Hey folks,

Just thought I'd say good bye to the group before I head out. As many of you know, I'm moving to Zurich for a few months. Studying Swiss Banking at the Swiss Banking Institute in Zurich. I'll be back around Christmas time and probably see you guys after the new year.

If all goes well, I'll hit the Ring, Spa, and the Hethel (Lotus) track. I'll also visit the big car factories (Porsche, Lotus, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Zonda)

I'll still be on this site though. If you have destination reccomendations, please post them up. I've been to Europe several times but there is always more to see.

Finally, I'm happy to make a chocolate run for all of my 6speed friends, so just let me know what you want. I may even head into Brugge for probably the best handmade chocolate in the world. Hmmm.

 

trevor,

i'll miss you! but i know you're going to have a great time. what a great opportunity for you! i know you'll have a fabulous time and you'll learn a ton! be safe and have lots of fun!

we'll keep in touch on 6. i hope you take some pictures for us to see!

best wishes and we'll see you when you get back!

~jody

 

The Ferrari factory tour in Maranello is amazing, Porsche is good too, Lamborghini is not even worth your time. Mercedes and BMW are both good too. I visited in 2001, so they may be better now?


John

 

You wrote the best adresses allready, but maybe I can give you some more suggestions:

- Give Pagani a phonecall a few weeks before you show up, otherwise you won`t be let in (PM me if you need the contact infos)
- BMW World & BMW Museum are a trip worth, both new built
- RUF in Pfaffenhausen
- When visiting Stuttgart, try to see Techart & Gemballa as well

If you like, you can pm me when you are in Munich, live 60 miles away.

 

if you visit techart....tell alex and jan hello for me!

 

Cool, I'll let you know if I need anything, and I'll take you up on the Ruf suggestion.

I will of course take pictures. Hopefully, a little video of the track time as well. Lotus already approved me for the advanced intensive lapping day which should be a blast. Right hand drive here I come!

The ring laps, will be pretty safe laps, since I only know the track from simulators. (about a billion laps now). Lots of blind of camber turns with a bump in the middle. Looking at taking a Mini for the trip. We'll see. Something under powered and front wheel drive should do the trick.

fingers crossed that everything happens according to plan.

 

Have a great trip!

I like milk chocolate -- I am in for $20... your choice and Toblerone from Sea Tac does not count.



Look forward to the pics!

Be safe...

 

^^LOL! is that a voice of experience about airport gifts??

 

I'll still be on this site though. If you have destination reccomendations, please post them up. I've been to Europe several times but there is always more to see.

One car factory not on your list is Audi in Ingolstat. I found that place to be worth a trip by itself. Their museum is outstanding. They have more history to display than Porsche and unlike the Mercedes museum it is only about cars. The factory tour (A-3 line) was a real treat. I found it hard to resist buying one after seeing them being built. Even their cafeteria was very good.

A must see museum is the Auto und Technik Museum in Sinsheim about an hour northwest of the Porsche factory, just off the autobahn on the way to the Ring. Plan on a whole day. Jason and I spent about eight hours there and didn't see it all. Another part of the museum is at nearby Speyer, which we didn't have time to see. A partial list of what you can see is: Classic/vintage cars, American dream cars, Sport cars, Racing cars, Motorcycles, Locomotives, Utility vehicles and tractors, Power plants, Airplanes, Dance organs, Fire engines, Maritime exhibits, Military exhibits (lots of tanks, cannons and guns). You can do a walk through of both the Concorde and the TU-144 (Russian SST).

And don't forget the obligatory trips to the top of the Zugspitze and the Jungfrau Hoch.

If you're still there around Christmas try and score tickets to a Strauss concert in Vienna.

 

Larry is correct, there is a LOT to see and we only saw a small part of it. I think that my favorite factory tour was Porsche, Audi and Ferrari by far. Be sure to reserve a spot on the factory tour well in advance. Audi and Mercedes Benz were the only ones that we could see on a relatively short notice (I believe you have to pay for the Audi one if memory serves but it was well worth every penny). Ferrari might be a bit tricky because they reserve those tours for Ferrari owners/buyers. I managed to get in after making a few phone calls.

Oh and....be sure to check out my write-up as it'd detail much of what Larry spoke about:

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...es-2007-a.html

I think I did another one from my trip to Italy but I'd have to find it. It's somewhere on the 'net or maybe I never wrote about that one. I took WAY too many pictures on all those trips and haven't sorted through them all yet. I've been to Europe at least 12 times and I still feel that I haven't seen them all. I'd like to go back once the brand new Porsche museum finishes and also check out the new BMW museum as well.

 

Thanks guys! I'll add this stuff to my list. Larry thanks for the cultural addition. I should be around close enough to catch one. I'm taking my drivers notebook and driver's resume. Hope to get some cool additions to them both.

My wife made me promise not to come home with a car.

She knows that I am ready to pickup my next car. But I probably wont do that until graduation. Then I can call it a "reward."

 

Aparently GINA is at the BMW museum so I will definately make an effort to go check it out.

 

Monza!

 

We loved the Porsche Factory tour also - amazing. Good luck in your education - wow, what a great opportunity. Study hard and enjoy the experience. Drive the autobahn and alps in your spare time!

 

LOL. I'm excited about good chocolate on the return trip. Put me down for $30 of something whose name I won't be able to pronounce.

Have fun. Audi, Merc, Techart and Gemballa would all be amazing to go see.