# Second ED off and running... after a brief interruption



## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Met with Wine-O and spouse at a Biergarten last night and took delivery of this nice Le Mans Blue E93 M3 this morning. Almost a disaster but narrowly averted. More to follow. Keri-Lynne Shaw made a special trip to meet us and Bernard Hausmaninger was very helpful. Stay tuned for more.

Photo key:

Karen and I, Mike (Wine-O) and Maureen at the biggest biergarten you've ever seen.

Former BMW ED Manager for North America Keri-Lynne Shaw joins us pre-delivery for a real full-circle moment.

Bernard Hausmaninger is a legend among Welt Delivery Specialists.

The top is down, but what's that red light blinking for?


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## dalekressin (Sep 3, 2008)

very nice:thumbup:


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## Ucla95 (Jul 23, 2004)

How did you get Keri Lynn Shaw over there???


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## masti99 (Feb 14, 2011)

Congrats, enjoy the trip!


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Ucla95 said:


> How did you get Keri Lynn Shaw over there???


She lives in Munich now.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

boothguy said:


> Met witrh Wine-O and spouse at a Biergarten last night and took delivery of this nice Le Mans Blue E93M3 just now.


Gratuliere! Very nice.


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

I was thinking of you and Karen all morning!

CONGRATS! 

For the rest of the 'festers... David and I are ED-buddies, having taken simultaneous delivery three years ago... and then we met up again on Lake Como a week or so later...


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## status38 (May 7, 2007)

The last pic with the suitcase seatbelted in cracks me up for some reason :rofl:

Beautiful car and very cool that you were able to meet up with a fellow 'Fester. I look forward to more pics from your trip! :thumbup:


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Okay, it's now nine hours later after the original post above, and we're ensconced in a terrific little hotel at the foot of the Stelvio Pass after a nice dinner and a coupla glasses of some good local Lagrein. The M3 is outside resting up for the 40-something hairpins on the way up to the summit of the Passo dello Stelvio tomorrow, so let me try to fill in the blanks in the rushed message above.

First off, I hope you noticed that I saved my 1,000th post here on the 'Fest for my delivery post. It's not like I'm a B-Fest addict or anything...

Very nice flight from LA to London in Business Class on British Airways. We both slept for something like six hours, which is really saying something, since my previous record for sleeping on an airplane, including 17-hour flights to the Orient, was maybe 15 minutes. Let's hear it for true lie-flat beds, although I was not too thrilled with them initially.

Arrived in Munich without incident and Rolf whisked us to the Hotel Laimer Hof, which is out of the way on a quiet back street near Nymphenburg Palace. We had made prior arrangements to meet Wine-O, (Mike and Maureen from New Jersey in real life), at the Hirschgarten for dinner (picture above) which was very enjoyable. And this morning, they were about half an hour behind us in the process, and we actually took delivery of our cars (theirs a nice 535xi) almost simultaneously, on platforms about 60 feet apart.

A special treat was having Keri-Lynne Shaw walk across the street and visit with us prior to our delivery. We had gotten acquainted three years ago in the course of resolving the problems on our first ED Adventure and she had also helped secure our dates for this trip. It was great of her to afford us the time from her busy schedule. She's the kind of extraordinary person that brings the clammy concept of customer service to life.

Was delighted to have Bernard Hausmaninger as our delivery specialist, and he seemed genuinely tickled to learn he's so well known here on the ED Forum. One curious note is that owners of the M3s do not get the computer orientation or the simulator drive. According to Bernard, it's because the M Division guys said no; some combination of the dollars required and the special nature of the M cars being more suited for a completely hands-on demonstration. You decide.

Everything was going along just fine until we decided to put our stuff in the trunk via Comfort Access. First hitch was that the two rollaboards that had traveled there in my '08 335 E93 just plain wouldn't fit in the same space in the M3. Apparently the tire goo and compressor add just enough of a height change in the trunk floor that the cargo cover won't close over the bags. Hmm. Didn't anyone in the Engineering Department think to maybe put that stuff somewhere else so luggage would fit? Future E93 M3 potential buyers, consider yourselves warned.

Anyhow, the top went into it's spot okay, but the decklid didn't want to close. Bernard got it to close a time or two by using the key in the door lock, but when trying it again, the top would cycle open and then retract, but the decklid would still stay in the open position. Bernard was able to coax it closed a couple of times with some magical combination of keypresses on the remote and/or the key in the door lock, but it but it finally quit cooperating altogether. There we sat, open-mouthed, with the decklid pointed at the sky as we tried to figure what the frack was happening. Visions of our lost two-and-a-half days from three years ago started pirouetting through our heads as Bernard's expression went from puzzled to stumped to perplexed. We both confessed to thinking, "..please, not again***8230;......" 

We went back upstairs to the Premium lounge where at least the food was good, the drinks were cold and it was all free. Meanwhile, the car went to "the workshop" for further attention. 

A couple of tense hours passed, and it turned out to be a simple, flukey mistake. When Bernard was answering my question about the missing trunk space, he had put the USA front license plate holder, which is not installed on the car but rather left in the trunk, in the Forbidden Zone where the top mechanism has to live when it's in the closed position, and left it there. The license plate holder is just thin enough that the top could be persuaded to close by someone as experienced as Bernard, but after a few tries, got tired of our chicanery and refused to close altogether. Relocate the license plate holder, and the top works just fine. Large sigh of relief.

I had to dash off the initial message above because Bernard was by now way behind schedule and had little patience for me screwing around on the 'Fest. We rushed through the rest of the demo, spent our cash on food and a BMW logo shirt so Bee doesn't yell at me for sporting my Ferrari gear again, and headed for the northern end of the Stelvio Pass, where we sit at this very moment.

