The Autopian has just been featured on a fantastic news report by CNBC. The video dives into Germany’s fascinating highway system known as the Autobahn — a glass-smooth system of roads with sections that have no top speed restriction. The only road of its kind on earth, the Autobahn has become legendary among auto enthusiasts, but I contend that it’s a bit overrated. Let’s dive into it.
In large part, I’m writing this because I want to show off some of the love The Autopian has been getting. A few months ago I was on Fox News, then I was in the New York Times, and now I’m on CNBC (plus Matt was on A More Perfect Union and Thomas was on NPR) — all thanks to you, dear readers, for helping turn this place from a boutique outlet into a real automotive publication.
I’m also sharing this to support Robert Ferris, the journalist who reached out to me about his piece on the Autobahn, because I think he did a bang-up job. See for yourself:
The piece starts with a bit history, noting that the Autobahn started before World War II, but really grew during the war not to transport troops and equipment as most people think, but largely as a bit of propaganda. Indeed, few Germans even had cars back in the 1930s and 1940s, as Ferris notes. “The Autobahn’s real potential was as propaganda,” he says.
“They wanted to build sort of a futuristic mega-project — something that would lend itself to talking about the regime as a modern, forward looking regime,” University of Maryland Professor of History Thomas Zeller mentions in the piece.
Though there was a speed limit during World War II to keep fuel use down, and though that speed limit stuck around after the war (by which time 2,500 miles of the “Bundesautobahn” had been built), in 1952 things changed. “There’s this bizarre Cold War moment when German lawmakers argue that being a free citizen — someone who is not living in a totalitarian dictatorship — has to be able to drive as fast as the want,” Zeller says.
In fact, the repot says that in 1952 Parliament ditched all speed limits throughout Germany; this went about as well as you expect. It was a shitshow, especially in towns, which is why the decision was quickly reversed — at least, everywhere except on Autobahns.
The real growth of the Autobahn — which translates to “auto rail” — happened in the 1960s to the 1980s, when West Germany became an affluent, consumer-based consumer-society. This is when people started owning cars, and today, Germany’s Autobahn is over 8000 miles long.
Not all of it is unregulated; 40% has some kind of regulation, with much of that regulation being dynamic (i.e. varying based on conditions). There is still a “recommended speed limit” — called the “Richtgeschwindigkeit” — of abut 130 kMh (81 mph). This is basically the speed above which, if you get into a crash, you may face some amount of liability (i.e. you might have to pay for a percentage of repairs if you crash while doing 180 kMh).
CNBC’s Robert Ferris even reached out to Mercedes’ Director of Chassis systems, who provided some very German Engineer-y commentary about how vehicles are developed to handle the Autobahn, specifically in terms of energy use. He mentions that drag goes up with the square of velocity, which is why at high speeds, aerodynamic design is critical. He also notes that the Autobahn is not a video game — a car should offer “Relaxed cruising” at these high speeds.
Much of the video talks about why other countries, like the U.S., don’t offer an unrestricted freeway. There’s mention of Germany’s absurdly well-maintained roads (which are often under construction), Germany’s strict licensing requirements (you have to be 18 to get a license and you have to pass expensive and rigorous tests), Germany’s strict lane discipline (no passing on the right!), Germany’s tough vehicle inspection system (TÜV — see below), the fact that Germans don’t drive nearly as much as Americans (they have great public transportation), and on and on.
Finally, the report mentions the controversy in Germany about whether to keep the unrestricted Autobahn or to impose a speed limit. There’s great input by my friend Andreas Jüngling, who notes that fuel use won’t really drop that far if you impose a 130 kMh limit. Ferris cites statistics showing that most of Germany’s roadway fatalities actually happen on rural roads and not major Autobahns, and he notes that Germany’s Autobahn has a better safety record than highways in other European nations.
Personally, I am a fam of the unrestricted Autobahn because it’s become a part of the fabric of Germany’s culture. It’s truly unique, and the arguments for adding a speed limit all seem thin in my opinion. With that said, even without restrictions, The Autobahn isn’t the car enthusiast’s playground that many Americans think it is. I’ll quote GQ Magazine, who quotes my article from Jalopnik:
While Americans often envision the Autobahn as a free-for-all, increasing traffic levels have created congestion seriously contradicts that picture. “The highway system over there is not the car enthusiast’s mecca,” David Tracy wrote in Jalopnik in September 2017. He points to significant traffic, especially on east-west routes. Plus, he points to Germany’s—in many ways laudable—program of highway maintenance. “It’s not really that surprising, if you think about it,” he said. “On a road that allows people to travel however fast they want, tolerance for potholes or large cracks is nonexistent—the asphalt has to be as smooth as glass.” But, he explained, “high standards for road quality come at the cost of more frequent construction. And based on my experience, ‘more frequent’ seems to mean ‘endless.’”
