OK, so who got nicked for how fast, and where?
Discussion
Lucky escape for me from Les Flics. Saw a black 355 Spider joining our road (A13?) and booted it past. Fortunately the lorry and the BX on the inside lane shielded me from the Gendarmes and their lasers on the near-side where they had set up camp (but not them from the de-silenced V8). Took it easy in case they gave chase but nothing happended. Took it pretty easy most of the way down though.
Coming back, once we were on the A28 there were precsicely 0 police on the roads, apart from 3 van loads further up the N138. Was a bit hesitant about the overtaking thing, but then an Aston V8 and a XJ12 blasted past, so thought it would be rude not to join the fun.
Fortunately I left the Road Angel at home as by the sounds of things that could have met with some unwanted attention.
Rob
Coming back, once we were on the A28 there were precsicely 0 police on the roads, apart from 3 van loads further up the N138. Was a bit hesitant about the overtaking thing, but then an Aston V8 and a XJ12 blasted past, so thought it would be rude not to join the fun.
Fortunately I left the Road Angel at home as by the sounds of things that could have met with some unwanted attention.
Rob
What a weekend, already planning next years event !
My group stayed an extra day to watch the football, so came back late monday.
We were getting near to Calais all 4 cars doing between 140 and 150 when one of the 911 's radioed to say he heard a bang from the back of his car so we all slowed down to about 80 MPH, then over the brow of a hill and the cops were camped under a bridge...... SO LUCKY !!
But apart from that, no other police....
Only 357 days to go before we do it all again !
My group stayed an extra day to watch the football, so came back late monday.
We were getting near to Calais all 4 cars doing between 140 and 150 when one of the 911 's radioed to say he heard a bang from the back of his car so we all slowed down to about 80 MPH, then over the brow of a hill and the cops were camped under a bridge...... SO LUCKY !!
But apart from that, no other police....
Only 357 days to go before we do it all again !
bph said:
Who was in the Blue SMART car (TVR Livery, B3 NCA?) Very well done to you sir! ...It was flying! :-)
Next year I'll mod it so I can get up to the speed limits a little quicker. Theres only so much I could do with 55bhp - btw - why did you lift on those corners on the N138?(dual carriageway uphill?) Nearly made me go off boost and I had a reasonable amount of grip in reserve...
Sorry bout the motorway afterwards - thought the turn was coming up so went back into the inside lane.
People really should respect smarts more, they really can handle ridiculously well (in the right hands - not necessarily mine) + Tbh it was hardly lacking in general pace - that was two up with all our lemans luggage (chairs/tent/5 days worth clothes etc etc) Glad you have been able to see the true abilities of a smart.
Thanks for the kind comments, my stints were good fun!! 55bhp/730kilos, next year im after 85bhp...
>> Edited by BCA on Tuesday 15th June 16:08
Must say I thought the Police presence was very discrete. I only saw a few at roundabouts and they were only really looking for the absolute idiots. And as we were staying in a hotel away from the track I drove in and out Fri/Sat/Sun and all in all I would sat 
to the French Gendarmes. Oh and we weren't hanging around either Rich...
to the French Gendarmes. Oh and we weren't hanging around either Rich...
RichB said:Agreed.
Must say I thought the Police presence was very discrete. as we were staying in a hotel away from the track I drove in and out Fri/Sat/Sun and all in all I would sat
Ended up driving to the circuit 11 times over 5 days and the only heavy presence
was on the Mulsanne.
All the City roads and country roads were low key or invisible.
Naturally there is always the wrong place wrong time factor, but.. After all the
pre race hype, it was a pleasant surprise.
BCA said:
btw - why did you lift on those corners on the N138?(dual carriageway uphill?) Nearly made me go off boost and I had a reasonable amount of grip in reserve...
Sorry bout the motorway afterwards - thought the turn was coming up so went back into the inside lane.
...got forced out towards the oncoming lane, and had understeer in the Golf :-O ...slid a bit, then booted it back. Slightly hairy! I have you on camcorder overtaking the 993 Cabrio! ;-)
Geri.
>> Edited by bph on Tuesday 15th June 18:46
I got pulled on the way out of Arnage on Sunday arvo for overtaking a truck , the policeman was very nice though once I had told him I spoke a little French, so nice in fact he let me go with a stern telling off.
a lucky escape....
Had a dice with a police van on the N138 on the way down (in the dark), I overtook him he overtook me (doing just a bit over the limit the pair of us, ahem
, but I guess by the smiles on their faces and the encouraging gesticulations they were enjoying it rather than looking for a customer. Same thing with a couple of police bikes on the outskirts of LM Thursday morning, that time they kept buzzing past me and then slowing down to let me overtake so they could keep eyeballing the GPS I had mounted on the bike....