Some Dutch bikers relaxing on the terrace of the hotel restaurant here wanted to know all about the car before we even had the luggage out of the trunk, so I gave them a guided tour, complete with them sitting in the driver's seat and blipping the throttle. Fun for all.

The Spousal Unit says for me to have all the fun I want driving to the top of the pass by myself in the morning, and then come back and get her and the luggage so we can drive it at a more civilized pace that doesn't involve her swearing and grabbing for handholds on every other corner. Sounds like a plan.

Key to today's pics:
Bernard says "..a rock and roll car needs a rock and roll picture". Seems pointless to disagree.

No matter what else is happening, things always start to feel better when we see one of these little beauties.

These three Dutch biker buds ride these mountain passes every year, and were shocked that the odo read just 165 miles. I had to explain why.

After the car inspection, we had Hermann, Martyn and Erich join for us for pre-dinner drinks. Road to the top of the Stelvio leads away there in the distance. Zoom-Zoom.

Finally got this to upload after almost three hours of trying. The Ambien is kicking my head in - gotta go...


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

Fantastic!

The Stelvio is open a little earlier than it was when we were there in 2008... maybe a day or two?


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Just got back from driving it solo - all 49 hairpin turns from here to the summit. And then back again. Assuming you have good brakes and tires, the biggest hazard seems to be the Italian road maintenance guys in little trucks and a few great big ones who, typically Italian, take their half of the extremely narrow road out of the middle. We'll get some pictures on the return trip with the photographer in the car.


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## mason (Jun 8, 2006)

boothguy said:


> Okay, it's now nine hours later after the original post agove, and we're ensconced in a terrific little hotel at the foot of the Stelvio Pass after a nice dinner and a coupla glasses of some good local Lagrein. The M3 is outside resting up for the 40-something hairpins on the way up to the summit of the Passo dello Stelvio tomorrow, so let me try to fill in the blanks in the rushed message above.
> 
> First off, I hope you noticed that I saved my 1,000th post here on the 'Fest for my delivery post. It's not like I'm a B-Fest addict or anything...
> 
> ...


Looking good!



JSpira said:


> She lives in Munich now.


What is her position now?


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## jsciv (Oct 5, 2010)

boothguy said:


> A couple of tense hours passed, and it turned out to be a simple, flukey mistake. When Bernard was answering my question about the missing trunk space, he had put the USA front license plate holder, which is not installed on the car but rather left in the trunk, in the Forbidden Zone where the top mechanism has to live when it's in the closed position, and left it there. The license plate holder is just thin enough that the top could be persuaded to close by someone as experienced as Bernard, but after a few tries, got tired of our chicanery and refused to close altogether. Relocate the license plate holder, and the top works just fine. Large sigh of relief.


Haha! We had this happen to us, too, though not with Bernard (although he WAS our delivery specialist). After we left the Welt we managed to move the US plate frames into the forbidden zone when unpacking the car one time (the frames were in the way and there was a spot there...). If the frame is in just the right place it won't obstruct the mechanism, but if it moves even a centimeter, the car won't close and because it's so thin it doesn't appear to be in the way.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

A rainy day on Lake Como has us cooped up in the hotel (not really a bad thing ***8211; it's Lake Como after all), and I'm reflecting on the experience of having driven the Stelvio Pass 1½ times yesterday.

First off, I'm glad The Spousal Unit told me to go have fun by myself while she slept in. It gave me the chance to drive it aggressively since I did it early, without other traffic on the road. When we drove it again later, it was loaded with motorcycles, bicyclists (full admiration) and even a few campers, which made driving aggressively pretty much out of the question.

It's an epic road with amazing scenery, but "best driving road in the world" according to Top Gear? Wouldn't get my vote. It's certainly daunting, because it's very narrow, not in the best state of repair, and completely unforgiving of mistakes. But it's more a tires-and-brakes road than it is handling and balance.

Sure, it's an interesting experience to be accelerating down a narrow lane with a high rock wall on one side and some granite blocks separating you and the hereafter on the other, and with another rock wall the only thing visible in front of you, and thinking, "okay, the road's gonna turn sharply, get on the binders and downshift..". Repeat that 49 times on the way up and a whole bunch more, just not quite as tightly on the way down, and that's the Stelvio Pass.

But the hairpins are so extreme that you're really taking half of them at about 3 mph and the other half at maybe 10mph. So it's hard to carry any speed or rhythm or generate much excitement.

That's just me.

Maybe the issue is that the M3 is so competent that it takes a lot of the risk out of doing a drive like this one and kind of dampens the fear-fueled adrenalin rush that would probably be there in a car with less power, dodgy brakes, fewer gears and squirrelly tires.

As always, YMMV.

Key to today's pictures:
There's very little room for error on the north climb up the Stelvio.

Karen's question: "..we're going up _there_?"

You can see why the hairpins are best taken at about walking speed.

Le Mans Blue from above.

View out the hotel side window. Lake Como's the real deal.


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## NagoC50 (Aug 17, 2009)

Looks like great fun, I am looking forward to seeing your posts, BG.

When I saw "almost disaster" -- given your trip a few years ago -- oh, no! Glad the luggage foible was resolved. 

I do see your point about the Stelvio -- but that S65 sounds absolutely fantastic coming out of those turns in the mountains, doesn't it?!

Enjoy!


