My S3 8P...Alps Time.....

[mjr901]

Off to the French Alps tomorrow, few pictures of her before I go....albeit dirty, but weather is crap here and fed up of washing the damn thing!!

Not the first time abroad with her, went to Luxembourg the year before last too when she was brand new.

I'd usually go in my Mitsubishi Shogun, but have since sold it...so now the S3 to be used properly...

Will get some snowy pictures and other random places on route.

Interior spruce up..

Last year it measured exactly 850 miles each way, not so fun in the Shogun....but in the S3...lots of fun to be had!

Lets hope I fair better than Schumacher in this trip, doesn't look good for him..

 

[Jonse]

So jealous. Please post loads of pics. Im planning a european trip in August. so keen to hear what the roads are like.

 

[grchmason]

Have a safe trip and I look forward to seeing load more pics fella!!!!!

Cheers

 

[mjr901]

So jealous. Please post loads of pics. Im planning a european trip in August. so keen to hear what the roads are like.

Ever heard of the Rico Rally? I've seen a few distant friends do this, absolutely stunning trips they do. Mega money though, but the cars that your around are something else.

Roads are normally very good, smooth as silk all the way through France, until you get to the mountain roads, they suffer from freeze thaw cracking so aren't 100%

Would love to organise an Audisport Ski trip one year, epic value where I stay, been going probably 6/7 years to the same place now, 3 course meals everynight, endless wine with your meal.... and if enough of us go, good discounts too.

 

[S.]

sounds like you're going to have fun
s3 is great on snow with winter tyres. and fun too

 

[Dave-S3]

Very Euro, i love roof bars on the S3, I've got a set of thules myself and the matching bike racks Have a good trip mate, looking forward to the photos!

 

[Jonse]

Ever heard of the Rico Rally? I've seen a few distant friends do this, absolutely stunning trips they do. Mega money though, but the cars that your around are something else.

Roads are normally very good, smooth as silk all the way through France, until you get to the mountain roads, they suffer from freeze thaw cracking so aren't 100%

Would love to organise an Audisport Ski trip one year, epic value where I stay, been going probably 6/7 years to the same place now, 3 course meals everynight, endless wine with your meal.... and if enough of us go, good discounts too.

That would be awesome to organise a ski/European road trip with the Audi lot. Have you got a go pro to get some footage?

 

[mjr901]

That would be awesome to organise a ski/European road trip with the Audi lot. Have you got a go pro to get some footage?

I looked at buying one, then I saw the damn price of the things. Mental.

If anyone is infact keen on a Ski holiday/Road trip this time next year, get in touch, be nice to have a load of us go.

 

[S3_Jacko]

Sounds like a great trip mate.... Have a good 1 and take plenty of pics....

You know how we all like pics!

 

[mjr901]

Too excited to go to bed..... ferry is at 12.15pm tomorrow..... got a 3.5 hour journey to get to it.....

 

[S3_Jacko]

Too excited to go to bed..... ferry is at 12.15pm tomorrow..... got a 3.5 hour journey to get to it.....

I go on long journeys in my van all the time.... My S3 is wkend and evening car, never really get to go long runs in it

I actually get really excited when i'm going a long drive in it haha... i know exactly how you feel but not on that scale.. Would just love to pack up 1 day and go on a epic road adventure... Barcelona??

 

[Andy1608]

Hope the journey goes well, safe travels

 

[S3Alex]

Have a good one.

Hope the roads treat you well!

 

[mjr901]

Thanks all for your wishes, just at reading services now....lovely place..

 

[Jonse]

The junction (j12) before that has a Porsche garage but mainly it has mc Donald's

 

[S3Alex]

The junction (j12) before that has a Porsche garage but mainly it has mc Donald's

Could be worse.

Could be somewhere like Newport Pagnell or South Mimms!

Safe journey

 

[mjr901]

Filled up in Worcester, now in BP at Dover, the S3 ate £40.18 of fuel!! (219.9 miles)

Didn't even go mad.

This is gonna be expensive.

 

[Andy1608]

View attachment 26380
did this route last year. Was shocked at fuel and toll roads, cost way more than thought it would.

 

[stetheo]

Car looks great!

Very jealous, been trying to convince the misses to go skiing or take a drive around Europe and she won't have it. Apparently it would cost too much in fuel! You can't put a price on fun though ha.

 

[Andy1608]

Me and my mate did 3000 miles in a week and didn't budget enough for fuel and toll charges, good example is we got to Switzerland and had to pay €40 just for a window sticker to drive on the road, similar to a tax discount, lasted all year but we only had it for a few days. We saved money by sleeping In the car,was in a Renault espace so threw a mattress in the back and that was the bed lol. Got mugged in Milan which wasn't very exciting though. Ferrari museuem abd factory tour was epic which made up for it

 

[discostu49]

Here is my before and after up the alps or should I say Scottish mountains today ..

 

[mjr901]

Somewhere in France now... I always forget how dreary it is!!!

Stopped for a nice dinner at this American diner looking thing, been cruising at about 70mph all the way through, in no rush.

