Tomorrow I set off with my neighbour Dave in his M3 Touring on a Euro road trip. I am insured on his car which has recently been to AC Schnitzer for a power upgrade that keeps the car in warranty....eeek! We were supposed to part of a driving tour similar to the Scottish trip this time last year however 4 of the cars pulled out having paid their deposits making the trip unviable for the organisers. They did however give us a full refund and a free Eurotunnel crossing so we decided we are going anyway. Basics are Cheshire to Whitstable, down to the Voges mountains, across into the Black Forest, up to the Rhein and then Nurburgring before heading back via Belgium. One day in the middle off driving to look around Strasbourg and surrounding towns. I'll update with pictures and whether we struggle to find fuel in France...they do have some stations empty, mostly Total Energies.
That's what I thought the M3 needed, a power upgrade.....gulp..... Sound like an amazing opportunity and experience. Looking forward to the photos and write up.
Also still has the now slightly less bonkers E89 tuned 3.5is to the right. Whitstable was a great stop
Well over 600kms today after the Chunnel. Not a lot to report other than it's the fastest out of the Peages! The mountains tomorrow. Hopefully some pics to update.
Fabulous day touring the Vosges Mountains. Empty roads, perfect asphalt, switchbacks and wonderful scenery. This area is largely unknown by Brit petrol heads who tend to head off to the nearby Alps but it is one well worthy of more attention and visiting. Today we did 3 passes over 1000 metres, a mixture of forested roads or open pastureland plus vineyards back down to base. The beautiful lake is Longemer. I drove 2 of the 4 routes today. The car is unbelievably stable and fast. Never lost traction and likes to race by holding onto low gears even in normal mode (I haven't dared to use the M buttons as this thing is brutally fast). It's also surprisingly comfortable for an M car...no carbon bucket nt crackers! I can see why people rave about these machines...the perfect alrounder. Pics never do the view complete justice but here are a few:
Forgot to add that regarding the fuel shortages we struggled on Monday south of Rheims. Got off the motorway and into a town. First pump gave us only 2.5 litres of 98 ron before running dry. Found another some 4km away via Fuel Flash app. It's darn expensive though at 2.30 euros a litre. Diesel is 20c more! Did however manage to find super unleaded local to Ribeauville without much issue. Just don't let the BMW nav to source you the correct fuel....it got it dreadfully wrong!
Glad you are having a nice time and that the car is delivering. They are rather good aren’t they!! Mine has been away for a week having work done and I got it back earlier today and I forgot what a nutter it is Enjoy the rest of the trip and experience and hope the M3 continues to deliver the goods - literally being a touring lol. Oh and fuel is an arse isn’t it, average is 22mpg and I have just chucked another £90 in it today
Oh nothing of note, unfortunately a 92 year old gent decided to put his Toyota Yaris in to the rear of my car at around 10mph. No metal bodywork damage, just a chipped and scuffed bumper and diffuser which has been replaced through his insurance. Car was away for a week and they have done an immaculate job as they know I am very fussy. The car went in absolutely pristine other than the bumper damage so they gave it a polish and it is better than new now - just gleams. Now you can see why I bleat on about them, they are rather special cars though aren’t they
Was it intentional that the crocs match the paintwork?????? My M1 button is set so that engine/throttle is set to sport plus, suspension in comfort, steering in sport and brakes in sport and exhaust valves open. Try the M3 in those settings and let it rip and report back on how it feels. Will open your eyes somewhat but remember to not be shy with the accelerator
I think Dave the owner may have done with his crocs. He does get a lot of tongue in cheek grief from me about them This car has circa 620bhp due to the visit to see AC Schnitzer. To be honest I haven't felt the need to get anything more out it
Yesterday was all about the Schartzwald (Black Forest). South out of Freiburg before turning North to Baden Baden and then some busy derestricted motorways up to Rudesheim on the Rhein via a Ferry. The Southern Schwartzwald was quietest and had the best scenery. Some switchbacks and being damp really tested the car when hooning it out of a corner, you could feel the traction go to rear wheels on the odd occasion as the front lifted under full acceleration. There were then some towns to drive thru before getting to the famous B500 to Baden Baden. Heading from the south the first section of thus road is glorious...however be careful as there is now a blanket 70 kph speed limit on it! Overall the Vosges area has consistently better roads whereas the Schwartzwald might win on the scenery front. Autobahn was busy going North but a couple of areas opened up and got the car up to 138mph. Just not enough for long sustained runs. Left behind a Dutch 991.2 GTS who was also shifting.
Back home in the Shire after a a great trip. Moving on the last post we stayed in an amazing Hotel in Rudesheim am Rhein (highly recommended) The following morning a short trip along the beautiful road that follows the river north before heading back to the only car ferry running due to low water levels. A quiet motorway trip up to the Ring where we went to YouTube corner and then tried a few country roads in the area. Stayed in Adenau, the town was a bit disappointing in comparison to previous stays on the trip. Following morning was up there with the best of trip with wonderful roads in the Eifel Mountains plus a short blast down a quiet derestricted autobahn. Got to 152 on the satnav. Dave was disappointed he didn't quite hit the 155mph limiter but man the car feels so good and planted at speed and felt like it had a lot more to give. Pics below are of Rursee dam where the roads around it are fabulous particularly the L128 which has loads of well cambered switchbacks. The lower pic of the actual dam are of Wesertalsperre in Belgium.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. Sounds like a great time had. I used to live in Frankfurt and spent many a happy weekend around Rüdesheim am Rhein and a lot of the pretty villages up and down the river around there. Glad you’re back safely as well.
The area has been hit by lack of tourist numbers due to the river being so low. There are currently no cruise ships or day trip boats. Even the boat used to measure the depth grounded. The train line is also being repaired. It's beautiful and will definitely be back to explore. Our Hotel was the Brauer Schloss.
Sounds like a wonderful trip. It's many years since I was at the Rüdesheimer Weinfest. Happy memories.