I cannot get over the fact that I, of all people, was quoted in a mens’ fashion magazine. This guy!:
Anyway, I’m not saying the Autobahn isn’t amazing, because it is. No, when I say it’s overrated, I’m saying it’s not the high-speed paradise that the average American thinks it is. Half the time, you’re stuck behind two big trucks doing “Elefantenrennen” (elephant racing — this is the German term for a truck trying to pass another truck), and when you’re not, and you are blasting 150 mph in the left lane, you better be careful. All too often a VW Polo — thinking it’s absolutely blasting down the Autobahn at 85 MPH in fifth gear with the engine screaming to 4,000 RPM — goes to pass a truck doing only 65 MPH, and they don’t look to see who’s coming in the left lane.
Before you know it, you’re hard on your brakes trying not to smash the Polo’s rear hatch. Between this and the constant construction and the traffic, it’s clear that the Autobahn isn’t what most Americans want it to be.
Still, I’ll end with the final line in the CNBC piece: “It is not a racetrack, but every now and then, the right stretch of the Autobahn, the right time of day, and the right car, you can reach automotive nirvana.”
10 years ago I drove the Autobahn from Wiesbaden to Munich. While it wasn’t without its issues – an accident closed it briefly which almost made me late to Neuschwanstein Castle – overall it was a pleasure to drive on compared to American roads. Even ignoring the unlimited speed limit in some sections, it was just so nice to be on a smoothly paved well signed road where drivers knew what the hell they were doing and stayed in their lanes.
I was in a rental Seat Leon and I was determined to exceed the advertised top speed on an unlimited section. IIRC that was 200 km/h, and I was able to hit 203 on a downhill stretch. That was fun.
I type this as I’m sitting at the airport on the way to Frankfurt. On Wednesday I’m going to the Nurburgring so I’ll get to experience the Autobahn again, but this time at more sane speeds.
Heck, my experience last spring in Ireland was head and shoulders above American roads and American drivers. When we got back to the U.S. and I went to get our van from the airport parking, the first vehicle I came upon stopped in the traffic circle to let me in. Then flipped me off when I didn’t pull out.
My FIL lives south of Köln/Cologne, and my wife has cousins in Austria and near the Dutch border, so over the years I’ve racked up maybe 1000 miles on the Autobahn in a variety of vehicles (none very exciting).
I do appreciate David’s words of caution—it’s easy to overhype by description alone—but overall, it’s one of the best driving experiences I’ve ever had. Why? It’s not the speed, it’s the rule-abiding.
Famously, 90% of American drivers think they’re above average. While that’s statistical nonsense, and a fair amount of delusion, it’s driven IMO not primarily by people who imagine themselves Verstappens or Wallaces, but by people who notice *other* drivers being morons, and so account themselves superior. But here in America, we’re all free to be morons, so *actual* above-average driving means paying constant attention to minimize friction with the morons.
Driving the Autobahn is completely different, because there are hardly any morons. You have to pay attention, because you’re going fast, and some are going extremely fast, but it’s paying attention to a properly-run machine, not some chaotic random car generator. Look ahead, look behind, know what you want to do next. It’s glorious.
That said, I had a somewhat disappointing experience last December. I was driving an MG 5 (a Chinese electric, AMA!) from Berlin to Dresden on a weekday morning, and for whatever reason, it was kind of slow and pokey. Little or no construction, but long sections of regulated road, and in between, too many cars going ~110. I don’t know if it was something cultural about the former East (the only other time I drove in the East was mostly country roads/state highway equivalents) or just that road or just bad luck, but it was kind of slow and boring.
Incidentally, the trip back was much lighter traffic, I was going faster (but not crazy), and realized that I was at risk of running out of electrons (I’d charged in Dresden, should’ve had 30-50 km to spare). Just going from ~70 mph to ~80 mph wreaked havoc with the range.