Had as a look round a few random places of absolutely no interest, all i can find is FOG, and lots of it.

Most exciting part was the tunnel going into Dover so far!!! LOTS of noise.

Non-Res Milltek being drowned out by "Eat Sleep Rave Repeat" at full volume from
the Bose.

Bring on the mountain roads.

 

[crazylegscrane]

Have fun I'm jealous!

Did the Alps in my S3 back in 2009 I think to the 3 Valleys it was good fun

Enjoy the snow

 

[Fanboy]

Have a good and SAFE trip mate
_____[ H A V E F U N ]_____

 

[mjr901]

2.35am, still somewhere in France.

700 miles in, stopped again for a whizz

Exactly what you'd all like to hear. haha

Fair bit of time to kill, redbull has me buzzing, so can't sleep.

Average MPG is showing 27.9 with the 'whistler' as I now call it on the roof and a rammed full car.

Crack on

 

[mjr901]

Some updates...

Reading Services....woohoo i know.

Ferry Queue

Ferry..

Couple of the delightful rest stops...

Probably the most nerve racking part of the journey, the upward journey.....endless sheet ice.

The one time i actually wanted to see one of these...

Fits in nicely I think!

Wil do some more, having a chillax now, then Ski time....then maybe some pictures another day.

Thanks again for all your best wishes!

 

[voorhees]

Looking at home in the snow,enjoy and more importantly keep this updated with pics

 

[veeeight]

Lovely pics.

Small point, I would have personally put the tips to the rear, and the tails to the front (less wind resistance, more downforce at the rear) - and - most importantly, used a really thick plastic sheet to cable-tie around the bindings - I hate dirt and grit being forced into my bindings at speed!!

The thick plastic, so it doesn't tear at motorway speeds, and cable ties, so it doesn't go flap-flap-flap in the wind

And yes, I would be up for a snowsports trip, but maybe the sleazyjet route, rather than driving!

 

[mjr901]

Lovely pics.

Small point, I would have personally put the tips to the rear, and the tails to the front (less wind resistance, more downforce at the rear) - and - most importantly, used a really thick plastic sheet to cable-tie around the bindings - I hate dirt and grit being forced into my bindings at speed!!

The thick plastic, so it doesn't tear at motorway speeds, and cable ties, so it doesn't go flap-flap-flap in the wind

And yes, I would be up for a snowsports trip, but maybe the sleazyjet route, rather than driving!

I hear you, trouble is i cannot open the boot when the tips are the other way around, it catches the spoiler in its furthest forward position, that was definitely my preferred choice too, but it was not meant to be

I just know i would have not thought about it when opening the boot mid journey, then scuffed all my spoiler.

So figured, not much in it really, rather not have to repaint my spoiler.

They were bungeed all tight together too

The drive is half the fun of the holiday!!

 

[Jonse]

How did the car handle driving up the mountain? Any worrying times?

 

[mjr901]

How did the car handle driving up the mountain? Any worrying times?

Initially it was lovely driving it as the roads were clear and loads of swooping S bends, but then it just went like ice for all the hairpin type bends and so you had to be really gentle with the throttle.

Lots of stonewalls to go into, so sideways action only happened the once

The flowers tied to random posts didn't encourage me either.... no barriers in places and you are 100% dead if you go off!!

S3 was faultless on the entire 830 mile trip. Cracking girl.

The tunnels are something else....tried to record the noise, but all I get was wind noise from my phone.

Well worth the trip out, even though S3's are pretty brutal to sleep in.

But hey, plenty of people roughing it, so can't really complain about my leather chair!

French drivers are also idiots, overtaking on stupidly icey blind bends and driving way too fast for the conditions. I don't care if they're used to it, driving a VW transporter van like a plonker isn't cool, but for some reason they all superglue their loud pedal down.

 

[Andy1608]

How much fuel money you gone through so far Lol
All part of the road trip having a bad nights sleep.
Italian drivers are the same, when it rains on the motorway they stop under the bridges and just pile up.
glad your having an epic time, don't hurt yourself skiing

 

[JoeS3]

excellent thread.

car looks great

 

[wuta3]

Jelous! Wish I was driving around in the snow Instead im stuck at my desk.

 

[mjr901]

Not sure how much money fuel was, gave up counting. Split it in half with my friend anyway.

There was 12cm of snow last night, more in places I think.

Car was pretty covered this morning.. Snow past the doors and deeper than the roof bars!!

 

[mjr901]

Bigger spoiler overnight..

I went for a little drive round the carpark, quattro did its stuff amazingly, then a snowplough came and ruined my fun.

 

[mjr901]

A rose between 2 thorns?

Park it in the bus area, spaces are bigger, and usually empty.

 

[crunchie]

Jealous!!!

 

[voorhees]

Make sure you clear your grill of snow so your engine keeps cool

 

[mjr901]

Make sure you clear your grill of snow so your engine keeps cool

-5 here at the moment, took nine years to reach operating temp haha.

I'll venture out of resort later I think if the weather clears, get some shots with some scenery in if I can.

Depends on the roads and the weather.

-12 deg C tonight...it'll like that.