Air journey sucks at the very best of instances, no matter what class you’re flying. On this case, flying sucks twice as arduous. For one, the airport bus we have been trapped in throughout pre-departure was as humid as a boxer’s arm pit after 12 rounds. And two, we’d spent the weekend in Wörthersee, Austria and now it was residence time.
Right here’s how the weekend performed out…
Friday: 2:30am
It might as nicely be a cliché: The small hours of the morning, filling up with gasoline and caffeine. On this case my chariot is my newly-acquired Renault Clio RS F1, the gasoline is Shell V-Energy, and the beverage of alternative is regardless of the clerk may be bothered to get me from the fridge.
I’m counting on half-hour of sleep and a Ministry of Sound ‘90s Anthems playlist to get me to Heathrow the place I’ll meet Saj to catch our flight. Abandoned roads and the Clio’s induction roar encourage swift progress.
3:30am
Automobiles parked for the weekend, Saj and I catch the terminal shuttle within the hopes of breakfast earlier than our flight. For these of you who’ve by no means tried to take digicam tools via an airport, you might be 800% extra prone to be taken apart and have a disgruntled airport worker violate your gear with the identical ‘hygienic gloves’ they’ve touched 100 different baggage with.
We pay far an excessive amount of for some very common breakfast, do some people-watching (second solely to Speedhunting for leisure) and stroll what looks like 12 miles to our gate, simply in time for boarding.
6:00am
Realising that the brand new Kendrick Lamar album had launched an hour earlier, Saj and I enter a crazed frenzy to obtain the album earlier than take off to have one thing to take heed to on the flight.
6:05am
I go to sleep, however not earlier than looking the SkyMall journal in disgust on the nonsense some individuals purchase. What’s it about being on a aircraft that encourages individuals to purchase watches? Particularly £200 of pseudo-Maserati-branded nastiness in your wrist?
9:00am (Austrian time)
Our Austrian Airways flight lands safely in Vienna and we rush to baggage reclaim to get Saj’s garments. I recommend we depart the garments in order to not wait on the conveyor belt of distress, however Saj isn’t as eager on the thought.
We make our strategy to the automobile rental desk to choose up the mighty Skoda Very good Property that I’d booked for us. Josef, the beautiful man behind the counter, provides us an improve. We discover ourselves in a model new Audi A6 Avant for the weekend.
It takes mere seconds for me to understand that:
1. Automobiles have grow to be far too large for their very own good.
2. Audi has taken the Pimp My Journey strategy of display placement and put them on nearly each conceivable floor of the automobile.
3. The seats in a brand new A6 are a number of the greatest I’ve ever sat in.
Hitting the highway, the Audi decides to have interaction its ‘Lane Help’ mode with the cruise management. Saj nonetheless maintains that I used to be being tough, however hand-on-heart I can say the lane-keeping operate is without doubt one of the most irritating issues I’ve ever skilled behind the wheel. The following three and a half hours are spent battling the automobile for management because it violently decides that I’m 0.3mm too far to the correct, and jerks itself again in line. I’ve had extra mild arm wrestles than this.
Snacks are acquired en route, giving me an opportunity to take a look at the automobile and swear at it profusely from the skin; thus it may well see me and and is aware of how a lot I hate it.
That being stated, as a instrument for munching miles the A6 actually is incredible. We flip off the Autobahn to hit some pretty mountain roads for the final a part of the journey.
Saj goes full Time journal and climbs the closest hill to get some photographs of the Audi in amongst nature. Appears to be like straight out of a press brochure, doesn’t it?
3:00pm
Trying to find some outlets to seize some last-minute provides, we pull right into a retail park the place the primary shock of our journey awaits. An unassuming storage on the nook has its doorways barely propped open. Inside, two attractive Italian rear ends are seen.
I carry out a WRC-esque u-turn and park up at what we be taught is Duller Motorsport, a racing crew with heritage courting at the very least way back to the 1993 DTM championship.
The 2 rear ends belong to a Ferrari F355 and 348TS pairing, a number of the prettiest automobiles to ever come out of Maranello. In entrance of them is one thing simply as particular in my eyes: a fully immaculate E24 BMW 635CSi on TRX radial wheels and with an Alpina steering wheel.
The actual motion is in the principle storage constructing although. There are a pair of BMW race automobiles tucked away within the nook of the workshop – an E36 M3 ‘tin-top’ race automobile, and an E46 M3 ProCar extensive physique, modified S54 and two units of fantastic Alpina-style BBS Motorsport cut up rims. Duller is clearly not the sleepy little outfit it seems to be from the skin.