I lived for three years in Germany and- for the most part- driving the autobahn anywhere was delightful.
My daily commute was about 30 miles door-to-door and rarely took longer than 20 minutes. I routinely hit 105 mph (which was the sweet spot for my car) during rush hour into and out of one of Germany’s largest cities. I also rarely drove in the “fast” ( far left) lane because there were faster cars over there.
It was nearly 150 miles to my girlfriend’s house and I travelled that in 1:45 or less every time, including some twisty secondary roads where high speed was not possible (or legal, or prudent).
Trucks, and especially heavy trucks, almost never left the right hand lane and in many places were forbidden from doing so. Also, during certain hours of the day and on weekends , truck traffic was forbidden.
Once, when I picked up relatives at the airport and headed home, they remarked that they always thought Germans drove crazy fast, but the drive seemed to be just like coming home from the airport in any US city. I pointed out the speedometer which read 110 mph at that moment. My sister’s jaw dropped. They stayed nervous the rest of the visit, despite no perturbations at all. Speed may be relative, but not to my relatives.
The only seriously bad traffic I ever encountered on the autobahn was on Easter weekend. For some reason, everyone in Germany gets on the road for Easter. There was fairly frequent construction around the cities mostly and speed limits dropped precipitously in these zones (ask me how I know).
All of this was 40 years ago and probably represented the waning years of the golden era of autobahn driving. Even then, increasing traffic density was an issue, and you could already tell there would come a time when even the magnificent autobahn would have to bow to caution. Glad that day isn’t here just yet. I’d still encourage anyone with the means to try a driving trip through Germany just to experience a scenic run in a high performance auto operating in its intended environment. Just remember, SHP: stuff happens fast.
Those really are some well fitted coveralls.
Now we know why everyone was respectfully calling him “Sir”
I’ve driven all over Germany on the Autobahn, and sure, there are rush hour traffic jams and construction (around Stuttgart city limits was especially bad), but in general it is every bit as legendary as most Americans think it is. As others have said, German drivers know what they’re doing and are there to drive. Sure, you’ll get the occasional bonehead pull out in front of you in a Fiat Panda, but you can bet they’ll get over immediately. It’s really not intimidating at all, especially if you’re just following the flow of traffic. Cruising at 90mph feels effortless.
That’s especially clear if you drive through other European countries that connect to the Autobahn. The Netherlands has immaculate roads, but low speed limits and high enforcement. Belgium highways aren’t anywhere near as well maintained as Germany and the Netherlands. Austria uses the Autobahn nomenclature and engineering but has very strict speed limits and speed cameras (which to be fair, it’s very mountainous with lots of tunnels, so there are more hazards).
It was most interesting driving through Luxembourg to the German border, which defined by the Moselle River. As soon as traffic crossed the bridge into Germany, it was “go baby go”, and you could hear everyone drop a gear and punch it.
Post covid, USA effortlessly cruises at 90mph.
I remember the early 1990’s, when that was “straight to jail” speed.
Quite a while ago I was talking with a girl who was studying law in Germany and she did mention that German courts are slammed with insurance companies and drivers suing each other about whether the crash happened when they were driving over the recommended speed limit or not.
For the most part insurance companies write down in the contract that if you cause an accident while driving above the recommended limit you’re on your own.
True enough, but also true that if you cause an accident at higher than recommended speeds, you’re just as likely to come home in a bucket as go to court.
I drove the Autobahn on my Germany trip back in 2017 and while I enjoyed it, I can definitely see what you mean. I lucked out and did my drive on a Sunday, so there were no trucks and no construction. The Mercedes C-Class wagon I rented would do about 220kph and I rung it out in the unrestricted sections. As mentioned, its not video game exciting, its relaxed, high speed cruising.
It may not be a racetrack, but I still rate the Autobahn pretty highly for the following:
1.) Lane discipline is far better than it is in the US.
2.) Apparently, even BMWs are equipped with turn signals in Europe.
3.) I know that the drivers are paying more attention to their surroundings than here.
4.) The cars are far better maintained and do not have unsafe modifications
5.) Cars are equipped with winter tires in the winter.
In short, I feel safer driving there than here and I’m focused on driving rather than looking over my shoulder to see if there is a State Trooper on an entrance ramp.
