Your most memorable drive.
Discussion
What one drive sticks out in your mind as being your best/favourite/most memorable? Not necessarily the fastest back-road blast or through the most beautifully scenic landscapes but just memorable for any reason.
Mine, having spent a couple of months in Poland over the winter of 2006, this was a 650km drive back through Germany in a freezing cold Landrover 110 with trailer on behind. Just myself and another bloke sharing the driving at a heady 80km/hr the entire way, we swapped over every 150km or thereabouts. What should have been mile after mile after mile of crawling along boring autobahn was actually a really fun trip, good banter, anticipation of a warm welcome when we got home, a hot bath and our own beds.
It was slow, cold, noisy, bone-rattling at the steering wheel but just felt right, a great drive.
Note: I've a strong suspicion there are already several versions of this topic but the search function isn't showing me any, so apologies in advance if you've seen it all before.
Mine, having spent a couple of months in Poland over the winter of 2006, this was a 650km drive back through Germany in a freezing cold Landrover 110 with trailer on behind. Just myself and another bloke sharing the driving at a heady 80km/hr the entire way, we swapped over every 150km or thereabouts. What should have been mile after mile after mile of crawling along boring autobahn was actually a really fun trip, good banter, anticipation of a warm welcome when we got home, a hot bath and our own beds.
It was slow, cold, noisy, bone-rattling at the steering wheel but just felt right, a great drive.
Note: I've a strong suspicion there are already several versions of this topic but the search function isn't showing me any, so apologies in advance if you've seen it all before.
Two for me:
1) My first ever drive solo in a car on Nov 11th 1994
(the day I passed my test!).
2) A big European road trip with my ex through six countries over two weeks. I was young at the time and hadn't visited half of them before.
(1) was a three mile trip round the block and (2) was a giant trip covering thousands of miles, but both perfectly embodied the sense of adventure and freedom that a car gives you. I know of no other means of transport that gives you total freedom to go where you want, how you want, when you want: amazing Planes have flight plans, boats have other hassles, but right now my car's outside the office and if I want to drive to Geneva tonight I can Nothing's stopping me.
1) My first ever drive solo in a car on Nov 11th 1994
(the day I passed my test!).2) A big European road trip with my ex through six countries over two weeks. I was young at the time and hadn't visited half of them before.
(1) was a three mile trip round the block and (2) was a giant trip covering thousands of miles, but both perfectly embodied the sense of adventure and freedom that a car gives you. I know of no other means of transport that gives you total freedom to go where you want, how you want, when you want: amazing
Planes have flight plans, boats have other hassles, but right now my car's outside the office and if I want to drive to Geneva tonight I can Nothing's stopping me.June 2007.
En route to Le mans.
in my Escort, my first car, along with 2 friends cars also similarly loaded up to the hilt.
Flat out on the Autoroute with a continual stream of fantastic motors passing/being passed.
Windows down, lots of waving, photos, cheering etc.
TVR's, Porsches, Caterhams, Mini's, BMW's, Kit cars...
The the 's
thotfast' Ultima GTR passed us at a fair rate.
Then at one point - Walkie talkie goes mental - the guy at the back of our convoy -
"somethings coming - it looks fast!"
Cue windows, cameras down, possibly someone leaning out the sunroof.
F40, F50, and Diablo. In Convoy, yards apart. Flat out. As in - about 100mph faster than we were travelling, type flat out.
Gobsmacking.
En route to Le mans.
in my Escort, my first car, along with 2 friends cars also similarly loaded up to the hilt.
Flat out on the Autoroute with a continual stream of fantastic motors passing/being passed.
Windows down, lots of waving, photos, cheering etc.
TVR's, Porsches, Caterhams, Mini's, BMW's, Kit cars...
The the 's
thotfast' Ultima GTR passed us at a fair rate.Then at one point - Walkie talkie goes mental - the guy at the back of our convoy -
"somethings coming - it looks fast!"
Cue windows, cameras down, possibly someone leaning out the sunroof.
F40, F50, and Diablo. In Convoy, yards apart. Flat out. As in - about 100mph faster than we were travelling, type flat out.
Gobsmacking.
Edited by snotrag on Tuesday 13th October 17:08
Driving from Cambridge to Ipswich during the fuel blockades without going on the A14.
