by "duurtlang" (duurtlang)
Published 06/26/2017 at 08:08
by "duurtlang" (duurtlang)
Published 06/26/2017 at 08:08
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STARS: 13
The last day of the trip took us on some other mountain passes before we finally headed back home. Not before refueling with comically cheap gasoline ($4.15 a gallon US) in a tax-free zone in Italy though.
I do expect other trips in the future. Like the big Nürburgring + Spa meet last March these will be the start of a series.
"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
06/26/2017 at 08:25, STARS: 0
Ooh an Audi R8 spotted in its natural habitat!
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/26/2017 at 08:28, STARS: 0
We’ve seen lots of those. And 911s, 911s everywhere. However, I don’t think I’ve seen any other MR2 than the two in our group. Nor have I seen a BRZ/gt86 other than the one in our group.
"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
06/26/2017 at 08:31, STARS: 0
Interesting. Yeah my experience driving in southern Germany was 911's practically as common as economy cars. No surprise that continues south. BRZ’s are pretty damn common to see in the US. Not that high of sales, but lots of them seem to be DD’s. I see more of them than Miatas.
"BvdV - The Dutch Engineer" (dutchengineer)
06/26/2017 at 08:36, STARS: 0
Awesome! That is probably the cheapest gasoline in the whole of Europe.
I think you are onto something with things like this becoming a series. Especially since this kind of trips can be arranged within 1 or 2 months time.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/26/2017 at 08:38, STARS: 1
They can be arranged very quickly. However, the major issues are time and money. If you plan something a bit further in advance more people would be able to join.
"BvdV - The Dutch Engineer" (dutchengineer)
06/26/2017 at 08:41, STARS: 0
That is true, but a bigger group makes arranging everything slightly more complicated again...
"Chinny Raccoon" (chinnyraccoon)
06/26/2017 at 09:04, STARS: 4
We were possibly the only group of people who would pass over gawking at Carrera GT to talk about a first gen MR2's trunk.
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
06/26/2017 at 09:19, STARS: 0
You can count me in for a future trip, some great memories from the first oppomeet and much jealousy from seeing your pics from this one.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/26/2017 at 09:25, STARS: 0
It really was an awesome trip. I understand cost to be one of the largest issues holding people back, so I’ve asked Matt if he can calculate how much he’s spent (per category). That way it’ll be clearer in advance how much a trip like this would cost for those that fly in and rent a car.
"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
06/26/2017 at 09:40, STARS: 1
I didn’t nearly need to fill my tank, but shit, it was 98 cents!
(actually wrong, premium was a bit more expensive, but now “thrift shop” plays in my head)
"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
06/26/2017 at 10:06, STARS: 0
Jealous, looks like it was a ton of fun! What ended up being the route you guys took? Idk anything about roads in the Alps other than Stelvio pass. But I am sure there are many other, less well known roads that are fun.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/26/2017 at 10:10, STARS: 0
This was the trip as planned. It ended up being a little bit too much, so we’ve cut off about a quarter to a third. We did it in 3 days, the full length would’ve been better in 4.
https://trips.furkot.com/ts/zJg4gp
"Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)" (bman76-4)
06/26/2017 at 11:52, STARS: 0
Cheap...
*Paid ~$2.30 a gallon for premium last week*
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/26/2017 at 11:57, STARS: 0
Comically cheap even. Its usually about 30-50% more expensive, depending on where you are. Welcome to Europe I guess. It’s all relative.
I do think the Italians in the tax free zone are making lots of profit on their fuel. With tax removed they can increase the pre-tax price significantly and they’d still be insanely cheap from the perspective of everyone around (excluding Americans..)
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
06/26/2017 at 12:04, STARS: 0
For me it was just that it was so soon after the last one so my finances didnt have time to recover properly.
"Out, but with a W - has found the answer" (belg)
06/26/2017 at 13:05, STARS: 0
A pump in Germany today had a breakdown of the cost, iirc 38% (of the German price) is the actual fuel cost.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/26/2017 at 13:08, STARS: 0
So that’s what, €0.50? The Italian one was high up the mountains so costs might be slightly higher, but it’s clear the margins there are astronomical.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/26/2017 at 13:15, STARS: 0
.98 a liter? So 3.70 a gallon. Not bad, but not great.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/26/2017 at 13:19, STARS: 1
It’s in euros. Still though, it’s been a very long time since I’ve seen prices this low. Even if they’re making a lot of money there, as it’s tax free and tax free gasoline ‘should’ only cost 50 cents per liter.
"Out, but with a W - has found the answer" (belg)
06/26/2017 at 16:36, STARS: 1
Only a couple of us actually did the Stelvio. At night. With thunderstorms raging in the mountain ranges around it (but clear weather on it).
Quite memorable.
"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
06/26/2017 at 21:57, STARS: 1
Midnight runs on the dragon with a few other like-minded crazy people was my favorite part of my whole trip to Deals Gap. I imagine it was much like that!
"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
06/26/2017 at 22:42, STARS: 0
“I do expect other trips in the future. Like the big Nürburgring + Spa meet last March these will be the start of a series.”
Oh man oh man. Friday on my lunch break i thought “i’ll look up rental prices in europe for shits and giggles” holy cow are they cheap compared to US! I know you had them in your original post but it didn’t sink in. Also big bonus i learned that the medium sized airport near me, has cheaper/same cost international flight that don’t require me to first go to the big city.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/27/2017 at 01:15, STARS: 0
There was only one who flew in and rented this time (from the UK) and we’ll try to develop something to reduce costs for a next time. Including 4 hotel stays, all food, his rental, his roughly €150 flight, fuel, EVERYTHING he’s spent about €800. Which I think is steeper than it needs to be. He didn’t share the rental nor the first and last hotel rooms.
I think we should be able to significantly reduce that by sharing rentals and doing something clever with for example lunch (like a simple BBQ on a parking lot in the mountains versus in a restaurant). So maybe €400 excluding flight but including the connecting airport hotels.
"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
06/27/2017 at 22:43, STARS: 0
I’ve had to pay $75 (a day) to rent a 4cylinder fusion(mondeo)
I’m shocked how low the cost for a 3 series or fiat 124. At the closest airport its $1k to rent a v-6 mustang converitble for a week (rip off in my opinion).
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/28/2017 at 20:04, STARS: 0
.98 Euro is 1.10 USD
1 US gallon is 3.78 liters
So I think somewhere around $4.15 a gallon. That is some pricey gas
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/29/2017 at 00:23, STARS: 0
In the US. In Europe you won’t find gas that cheap anywhere, not even close. Outside of the tiny tax free zone Italy had gas in the €1.50-1.70 range. Germany around €1.30-1.40. A liter.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/29/2017 at 11:41, STARS: 0
And holy shit that is expensive. And that is per liter right? So avera €1.60 means €6.05 a gallon or $6.91. Which is crazy cause the most expensive gas in the US would be Hawaii’s average of $4.17 a gallon for regular. That would about the same as your tax free area you got fuel from.
I am going to save a good amount of money for when I drive around Europe.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
06/29/2017 at 17:47, STARS: 1
The advantage is that distances are shorter within Europe. Cars tend to be more frugal too. So don’t be afraid of fuel costs when you’re a tourist.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/29/2017 at 18:42, STARS: 0
Yeah... I don’t plan on renting an econobox tbh. The ideal would be buy something fun and drive it around for a while (ideal is a TVR Tuscan 2S)