What’s your favorite route that brings the best out of the Z4?

C

CanardAlsace

Member
 France
We probably all have a road where the Z4 is in its element. Today, I took my Z4 M40 for the first ‘serious’ trip since it arrived last week.
I am lucky that I live in the Alsace right next to vineyards and mountains There is a mythic mountain route ‘Route des Crêtes’ that was also part of Stage 14 of the Tour de France last weekend. It starts in the Rhine valley in Uffoltz and goes up the more than 1000m to the highest point ‘Grand Ballon’ and then continues along mountain ridges past various ski resorts ( le Markstein, Lac Blanc) from one valley to the next. Some good eating spots along the way. (screenshot of Google maps gives you an idea of the first section’. )

So roof down, Sports mode, and off we go.
The agility through the multiple hairpins and soundtrack of pops and bangs from the exhaust was exhilarating. I kept the box in auto, but used the paddle shift through the corners. This was me being lazy but also getting a feel for the car.

Only slightly negative, was that when using the paddles to shift in M mode, the box switched back to D a bit too soon compared to my previous F Type. Again this is probably my lack of experience with the car, and next time I will put the lever into manual.

I will do the route again in September.. at the moment the route is busy with holiday traffic.. but overtaking is also fun with such power under the hood.

So what is your ‘favorite road?’
 

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Did the Route des Crêtes two years ago with the Z. It's a marvelous drive indeed!

Last year I went a bit more to the north, from Wiltz in Luxembourg, touching the German borders and then up to Belgium not far from Spa Francorchamps. Incredible roads in Luxembourg, 90 km/h allowed at lots of places and asphalt in perfect condition. Nothing that will upset the fragile 326 rims! It is not a particularly named or famous route, but i share the gpx track.

Oh and please keep the routes inspiration coming please :)
 

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Owning the M40i Handschalter, pretty much any trip, long or short, is an adventure, it is just a joy to be in and drive. A couple of weeks ago, had to divert off the M5 on my way home and went the back way through Stow-on-the-World to Coventry, M69 and then M1, five and a half hours of open top motoring, just glorious.
 
Absolutely love the Grand Ballon and the Vosges mountains in general. Got lost up there once, late evening on the way from the Ardennes to the Alps, in a Mk3 MR2 - the sat nav suggested route worked until you got to the point where they'd stopped clearing the road and it was suddenly 2 feet deep with snow. Reached my destination at around 2am after setting off at 8am.

Favourite road trip ever, absolutely magical.

Went back a few years later in the 30i and stayed in a lovely hotel, and ate boar. Good times.

Gratuitous photo of the dead end on the first trip and a donkey I met on the second.

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Schwarzwaldstrasse must be pretty close to you too? Incredible scenery up there, and some stunning roads around Mulhouse.
 
Sadly I can't think of any within 100 miles of where I live. :(

But I have really enjoyed some fantastic roads on B21s mostly Scottish tours. After one of those I took in the road on my Avatar on my way home - you can just about see it in the background here.

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It was 3 years ago so I can't be sure, but I think it may have been the A939/A93 between Grantown-on-Spey and Braemar. But wherever it was it was such a treat to find an empty road with good sight lines, a smooth surface and no speed cameras. :D
 
tiglon said:
Absolutely love the Grand Ballon and the Vosges mountains in general. Got lost up there once, late evening on the way from the Ardennes to the Alps, in a Mk3 MR2 - the sat nav suggested route worked until you got to the point where they'd stopped clearing the road and it was suddenly 2 feet deep with snow. Reached my destination at around 2am after setting off at 8am.

Favourite road trip ever, absolutely magical.

Went back a few years later in the 30i and stayed in a lovely hotel, and ate boar. Good times.

Gratuitous photo of the dead end on the first trip and a donkey I met on the second.