I’m gonna need video evidence of your second point
I’m sure some people have overinflated expectations, but the Autobahn is still probably the best road system I’ve ever driven. Sure, at times traffic is heavy and you’ll regularly hit construction, but even the construction zones aren’t that bad thanks to the fact that so much of it is six lanes. When they need to work on a section they just close one side and squeeze four lanes of traffic into the three on one side.
I did get caught in a proper German stau (traffic jam) at one point, but somehow even those are better there. I almost never stopped completely, which I suspect may have something to do with the percentage of manuals there. We were mostly creeping along at minimum first gear speeds, which is so much better than the stop…race to the back of the car in front of you…stop…race again…stop of most American traffic jams. I also got to experience everyone pulling to the side during one of those to let emergency vehicles through, which was oddly exciting because I’d read about that before I went so I felt like I was getting the full experience. 🙂
I will say that it requires a lot more concentration to drive on the Autobahn. The speed differential between big trucks and the people flying by at 200+ kph in their high powered German wagon means you need to be aware of a lot more of your surroundings than in most places in the US. Maybe that would get old if you lived there, but as someone who was there specifically to drive the Autobahn I was happy that the driving was engaging, even if not in the way you usually hear that term used.
In short, if you’re a driving enthusiast and you have the opportunity to take a trip on the Autobahn, you absolutely should. Maybe it’s not the driving Wonderland some make it out to be (although in some areas it is), but it’s still a cool experience. I’m still a little mad at myself for not buying a “Where the hell is Ausfahrt?” bumper sticker while I was there. 😉
In Germany, all roads lead to Ausfahrt…
I’m old enough to remember the “Montanabahn” and realize that Americans are neither mature enough in skill, attitude or maintenance to have a limitless highway. West Texas or the SH130 Toll road around Austin are about as close as you’ll get.
We are no longer reasonable or prudent.
I lived in Germany for 4 years, and your assessment is spot on, David. Are there long stretches where you can be unrestricted? Yes. A95 from Munchen to Garmisch-Partenkirchen was mostly like that. There was only construction on our last year there. So, yes, the 135 was a dream on that road. The engine and wind noise get to near deafening levels, but it was nth to xth power of smiles per mile….er….KM. 110mph? No sweat, especially on a dry autumn weekday evening. Very little traffic.
But the Lexus RX350 was hilarious. We would take that if we brought our bikes. I had to put on the best tires I could affford, but I can attest that Lexus really does have quiet cabins. I always let up earlier when I approached an exit, and it doesn’t have the sheer instant passing ability of the 135, but you could be crusing along at 160-170 kph or more very easily and not know it. Kind of dangerous is if wasn’t ridiculous that it can easily do that.
Anyway, yes, I had to have my expectations adjusted when we arrived, and the info sheet made pretty much the same points you did.
It’s the Mercedes coverall 100%
Classic Mercedes privilege.
If you want what IMHO has to be the closest equivalent of the Autobahn in the US it has to be the two following routes:
1: Either San Francisco or LA to Las Vegas. Its an absolute boring drive. But in the 2-3 times I’ve done it traffic was FLYING. The first time I did it I was in my small, 4-banger, bench seat Tacoma. The speedometer tops out at 110. I managed to get it up to 100 and then it felt like the front of the truck was about to lift off the ground. There were people passing me. Insane.
2: Knoxville TN to Nashville TN.
Same thing. Last time I was there I had a rental Malibu. Jesus the average speed was probably 80MPH. And most of it is rural freeway. There were people passing me frequently at over 85MPH. I did see one cop and it was because someone had nailed an animal. I couldn’t tell what the animal had been because whatever it was had exploded on impact leaving a 200 foot long red streak with the entire front of the car crumpled up.
There’s a stretch between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa that got widened and repaved, in part, because so many Mercedes workers commute there every day. It’s SO much nicer than any other highway surface in the area, and IIRC it’s 3 lanes the whole way (which is semi-rare outside of an actual metro area or megalopolis).
I assume you’ve never been to Texas. On I-10 west of San Antonio to the east of El Paso you can empty a full tank of gas at triple digit speeds.
I have driven that stretch. Not much else to do, especially at night except drive fast, and crank up the tunes. I learned to not skip a truck stop if I need ‘just’ gas and/or a restroom, because unlike back east, there isn’t likely to be one at almost every exit.
Oh and watch out for coyotes.