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## jsublime (Mar 4, 2009)

Great report and an awesome car. No need to tell you to have fun.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

As a matter of fact, downshifting the S65 when being driven aggressively on the Stelvio was pretty cool. It's almost like BMW miniaturized a racing driver and put him in the computer for those folks who never learned how to heel-and-toe a manual transmission, just so they could have the experience. I wouldn't mind standing by the side of the road to hear it from outside. I may do just that when the car gets back to SoCal. Therre's a well-known run up a certain mountain in San Diego County that would provide an ideal venue...


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## SD ///M4 (Jan 24, 2011)

boothguy said:


> As a matter of fact, downshifting the S65 when being driven aggressively on the Stelvio was pretty cool. It's almost like BMW miniaturized a racing driver and put him in the computer for those folks who never learned how to heel-and-toe a manual transmission, just so they could have the experience. I wouldn't mind standing by the side of the road to hear it from outside. I may do just that when the car bet's back to SoCal. Therre's a well-known run up a certain mountain in San Diego County that would provide an ideal venue...


Let me know when you go! I know exactly where you're talking about and this would certainly be fun! I've done this both up and down the front side, and have also been down the back side. A good alternative would be SR78 down Banner Grade on the other side of Julian.

BTW: Excellent color choice! It was my wife's choice, but I really love LMB!


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## AggieKnight (Dec 26, 2008)

jsublime said:


> Great report and an awesome car. No need to tell you to have fun.


Agreed!

Congrats on your new car and fantastic trip.


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## jsciv (Oct 5, 2010)

boothguy said:


> It's an epic road with amazing scenery, but "best driving road in the world" according to Top Gear? Wouldn't get my vote. It's certainly daunting, because it's very narrow, not in the best state of repair, and completely unforgiving of mistakes. But it's more a tires-and-brakes road than it is handling and balance.


I think the Top Gear vote was for the entire Davos-Stelvio route, not just the switchback part of the pass. The segment they did was far longer than just the steep part, and there were spots where they ran the cars out for a while.

Also: since I'm thinking of taking my new 328i out on some drives around here in Southern CA, where is this road in San Diego County that's good? Heck, what ARE some good drives around here?


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## SD ///M4 (Jan 24, 2011)

jsciv said:


> Also: since I'm thinking of taking my new 328i out on some drives around here in Southern CA, where is this road in San Diego County that's good? Heck, what ARE some good drives around here?


Here's the first road that boothguy mentioned. The destination is Mt. Palomar. Coming from I-15 South take the SR76 exist and then go southeast on SR76, from the upper left of the map, then take either the first road (Nate Harrison Road) or the second road (Mt. Palomar Rd/South Grade) off SR 76 to get up to Mt. Palomar. You can then come down either road, or take State Park Road and East Grade Road southeast all the way down to Lake Henshaw, then return west on SR76.

http://goo.gl/maps/OtsW

Here's the second road that I mentioned. From Julian, take it down to Banner and then back up again. This one is short, but intense, and possibly less traffic.

http://goo.gl/maps/JREE

If you've got all day, you can combine them. The roads between Mt. Palomar and Julian are all pretty enjoyable! A good return home would be to take SR79 from south of Lake Henshaw up through Warner springs back to I-15 North back to Orange County.

These are both AWESOME roads and I've done them both many times in my S2000. Mt. Palomar is particularly attractive to motorcyclists and you'll see a lot. Traffic can sometimes be bad and extremely frustrating when you're stuck behind someone out for a Sunday drive and going 30 MPH all the way up without pulling over. I've convinced that some people, possibly local residents, do this on purpose to combat speeders.

I'm looking forward to doing them in the 335is when it arrives home!


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Tom nailed the Mt. Palomar drive I was talking about. I did the I-15-to-Julian routing with a group of my Vintage Ferrari buds last August with me in my 335 cabrio since my F-car is still in pieces - _come sempre_. Chased a 550 Maranello up and led a F430 Scuderia down. Funny thing was that when we started out, they were treating my 335 kinda like it was invisible. But every time we stopped, whomever had been running near me would come over and look at the car like they were seeing it for the first time and say something along the lines of, "#@$% - that thing is quick!".


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

So after not laying eyes on the M3 for three days, since travel around Lake Como is primarily by passenger ferry, I was happy to see it right where I left it, with no other cars anywhere near ***8211; an unusual circumstance in parking-challenged Italian towns.

A quick trip down the Autostrada gets us to the Langhe part of the Piemonte region ***8211; home of some of Italy's best red wines: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Barbaresco and the king of them all, Barolo.

The hilltop towns that produce these wonderful beverages are largely unchanged by time and really tiny (under a thousand inhabitants), and also not very far apart. Which means not too much time on the narrow, twisty roads between wine tastings ***8211; ordinarily a bad thing. But since pouring this stuff into a dump bucket seems so sacrilegious, it's good that the drives are shorter right now.

It's been raining off and on, which means the Le Mans Blue is showing the dirt. But I'm really liking the current-generation NAV, and the I-Drive is way better than on my '08 335 E93 as well. The non-runflat Michelin Pilot Sports are compliant but plenty grippy and the DCT gearbox is really dual purpose. Let it shift on its own, and it's almost imperceptible in its smoothness. But in spirited driving and using the paddles, it's lightning-quick and extremely direct. Wow.

They're introdcing the 2007 vintage in Barolo tomorrow and all the producers will be there pouring. We'll see if we can elbow our way into the town, which seems to have parking for about 50 cars total.

Key to today's pictures:
Lake Como ferries stop at picturesque towns large and small.

We waved to George Clooney, but he didn't wave back ***8211; the snob. He's OFF the Christmas card list for this.

Less than a week and the M3's already pretty dirty. Energetic lady in the picture restored this villa above Alba and turned it into a seven-room B&B, and it's even nicer than this picture can depict.

