Five days & 1000 miles across France in a Carrera GT

[Murcielago_Boy]

456mgt said:

......It's important to do this stuff before you start dribbling and pissing your pants.

too late for you then pal!!!!

Murci_BOY

P.S. Great pictures Kev - I'm sooo envious..

[clorenzen]

Great that somebody does this. The world would be so boring if everyone just thought about depreciation all the time. I took my DB9 to Florence and back 2 years ago and it was great. My wife only just put up with all the hairpins on the promise of some power shopping in Milan - it turned out that all shops (yes - I mean ALL) had closed during August so I got away lightly on this account.

[petermansell]

Wanta996Gotta said:

Fantastic pictures guys,the CGT is the "truth", love the Red one at Romans International - http://www.romansinternational.com/module/romansIn...

I just loved the ones of Monaco DaveyS,it is an incredible place for car spotting. One day i would love to do the european tour thing but my wife wouldnt get this, she doesnt understand the passion we all share for cars. No doubt i will do it alone one day.

My wife used to be a bit like that. But I bought a camera and she really got into photography so now loves the trips and takes all the pictures.

BTW - great post

[dazren]

456mgt said:

And like I give a rats about depreciation. On anything other than my faculties. It's important to do this stuff before you start dribbling and pissing your pants.

Amen to that.

Good to see you're taking some time away from the grindstone to enjoy the car.

DAZ

[anonymous-user]

Davey S2 said:

Dont get me started!

After 11 days of stress free driving, cruising along wide country roads at 90+, hammering up and down twisty mountain roads with spectacular scenery and cruising at 100+ on quiet autoroutes my re introduction to UK driving consisted of sitting on the M25 for an hour and a half.

my feelings exactly. although the depression normally starts 25 miles from calais as the number of brits drags the driving standards down.

[bcnrml]

Superb report, and thanks for sharing!


Continental roads really are for driving whilst UK roads are made for scameras

456mgt said:

One of my favourite photographs. This is a family run hotel and very simple, very French, hugely friendly and quite lovely.

Now, when I saw this, I just had to ask: Did you really leave your CGT parked in a space like that, overnight, risking door dings???

456mgt said:

I did a similar trip last year in a DB9 and it surprised me just how different it was doing it in the CGT. Howling through the French countryside, top down, sun shining was just fantastic. I just didn't want to stop. In fact, when we started on the way home, I was very tempted to turn left and keep going to the coast. Moreover the car was faultless. Just faultless. Started cleanly every day, even after being left overnight in a thunderstorm.

What makes or breaks trips like this, apart from the car, is the weather. Being able to take the top off is the real party piece for this car. Just love it.

So you'll agree, five days wouldn't have been enough!

[Obi Wan]

How was the straight pipes on the journey?

[993rsr]

I've now completed four trips to Europe in the last year and added 10k miles in 18 months. Once you get used to the width and limited visibility the car is no more taxing to drive than a 911.

Here's a few pictures of myself and a fellow Pistonheader enjoying a particularly pleasant drive in the German countryside:

Edited by 993rsr on Tuesday 8th July 14:50

[derestrictor]

The Noble JC.

I'm not even fit to be on this thread: PH hasn't seen so many noble dignitaries in many a moon.

Joy to the world.

[IMOM]

993rsr said:

I've now completed four trips to Europe in the last year. Once you get used to the width and limited visibility the car is no more taxing to drive than a 911.

Here's a few pictures of myself and a fellow Pistonheader enjoying a particularly pleasant drive in the German countryside:

It sure was mate, lap after lap with no traffic blinding day still think the Sliver looks better tho.

[993rsr]

Had to add this one of IMOM's car when we were there three weeks before:

Shame it's me driving it!

Edited by 993rsr on Tuesday 8th July 14:46

[IMOM]

993rsr said:

Had to add this one of IMOM's car when we were there three weeks before:

Shame it's me driving it!