True that. Pulled that run enroute to Sacramento from San Antonio in 1982. Fast, but not pretty. This was in an ‘82 AMC Eagle wagon rental, beige over brown, so take the term ‘fast’ with a grain of salt.
Not as straight as the road you’re talking about, which I drove when I lived in San Diego, but the new section of NC-540, (a toll road that loops around Raleigh) is not heavily used yet, as a lot people here seem to be anti-toll. Anyway, its new, smooth, has limited on and off ramps, and is usually empty late in the evening.
I recently had to do a pick up at RDU for a flight that landed at 11:40pm on a Saturday. It was a dry, clear night, and I saw a few 18 wheelers. That was it. I don’t know if there are speed cameras, so we’ll see if I get something in the mail….
I kept my eye out for deer while I cruised at a speed that would likely a big fine or a license suspension.
It was awesome.
Depending on the time of day, usually night, the stretch of I-30 from Hope, AR to Grennville, TX averages +85 MPH. I had a slightly modified Accord V6 sedan and that barely broke a sweat at 90 MPH, but I kept it below 95 MPH. There were still lifted pickup trucks on chunky mud tires howling for mercy passing me up. Perfect examples of ‘just because you can, you still shouldn’t.’.
There’s a stretch of the 401 up here in Ontario that’s mostly unenforced. And it’s right next to a stretch of highway that’s aggressively enforced. So you can go west from Toronto and cruise at 130km/h and have vehicles passing you going 140 pretty regularly (we have a stunting law in the province that will result in an immediate roadside suspension and impounding when caught going 150). As you get close to Kitchener/Waterloo, it slows. And in the stretch between KW and London, there are frequent speed traps the entire distance. The 130 that felt slow 20 minutes prior suddenly feels like you’re going warp speed in comparison to other drivers.
I cross Germany N/S every year and the Autobahn is definitely not overrated. It’s not a goddamn racetrack. There is construction, sure; occasional traffic jams, yes, 80/100 km/h limits around urban centers, of course. But when they’re not, one can just (enjoy the) drive. And not everyone drives @150+mph. The beauty of it is, you get to drive the speed you find proper for your travel. I typically cruise between 90 and 110 and that’s fast and economical enough for me. And even their worst road surface/infrastructure is still better than our best 🙁
Also the recommended speed limit is not abut 130km/h, it is exactly 130km/h which is abut 81 mph 😛
I do Basel to Fehnarm round trip twice a year. If people think that the Autobahn is a paradise where your car can be set free to live its best life, then it’s overrated.
Alright, my car’s suspension gets out of phase around 105 mph, ande never hit my transmission’s theoretical limit of 120 MPH. I’ve also gotten a shot of adrenaline to last me four days from the guy outside of Lubeck who, doing south of 50mph, drifted sharply into my lane as I was closing at 100 mph, and right as something was approaching me from behind at 130. So I gotta slam on the brakes and hope not to be killed.
Autobahn, overrated? If you want to drive a car outright, get some curves.
Most cars really aren’t built with speeds much over 75mph in mind, unless they’re specifically engineered as sport models, or with proper (not just appearance) sport packages applied. By 80mph, things are happening significantly faster than they were at 65-70. By 90-100mph, following distance for safe braking isn’t a suggestion; it’s the difference between going home safely (possibly needing fresh underwear) versus getting pried out of the glovebox. A “normal” car suspension may start to get vague and uncoordinated over road surface imperfections. Poorly-banked curves will bring about a sudden increase in pucker factor.
The experience is quite different in a car engineered for higher speeds, which is where the European and Japanese high-end cars have a lot more to offer — not just in terms of performance, but safety as well. You still have to be fully engaged in driving because everything happens faster at high speeds, but you won’t feel like you’re keeping the car on the razor’s edge of controllability. If you have to react to something, you’ll be able to react with confidence (although abject fear may still be involved, depending on other drivers’ behavior.)