View from last night's restaurant toward Barbaresco (with the tower), and all those Nebbiolo grapes in between, just waiting their turn to become wine.

Wine tasting with a view ***8211; Barbaresco.

Wine tasting with producer Giuseppe Grasso in his cellar at Cascina del Monastero. Good Barolo is astronomically expensive in the States, but here, 25Euro gets you a really nice bottle of wine. And this was REALLY nice.

A couple of Swiss families were tasting at Cascina Del Monastero with us, and took home at least six cases of wine, all crammed into the back of his 3er wagon. I asked the driver here in the pic where the luggage was going to fit, and he said, ".. the wine is more important". A man after my own heart.

Giuseppe left us on our own in the cantina with 12 bottles of wine. Luckily, moderation won the day ***8211; otherwise we'd have been sleeping there.


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

Congratulation on your second ED and upgrade to M3! :thumbup:
Thanks for sharing your stories and photos! :thumbup:


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## mason (Jun 8, 2006)

Great wine tasting!!


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Sorry I got on your report late David. Fabulous, of course.... and yes, I'm very jealous :angel:










Thanks for the memories :bigpimp:


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Hey Stuart:

I tried to get you and Beth to overlap with us for at least part of this trip, but you both demurred. So don't come cryin' to me now that you're seeing all the fun stuff.

Driving just one of these passes was a big deal for me; don't I remember you did like four?


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Here's a postscript to the Barolo visit. As previously mentioned, they made the official introduction of the 2007 vintage of this renowned wine on Sunday. We made the trek and arrived in light rain to the media-attended announcement, which was held outside under a big canopy. We stood on the fringes like the tourists we were, but still got a glass of wine to sample just like the rest of the folks.

After checking out the Corkscrew Museum (I swear) and getting some lunch which for me was a nice risotto made with Barolo wine, we went back to the regional wine tasting room where every one of the 115 Barolo producers had offered some of their product for tasting (and sale, if you wanted). A 15 Euro fee bought you a glass and an open playing field for the next three hours. Taste all 115 if you could, or just try a couple and call it a day.

But by this time the weather had deteriorated further and our previous plan to drive around to some nice villages in the area went out the window about an hour into the tasting session. The weather was too bad, the tasting room was nice and warm, and the wine was Barolo, after all.

By the end of the allotted three hours, we had actually shared 35 tastes between us, which felt like a pretty valiant effort given the circumstances. I suppose we could have gone for all 115 if we had stood at each of the three tasting tables in succession, each of which carried Barolo from a different part of the production zone, and gone _swirl-sniff-sip-spit_. But I just can't bring myself to be that disrespectful to the product of so much hard work.

It's said that the professional wine experts taste a hundred wines a day. If true, my hat's off to them. I felt sure that my taste buds were saturated by Hour Two, but surprisingly was still differentiating wines #33, 34 and 35.

Not having dropped breadcrumbs from the parking lot on the way to the big event, we got a little turned around (blame it on the wine) and got pretty wet in the heavy rain on the way back to the car. But it was a really unique, totally worthwhile experience.

We drove the 7½ hours from Alba to the town of Velletri just south of Rome today to visit some friends who have a house here and are staying for a month. The M3's seats are definitely way more comfy than the rest of the 3er line. A drive that long in my '08 E93 would have been tough for me and really uncomfortable for Karen, whose limit in the '08 was about two hours. But there's a big difference in the gas mileage as well; that 90 Euro fillup on the Autostrada was pretty sobering, considering there was still a quarter-tank left.

We had home-made pizza with the family of the folks we're visiting, and with four bottles of wine open, were glad the walk home was only about a hundred feet. I've heard that at an Italian dinner table, everyone talks at once. Seems to be only a slight exaggeration.

Key to today's photos:
A little rain in your Barolo doesn't hurt a thing.

Barolo as far as the eye can see.

One of the 115, served by actual _sommeliers_.

Homemade pizza with sliced potatoes, rosemary and cheese. Oh, yeah&#8230;......


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

boothguy ,
Thank for great report and photos. After finish reading your post I feel I was there with you.


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

But, but, but... I had JUST gotten back from Holland a few weeks before you left... and I'm leaving for Norway in a few weeks from now! I would have loved to join you but my boss would notice my absence. :angel:

Nonetheless I am jealous...


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

boothguy said:


> Hey Stuart:
> 
> I tried to get you and Beth to overlap with us for at least part of this trip, but you both demurred. So don't come crying' to me now that you're seeing all the fun stuff.
> 
> Driving just one of these passes was a big deal. don't I remember you did like four?


Total number was 18... I think :thumbup: By the time we started heading back up to Germany, through the Maritime Alp passes, Mrs. Poc was giving me some pretty dirty looks 

BTW, Mrs. Poc wasn't very happy going up the Stelvio : puke: Say no more :angel:

Your better half certainly made the right decision letting you go up on your own :bigpimp:


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## Jeeter (Oct 7, 2004)

Great car and it sounds like a great trip. I'm picking up the same car in a couple of weeks, a LeMans Blue e93 with MDCT and Beige interior.

My wife has seen the Top Gear episode with Stelvio and knows we are going up it. It will be interesting to see how she likes all the hairpin turns. I'm sure I'll be loving it as I'm the one that will be driving. We are going in the opposite direction as the Top Gear guys. We will be starting in Merano that morning and staying that night in Davos. This means we start with Stelvio and end with Fluela. Maybe I'll have to get her a glass of wine or 2 in Bormio to settle her nerves and help her relax for Fluela.

jeeter


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

The two sides of the pass are significantly different. It's possible to carry more speed on the south (Bormio) side of the summit. The hairpins on the north (Stilfs/Gomagoi/Davos) side are so tight and the climb so steep that you'd be going slowly if you were doing it on foot; let alone piloting an M3. If you want to drive it aggressively, do it really early in the morning. I did it before 0800 and had the road almost to myself. 

