otherwise very happy with driving and passengering.
I'm jealous! I got back on Friday and already have withdrawal symptoms.
I too was disappointed with the first bit of the N621, lots of roadworks and traffic lights. Then I got to the fun bit, perfectly suited to the car too.
Bores to Riano... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/39577+Bores,+Can...
[My route in brief was Santander-Guarda-Covilha across to Madrid to collect my drinking buddy for a week in Logrono & Haro, then Pyrennes and a fun route back to Santander 18 days 2900 miles. Lots of fun].
Portugal pic.
I too was disappointed with the first bit of the N621, lots of roadworks and traffic lights. Then I got to the fun bit, perfectly suited to the car too.
Bores to Riano... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/39577+Bores,+Can...
[My route in brief was Santander-Guarda-Covilha across to Madrid to collect my drinking buddy for a week in Logrono & Haro, then Pyrennes and a fun route back to Santander 18 days 2900 miles. Lots of fun].
Portugal pic.
M11rph said:
I'm jealous! I got back on Friday and already have withdrawal symptoms.
I too was disappointed with the first bit of the N621, lots of roadworks and traffic lights. Then I got to the fun bit, perfectly suited to the car too.
Bores to Riano... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/39577+Bores,+Can...
[My route in brief was Santander-Guarda-Covilha across to Madrid to collect my drinking buddy for a week in Logrono & Haro, then Pyrennes and a fun route back to Santander 18 days 2900 miles. Lots of fun].
Portugal pic.
Ooh, that sounds like an amazing trip! How was the Serra de Estrella park?I too was disappointed with the first bit of the N621, lots of roadworks and traffic lights. Then I got to the fun bit, perfectly suited to the car too.
Bores to Riano... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/39577+Bores,+Can...
[My route in brief was Santander-Guarda-Covilha across to Madrid to collect my drinking buddy for a week in Logrono & Haro, then Pyrennes and a fun route back to Santander 18 days 2900 miles. Lots of fun].
Portugal pic.
Iamnotkloot said:
Interesting updates - enjoy reading them (and much better than reading the currently very depressing news)
Thank you! Plenty more on the way. 
Yesterday was a run back through the same road BBB drove through the Picos and ending down in Zamora after 346km.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SVQjaESHcRfdMCcy9
I got out to the car and found something on the windscreen. It's a leather wrapped piece of foam left by a fellow Porsche owner. I don't detail (and barely clean) my car so I'm not exactly sure what it is, but thank you mysterious Porsche guy!
We also met a lovely guy who was packing up his KXR-S convertible and had a good chat to him comparing luggage space.
We had planned to stop at the artisanal anchovy canner in town on the way out but completely failed to remember that mission with all the excitement. We'll have to try to stop on the way back through.
Onto the road and it was congested enough outside the park to not warrant any overtaking. Everyone else pealed off after a while though and then we had the canyon to ourselves and I made full usage of it. Noisy exhaust on and 2nd gear was the order of the day - there were only a couple of spots I managed to touch the 90kph speed limit. I tried with the sport button on but it sharpens the throttle and in the tight stuff it was a little too eager.
Photos don't do justice to how stunning the scenery is here!
I was planning on stopping the foot of the road at a series of reservoirs but the water was terrifyingly absent so it wasn't looking that pretty. We pushed on to a bar, ordered €16 worth of tapas which was apparently enough morcilla to feed a village alongside 8 croquettes, which left us feeling quite full for the boring bit down to Zamora.
We've been here and stayed in the parador before and I'm pretty sure Google tried to take us through some impassable pedestrian roads last time too but we made it through some very squeezy bits ok. Someone on the Internet said parking in the square was €28
but it turned out if you fed the meter €2 you get two hours and it ended at 8pm, so we just came back to top up. On to an afternoon beer in the square and more tapas for dinner! 
Edited by seefarr on Tuesday 10th October 07:25
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