Now, I may or may not have had my Corsica with the Z52 package up to its tire-rating-dependent 120mph limiter a number of times… It was actually quite calm at triple digits. No drama, no outrageous engine or wind noise, no feeling of mercilessly flogging it flat-out — until the limiter backed off the fuel as a “gentle” reminder. It was possible to cruise comfortably over 100 in that car despite poor-quality US roads. (Not advisable, because in the 90s, states were just beginning to somewhat reluctantly relinquish the 55mph limit.) Practical cruising was still more of a 70-75mph affair and even that was done with the assistance of radar and laser detectors plus a scanning radio receiver that picked up the new-for-the-time radio extender frequencies and could sound an alert when they were active. The car was less perturbed by rough pavement at higher speeds than it was at 55-60. But as American cars went, it was an oddball outlier, and one that was typically built to more generic standards (and usually hobbled by terrible tires) in large numbers. For something that claimed some J-body heritage, it punched far above its weight.
While I am intrigued by the concept of the Autobahn, the day-to-day reality probably would wear thin in a short time. Aside the initial thrill of winding up a vehicle far past what I would consider normal speeds, it’s mostly a rural freeway slog but without obstinate left-lane hogs.
I think that’s the real joy. Not so much the ability to run 100mph/160km/h+ as such, but the ability to set my own pace and not have it be an obstacle avoidance exercise.
For serious use of a high performance vehicle, I’m thinking some sort of track. Highways are just too risky and crowded.
I’ve never been on the Autobahn, or even across the pond in my life, but actually I think I kind of prefer our system. You go as fast as you dare over the (Pretend) Posted Speed Limit while guessing what the Actual Enforced Speed Limit might be that day, in that area. There’s a sort of self-auditing going on with (most) people, and from what I’ve seen we kind of collectively all converge on what the Actual Speed Limit is.
Around Chicagoland, the Actual Speed Limit seems to be around 90, which is what I use, sometimes 85 if my wife is in the car. I’ve not found too much trouble there. Sure there are outliers, but they don’t seem to be too prevalent to matter.
I don’t really trust others outside a racetrack at 100+, so 85-90 in regular travel is just fine.
The Actual Enforced Limit out here in California seems to have gone up substantially since Covid. People used to get nabbed for going 62 in a 55 back in the before times.
My 22RE driven 1990 Toyota pickup maxes out at about 84 (flat road with no wind), so rather than speed what really appeals to me about the Autobahn is lane discipline and driver attention. I should not be blowing by people in the right hand lane while going up a minor grade with a 55 mph speed limit (going 56 mph in 3rd gear) in a 36 year old small pickup.
For the love of god, maintain a constant speed up hills and stay right! /rant
It never changed here in the Sacramento area. I-80’s actual limit (for instance) stayed somewhere north of 80 mph. I usually run right around 80 (traffic allowing) if no one around me is going any faster than that. If they are, then I just make sure I’m no more than the second fastest car on that stretch of road. People seem to routinely do 90+ and you rarely see anyone pulled over. That’s pretty much how it was pre-Covid around here.
Maybe the CHP in the north bay just used to be a bunch of jerks then? I had a friend get ticketed at 73 in a 65 around Livermore as well. Not in heavy traffic, just cruising in the #2 lane…
That doesn’t match my experience in San Diego.
When I was in Germany for the first time driving on the Autobahn, it was pretty cool, but I absolutely did feel like it was overrated. A lot of traffic at times, the construction and finally getting up to a good speed when a speed limit suddenly hits (which you have to immediately slow for, there are a lot of speed cameras). However, as soon as I got back to the US and experienced our highways again it made such a huge contrast that did make me really appreciate how good they have it. It’s not the perfect driving Utopia, but it’s pretty darn good
I dunno about “overrated”, it’s certainly a very interesting experience. And in a good car, a Hell of a lot of fun. Maybe not so much in a clapped out diesel minivan.
https://flic.kr/p/dSNzvp – just a day that ends in “y” in Germany, in my 328i wagon.
Having driven quite a few thousand miles there, I find the notion that the whole thing is glass smooth rather hilarious though (especially in the East). Many US interstate highways are just as smooth, and given they are wider, flatter and straighter (and often much less heavily trafficked) in most of the US, absent the truly horrific level of driving incompetence and vehicle maintenance much of the US would be rather more suitable for high speed. But other than THAT, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?
Ultimately it is something unique in the world, and something every car guy or gal should experience at some point. If nothing else it will truly enlighten you as to how truly fucking awful American drivers are. The road itself is kind of “meh”. I-75 in FL is a more suitable road for going 150mph, again absent all the morons clogging it up.
Wir fahr’n fahr’n fahr’n auf der Autobahn
Kraftwerk perfection.