Congratulations on your discerning choice of vehicle, and let us see/hear how it goes.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

We’re now happily ensconced in the heart of Tuscany: Chianti Classico country. Specifically, Panzano in Chianti - a little south of Firenze. Drove here today on the first completely sunny, no-windshield-wipers day since probably Munich, 11 days ago. But before I get started on detailing the wretched excess that the next three days is likely to entail, let’s first get caught up on the past three.

The balance of our two days with our California friends currently staying in Velletri just kept getting better and better before we headed out to Castel Gandalfo – the summer residence of the Pope.

Surprisingly, Castel and the surrounding area is dotted with lakes formed in the craters of extinct volcanos. The deep waters provide a cooling breeze that people sweltering in Rome’s summer heat and humidity have been drawn to for centuries. Pope Benedict apparently wasn’t at home, since no one answered when we rattled the gates. But a nice lunch of Porchetta in nearby Ariccia was a carnivore’s dream. To make it, a whole pig is stuffed with rosemary, salt and other seasonings and then consigned to an oven for hours. Our Porchetta lunch consisted of a pile of pork served on a double sheet of paper, with some bread and fresh Mozzarella on the side. The crackling skin on the outside and the rosemary, salt and other spices on the inside of virtually each slice were delicious. 

Next day, our friends Angela and Romolo took us to Artena – the steepest hilltown I’ve ever seen, for a nice lunch. The hill that the town is built upon is so steep, that the house behind is almost completely visible above the house in front; at your front door, you’d be literally looking out well above your neighbor’s chimney. The place is so steep that they employ a squad of mules to pack out the day’s trash.

Lunch was in a little osteria that had been hacked out of the rock of the hill. Like us, the diggers had run out of energy as they went further into the rock, because where we sat in the grotto, maybe 25 feet from the door, we had to bend over to get to our seats against the rock wall. 

Here's the key to today’s pictures:

Nobody home at the Pope’s summer cottage.

Pile of Porchetta with Mozzarella and bread.

Mules still have jobs in the steep streets of Artena.

Restaurant dining area was chiseled out of the rock.


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## SD ///M4 (Jan 24, 2011)

Awesome! Keep those reports coming!


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

So, while visiting our new/old friends in their home-for-a-year in Spoleto, I realized that while it's nice to have surprise, unplanned experiences while visiting a new place, it's REALLY good to experience it with someone who knows it well. And thus it was with Spoleto. Let me explain.

We had been trying to meet with fellow Italian students and wine-lovers Steve and Denise face-to-face in SoCal for nearly three years (they lived in nearby Temecula) and had failed every time. But it took us traveling halfway around the world to where they are now staying in Spoleto, Umbria, Italy for a year, to finally look them in the eye for the first time. And it turned out really well.

They're empty-nesters and Steve's work allows him to do it from wherever there's an Internet connection. So being the adventuresome type(s), they decided to live in Italy (specifically Spoleto) for a year ***8211; just for the experience. Points to them already, just for this.

They invited all sorts of folks who might be traveling their direction to visit, and we actually took them up on it. They welcomed us into their comfy apartment inside the old walled city and we proceeded to enjoy some wine we brought, plus some they offered, over a nice lasagna they made just because we were coming. Then, we took the first of a series of walks with them around Spoleto, with them pointing out some of their favorite spots and generally giving us the insider's view of their adopted town.

Next day, they also took us to a real Italian pranzo: a three-hour lunch that was technically four courses but in actuality offered something like eleven or twelve different dishes (if you count the five different pizzas on their own). Not being satisfied to sit inside on a beautiful sunny day, we hauled a table outdoors and were having a great time until the first fat drops of an eventual torrential downpour chased us indoors for dessert.

Next morning, I discovered that a local cat had used the BMW's hood as a bridge the previous day. A nice set of muddy, meandering paw prints made for a nice contrast on the hood, all dried to a crusty finish.

Key to today's pictures:
Lasagna and wine with Steve and Denise on their Spoleto terrace.

Halfway up to the top of Spoleto's walled town, with some sunshine between the rain clouds.

Local shoe repair man is always ready for a short break for a chat.

Excavated Roman amphitheater is still used for performances.

Oldest church I've ever seen at just about 1,500 years.

Muddy cat took a shortcut over the hoof of the car. That's okay, it's already really dirty.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

After the sensory and gustatory overload of Piemonte ***8211; Barolo in particular - Chianti Classico country in the heart of Tuscany actually turned out to be a nice, relaxing three days.

On our way from Spoleto, we took Steve and Denise's advice and stopped for a while in Assisi. We walked around the fringes of a First Communion ceremony where proud parents were snapping pictures and exchanging the latest news ***8211; a nice slice of small-town life.

Once in green, hilly Chianti country, we stayed in a wonderful converted villa called Relais Fattoria Valle outside of Panzano in Chianti, where I had the best two dinners of the trip thus far. We also managed to destroy an artfully prepared dessert in less time than it takes you to read this passage.

Panzano is also where Dario Cecchini, the world's most famous butcher, has his shop ***8211; just a stone's throw from where we were staying. We walked over Sunday morning and the shop's renowned hospitality was flowing freely ***8211; I had barely stepped inside the shop when a nice girl offered us a couple of glasses of wine, and there was a table overflowing with bread and oil, salumi, cheese and other good stuff, while a guitarist played in the background. All this in a space that barely accommodates six people and to accompany the slicing of some of the world's finest beef ***8211; the local Chianina.

