[tom2021]

Hi all,

Happy New Year.
Would you like to share your experience? Did you rent the car or you brought it there?

Thanks in advance.

[dscabra]

I lived in Germany for more than eight years and have driven on the Autobahn many times in various non-performance vehicles. The fastest car I had in those years was a Toyota Celica that I drove at over 120mph - nothing close to the big Mercedes and BMW Autobahn cruisers or the exotics that one would occasionally see. For the most part, it's no different than driving on any multi-lane highway. Yes, you can drive as fast as conditions permit in certain sections, but other than that it's just a highway. Two key things that you need to be aware of, however, are that you always drive in the right lane unless overtaking another car and if you are in one of the left lanes and see headlights flashing in your mirror, get over to the right NOW!

[4bangersketti]

The autobahn in Germany is just what the US would consider the interstate system. Many sections of the autobahn have a speed limit of 130km/h. Some sections, I would even say most, have a speed limit of 130km/h. It is typically in more rural areas that there are no speed restrictions.

The autobahn is pleasant to drive on, not only because of the freedom to drive as quickly as you would like. It is a very well maintained road, you can tell by the miles-long construction zones you will find all summer long. Additionally, drivers are typically very disciplined about using the left lane only for passing, and quickly getting out of the way of significantly faster cars.

If you come to Germany, any car you rent may be driven on the autobahn. Typically sportier cars are restricted to drivers 25 years or older. Fuel is also expensive in Germany, and sustained high-speed driving is terrible for your fuel economy.

I would say a majority of the time in the unrestricted zones I only go 150-160km/h. Sometimes I even stay at 130 if I am not in a particular hurry, or have an exit coming up soon. Of course I have also driven 300km/h or higher, but I was much younger then and it is risky.

[tturedraider]

4bangersketti, yes, the two main differences between the Autobahn and the U.S. interstate highways is the quality of the road construction and the lane discipline of the drivers. The quality of the road construction/infrastructure of the Autobahn exceeds the U.S. interstate by leaps and bounds!!

Did you know the U.S. has its interstate system because of the Autobahn? Our system is named the Eisenhower interstate system, because when General Dwight D. Eisenhower became president after experiencing the Autobahn during World War II he felt the U.S. needed such a system. Technically the U.S. interstate system is/was designed and designated as a system to allow maximum mobility for moving U.S. military equipment and personnel around the country. It couldn’t really happen today with how much the U.S. relies on the interstate system for public transportation, but I think the law is still on the books that in the event of a war or some kind of military emergency the interstates would be closed to public use and reserved only for military use.

edit: I just read the beginnings of Eisenhower’s appreciation for the Autobahn. In 1919 Lt. Colonel Eisenhower was part of a test of moving U.S. military equipment from one coast to the other. It was the first Motor Transport Corps Convoy and it took a total of 62 days to move the equipment across the entire country. https://www.army.mil/article/198095/...highway_system

[ppointer]

I have not driven in Germany, but I have driven extensively in Italy. Obviously not the same, as Italy has a 130kph speed limit. But the lane discipline and driving skill was miles (kilometers?) ahead of what we see in the US.

As for cars, I have rented a couple of A4 Avants and an A6 Avant while there. All from Hertz and all pre-Covid. I think renting today would probably necessitate a company other than Hertz -- they seem to have nearly imploded.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by dscabra

I lived in Germany for more than eight years and have driven on the Autobahn many times in various non-performance vehicles. The fastest car I had in those years was a Toyota Celica that I drove at over 120mph - nothing close to the big Mercedes and BMW Autobahn cruisers or the exotics that one would occasionally see. For the most part, it's no different than driving on any multi-lane highway. Yes, you can drive as fast as conditions permit in certain sections, but other than that it's just a highway. Two key things that you need to be aware of, however, are that you always drive in the right lane unless overtaking another car and if you are in one of the left lanes and see headlights flashing in your mirror, get over to the right NOW!

I was in the military for three years there and got up to 140mph. Fastest I’ve ever driven and it was flat out in an Opel assigned to the command. I think most Autobahn areas are either 100 or 120kmph but as said above, there are some sections without a speed limit.

[///M Power-Belgium]

[swagon]

Keep in the right lane at all times unless you are passing. That means, go all the way to the right and don't be in the middle lane.

