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    Sep 7, 2006 10:51:07 AM

    temm
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    temm
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    Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    While doing research for my planned trip to the Alps (in a Boxster/911) next summer, I came across this driving report.

    Look at these pictures and videos
    http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11890

    And it's great writeup as well, and very useful for me since it covers most of the passes we plan to drive.

    One example:

    Sep 7, 2006 10:51:57 AM

    temm
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    temm
    Loc: Oslo , Norway
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    Reply to: temm

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Does this shot look familiar Gnil?

    Sep 7, 2006 10:53:37 AM

    temm
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    temm
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    Reply to: temm

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    And, of course, Stelvio:

    Sep 7, 2006 11:15:26 AM

    Jeannot
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    Reply to: temm

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    I highly recommend a week day for these roads :-)
    Week-ends can be packed with motorbikes, cyclists, cabrios etc :-)

    Sep 7, 2006 12:46:33 PM

    FutchM
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    Reply to: temm

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    I've always wanted to go drive those roads!
    So many plans, so little time!!!!!
    Thanks for the pics, beautiful!

    Sep 7, 2006 1:25:44 PM

    nick1
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    Reply to: FutchM

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    i probably am lacking driving skills, but i dont really enjoy 180 degree hairpins as much as i enjoy driving medium (say 90 degrees) corners...

    Sep 7, 2006 1:38:46 PM

    Jeannot
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    Reply to: nick1

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    I think they are fun and (relatively, depends which hairpin, some are just meters from a big cliff) safe way to push car into slides :-)

    Sep 7, 2006 2:58:18 PM

    harryo2b
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    harryo2b
    Loc: Formerly Bitburg...Land of Bier, now Oklahoma home of the twister. , United States
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    Reply to: nick1

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Quote:
    nick1 said:
    i probably am lacking driving skills, but i dont really enjoy 180 degree hairpins as much as i enjoy driving medium (say 90 degrees) corners...



    I would have to agree. Guess it's my driving style I have developed for being in the Eifel region. I still will make it to this pass though, because why not?

    Sep 7, 2006 6:27:10 PM

    Dan L
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    Reply to: harryo2b

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Terrific roads! I miss them already. (But, I must admit to getting a bit jaded,--and actually TIRED of nothing but mountain vistas and glaciers!)

    Dan

    Sep 7, 2006 8:17:15 PM

    connoisseur
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    Reply to: Dan L

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Wonderful pictures. The exact opposite of the plains of Kansas. Thank you.

    Sep 7, 2006 10:20:14 PM

    OCEAN
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    Reply to: connoisseur

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    This is why Euro delivery is the way to go . Why would you pick up your car at Beverly Hills Porsche when you could pick it up at the factory and drive on these roads

    Sep 8, 2006 1:11:21 AM

    Jim48
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    Jim48
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    Reply to: OCEAN

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Quote:
    OCEAN said:
    This is why Euro delivery is the way to go . Why would you pick up your car at Beverly Hills Porsche when you could pick it up at the factory and drive on these roads



    EXACTLY

    Jim

    Sep 8, 2006 2:25:47 AM

    ADias
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    ADias
    Loc: Southwest USA , United States
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    Reply to: Jim48

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    How fast (and safely) do you drive on those roads? some seem quite dangerous with no guard rails whatsoever.

    Sep 8, 2006 6:10:27 AM

    Jeannot
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    Reply to: ADias

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Quite fast :-) 100mph+ before breaking for the next hairpin..
    of course that depends on the traffic and road conditions. Certain portions are really narrow, others are highway style.
    So all in all, you can drive safely and really enjoy the road, your car...and its brakes

    Sep 8, 2006 11:04:23 AM

    andrea
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    andrea
    Loc: Italy, Pordenone , Italy
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    Reply to: Jeannot

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    stelvio!!!!n*1

    Sep 8, 2006 7:44:51 PM

    bstew
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    Reply to: temm

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Wow would I love to drive on that road.

    Sep 8, 2006 8:58:43 PM

    Dan L
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    Dan L
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    Reply to: bstew

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Speed limits in Switzerland are about 80 kph on the mountain roads. (50 mph).