Someone told me that a load of lorries were blockading the A14 (big dual carridgeway) so I drove the normal 60 miles on mainly small B roads.
As I thought it might be my last tank of petrol for a while I had great fun in my little Porsche 924. Turns out the lorries weren't on the A14 but I didn't care as I had a great drive.
Someone told me that a load of lorries were blockading the A14 (big dual carridgeway) so I drove the normal 60 miles on mainly small B roads.
As I thought it might be my last tank of petrol for a while I had great fun in my little Porsche 924. Turns out the lorries weren't on the A14 but I didn't care as I had a great drive.
Exactly the same day as me!
A road known as Shelford top, in 1996, where I comprehensively out drove what turned out to be a professional racing driver in a Porsche 911, I was in a Daewoo Nexia 1.5GLXi 4 door saloon. He followed me into a petrol station and offered me a world class drive in his F1 team on the spot. I declined as I was a bit busy that afternoon. With hindsight, it's a decision I have always regretted.
Got given the key to an SL63 AMG to take it for a blast around a small town in Switzerland.
Awesome machine, just endless powaaaaaas!
Closely followed by the first drive down to Le Mans with a great mate very similar to the journey posted above, Ferraris, Lambos and a Zonda blasting past the above to put the biggest smiles on our faces. Twas a fabulous weekend!
Can't wait to go again!
Awesome machine, just endless powaaaaaas!
Closely followed by the first drive down to Le Mans with a great mate very similar to the journey posted above, Ferraris, Lambos and a Zonda blasting past the above to put the biggest smiles on our faces. Twas a fabulous weekend!
Can't wait to go again!
Edited by LaSarthe+Back on Tuesday 13th October 19:12
Holden Barina (first car I owned, like an 80's suzuki swift), gap year, New Zealand, buddies, and two months to kill.
Peugeot 806, first solo drive having passed my test. Car belonged to my mum but still got to taste that first feeling of true freedom.
Renault Espace rental (booked a Panda or similar), Lake Garda and surrounding area last summer. Magical times with the other half.
Peugeot 806, first solo drive having passed my test. Car belonged to my mum but still got to taste that first feeling of true freedom.
Renault Espace rental (booked a Panda or similar), Lake Garda and surrounding area last summer. Magical times with the other half.
Pretty poor compared to some but my first long distance drive to a training course in billingham, cleveland. Prodigy:Take me to the hospital blasting from my little fiesta ST speakers. Driving confidence was trully gained. Took 2hrs 20 there but only 1hr 40 back 
. The addiction began................
. The addiction began................
Very personal one this.
I was left some money by my Mother in her will. The case was contested by other members of the family and dragged out for over a year or so and as each month passed got more and more bitter. Added to this the house was quite hard to sell and to make it even worse the next door neighbours were quite rowdy and that added a few problems for the sale.
Anyhow, after this I decided to treat myself and purchased a TVR.
Sometimes you get days where you need to be on your own. So I headed for nowhere in particular just somewhere. And that day for some odd reason the problems of all the last year or so came back but driving at a reasonable speed with a few tears and a big smile made my day and gave me some closure.
I was left some money by my Mother in her will. The case was contested by other members of the family and dragged out for over a year or so and as each month passed got more and more bitter. Added to this the house was quite hard to sell and to make it even worse the next door neighbours were quite rowdy and that added a few problems for the sale.
Anyhow, after this I decided to treat myself and purchased a TVR.
Sometimes you get days where you need to be on your own. So I headed for nowhere in particular just somewhere. And that day for some odd reason the problems of all the last year or so came back but driving at a reasonable speed with a few tears and a big smile made my day and gave me some closure.
Balmoral Green said:
A road known as Shelford top, in 1996, where I comprehensively out drove what turned out to be a professional racing driver in a Porsche 911, I was in a Daewoo Nexia 1.5GLXi 4 door saloon. He followed me into a petrol station and offered me a world class drive in his F1 team on the spot. I declined as I was a bit busy that afternoon. With hindsight, it's a decision I have always regretted.
Not a day's gone by since then that I haven't thought about the way you spanked that Daewoo :shakeshead: The offer's still open.
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