Do You Like Cars? Germany’s Got ‘Em!

The car we rented in Germany happened to be a BMW. It was very, very expensive: not because it was a BMW but because the insurance we had to carry on it for the week was outrageously priced, but mandatory. (On that topic, I think when we go back someday, we will only rent a car for the days we intend to drive to the Alps. The public transportation system in Munich ROCKS and it’s way cheaper than a car rental!) It would have been a luxury for us to rent a BMW in the States; over there, they were a dime a dozen. (Hello, Bayerische Motoren Werke/BAVARIAN Motor Works? Home court advantage!) It was a great car.

Kat and Holger recommended that we check out the BMW Museum, which is adjacent to BMW Welt (World), near the Olympic Park in Munich. We would have been able to go on a BMW Plant tour, had our visit not taken place in August: it’s vacation month there!

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So the Museum it was. Walking around, learning the history of BMW while gazing at cars in every color possible from all different decades was pretty fun. Check these out; they’re my favorites.

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On our final full day in Germany, we sat in Kat’s living room, all of us trying to decide what we could all do together. Some ideas were discussed, and we finally settled on taking a drive to Ingolstadt, to check out the Audi Museum Mobile. It was smaller than the BMW Museum, but no less enjoyable (in fact, everyone preferred this museum over the other one).

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What caught our attention on the way in was this big, vertical, rotating thingie, on which many different Audis (including concepts) were displayed:

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The actual exhibits started on the top floor, so that’s where we went, working our way down.

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This chrome Audi was pretty fantastic.

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I have another story about the Audi Museum, but it will be shared in a post tomorrow. You’ll understand why when you read it.

After the museum, we headed over to the Altstadt to walk around for a while. When it was time to head back to Munich so we could have our barbecue, the fun continued. We took the Autobahn back, and we raced Kat and Holger, taking turns passing each other. It was a little rainy that day so the speeds weren’t as fast as we had gone on other occasions during the week, (Holger drove the boys home from the theater when we saw “Inception” and hit 220 kph. That’s 136 mph, kids!) but it was still hilarious.

I took a video so you could watch a little of the fun, but I’ll be honest: it’s nearly three minutes long and about two minutes, thirty seconds of it is total crap. Boring. I don’t want to waste your time, so what I suggest is that you watch the first fifteen to twenty seconds (when Kat and Holger pass us) and then fast forward to the last ten or fifteen seconds to get the payoff. Everything in the middle is just us driving, trying to catch them. It’s probably one of those “you had to be there” things, but I love the total silence in the car (because everyone knew I was recording) and then the spontaneous laughter at the very end. Cracks me up everytime!

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7 Comments

  • ThePeachy1

    LOL I watched the video I did not cheat. Honestly it looks just like my interstate here and the speeds look about the same. Yes German engineering is artwork. I loved my VW bug from back in the day, and yes they do float. a little. don't ask.

  • Michelle

    Those are some way cool cars. And the BMW ones look surprisingly accessible for what I would expect. How fun.

    Did you make it to the toy museum or the taxidermy museum while you were there (I keep forgetting to ask)?

    And the passing? I just remember friends telling me how militant the Germans are about only passing on the left and getting really upset at people in the left lanes not going fast enough. Is that still the case?

  • As Cape Cod Turns

    Love the little yellow BMW Steve Erkel car! I don't think I would want to go 123 mph in it though!

  • Karen MEG

    The BMW museum – wow, I remember that place… I was there, about, what 22 years ago while on a party Contiki tour, a lot of drinking (we were in Europe and Germany of course, so more beer) but I do remember how awesome the museum was. And how crazy the autobahn was too!

    What a great trip with the family, Melisa!

  • PJ Mullen

    Sweet. When we finally make it over there the BMW museum is one of the places I am determined to go. I've wanted a 5 series since the late 80's. And, should the financial capacity ever present itself, I would so do the European Delivery option where I pick my new car up from the factory over there. *Off to play the lottery*

  • Patty@NYC Girl at Heart

    I want a BMW so bad!:) The display at the Audi museum reminds me of stacked Hot Wheels cars…life size ones!

    Great video & nice job driving by your husband.