Edited by 993rsr on Tuesday 8th July 14:46

You're a very lucky man JC to have a friend (1 only) that would lend you such a fine car in a very fine colour

[IMOM]

993rsr said:

Had to add this one of IMOM's car when we were there three weeks before:

Shame it's me driving it!

Edited by 993rsr on Tuesday 8th July 14:46

Glad the booster seat fitted

[993rsr]

IMOM said:

993rsr said:

Had to add this one of IMOM's car when we were there three weeks before:

Shame it's me driving it!

Edited by 993rsr on Tuesday 8th July 14:46

You're a very lucky man JC to have a friend (1 only) that would lend you such a fine car in a very fine colour

Generous is not the word. Do I still have to clean it once a week for the rest of the decade?

[stefan1]

Lovely trip write up and pictures.

I was at the Chateau de Fere with five friends only two weekends ago. I agree it is a lovely place (we were there in a Gallardo, 993 Turbo and M5). I am interested to see that the CGT made it over that hump - I won't be so reticent taking mine there next time!

For the second day of our trip we stayed at Le Montrachet, in Puligny Montrachet. Another wonderful and simple hotel, which has a wine list to die for.

http://www.le-montrachet.com/uk/index.htm

The bus stop in the village square reads like the who's who of great Burgundy wines!

Back to the CGT, I have just returned from a weekend out to the Nurburgring with some friends (watched the VLN race). We did a couple of lovely road drives across to Bitburg, and then to Vianden. Really, really enjoyable and roads that allow you to enjoy the car to the full. Much better in my view than tip toeing around overly congested South East roads.

Anyhow, thanks again for the report.

Kind regards

Steve

[MOD500]

Great write up Kevin

Edited by MOD500 on Tuesday 8th July 19:02

[anonymous-user]

993rsr said:

looks like rg's faster!

[domster]

Obi Wan said:

How was the straight pipes on the journey?

Forget that, what did it sound like in the Eurostar carriage

[Glenn McMenamin]

MogulBoy said:

There are certainly some great drives to do in France...

How about 700kms from Thonon-les-Bains (near Geneva) to Menton (near Monaco) via every alpine pass in between...

http://www.route-grandes-alpes.com/pages/route/ind...

However, it would take strong stomach from any passenger to put up with this unless you allow a leisurely week to do it. My preferred option would be to do it in one: 12hrs at the wheel from dawn 'til dusk then a quick dip in the sea!

That's a great route, i drove most of those passes last year and this, and the ones i didn't drive, i cycled 2 weeks ago, Turini and Castillion are fab !!!

G.

[456mgt]

bcnrml said:

Now, when I saw this, I just had to ask: Did you really leave your CGT parked in a space like that, overnight, risking door dings???

No, in fact I parked behind the hotel, but only because the trees were shedding stuff that was ending up in the cabin and engine bay. We never had any problems parking, except in Epernay, where a dog had done a quite massive st on the pavement alongside the car. Passers by were skidding in the dog do while looking at the car and though it had comedy value it was quite disgusting. But that was it. Never felt worried about leaving the car, which always attracted an audience, but a friendly, enthusiastic one.

To answer the straight pipes questions (!), I put the Tubi muffler on for this trip and it was absolutely *perfect*. I can heartily recommend it. Not intrusive, even with the top down for long autoroute jaunts, but enough to create that extra howly stuff and popping. I had a French 997 tag along for a fast Sunday morning blatt up the mountain and when we turned round he pulled alongside and it was all smiles, wide arm gestures and 'magnifiques' That was such a laugh- trees give such awesome acoustics. Mind you, let's not get carried away; the muffler sounds gorgeous, but the straights are going back on pronto.

And Steve, thanks. The GT does get over that hump, but it's not pretty! It scraped against the sacrificial piece but went over without any damage. I did make point about it with the hotel staff and I hope they do something because it's a blemish on an otherwise lovely place.