Not to be confused with the actual band Autobahn, of which the late nihilist Karl Hungus was once a member. I think Flea played bass for them, actually.
I heard he fixed the cable.
Back in the 80s I was doing work for the US Army in what was then West Germany. My rental car was a 3-cylinder Opel (Kadett? Probably) that was not what you’d call a powerhouse. What I’d do is look for long downhill stretches of autobahn and work them for all I could, and I think I remember maybe getting up to 180 kph—and also learning that you need to pay attention to curves. And that your closing speed with other microcars (old Renaults) could be exciting too.
There were no 3 cylinder Opels in the 80s – that didn’t happen till 2013 with a 1.0L 3 cylinder in the Opel Adam
There were Opels with rather small motors tho – 1.2L was not uncommon in the 80’s.
Dad had a 1.1L Kadett in 1968.
Meh, I-80 across Nevada is pretty much as fast as you want. I once was in a group of 5 cars that did 110 from Reno all the way to Winnemucca.
I-10 in West Texas is much the same. The posted speed limit is 85 but it’s just you and a bunch of rocks for miles and miles and miles so you can go as fast as you want. This sounds great but honestly it gets boring because it’s arrow straight with very few elevation changes so even at 100+ it just gets monotonous. For entertainment they have this yellow line you can look at and when that gets boring there’s also a white line you can admire for a while. If you get really, really lucky you might get to see a train chugging along on parallel to I-10 for a couple of minutes until you leave it behind.
Especially going to Vegas. I’ve NEVER seen cops on that chunk of freeway. I assume because the casinos don’t want to get in the way of people getting there to idiotically waste money on gambling. People drive like bats out of hell.
People who drive like hell to get to Vegas probably have to take the bus home.
The Autobahn is constantly under construction to keep it pristine which is in stark contrast to the average American highway that is constantly under construction and still a pile of shit.
I keep tellin’ them they should use a pile of something else if they want good roads. Shit’s terrible in the weather because there’s nothing slicker than shit.
You certainly need a culture of “the rules are the rules” to be able to have something like the Autobahn. I have no desire to ever see such a thing here, because I know too many Americans. Offering no speed restrictions would basically result in The Purge, by accident.
Yea, that’s one of the reasons we can’t have nice things. Everyone is concerned with what others do, instead of ourselves :/ Sigh.
Darwin would have a very busy few weeks.
If Darwin had it right, you’d think possums would be extinct by now.
If its a purge of the drivers who cause all the accidents, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad……
(I’m joking)
One of the times I went to Germany for business, my colleague decided to cash in all his Hertz rewards points. He requested an upgrade to “any sports car with a standard transmission”. We looked forward to a bit of fun on the Autobahn.
When we landed in Frankfurt, Hertz had our car preassigned and waiting. It was a Ford C-Max. With an automatic. My colleague complained at the counter, where he was told that he requested an upgrade so he got an automatic transmission. That is the upgrade.
In case you’re wondering, an automatic Ford C-Max in euro-spec maxes out around 190km/hr. It makes concerning noises at that speed, and it doesn’t have very good brakes (David’s warning about coming up on an economy car passing a truck is very much an accurate part of driving on the Autobahn).
I got a C-Max for my trip on the Autobahn as well, and I can confirm it is not well suited to it, even with a manual. I would try to downshift to pass people and while it caused the engine to make more noise, there was no appreciable increase in acceleration. 😉
I kind of find 80mph is “enough”, and in the rare times when I can drive that fast without risking a massive ticket, I don’t feel like I would go faster just because I could.
Turn that up to 100mph on my motorcycle. I could roll at 100 all day long on my VFR800.
I averaged 105mph between Stuttgart and Berlin when I picked up my 328i wagon. It was effortless. Somewhat more than that the second time in my M235i. Over 120mph is a LOT less relaxing, but even the wagon would sit on the 130mph limiter for as long as there was nobody in front of you.
Over here, I usually run 80-85, traffic and enforcement allowing. As Brock Yates once said “I slide my glasses down my nose a bit and try to look Presbyterian” while I haul ass in my Mercedes wagon or my BMWs. Mercedes wagons might as well have a cloaking device though – cops just don’t pay any attention to that car at all. Or maybe they think I might own a Senator or something. 😉
Running flat-out in your new ride(s) – interesting break-in philosophy.