>> Edited by barry sheene on Tuesday 15th June 19:42
a lucky escape....
Had a dice with a police van on the N138 on the way down (in the dark), I overtook him he overtook me (doing just a bit over the limit the pair of us, ahem
, but I guess by the smiles on their faces and the encouraging gesticulations they were enjoying it rather than looking for a customer. Same thing with a couple of police bikes on the outskirts of LM Thursday morning, that time they kept buzzing past me and then slowing down to let me overtake so they could keep eyeballing the GPS I had mounted on the bike.... >> Edited by barry sheene on Tuesday 15th June 19:42
Thursday evening on the outskirts of Le Mans was flash photographed by an aged Renault Savannah estate which was travelling slooooowly in the slow lane of a dual carriageway. Fortunately this occurred while I was already braking fairly hard for traffic ahead. While passing the Savannah I noticed that a portion of its rear bumper had been removed, and it had been fitted with what looked like a smoked glass plate.
Struck me as being a dirty trick - a proper old nail of a vehicle being fitted with laser / radar camera!
Still waiting for the fine to be sent through. Not sure of my speed, but obviously enough to trigger the unit.
Struck me as being a dirty trick - a proper old nail of a vehicle being fitted with laser / radar camera!
Still waiting for the fine to be sent through. Not sure of my speed, but obviously enough to trigger the unit.
A short story about the 1 hour I spent with the Gendarmes on Sunday evening.
On the ring-road around 1 of the towns I passed, there were lots of roundabouts, lots of spectators and lots of slow moving cars; so I did what everybody would have done, exiting roundabouts if there were no oncoming cars I would boot it and pass as many cars as I could and make as much noise as possible until good-sense returned (i.e. oncoming traffic). Sadly 4 of the spectators had blue uniforms, a matching van and a speed camera.
Unfortunately 161k was a little higher than the limit for that piece of road, even more unfortunate was the price that would secure my release, 750 Euros, I only had 80 left.
They didn’t accept Visa, so I was driven into town to try and get the money from a cash-point. The 1st would only let me have 300, the 2nd only 250 and the 3rd, 4th and 5th all told me to sod off as my daily limit had expired. I was even driven to a hotel (at my suggestion) to try and get cash out on my Visa card, that didn’t work. So finally I was driven back to the car to phone my Bank to see if they could do anything to help, they were just telling me I would have to wait until between 2.00am and 4.00am before my card would work again when the Gendarme came over with a ‘solution’. To save me an overnight stay and them any extra paper work they decided to fine me just 90 Euros.
I missed my ferry, but was 660 Euros richer than I should have been.
I promised solemnly that next year I would take the train.
You won't hear me saying a bad word about the French for at least another week...
On the ring-road around 1 of the towns I passed, there were lots of roundabouts, lots of spectators and lots of slow moving cars; so I did what everybody would have done, exiting roundabouts if there were no oncoming cars I would boot it and pass as many cars as I could and make as much noise as possible until good-sense returned (i.e. oncoming traffic). Sadly 4 of the spectators had blue uniforms, a matching van and a speed camera.
Unfortunately 161k was a little higher than the limit for that piece of road, even more unfortunate was the price that would secure my release, 750 Euros, I only had 80 left.
They didn’t accept Visa, so I was driven into town to try and get the money from a cash-point. The 1st would only let me have 300, the 2nd only 250 and the 3rd, 4th and 5th all told me to sod off as my daily limit had expired. I was even driven to a hotel (at my suggestion) to try and get cash out on my Visa card, that didn’t work. So finally I was driven back to the car to phone my Bank to see if they could do anything to help, they were just telling me I would have to wait until between 2.00am and 4.00am before my card would work again when the Gendarme came over with a ‘solution’. To save me an overnight stay and them any extra paper work they decided to fine me just 90 Euros.
I missed my ferry, but was 660 Euros richer than I should have been.
I promised solemnly that next year I would take the train.
You won't hear me saying a bad word about the French for at least another week...
bph said:
btw - why did you lift on those corners on the N138?(dual carriageway uphill?) Nearly made me go off boost and I had a reasonable amount of grip in reserve...
Sorry bout the motorway afterwards - thought the turn was coming up so went back into the inside lane.
...got forced out towards the oncoming lane, and had understeer in the Golf :-O ...slid a bit, then booted it back. Slightly hairy! I have you on camcorder overtaking the 993 Cabrio! ;-)
Geri.
