Autobahn Myths Debunked

When I laid the foundation for Automotive Traveler in my very first “rear view mirror” editorial, I made no secret that much of its inspiration came from the great road trip stories I had read over the years in the great English motoring publications like Octane, evo, and most of all, Car. Things like driving a Ferrari from Buenos Aries to the tip of South America were grand adventures that quite frankly, were rarely found in our domestic titles. Those stories were the reasons why I felt it was worth shelling out $10 or more at Borders or Barnes and Noble. Read more…

Yesterday the March 2008 issue of Car appeared at my local Barnes and Noble and it’s a keeper, with an in-depth story on Germany’s Autobahns, and how in this era of green political correctness, it’s now on the endangered species list. If you’re going to experience this form of automotive nirvana, you should start making your plans now.

The story, written in a very concise way over 14 glorious pages by multi-lingual German journalist Georg Kacher (who contributes to Automobile–hopefully they’ll pick up the story so it reaches a wider audience) and stunningly photographed by Charlie Magee, is a primer for everything you need to know about the subject. The issue is a keeper, well worth its $10.25 cover price, just so you can file the issue away for future reference on this subject.

Current map of the Autobahn network

Unlike the popular misconception held by many enthusiasts, the autobahn system is not totally “de-restricted.” Rather, certain sections are, as the autobahns suffer the same high traffic density as our Interstates, thus as a practical concern, much of the system carries 130-KPH (81-MPH) limits. But what the article provides are Georg’s 10 Best sections for unlimited speed motoring.

Sign indicating a de-restricted (no speed limits) section of the Autobahn

Because I have friends who live in Jena, in what was once East German, the DDR, he included the section of the A38 from Gttingen and Leipzig as his personal #3. Of more recent construction, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, this is one of my favorite places to release my inner right foot when I’m behind the wheel of a proper performance car. It’s where you can feel as comfortable at 150-MPH as you would on I-80 in northern Nevada at 85-MPH.

2004 Corvette in Berchtesgen (with Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest in the background)

He also included for me, my most memorable section of the Autobahn system, the A5, running from Karlsruhe to Basel as #6. At the time I had a girlfriend who called Karlsruhe home and on a trip back from covering the Geneva Auto Show, I was wheeling a tweaked C5 Corvette. Between Baden Baden running north to Karlsruhe, the A5 runs flat and straight and is three lanes wide for extra safety.

I was cruising at 150-MPH and saw the unmistakable tail light of an M5 about 15 car lengths ahead. Then I saw his right directional flash and as I started to overtake the Bimmer I dropped down a cog to fifth and powered by with the heads-up display showing an indicated 170-MPH. Thinking I might not have another opportunity like this again I stayed in it with the display finally topping out at 184-MPH as I approached Karlsruhe with its 130-KPH limit. When I arrived in Karlsruhe I was drenched in sweat, so much so that when I arrived at her flat, she asked me if it was raining outside.

To prove it wasn’t a fluke, the next day I returned to the scene with my girlfriend who got the obligatory speedometer shot just as the needle touched 180. Due to the fact that it was daytime (the 184-KPH run was done late at night) traffic was an impediment to an ultimate top speed run. But 180-MPH in traffic I thought was quite noteworthy, and to a degree, scary. The 184-MPH from the night before remains my personal best when it comes to driving legally on a public road, which has only whetted my appetite to attain the double ton before I hang up my Pilotti’s.   

Hitting 180 on the A5 somewhere between Karlsruhe and Baden Baden