Reply With QuoteAlways fancied a blast down the Autobahn - what sort of speeds do people get up to?
I mentioned the fact that I've been to Warnemünde / Rostock. That's about 600 kms from door to door from my house. 510 kms on the German Autobahn, from the Dutch/German border -> Bremen -> Hamburg -> Lübeck -> Rostock vica versa. The northern route; or like I did on the route towards Rostock: Hannover -> Lübeck instead of Bremen and Hamburg.
In short: one very big and tedious 'Baustelle' or 'work in progress'. Just under Bremen, there's work going on for a distance of 10+ kms, causing 40+ kms traffic jams between 7 AM and 19 PM. It took us 8.5 hours to drive from our home to our destination. Yesterday, we returned home in just under 6 hrs. as google maps had predicted.
How come?
We left Rostock around 4:15 PM, just out of town before the evening rush hours 150 - 180 kms later, we came near Hamburg. Around 6 PM. So we stopped at an 'Autohof' and had dinner for 30 mins. When we went back on the road again, rush hour was over and we drove smoothly all the way to our house, arriving a 10:35 PM. Just over 6 hrs, including a meal!
My advice: travel in the evening during the summer. Not at night. I can safely say that your best friend is your outside rearview mirror... With lesser traffic, the loud pedal goes down! Cars at an insane speed go past you like a bullet. Overtaking can be done (with a trailer with 'tempo 100' on the back) as long as you use your indicator wisely and for a long period before changing lanes. I wouldn't recommend this doing in total darkness. You can't determine the speed of the approaching cars.
Always fancied a blast down the Autobahn - what sort of speeds do people get up to?
Depends on the section of road, number of road works in progress, caravans enroute, trucks creating mobile chicanes and a multitude of other factors.Originally Posted by relaxer7
To be honest, I’ve almost given up on the Autobahn unless it is the only option. The derestricted sections are being lessened and when you do enter one, it is challenging to make any progress. Although speed limits are enforced, the French motorways are far easier to use, specifically the toll sections - less traffic, hence better average speed.
As the OP states, autobahn are best driven during off peak hours; although I disagree with don’t use them at night - I have and I have had no issues with judging the speed of other vehicles.
In answer to the above question...
Was on the E42 4 weeks ago in Germany ,across the border from Spa in Belgium.
Car just serviced new tyres
Showed a needles width shy of 160mph
Road absolutely deserted.(and I mean deserted)
It was a 3 lane section which seemed quite rare too
I had an M3 for a week last year and drive from Berlin to Dresden, Glashutte and Leipzig. In parts I hit 157mph (limited) but the planning and awareness required is really something else. Not for the faint hearted nor for the rash driver.
This absolutely and cannot stress that enough.
Be comfortable with speed before you try it!
Parts I did beyond 150mph on, were like doing that on the M40, but with it being dual-carriageway. Gave up doing much more than 155mph and then managed a clean run to 162mph (indicated) on the way towards France; would’ve vmaxed the car (164mph, but Porsche are notoriously conservative) had it not been for traffic.
Managed this pic -
With a gear to go, showing 152mph.
As Lukebird says, make sure you get used to the higher speeds first. I doubt anyone in the UK habitually drives above 80, especially around other traffic. Due to the square law, your car has four times as much energy as double the speak. That's a lot of mess if it unravels and goes wrong.
I have driven a lot on the autobahns but tend never to go over 100mph as it's the max I'm comfortable with, even in a German motor designed for speeds that are then artificially limited.
I hit 220 kph (140 mph) on a straight Section of Autobahn between Hamburg an Wilhelmshaven in a rented Merc a few year back.
Having just had a miserable 180 mile ride back from Bristol at an average 40mph, I'd love to do the autobahns . On this bike, I'd be home in an hour an a half!
My son had a great time. Imagine: you're in the part of your life that you're allowed to learn to drive and the fast cars are passing you like guided missiles with the appropriate sounds to match! (The F1-like AMG that flew past won the sound contest, hands down).
Towing a RIB + two Laser dinghies at 100 km/hr is easy when you can maintain speed. Overtaking is easy as well when that lane has more or less the same speed. But a speed difference that's between 100 and 125 km/hr, is very hard to recognise when you see two daylight running lights appearing.
Menno
I'll get my fair share of that next Wednesday... Dover -> Plymouth. Any suggestions (take the A303 or not?) are welcome. When driving back, on Saturday 28th, I'm planning a trip down the A303 for a Stonehenge visit!
Menno
152 MPH with a gear to go...
I've only very briefly driven on the Autobahn but my first impression was that it works because everyone tucks back in immediately after overtaking.
If drivers in the UK did the same I reckon our motorways would be far more efficient.
Ha ha, snap!
I am happy to admit that the thought of driving at those sorts of speeds on a public road would completely scare me witless.
Which is probably due to driving on UK roads most of the time and seeing what utter carnage can ensue when doing much slower speeds due to carelessness. There seems to be a lot of people who cant even drive through a set of 40mph roadworks on a dual carriageway without crashing nowadays.
regularly do 180-190mph on the bikes across germany, awesome very smooth roads
Even been told to speed up by a bike cop, apparently 125 average is not enough in the big boys lane
I'm living in Berlin at the moment and frequently take my TVR out onto the autobahn to stretch its legs.
It's the only public place where the top speed of modern performance cars is justifiable. It's a must for any petrol head but don't be surprised to see a Golf R behind you at 155mph
Sent from my SM-G950F using TZ-UK mobile app
Did 280km/h (174 mph) with the roof down in my Boxster S a couple of years ago. It was a bit windy inside and very loud.
My Ducati 999 once showed even 285km/h on the meter, but that was downhill.
Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.
I once covered 350 miles in 3 hours 40 minutes. In a 3.6 XJ40 of all things. The big relaxing old Jag just made it easy to keep a reasonably high average. The car was an F reg 1989 and the year about 1995.
I lost the bottle in an AMG Merc at 145mph, but there was traffic about and when cars have a habit of pulling into the fast lane, you have to be ready to stamp on the brakes at a moments notice. Its tiring and takes a lot of concentration and awareness.
155 mph (250 kph) according to my sat nav.
What is frightening though is how slow even 100mph feels afterwards - and 70 feels like walking speed.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Agreed, after my recent trip ,afterwards at 70 it felt like I could open the door and walk faster!
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