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Schwarzwaldstrasse must be pretty close to you too? Incredible scenery up there, and some stunning roads around Mulhouse.
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Yes, correct. This is just the other side of the Rhine, and is also a fabulous run from / to Freiburg- Baden Baden. Both towns are excellent places to visit.
Also I forgot to mention in my post, the advantage of the Z is that even with the roof down, there is also room for bottles of excellent !
Unfortunately, many of these mountain routes particularly in Germany have speed restrictions because of many serious motorcycle accidents. I would tend to avoid weekends because too much traffic and controls.
 
sars said:
Owning the M40i Handschalter, pretty much any trip, long or short, is an adventure, it is just a joy to be in and drive. A couple of weeks ago, had to divert off the M5 on my way home and went the back way through Stow-on-the-World to Coventry, M69 and then M1, five and a half hours of open top motoring, just glorious
sars said:
Owning the M40i Handschalter, pretty much any trip, long or short, is an adventure, it is just a joy to be in and drive. A couple of weeks ago, had to divert off the M5 on my way home and went the back way through Stow-on-the-World to Coventry, M69 and then M1, five and a half hours of open top motoring, just glorious.
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Excellent idea. I will try that when I visit my mother. Before I left Blighty, I lived in Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds and did an almost daily run up to Coventry on that road. If I remember rightly, this is the Fosse Way and there are some fantastic sections starting in Broadway and across to Bourton and up to the M40 around Warwick.
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Only a few months and miles in, but for me (currently) it's the back roads near Stroud. Through Frocester, then past Hunters Hall. Left at the lights, right at Nailsworth and through Rodborough common (mind the cows). Minchinhampton, right just after the glider airport. Through Rodmarton, right onto A433, through Tetbury bringing us back to the lights near Hunters Hall (straight over). Trace back towards Frocester.

It's not Scotland, or Wales but it's great roads and camera free.
 
Mr Tidy said:
Sadly I can't think of any within 100 miles of where I live. :(

But I have really enjoyed some fantastic roads on B21s mostly Scottish tours. After one of those I took in the road on my Avatar on my way home - you can just about see it in the background here.

View attachment 297824

It was 3 years ago so I can't be sure, but I think it may have been the A939/A93 between Grantown-on-Spey and Braemar. But wherever it was it was such a treat to find an empty road with good sight lines, a smooth surface and no speed cameras. :D
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There must be several north of the border. Top Gear seemed to do a lot of road tests up there. I remember one with the F Type V8 … no idea where though.
 
Anyone know some in the North West ? I will visit my mother who is in a retirement home on Lancashire in September / October and will do a tour. I know some of the Lakeland passes, but from memory our almost single track.
Suggestions ?
 
CanardAlsace said:
Anyone know some in the North West ? I will visit my mother who is in a retirement home on Lancashire in September / October and will do a tour. I know some of the Lakeland passes, but from memory our almost single track.
Suggestions ?
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There’s some great roads in the Peak District, if you can avoid traffic and the speed cameras
 
Mr Tidy said:
Sadly I can't think of any within 100 miles of where I live. :(

But I have really enjoyed some fantastic roads on B21s mostly Scottish tours. After one of those I took in the road on my Avatar on my way home - you can just about see it in the background here.

View attachment 297824

It was 3 years ago so I can't be sure, but I think it may have been the A939/A93 between Grantown-on-Spey and Braemar. But wherever it was it was such a treat to find an empty road with good sight lines, a smooth surface and no speed cameras. :D
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There must be several north of the border. Top Gear seemed to do a lot of road tests up there. I remember one with the F Type V8 … no idea where though.

There are, but I'm at least 300 miles South of the border. :(
 
CuppaTea said:
Only a few months and miles in, but for me (currently) it's the back roads near Stroud. Through Frocester, then past Hunters Hall. Left at the lights, right at Nailsworth and through Rodborough common (mind the cows). Minchinhampton, right just after the glider airport. Through Rodmarton, right onto A433, through Tetbury bringing us back to the lights near Hunters Hall (straight over). Trace back towards Frocester.
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I remember it well from when I lived in Lightpill. The A419 from Cirencester to Stroud was pretty good, then I'd fork left just after the glider field and across Rodborough.
 
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