Sampling the local wines was simplified in nearby Greve in Chianti, where the regional wine cellar has 150 wines available on a pay-as-you-go system. Everything from a .60 Euro taste of a D.O.C. Chianti, up to an 8.40 Euro taste of a bottle of Marchesi Antinori Solaia that sells for 190 Euro or $265. First reaction was that the Solaia was pretty good, but not something we'd pay that much for. But with the really fine wines, we're finding that the finish is what makes the difference. So on the subsequent tastes, we started to re-think our decision. We finally left with a really nice bottle of Chianti Classico Riserva, for considerably less than $265. 

The Saturday market was in full swing in Greve as well. Each of the specialty merchants has all their wares packed inside trucks and go from town-to-town on their individual market days. They all specialize, so while one may have salumi and cheeses, another might have shoes, purses or textiles and sewing needs.

We were also able to visit and taste at Castello Brolio, which has been in the same family for 32 generations. Our Wines of the World Professor, Dick Colangelo, knew Baron Ricasoli (whose family owns the castle, the vineyards and winery) quite well, and we tried a little subtle name-dropping, but to no avail. No matter, though ***8211; we really enjoyed the wines and walked out with a couple more purchases.

Not far away, the BMW got its picture taken in front of the modern portion of Villa Vignamaggio, where the Gherardini's family's daughter, Lisa was born in 1479, married a local silk merchant named Giacondo, and later posed for the world's most famous portrait. Five points and a really nice glass of wine to the first person who can name the portrait.

We also relaxed our no-big-cities rule to visit Siena ***8211; which really isn't a big city ***8211; but it's still packed with way more tourists than we want to be around. It was worth it to see the piazza where the famous Palio is run (I'm a Tartuca fan) and to visit the cathedral, which was built primarily to impress outsiders. 

Key to today's pictures:
First Communion day in Assisi ***8211; proud papas are the same the world around.

Tuscany's rolling hills in some welcome sunshine.

This terrific dessert was gone in the blink of an eye.

World's Most Famous Butcher Dario Cecchini in his element in Panzano.

Self service wine tasting in Greve - when else are we gonna try some $265-a-bottle wine?

Market day in Greve ***8211; all this sewing stuff goes back in the merchant's truck at the end of the day.

The BMW gets its picture taken in front of a famous lady's house.

Siena's famous Campo in a panoramic shot.

Siena's duomo was built to impress visitors ***8211; us included.


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## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

mona lisa


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

3ismagic# said:


> mona lisa


+1! La Gioconda !!!!!
Just yesterday watched episode with Anthony Bourdain at this butcher house!

Sienna was our favorite city in Tuscany!


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## NateXTR (Aug 8, 2006)

Wow! What a trip. Congratulations! Superb write-up as well. We are starting to plan our next ED for June of 2012 and Tuscany is the destination. Thanks for pointing out some great things to do. I hope your trip back is safe and re-delivery is quick.

PS. I, too, can appreciate the 1000th post as this is mine.


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

boothguy said:


> Thanks to everyone for the kind words. My goal was really to take you all along on this trip, and if I at least gave those here who are considering an ED Adventure of their own a glimpse of what a driving trip in Europe can be like; and gave the veterans here a nostalgic smile because I made them recall some pleasurable aspect of their own trip, then I did what I set out to do.
> 
> This was definitely a more wine-centric trip than my previous ones have been, but that's the beauty of traveling in this wonderful psrt of the world: you can build your itinerary around whatever interests you because there's so much for every interest.


Get on my "Top 10 reports" list for sure.


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## admranger (Dec 24, 2005)

While not a narrow city street like your video, boothguy, a friend experienced something similar. On our 2002 ED, we were traveling with a large group of enthusiasts (12 of us picked up new M3's on the same morning). One of the group was in a rental BMW and he had a small incident on one of the narrow mountain passes we were on. He collected mirrors with an oncoming car! He is a very skilled driver but the road was too narrow for his rental 5 series and the oncoming vehicle. Splat!

It's always an adventure out there!


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## jcain (Jun 17, 2007)

boothguy said:


> Thanks to everyone for the kind words. My goal was really to take you all along on this trip, and if I at least gave those here who are considering an ED Adventure of their own a glimpse of what a driving trip in Europe can be like; and gave the veterans here a nostalgic smile because I made them recall some pleasurable aspect of their own trip, then I did what I set out to do.
> 
> This was definitely a more wine-centric trip than my previous ones have been, but that's the beauty of traveling in this wonderful psrt of the world: you can build your itinerary around whatever interests you because there's so much for every interest.


Thanks as always for the write-up. I'm getting both the nostalgia for my first ED (and remembering your ordeal from 3 years ago, actually ) and a glimpse of the next one as we're going to Italy this time around. On that topic, any restaurant recommendations for Lake Como? We're staying in Bellagio but I don't think a nice drive with the top down to go somewhere else is out the question.


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

jcain said:


> Thanks as always for the write-up. I'm getting both the nostalgia for my first ED (and remembering your ordeal from 3 years ago, actually ) and a glimpse of the next one as we're going to Italy this time around. On that topic, any restaurant recommendations for Lake Como? We're staying in Bellagio but I don't think a nice drive with the top down to go somewhere else is out the question.


Now this, I can answer!

Ristorante Barchetta. It's on one of the "stepped" pedestrian alleys. I know exactly where it is but I don't know the name of the alley. It's popular, you will walk past it if you are staying there.

Get on the ferry and check out Lenno during your stay. Albergo Plinio is a short 5 minute stroll from the dock - waterfront. Our favorite spaghetti bolognese. I also get a filled pasta with sage/butter sauce.