Always someone faster than you.

Lots of construction going on.

An increasing number of 80-130 kph zones.

An increasing number of idiots, either foreign or even domestic, who do not know to drive. Left-or middle-lane hoggers, or those who never use their side view mirrors.

Keep your safe distance.

[M-technik-3]

Lived in Greater Bitburg area for 4 years during that time I drove around much of Western EU I was there from 2000-2004 before that I was stationed in Netherlands at Soestesburg in 1988 and Comiso Sicily in 1989.

Don't speed in a work zone speed cameras are always present and it will cost you $$$$ in Euros. I would suggest easing into speeds vs jumping into Speeds that you have not driven at length before.

[tracer bullet]

Hmm. Are we talking the Autobahn race track outside of Chicago? Where the Savagegeese guys run their cars?

When you say "at" Autobahn I get a different picture than everyone else. Just checking.

[SpaceSilver.X1]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Hmm. Are we talking the Autobahn race track outside of Chicago? Where the Savagegeese guys run their cars?

When you say "at" Autobahn I get a different picture than everyone else. Just checking.

good point.. the OP did say "Did you rent the car or you brought it there?"

I'm sure the Autobahn in Germany does not rent cars so you can drive on it... and it's very unlikely that anyone can bring their cars all the way to Germany just to drive on the Autobahn.

[fe7565]

I was in Germany for almost 3 years in my 30s thanks to Uncle Sam. Drove on the autobahn with my 1998 Pontiac Firebird Formula at 159 mph/255 kph for a few minutes at a time and only on a fairly straight section. The believe the speed-governor limited the max speed to 159 mph.

Would I do it again now? Very very much doubt it. I was almost shitting in my pants then, and I would definitely shit in my pants now being much older.

Caveats and observations:

You cruise at about 110-124mph/180-200 kph where there are no speed limits and traffic allowed. The autobahn official speed limit was (is?) 80 mph/130 kmh. You can exceed it, but at your own risk and you are automatically at fault in an accident. Of course, if you have an accident at 100 mph+ speeds, you will fly off the bahn and crash two hundred yards away and not likely to walk away ever.

But, it was great to see a city 250 miles/400 kms away and knowing that you will be there near two hours...while in the USA that would take at best 3.5-4 hours.

After about 120-130 mph speed the car became glued to the road due to the extreme aerodynamics forces. So do not do this with a Prius... Controlling the car became actually easier as the car kept the center better due to the high air pressure forces on it. But I was afraid to make any sudden steering wheel movements.

I would never drive that fast here in the USA. Our highways are not made seamless and smooth like in Germany. As soon as you hit a bump at 150mph you will lose the air suction keeping you glued to the ground and will flip your car backwards or go airborne.

In the USA, drivers are undisciplined and morons and keep hugging the inside lanes at 55mph and will randomly change lanes and pass other cars on the right. When you are doing 150mph and another car is a few hundred yards ahead fu*king around the lanes, you do not have a lot of time to respond. In Germany, and in most of Europe, the law is to stay in the right lane if you are slower, unless you want to pass, and can only pass on the left of the other car. So knowing that it's unlikely that any ahole will pull in your lane, this allows you to keep the speed over 130-150mph for a few miles while passing other cars.

But be cognizant of faster drivers....and I am sure many who drove on the autobahn noticed that when you look in your rearview mirror and only see a small dot behind you....that same small dot could be behind you flashing the high beams and passing you in the next 10 seconds doing 160 mph while you are cruising at (only) 100 mph. So do not be the King of the Road...move your ass over to the right lane unless you are doing near 160 mph as well.

When I left Germany, I had to replace all my brake disks as they warped due to the high heat. Were not designed for slowing down from such high speeds.

And lastly...make sure you tires are rated correctly (Z-rated) or you blow them over 150mph.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Hmm. Are we talking the Autobahn race track outside of Chicago? Where the Savagegeese guys run their cars?

When you say "at" Autobahn I get a different picture than everyone else. Just checking.

Originally Posted by SpaceSilver.X1

good point.. the OP did say "Did you rent the car or you brought it there?"

I'm sure the Autobahn in Germany does not rent cars so you can drive on it... and it's very unlikely that anyone can bring their cars all the way to Germany just to drive on the Autobahn.