    Sep 9, 2006 10:45:56 AM

    N_Architect
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    N_Architect
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    Reply to: temm

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Excellent - thanks for posting

    Rgds,

    Konstantinos Roumeliotis
    Geoje-Si, Rep.of Korea
    http://roumeliotis.eu

    Sep 9, 2006 1:59:56 PM

    function_analysi
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    function_analysi
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    Reply to: temm

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Temm, this is a Great post!!

    I've been there quite a lot of times it's fabulous, no words can tell the whole wow-truth of all those passes, let alone Simplon Pass in the southest part of Switzerland across the italian borders.

    It's the place where a P-car should be driven, the roads that gave birth to the iconic 911.

    To me it's also the place where I decided what my next car should be -guess? Now, I look fwd to have it delivered, no later than the first part of October -hopefully!.

    Can't wait to meet you all there in my brand new MY07 C2S!!

    Sep 12, 2006 9:06:12 AM

    Porsche-Jeck
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    Loc: Rheinland , Germany
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    Reply to: temm

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Quote:
    temm said:
    While doing research for my planned trip to the Alps (in a Boxster/911) next summer, I came across this driving report.





    Great find Just returned from an 18 days driver's holiday in the Alps with my 987 S - pure joy (see report & some pics at the Boxster Board)

    http://www.rennteam.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=267594&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1

    Mind you there are over 600 passroads in the Alps - so you better go for a long holiday to enjoy as many of them as possible

    Other recommendations: I would avoid the main summer holiday season (July/August): too much Dutch Caravans on the roads (at least on the main passroads).

    I guess best time ist just before or just after the summer holiday season (much earlier or much later passroads will be closed due to snow or - even worse - you might be just surprised by winterly weather on top of the passroads (the highest ones with elev. of 2,500 m). Weather conditions change very quickly in the Alps - you better get daily weather reports about the local weather. Example: while we stayed at the Southern Alps with fine weather (sunny, 27*C) ten days ago wheather reports warned about fresh snow at just 1,600 m elev. in the Central Alps. Only three days later the nice weather returned to the Central/Northern Alps with blue sky and 16*C at top of Timmelsjoch (2,500 m).

    Agree with Nick's and Harry's comments on the hairpins (though Carreras - especially 4WD models - won't show the traction problems of the Boxster ). There are great roads in some high valleys (at appr. 1,500 m) with fantastic corner combinations (not just straight-hairpin-straigt-hairpin etc.)

    Watch out for some crazy bikers - if they are approaching from the opposite direction they may carve into "your" lane after a curve's apex, if they are in front of you they spoil the corner fun, as they are too slow in tight curves, whereas the following straight may be too short for an overtaking manoevre

    Also if you're living in a country with ususally wide roads make yourself familiar with the exact measures of your car if you want to enjoy some remote narrow passroads (often without shoulders or other protection - just don't look down into the valley )

    As a preparation for your Alpine tour I can recommend the "Denzel" - good literature with explanations about almost all Alpine passroads (though I don't know whether it's available in English language also )

    http://members.telering.at/Denzel-Verlag/

    Seems that you are in the process to decide what Porsche to get next Good luck with your decision

    Sep 13, 2006 8:46:13 AM

    Mad_Al
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    Mad_Al
    Loc: Italy
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    Reply to: Porsche-Jeck

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    I live in south tyrol, hence I can drive on such roads every day, the main problem you are going to encounter while enjoying our wonderful roads is an awful bunch of german tourists, 90% of them drive 20mph, block roads and put up a very bad behavior, like "hey everything is mine".

    Sep 13, 2006 8:59:28 AM

    Porsche-Jeck
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    Porsche-Jeck
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    Reply to: Mad_Al

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Congrats on living in this wonderful region
    The problem you are referring to is well known - it's the conflict between those focussing on the breathtaking panorama while driving (hence they drive very slowly and don't observe what's going on around them ) and those others who focus on the driving pleasure on these roads.
    That's why I recommended to avoid the main summer holiday season. I can understand that it's a pain for you to encounter the "panorama guys" on a daily basis

    Sep 13, 2006 9:33:21 AM

    easy_rider911
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    Reply to: Porsche-Jeck

    Re: Driving in the Alps - fantastic pictures and videos

    Awesome photos. I love this kind of pictorial driving report. Makes you feel like you did some of the journey too.

    Thanks again for posting this!
     
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