Oh right, thought you were in the 340R - but yes I do remember a (black?) golf GTi in pursuit. I meant why did the 340R lift - front grip was fine for me?
I dont remember overtaking a cabrio - was it silver?? or red??? If its anything that looks too quick I would prefer it to just be available to me and mike as I dont want people to get the wrong idea. I was generally up to the speed limit only, although I might have gone slightly over on a few overtakes by about 5mph-10mph or so in the name of passing quickly.
Saw a few speed traps on the way down. We were in a slow moving convoy fortunately On the way back I got stopped for doing 140kph in a 90 The copper wanted 90 euros. I offered 50. He went to talk to his mate for five minutes. Then let me off with a caution 
I made it the rest of the trip at the speed limit incident free.
Matt
Posting from a coffee shop in Amsterdam, smokin a J
On the way back I got stopped for doing 140kph in a 90 The copper wanted 90 euros. I offered 50. He went to talk to his mate for five minutes. Then let me off with a caution I made it the rest of the trip at the speed limit incident free. Matt
Posting from a coffee shop in Amsterdam, smokin a J
Nothing this year dispite an average yes average speed of 104mph from Le Mans to Warwick... including the channel crossing....
It did help though that this was our transport
www.blackcatracing.net/LM2004/lm%20020.jpg
a bit cramped with 3 of us in it though
I did have a close escape a few years ago. stopped in the chim at 217kph.
Have you got your licence, erm no
Have you got your passport er yeah its in here somewhere...
Honest (boot now emptied across the hard shoulder)
have you got 500ff Oh yes...
so let off with the low fine little bit of paper work rather than the 5000ff fine !!!!
It did help though that this was our transport
www.blackcatracing.net/LM2004/lm%20020.jpg
a bit cramped with 3 of us in it though
I did have a close escape a few years ago. stopped in the chim at 217kph.
Have you got your licence, erm no
Have you got your passport er yeah its in here somewhere...
Honest (boot now emptied across the hard shoulder)
have you got 500ff Oh yes...
so let off with the low fine little bit of paper work rather than the 5000ff fine !!!!
Good to see your plane made it then Graham.
I was still quicker coming home even with that head wind.
180knts 210 mph for me
I had the blue and blue twin parked at the end of the grass, if I could work out how to attach a pic id put it on.
Looked like I had a group of farm animals in the back when I opened the door to find all the straw and grass on the floor.
I was still quicker coming home even with that head wind.
180knts 210 mph for me
I had the blue and blue twin parked at the end of the grass, if I could work out how to attach a pic id put it on.
Looked like I had a group of farm animals in the back when I opened the door to find all the straw and grass on the floor.
Yeah Andy the pilot came over on the sunday and we flew back on Monday..
got away with no landing or parking fee and bought fuel at the normal rate...
I must say the flight gps he bought last week was a god send...
it did get bloody hot in the plane though...
i think it was about 3h45m brakes off to brakes on...
Also as we got to wellsbourne there was a plane in a field
engine failure on finals... but we got home fine..
I just sat in the back taking pics..
got away with no landing or parking fee and bought fuel at the normal rate...
I must say the flight gps he bought last week was a god send...
it did get bloody hot in the plane though...
i think it was about 3h45m brakes off to brakes on...
Also as we got to wellsbourne there was a plane in a field
engine failure on finals... but we got home fine.. I just sat in the back taking pics..
I didnt get away with a landing fee for either of the twins 111 euros each, didnt even dare to get fuel, went to jersey straight after the race to get fuel there.
Heat wasnt a problem for us up at 10k though they did complain about how cold it was initaly, (Heater not working and outside temp was -15) but I enjoyed it until I got out of the plane thinking damn thats hot.
Heat wasnt a problem for us up at 10k though they did complain about how cold it was initaly, (Heater not working and outside temp was -15) but I enjoyed it until I got out of the plane thinking damn thats hot.
I too didn't see any police traps on the roads (9.30am from Calais on the Thursday) - 9am back on the Monday morning. We decided that the Autoroute rumours of them working out your average speed weren't going to apply so I did 100km in 26 minutes in one section, get in! I'm soooo going to get a 750€ fine one year
Roll on 2005 though!!!!
J.
PS I couldn't believe how easy the ten or so S2000s were to overtake on Thurdsay, you guys really need passengers and those with passengers need ones that are more aware of how fast your cars can overtake
Roll on 2005 though!!!!
J.
PS I couldn't believe how easy the ten or so S2000s were to overtake on Thurdsay, you guys really need passengers and those with passengers need ones that are more aware of how fast your cars can overtake
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