I think the odds are high English is not his first language.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

I think the odds are high English is not his first language.

He's Canadian after all

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by swagon

He's Canadian after all

I’m guessing maybe French Canadian. But, who knows?

[crAbb]

Originally Posted by tom2021

Hi all,

Happy New Year.
Would you like to share your experience? Did you rent the car or you brought it there?

Thanks in advance.

I tour on a motorcycle every year in continental Europe. I visit a friend, who conveniently lives near a section of unrestricted autobahn. At 130mph you'll have folks passing you. At 150mph, passers are few and far between. Unfortunately, there are many roadworks on the network.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by fe7565

I was in Germany for almost 3 years in my 30s thanks to Uncle Sam. Drove on the autobahn with my 1998 Pontiac Firebird Formula at 159 mph/255 kph for a few minutes at a time and only on a fairly straight section. The believe the speed-governor limited the max speed to 159 mph.

Would I do it again now? Very very much doubt it. I was almost shitting in my pants then, and I would definitely shit in my pants now being much older.

Caveats and observations:

You cruise at about 110-124mph/180-200 kph where there are no speed limits and traffic allowed. The autobahn official speed limit was (is?) 80 mph/130 kmh. You can exceed it, but at your own risk and you are automatically at fault in an accident. Of course, if you have an accident at 100 mph+ speeds, you will fly off the bahn and crash two hundred yards away and not likely to walk away ever.

But, it was great to see a city 250 miles/400 kms away and knowing that you will be there near two hours...while in the USA that would take at best 3.5-4 hours.

After about 120-130 mph speed the car became glued to the road due to the extreme aerodynamics forces. So do not do this with a Prius... Controlling the car became actually easier as the car kept the center better due to the high air pressure forces on it. But I was afraid to make any sudden steering wheel movements.

I would never drive that fast here in the USA. Our highways are not made seamless and smooth like in Germany. As soon as you hit a bump at 150mph you will lose the air suction keeping you glued to the ground and will flip your car backwards or go airborne.

In the USA, drivers are undisciplined and morons and keep hugging the inside lanes at 55mph and will randomly change lanes and pass other cars on the right. When you are doing 150mph and another car is a few hundred yards ahead fu*king around the lanes, you do not have a lot of time to respond. In Germany, and in most of Europe, the law is to stay in the right lane if you are slower, unless you want to pass, and can only pass on the left of the other car. So knowing that it's unlikely that any ahole will pull in your lane, this allows you to keep the speed over 130-150mph for a few miles while passing other cars.

But be cognizant of faster drivers....and I am sure many who drove on the autobahn noticed that when you look in your rearview mirror and only see a small dot behind you....that same small dot could be behind you flashing the high beams and passing you in the next 10 seconds doing 160 mph while you are cruising at (only) 100 mph. So do not be the King of the Road...move your ass over to the right lane unless you are doing near 160 mph as well.

When I left Germany, I had to replace all my brake disks as they warped due to the high heat. Were not designed for slowing down from such high speeds.

And lastly...make sure you tires are rated correctly (Z-rated) or you blow them over 150mph.

Yeah. Big b@lls are required.

[M5Rick]

I've been on the a/bahns a few times travelling across Germany in a CLK cab, road works and 4 up in the car with full up trunk made me keep to 80-90 mph max. Gas stations can be few and far between the more you get into SE Germany and at one time the gas tank was at zero just making in time to Aral station before the border.

[rotomoto712]

I have been in Germany for nearly a decade now, and I will say that the "Autobahn" is given this mythical status in the US, when in reality, it's just an interstate. I don't know what it was like in the past, but my honest assessment as of the current road network in 2024 is this:

1. As someone mentioned earlier, it's a phenomenally maintained road network. But that is a double-edged sword. Because it is so well-maintained, a healthy portion of the roads are frequently under construction, and you will find yourself yo-yo-ing a lot in speed on long trips (i.e. 130km > 100KM > 80 > 100 > //// > 120 KM > etc.). Because of this you become fatigued much faster than driving on the US interstates.

2. The lane discipline is nothing short of miraculous, especially compared to driving in a lawless (in comparision) state such as Florida. Nobody cruises in the left lane, Nobody passes on the right, zipper-merging is literally witchcraft, and Rettungsgasse (rescue lane) will break your brain if you've been driving in the states your whole life.