Varenna: Vecchia Varenna on the waterfront. For views, Eremo Gaudio. The food isn't much to crow about, but you won't mind when you see the views from there. Just drink a lot of prosecco.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

I really appreciate all the nice comments. Although much of the experience driving in Italy isn't really as hairy as it looks initially, there are definitely times when you have to thread the needle.

Hmm, staying in Bellagio actually complicates things somewhat if you're thinking of going for a drive. The reason is that the roads are narrow and the distances, though not far, take a relatively long time to cover. Being way out on the peninsula, as Bellagio is, means your best bet to get to the more populated west shore of the Como leg of the lake means a couple of rides on the _Traghetto_ or car ferry. Could be a fun experience or a costly hassle, depending on your point of view. I honestly wouldn't classify driving around the lake as a relaxing, top-down experience. It really demands your full attention and concentration, especially with tour buses on the road.

You can also do what I (and I suspect a lot of experienced visitors to the lake) did, and that's put the car in the garage and take the _Vaporetto_ (passenger ferry) where you want to go. The towns are all pretty small and the interesting stuff tends to be within an easy walk of the ferry landings.

My favorite eating spot in Bellagio is Hotel Ristorante La Pergola, which requires a bit of a hike up and over the spine of the town and down to the little port on the opposite of the peninsula. For me, it's what Bellagio ought to be: that gorgeous location (just looking the opposite direction from the main part of town) and without those hordes of people just like you, all trying to get a table and a waiter's attention. You can pretend it's your own secret discovery and because it's so small, probably have the place mostly to yourself.

My overall favorite eating place on the lake is Pizzeria Giardino in Cernobbio, just a stone's throw from Villa d'Este. Completely unassuming from the front, it has no view at all, but serves my favorite pizza in the whole wide world: you can taste every ingredient. They also have a full menu of very nice dishes and a very fine wine list. The decor is very upscale as well, which you wouldn't expect from the name, and although always busy, service is good.

Attaching a picture of the ambience you'll enjoy at La Pergola (that's Varenna in the distance), and the food you'll enjoy at Pizzeria Giardino.


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## jcain (Jun 17, 2007)

Thanks to boothguy and skywalkerbeth for the advice and the restaurant recommendations. Those places look excellent from the photos. It sounds like the way to go is park the car and walk/take the ferry. I've never been to Italy before so I guess I'll soon find out how much needle-threading is required.


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## kashrahman (May 10, 2004)

sorry to hear about your top issues -- glad it was nothing more serious. over time mine has occasionally been a little touchy, requiring a sensor replacement and a hydraulic motor replacement. but 98% of the time she works great! wonderful ED trip, awesome pics! Kash


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## Wine-O (Feb 17, 2010)

kashrahman said:


> sorry to hear about your top issues -- glad it was nothing more serious. over time mine has occasionally been a little touchy, requiring a sensor replacement and a hydraulic motor replacement. but 98% of the time she works great! wonderful ED trip, awesome pics! Kash


Yeah, I was there when it happened. He wasn't a happy camper, but the Welt went to general quarters and figured out what the problem was -- just a simple little thing out of its place. :thumbup:


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Regarding driving around the lake (or just about anyplace in Italy for that matter), experience really helps. First time I did it, I encountered a tour bus coming the other way in a couple of the most inopportune spots, and was pretty sure the next sound I was going to be hearing was crumpling sheet metal. Worked out fine, though, probably due in large part to the experience of the other drivers. Scarcely gave it a second thought by this trip - #4.

The issue with the rectractable top on this trip was actually kind of funny at the end. But at first when the top would go into the trunk but the decklid wouldn't close, and Bernard was clearly stumped too, Karen's eyes got real big as she stammered, "...b-b-but how long is this "repair" going to take?", clearly recalling the 2 1/2 days we lost in '08, and knowing that we were once again headed for her favorite place on the whole trip: Lake Como. Bernard of course couldn't answer, but we were all relieved when the problem turned out to be the mis-placed front license plate holder, sitting in the "no-go" zone in the trunk.


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## NateXTR (Aug 8, 2006)

jcain said:


> Thanks as always for the write-up. I'm getting both the nostalgia for my first ED (and remembering your ordeal from 3 years ago, actually ) and a glimpse of the next one as we're going to Italy this time around. On that topic, any restaurant recommendations for Lake Como? We're staying in Bellagio but I don't think a nice drive with the top down to go somewhere else is out the question.


We stayed in Varrena and took the ferry to Bellagio for the purpose of driving. Not far above town, there is a small chapel dedicated to the Madonna Del Ghisallo, the patron saint of cyclists. The climb has been used for years in both the Giro d'Italia and the Beautiful fall classic bike race called the tour of Lombardi. Over the years, professional cyclists have donated memorabilia to the chapel. So much so that they decided to open a museum with all of the gear. One of the most moving displays is the wrecked bike of Fabio Casertelii, a teammate of Lance Armstrong, who crashed and died in the Tour de France. Regardless, it is a nice, twisty, drive up to the chapel on back roads. Also, there is a great view of the lake from the courtyard of the museum... Enjoy!

PS. When we asked for directions in pidgin Italian (dové il Madonna del Ghisallo?) the answer was succinctly "alto,alto,alto!". Whenever we got to an intersection we took the direction that seemed to go up. It worked!


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## BickUW89 (Apr 18, 2008)

*Great Report*

Boothguy,

Nice job on the report. I've been pretty absent from BFest the last couple of months because i'm just buried in work and simply haven't had time, but...

