Road trip 2012

[talkingcars]

6 days
5 nights
8 countries
13 border crossings
2 ferries
1 F1 GP circuit
4 laps
2122 miles
£400 fuel
39.1 MPG average
40.6 MPG best
93 MPH top speed
55 hours driving
1 highest bridge in the world
12800m tunnel (5th longest road tunnel in Europe)
1 300 yr old Chateau
Force 8-9 gale on the channel
4 hour ferry crossing (instead of normal 2)
Tornado volume of rain on a French motorway (where they reduce speed limits when it rains)
36' highest tempreture
Countless motorway tunnels
Countless motorway viaducts
2 seas
1 Effil Tower
1 World Expo
1 Stunning mountain pass
1 problem with car
5% of total mileage of car
5 Capital Cities
5 International airports (and 1 international heliport)

[LozMachine]

That's class............what was the prob with the car?

[andy-81]

nice one......hmmmmmm....... we should all do a gumball rally zed style!

[talkingcars]

That's class............what was the prob with the car?

When we got down to the south of France it was hot - above 30' - when I filled with petrol the key wouldn't come out of the slot without lots of encouragement - the next time I fueled I sprayed the key with sun tan oil which did the trick.

I suspect the slot hasn't been lubricated since the car was new, 13 years ago, and the greaze dried out in the heat.

[talkingcars]

nice one......hmmmmmm....... we should all do a gumball rally zed style!

A run down to Monaco the week after the grand prix would be fun.

Even 10 days after the race much of the circuit is still in place, the line markings and tyre marks are still there.

On my second time round I went the wrong way at the pit entry as I was watching the GP markings and not the proper road markings.

And it was so hard not flooring it, especially through the tunnel which has a 50kmh speed limit.

With planning you could take in a day at Nurberg, the mont blanc tunnel (short at only 11000m), the E717 motorway (part of the south bound carrageway does a complete circle of a mountain!) and the Millau Viaduct as well as Monaco.

[pheelay]

That sounds like an epic trip!! Good to hear the car behaved. The stuck key was just its way of saying "no stopping, moar driving!" If you're in the paris area again, give us a shout. should've done a mini yellow meet at the eiffel tower :-D

I popped over to nurburg last weekend in the 180. It was for a rock festival tho so unfortunately the track was closed :(

[peterzs]

Sounds like a great road trip.

Glad the car behaved.

Good mpg figs as well.

:-D:-D:-D

[talkingcars]

'spose I should have said that this year we were in the MGF - roof down most of the way.

[peterzs]

Thought that was good for a V6!!!!

Should have noticed the Fuelly mpg,

:-D:-D:-D

[LozMachine]

'spose I should have said that this year we were in the MGF - roof down most of the way.

You la'al tinker you..

[Nobrainer]

I was wondering why the top speed was so low!

[talkingcars]

I hit 106 acording to the GPS speedo on the satnav just south of Paris once in a hired micra diesel when the drive shaft mount failed on the ZS a few years ago.

And we once did 900 miles from Bilbao to Home in 16 hours including the ferry in my old V6 espace