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From: Luke Wise

To: 540iLE Group ; E34 M5 Group

Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 11:48 PM

Subject: [E34M5RHD-register] Europe teaser

Hi Guys I know you've all been waiting to hear all about the Europe trip so here is something to get you going, at least until I can put something good together. Well it all started in England where we had to pick up a lovely (so we were told) E34 540i 6 speed.  It is/was a Hell Rot sedan with around 155,000 miles on the clock with some nice new additions.  After messing about for 3 days we headed for Scotland.  Note: England sucks for driving!! There are speed cameras used on almost every road and the place is over-run with cars and no where to put them.  The most polite and patient people you'll ever meet though. Scotland!!  Man,  what a country.  It's a shame it's connected to England to be completely honest.  The place is heaven for anything with wheels.  Great road surface,  long sweeping fast bends, tight corners and a view to die for.  The people in Scotland couldn't be more friendly. Ireland:  Definitely forgettable.  It didn't stop raining the whole time we were there!  The only area worth visiting is the South West corner.  Ireland has some absolutely atrocious roads that make NSW country roads look good. France: Beautiful place with nice roads but ever so arrogant people.  They are arrogant in a different way than you would think, more national pride than straight out rude.   Belgium:  Great Chocolate and awesome beer!  You could spend a long and very merry time here.   The Netherlands:  HAHAHA!! I'll take the train thanks.  This place is full of great people but MAN!  FULL OF PEOPLE!!  You have to love traffic jams in this place as it's got the population of Aus in such a tiny space.   Germany:  Time to stretch the legs!  You wouldn't think a 540i with around 300,000km's could pull 240km'h would you?  Well it can!  Got proof with a video, GPS reading and photos.  Don't worry, all courtesy of Sarah, I was too busy having fun. Austria: Not much to say here, an extension of Germany really but with nicer people. STELVIO PASS: Yes, we have conquered Stelvio Pass!  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio_Pass for those of you that don't know it) all 2760 metres of it!  and BTW, Gavia pass topping 2621m is basically the next Mountain pass in Italy after Stelvio.  To me it was even better than Stelvio as it wasn't so crowded and had even more hair raising road.  Details to come. Italy:  Magic country destroyed by the people.  You can understand why Rossi is so good when you see the roads he has to play on.  If it wasn't the Autostrada is was bucketloads of fun!  Switzerland:  Heaven on Earth, at least for a few magic months of the year.  I visited Switzerland just before purchasing #24 on my trip to Europe 4 years ago and saw some awesome roads in a Toyota van.  I told myself that I had to come back in a proper driving car and have some fun! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furka_Pass  This is one of the best roads I have ever driven.  In fact, all the connecting Mountain passes in central Switzerland are!  Videos and photos to come in the novel guys, patience! THE RING!:  My GOD!!!!  Now this makes Wakefield, Winton, Bathurst, etc. look like childs play.  I was lucky enough to go round here on a perfect day.  I have to advise you that my time wasn't as good as I had hoped but with 3 gearboxes, 2 suitcases and a mile other junk in the car and it being my first trip to the Ring I could only manage a time of 11mins 30seconds.  I did manage to pass 2 motorbikes and a Porsche Carrera S though!  The video isn't too bad either but again you will have to wait for that. So there is a little teaser for you.  Not much I know but there is a lot to tell you about!   The trip totalled around 13,000km's give or take a few drives to out of the way places to pick up car parts and things.  Remember I mentioned a so called lovely 540i 6 speed earlier?  Well, it was a really nice car but it had it's problems.  Over the 13,000km's it used and leaked 22 litres of oil!!  I have some photos of the carpark repairs that Dad and I conducted when it decided it only wanted to run on 7 cylinders and not 8.  There is also a lovely shot of Dad holding the broken peice of the front left spring!! Dad took some photos of the UK cancer too when the car was in the final stages of  being pulled apart.  Garry could put his foot in the hole in the sill and still have room to move!  Luckily we have the front half of the car coming back with all the important bits to convert a good Aussie 540i auto to Manual.  Kate will have an LE wanna be soon enough, Look out Frank!! I hope this gives you guys something to look forward to when I post the next novels!  Cheers for now Luke.

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