Cool to bad you only got to do 85! Did you get run over!

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

You might be surprised to realize that most people drive about 85mph on there. There are a few who drive slower, including the trucks. I generally am in lane three (of four). Sometimes I even got into lane 2 on occasion, but not for long. The rules of moving to the right are very rigid over there.

The left lane is generally reserved for those who are flying. Typically above 120. You can go there if you are doing 85, but, you would have to watch your rear view mirror more than the road in front of you. The lights start flashing about 500 yards back and you only have about 10 seconds to safely get out of the way (if he's doing 140 or so). He's not slowing down even the slightest bit, so, if you don't move, you both are toast.

I've got to tell you that it is quite something to see one of the big Mercedes blow by at 140+. Sends chills up your spine.

this is how it is in our country... lousy drivers.. 60KPH min speed at the expressway.. and most people woudl follow that. .but they are on the fast lane!.. they wont budge, honk or flash them.. they would be the one to get angry!.. tsk..tsk..tsk. a lot of people have died (road rage, then getting shot) because of this simple driver etiquette that is not being followed.

Here if you are on the fast lane.. then you'd probably be doing the minimum speed.. most of the cars running faster are on the slow lane.. go figure!....everybody wants to be at the fast lane.. nobody uses the slow lane.. hence the faster ones shift lanes and use the slow lane.

really pisses me off....

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Mike

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1975 200 - Sold (no pix);
1978 200 - Sold - http://www.pbase.com/hboy/redbaron
1979 300TD - Sold
http://www.pbase.com/hboy/greenwagon
http://www.geocities.com/hboy726/300TD.html
1985 230E - now my daily driver...

I'm a pretty easy going guy but left lane bandits bother me. I don't like tail gating so I don't want to ride them. I usually flash my high beams and if that doesn't move them the horn goes on. I need an air horn, my friends 130+ decibal air horn gets a better response.

Frankly the the highways in Germany sound like paridise I wish we could get drivers to do that over here.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

They really are. Remember, German people are rigid individuals. Laws are there for a reason and are meant to be obeyed. NOBODY drives at 80 mph in the left lane. That I can guarantee you.

Well they do have more of an incentive. What are the chances on I-95 of having a 5k pound S class doing 150+ mph coming up on a rusted out Honda doing 60 in the left lane?

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I can remember the last time my father was stationed over there (early 70s) that a few of the service men brought their hotrods over and couldn't believe the Bugs blowing by them. BTW, I was born in Heidelberg the first time he was stationed there, but I only have vague memories of the last time we were stationed there.

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85 300CD
83 300TD
78 240D (daughter)

That show was pretty much right on.

A few years ago, driving around the Stuttgart area, and on the autobahn between Stuttgart and Ulm, these bright amber lights kept getting in my face. There was about 4 or 5 of them in one day.

I asked a German friend about these, casually. His face turned as white as a sheet, and his jaw actually hit his chest as his head dipped. "How many lights, did you say?" he asked me. "Well, at least 4 or 5 of them," I replied.

He went on to tell me these were traffic cameras, and the Stuttgart area is notorious for them on the surface streets as well as on the autobahn. He told me to cross my fingers that I didn't get a "nasty surprise" in the mail after I got home, saying if I hadn't heard anything in 3 months I would likely be OK.

It's been four years and..nothing (knock on wood). Also said that there is no question that getting that many flashes in so short of a time, any German driver would likely lose their license for a good long time. I was praying that the rental company, on my next trip, didn't have record of me. They've rented SLKs to me for the past 3 years, so I guess not...

Cheers,
Gerry

This year's rental, June, 2004, outside of Carlsson headquarters, Merzig, Germany

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Nachi11744

Me too Hattie. The other thing that really gets me is the number of idiots that don't use turn signals

These people should get tickets but seem to be overlooked.

Cheers,

Bill

A friend who is a Mercedes trained technician said that Mercedes cars (including diesels) were designed to operate at top speed for hours at a time. This includes our 123s and 126s.

I have no doubt my engine is up to the task. I'm a bit concerned about the suspension and tires holding up at 110mph though.

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1984 300Sd 210k

Former cars:
1984 300D 445k (!!) (Strider) Original (and not rebuilt) engine and transmission. Currently running on V80 ( 80% vegetable oil, 20% petroleum products). Actually not, taking a WVO break.
1993 300d 2.5 275k. Current 120/day commuter
1981 300SD 188k (Hans) Killed by a deer

When i'm out on the interestate, my SDL seems as though it's running better at 80mph. However, it seems I rarely get to go that fast only for short pereiods of time. I'm always running up on someone in the left lane doing 60mph. What really burns me up is that they see you coming up behind them and they just won't move over at all. You have to move to the center lane, if you can, and go around them. It's like they do it on purpose, just to show you that they own the lane. Don't you just sometimes wish you had a button in your car that would give them an electric boost under there behinds to make them move over?

Running the left lane in IL will get you a ticket now that they have made it a law like in Germany.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

They made that a law here in Colorado this year too. Didn't seem like anybody had heard of it, so they started a pretty big campain (at least around Boulder) pulling people over who are parking their ass in the left lane. Even I got pulled over, and I hate people for doing that. But the only reason I was in the left lane was because the cop was on the shoulder. Figured I should give him some room. Guess I was wrong

Any highway 65 or above, left lane if for passing only, traffic permitting.

I'll second the 85ish average.

Most traffic moved at speeds similar to our own interstates.

A little faster, but not a whole lot faster.

Now that I recall, I drove the Bahn twice during my overseas tour and was a passenger a third time.

Also drove the Esapna and Italia highways. Very similar in speed and driver conduct. Still the Germans are the best at it.

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1987 300TDT
1981 VW MKI Caddy 1.6 diesel, waiting on engine swap
1983 D-50 Power Ram 4x4 "Mitsubishi" 2.3 turbo diesel
assorted gas powered crap and motorcycles

RIP: 1984 300TDT, 1982 300TDT, 1984 190D 2.2, 1992 300D 2.5, 1987 300TDT, 1982 Maxima LD28, 1983 Maxima LD28, Isuzu C223 P'ups X3, 1983 Holiday Rambler 6.2 Banks turbo diesel, 1984 Winnebago LeSharo 2.1 TD, 1985 Allegro 6.5