3. The traffic flow is moderate-heavy most of the time, regardless of time of day, and the LKWs (aka Big-Rigs) are in heavy abundance and will gladly pull in front of you at 90 KMH regardless of how fast you're going. This is probably my biggest pet peeve about driving here.

4. When you finally do get to one of the increasingly shorter and infrequent De-restricted zones, you can finally open it up a bit, and many of the drawbacks quickly fade away. However, this does get old much quicker than you think. From the Kamikaze LKWs, to the yo-yoing speeds, I too as mentioned earlier, find myself in that 130-160Km zone in the De-restricted sections.

5. I have gone as fast as 347 KMH and after doing that ONE time I realized a few things: a. It's highly overrated, b. it's incredibly stupid on a public road, c. At these speeds small imperfections in the pavement can quickly turn into mini launching pads if you're not highly attentive. d. Kamikaze LKWs.

With that said, it's definitely a good eye-opener for most US drivers to experience, and I would definitely recommend doing your homework before driving on the road network here (i.e. road signs, road-rules, restrictions, etc.).

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by rotomoto712

I have been in Germany for nearly a decade now, and I will say that the "Autobahn" is given this mythical status in the US, when in reality, it's just an interstate. I don't know what it was like in the past, but my honest assessment as of the current road network in 2024 is this:

1. As someone mentioned earlier, it's a phenomenally maintained road network. But that is a double-edged sword. Because it is so well-maintained, a healthy portion of the roads are frequently under construction, and you will find yourself yo-yo-ing a lot in speed on long trips (i.e. 130km > 100KM > 80 > 100 > //// > 120 KM > etc.). Because of this you become fatigued much faster than driving on the US interstates.

2. The lane discipline is nothing short of miraculous, especially compared to driving in a lawless (in comparision) state such as Florida. Nobody cruises in the left lane, Nobody passes on the right, zipper-merging is literally witchcraft, and Rettungsgasse (rescue lane) will break your brain if you've been driving in the states your whole life.

3. The traffic flow is moderate-heavy most of the time, regardless of time of day, and the LKWs (aka Big-Rigs) are in heavy abundance and will gladly pull in front of you at 90 KMH regardless of how fast you're going. This is probably my biggest pet peeve about driving here.

4. When you finally do get to one of the increasingly shorter and infrequent De-restricted zones, you can finally open it up a bit, and many of the drawbacks quickly fade away. However, this does get old much quicker than you think. From the Kamikaze LKWs, to the yo-yoing speeds, I too as mentioned earlier, find myself in that 130-160Km zone in the De-restricted sections.

5. I have gone as fast as 347 KMH and after doing that ONE time I realized a few things: a. It's highly overrated, b. it's incredibly stupid on a public road, c. At these speeds small imperfections in the pavement can quickly turn into mini launching pads if you're not highly attentive. d. Kamikaze LKWs.

With that said, it's definitely a good eye-opener for most US drivers to experience, and I would definitely recommend doing your homework before driving on the road network here (i.e. road signs, road-rules, restrictions, etc.).

Agreed. I don't have nearly that much experience on the autobahns however I agree on the "the speed gets old" thing. I will say the one thing I find relaxing is that with the lane discipline being so good, people actually sticking to the speed limits when they change, I found not having to worry about my speed at all was great. Yes, there are plenty of limited sections and yes, they change a lot (and often!). However I found, especially this past summer when I was in a BMW which alerted me to upcoming speed changes, that I wasn't worried about the limit that much...because most everyone else observed the limit as well. I just slowed down and joined the traffic and didn't worry about it.

Oh, and the coolest thing? When on automatic cruise with lane centering, we came across a traffic jam. The car AUTOMATICALLY moved over to create a Rettungsgasse, complete with displaying what it was doing on the dashboard.

[M5Rick]

^ #19. Everything above and these TIR lorries from different countries may not be on the ball as their German counterparts so a signal to change lanes without looking in the mirror first is always possible.

[eugenebmw]

This was the speed I love to drive on Autobahn many many years ago when I was there. I outgrew of speed now lol. I am 100% into tracking which involved lots of driving skills.