7:00pm
Checked in to our lodge and hungry, we meet up with some pals of mine who’ve pushed over to Wörthersee and have some pizza. That is the place we’re launched to Luka, proprietor of one of many coolest Mk1 VW Caddys round. It’s so cool, in actual fact, that you may anticipate a highlight on it within the coming days.
Saj was anxious to go and see what automobiles have been swarming the city of Velden-am-Wörthersee, the place to be presently of 12 months. As was I, however in reality there wasn’t actually any have to. Our out of doors seats had a direct view of each a carpark filled with modified equipment and the principle Wörthersee strip the place automobiles have been parading up and down all night.
11:00pm
The remainder of the evening is stuffed with modified automobiles, humid climate and quite cross-looking polizei giving all people a screw-face and side-eye. Engines are revved, egos are flexed and automobiles spend the night cruising up and down the strip. We name it an evening, able to shoot the subsequent day.
Saturday, 10:40am
Resort breakfasts generally is a bit disappointing so we go to a spot advisable by a buddy. An infinite plate of chilly meats and cheeses is thrust onto the desk in entrance of me. Saj has ordered the identical, the Weinerroither Particular, and we feast on probably the most continental unfold possible. When in Austria, in spite of everything…
The following few hours are spent location scouting across the lake and within the mountains. The trick is to search out someplace secluded sufficient that there aren’t homes within the background, but simply constructed up sufficient that low automobiles could make it to the spot. Saj and I are nonetheless 50/50 on whether or not we appeared like drug sellers or undercover polizei, slowly driving round quiet roads in a black Audi Avant.
The proper location has been discovered and Luka’s Caddy is sort of shot. It might be a barely cheeky spot, however it’s 100% price it as soon as the pictures are proven to everybody. It’s not all the time the easiest way to go, however typically you don’t have any alternative however to say sorry as an alternative of asking for permission.
4:00pm
The remainder of the day is spent doing 1000’s of steps across the halls of Messe Klagenfurt at XS CarNight Wörthersee 4.0. You’ll be able to learn up on our present expertise right here.
It’s protected to say we’re impressed.
10:50pm
What we’re not impressed by, nevertheless, is the polizei’s determination to shut the whole city of Velden off to anybody who isn’t a neighborhood or staying in a lodge there. Hungry and drained after a day of taking pictures, we’d pushed 20 minutes to get some meals solely to be turned again round. I perceive that some irresponsible homeowners generally is a nuisance, however to shut the city off to everybody? Absurd.
Sunday, 10:00am
We’re working delayed on our final day in Austria, so we skip breakfast in favour of some cinnamon buns from a petroleum station. This turned out to be a wonderful thought because the pastries are out of this world. Adnan – who we’d met the evening earlier than – arrives in his Lexus LS 400 and we instantly head to a different location we discovered the day earlier than. It’s 25º outdoors (Celsius, after all. Actual numbers.) and I’m pleased that I’ve packed shorts.
Saj didn’t pack shorts, and he exacts his bitter jealousy by flooring the Audi from a standstill whereas I’m taking rolling video out of the boot. It almost sends me flying, however Saj nonetheless insists it was the Audi’s poor throttle really feel. I’ve my doubts…
12:00pm
Luka joins us in his Caddy and all of us make our strategy to a secret XS CarNight meet excessive within the mountains that Andy – XS’s principal man – has invited us to. The winding roads are chic, if slightly slim for the A6 and the LS 400. Each of those automobiles have been designed for the motorway, not little ribbons of tarmac snaking via hills. I seize the chance to {photograph} the wonderful views.
Every part goes completely easily. That’s till Saj bounces our poor, poor Audi so violently off a kerb he throws the wheel alignment out. However it’s wonderful as a result of I promised I wouldn’t inform anybody. Legal responsibility-waiving insurance coverage is a incredible factor.
12:45pm
Arriving on the meet we’re greeted by probably the most unimaginable views of the entire journey. There’s a mountainside of modified automobiles of assorted sizes and styles. There may be additionally curry wurst and beer. The solar is shining, and though we solely have an hour till we make our method again to Vienna, we scramble to take just a few pictures, have some good meals and chill with our newly-made pals.
I don’t imply to be all deep right here, however the individuals you meet alongside the way in which actually are a very powerful a part of any journey. Add to {that a} number of Europe’s best modified automobiles and sunny climate, and you’ve got a weekend that will probably be remembered for a lifetime.
Additionally, Saj hit that kerb actually arduous.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn
Extra Photographs by Saj Selva
Instagram: sajselva