Three years ago I did ED for my 2008 550i. You, Skywalkerbeth, and many other very familiar names in this thread were also doing ED that year, so I feel a little fraternal bond with you all, even though I haven't spent much time corresponding with each of you.

My wife and I are heading back to Munich in two weeks, and we pick up her 535xi on Friday, July 15th. Spending two sure-to-be-fun weeks between Munich, Amsterdam, and the Rhine river, with lots of fun and interesting stops in between.

For anyone wondering how well an '08 E60 is holding up after 3 years and out of warranty - I've put 52,000 miles on this baby and she hasn't had any issues whatsoever. I can't even believe that such a complex piece of machinery and circuitry could be so much fun and so trouble free. It's holding up so well and has been so much fun to have that I went ahead and bought it off of lease, and got a SCREAMING deal from by BFest CA (Jim Mannheimer, Salem, OR) on what was essentially a 2:1 transaction. My wife is now a BMW convert, too, and HAD to have her own, and HAD to get it in Munich.

Huzzah!

BickUW89


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Nice of you to mention that "fraternal bond" thing, which at least for me, is a very real part of this forum and therefore of my BMW ownership thus far. The Spousal Unit doesn't really get it, but I know a lot of people here do. 

So if I'm understanding correctly, you're keeping your '08 550 and the new car is for your wife, who enjoyed the last experience so much, she's doing it again for her car? I'd compliment you on the nice sales job if I didn't already know how addictive the whole ED experience really is. 

Looking forward to hearing and seeing more beginning in two weeks! Be advised that you're expected to top your great trip report from three years ago.


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## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

Here's to hoping the ED experience rubs off on my wife. To her cars are an A to B proposition and should be as efficient, safe, and reliable as possible. Anything else is irrelevant to her. She is ambivalent about BMWs, though she is lovingly benevolent when it comes to indulging my BMW fetish. Thank god she loves to travel as the ED is what finally sold her on it.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

I'll lay odds that unless something really untoward happens on your trip, your wife will be just as hooked as mine was after our first ED trip seven years ago. Nature of the beast. And I'm speaking of ED here... not the wife.

Even with the problems encountered on our '08 trip, she was agitating for the just-completed trip to happen.


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## TheBry (Dec 18, 2007)

BoothGuy,

Really nice write up. I've been following you every step of the way. Enjoy the hell out of that E93 M3 -- I've been loving mine.


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## BickUW89 (Apr 18, 2008)

boothguy said:


> So if I'm understanding correctly, you're keeping your '08 550 and the new car is for your wife, who enjoyed the last experience so much, she's doing it again for her car?


Yep, that's what happened. I had to do a pretty hard sales job on her before I convinced her to get the E60, but my E39 was 8 years old and had 120,000 miles by then. "Honey, I NEED a new car."

She was totally not into The Welt experience, at the time. Wouldn't pose in the picture, and just kind of stood off to the side the whole time while I was acting like a kid in a candy store. Never even drove the new car while we were in Europe, if you can believe it. :dunno:

Fast forward a couple of months, and one day she drove my car to work instead of her minivan. She came home that evening with a cheshire cat grin and exclaimed "OMG, I LOVE your car." Sold. :thumbup:

Now, the kids are almost all grown up and out of the house (down to our last one, who graduates next year), and we no longer need a minivan. It's 8 years old and has a 100,000 miles on it. "I don't want to drive a dumb old minivan around anymore."

Me: "Honey, do you want to go back to Germany and get you a car?"

Her: "Yes Yes YES! Let's do it!!"

The rest is history in the making. :bigpimp:


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

BickUW89 said:


> She was totally not into The Welt experience, at the time. Wouldn't pose in the picture, and just kind of stood off to the side the whole time while I was acting like a kid in a candy store. Never even drove the new car while we were in Europe, if you can believe it.:


My Spousal Unit has never driven on any of the three European Delivery trips thus far, totaling more than 7,500 miles. And one of them was HER CAR. I wonder how many others here have had a similar experience?


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

boothguy said:


> My Spousal Unit has never driven on any of the three European Delivery trips thus far, totaling more than 7,500 miles. And one of them was HER CAR. I wonder how many others here have had a similar experience?


+1! 
Even if my wife's name was on PO, and I ask her few times - she refuse to drive in Europe.
She regret now big time. 
But she is big fan of ED - last time she told me - I don't care what car you get me, all I care - we flying to Germany for pick up. :thumbup:


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## Wine-O (Feb 17, 2010)

boothguy said:


> My Spousal Unit has never driven on any of the three European Delivery trips thus far, totaling more than 7,500 miles. And one of them was HER CAR. I wonder how many others here have had a similar experience?


I drove "her" car out of Munich, and once we got on the A7, I pulled into the first rest area and turned over the keys to her. The next rest stop, she pulled in, gave me the keys, and I had the car for the remainder of our ED. Even though she does well on the Garden State Parkway, she had big problems with the autobahn. Some of those cars were going pretty darn fast.  That coupled with the back roads and narrow village streets, I was in 7th heaven. :thumbup:


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## SD ///M4 (Jan 24, 2011)

My wife did the victory lap and then drove her car off the floor at the Welt. Then after we had the car brought around she drove to Dingolfing. I drove back. The next day she drove the entire way to Salzburg in the rain. We traded off driving the rest of the trip. She did 145 on the Autobahn. When we got a flat tire on a Saturday afternoon, the day before Nurburgring, she told me later that she almost cried realizing the she wouldn't be able to drive the Nurburgring. She's looking forward to taking the BMW CCA Car Control Clinic at the end of July and the BMW CCA Driving School at Willow Springs in December. She loves driving her car and she thoroughly enjoyed driving it in Germany!


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