Germany trip (Hockenheim, Nurburgring, factory visits)

[Scott=John=Mockry%Mktg%TM@banyan.bv.tek.com]

Hello,

I made it back alive from my trip to Germany and Austria.
Thanks to information provided by this email group, before 
leaving the U.S. I made reservations to go on the Porsche 
factory tour in Zuffenhausen, to visit the Audi factory in 
Neckarsulm (40 miles northwest of Stuttgart) and to visit 
the BMW factory in Munich. I also visited the Hockenheim 
and Nurburgring race tracks. WARNING: This trip report is 
very long and contains much rambling on by me. I will send
additional details on the factory visits on following days.
Hope you find it interesting.
 
I spent the first week conducting business in Graz, 
Austria and missed connecting with the UK Club Audi 
group going to the Audi factory in Neckarsulm on Wed.
Oct. 26th.  After completing my business in Austria I 
drove with a co-worker to Munich on Friday and saw the 
funniest thing on the Autobahn. A BMW police car came 
whizzing by in the fast lane going over 100MPH with a 
Porsche 911 and a Big Mercedes right on its tail with 
their left blinkers flashing trying to get the Police 
car to move out of the way!

I picked up a black Audi A6 rental car at the Munich 
airport and I discovered after getting to my hotel that 
instead of the 2.3 liter the rental agent said the car 
came with I had the rather anemic 2.0 liter 4 cylinder 
(115HP) engine. The 4 cyl engine is very buzzy and is 
not a great match in this car compared to the 5 or 6
cylinder motors. 

 On Sat. I visited the BMW Museum which is next to the 
Olympic village in Munich before heading north on my way 
to Neckarsulm.The BMW Museum building is shaped like a 
mushroom and has a spiral ramp that winds its way up to 
the top. Each area along the way is filled with race and 
prototype cars along with video presentations available 
in different languages on BMW's philosophies and technical
accomplishments. They had a 7 series car sectioned which 
highlighted the modern engine controls and the various 
safety systems. 

On my way up north the A6 would do around 195 kM/H (121MPH) 
on the flats and several times I managed to get it up to 215kM/H 
(133MPH) on  long downhill sections of the autobahn. The poor 
4 cylinder was turning 6100 RPM in 5th gear at that speed. 
The heavy truck traffic and available two lane autobahns made 
sustained driving over 100MPH difficult.My need for speed caused 
me to drive right past my exit to Neckarsulm and I ended up 
50 miles north in Wurzburg a historic town with various Castles 
and Museums. 
On Sun. I headed south to Neckarsulm and found the location of 
the Audi factory with the help of the Seifert VW/AUDI dealer in
Neckarsulm. I looked around the dealer and found a blue 1986 Ur 
Quattro for sale in the parking lot for around 13,500 DM  
($8700 U.S. dollars). The forsale card indicated it had a 200HP 
engine in it. They had various late 1980's 200 Turbos and Quattros 
as well.

I then headed south towards Stuttgart and located the Porsche 
factory and Museum in Zuffenhausen. The Porsche Museum was a 
small one room facility next to the factory but was filled with 
great historic production and racing Porsches. They had a 1 hour 
video (in German) on some of the history behind Porsche. I picked 
up a booklet in English which described all the museum vehicles 
in detail.

On Monday I had planned on visiting the Hockenheim race track just 
south of Heidelberg and the Nurburgring track south of Cologne 
(Koln) near the town of Mayen. I contacted a local Sports car 
club next to the ADAC (German AAA club) to find out if these 
tracks were open. The person told me the tracks were not open 
to the public this week. I decided to go up anyway and at least 
get a glimpse of the tracks. Well, I'm glad I did! I headed north 
on Autobahn (A81) and then west on A6 to get to Hockenheim. 
The track WAS open so I went up into the stands and watched a 
911 Porsche and another open wheeled car make some test runs 
around the track! There was a small museum next to the track 
which had some nice race cars, many historic motorcycles and 
some video presentations.

I then headed north on A61,west on A48 and then on hwy 258 
to arrive at the Nurburgring at 3PM. Even the road leading to 
the track was challenging. I went into the gift shop/museum 
entrance and asked the counter-person if there were any days 
later in the week that the track was open for anyone to drive on. 
She said, well, its open TODAY until 6PM. I started hyperventilating,
I said, yoooouuu, yoou mean I can drive on it today?? Yes, Of 
course. She directed me around to the entrance to the track behind 
the gift shop and I stopped at the guard house where you buy a 
ticket for 14DM ($9). The only requirements to run on the track 
were displayed on a sign in German and English that said 
"All passengers including those in the rear must wear a seatbelt".
This is incredible!! NO helmet required, no waiver to sign, 
hell they don't even check to see if you have a drivers license! 
So here I gooooooo! The first car I passed on the track was a 
station wagon with a guy, his wife and their two kids in the back!! 
This track is unbelievable! Up and down these twisty turns, blind 
corners etc. A small mini-cooper like sedan came whizzing by me 
which gave me a good line to follow through the turns. Then a guy 
in a modified  rabbit came up behind me and I noticed in my rear 
view mirror that he was lifting his rear wheel on most turns. 
I let him by and tried to stay with him in the Audi in 3rd gear 
at 5000-6200 RPM (I need help in the driving dept.). I can't 
believe I am out here!! I was a "little" nervous driving on the 
track as a storm was passing through the area with occasional rain,
and high winds. I managed to finish the run without spinning the 
car and headed over to the museum. The museum had two levels with 
some BMW's, a ferrari or two, a Jag XJ220, various Porsches, and 
even the 1930's vintage Auto Union 16 cylinder race car on display. 
The trip to the Nurburgring from Stuttgart and back was around 
340 milesbut well worth the drive! Next stop the Porsche and 
Audi factory,more details to follow.
Scott M.