hyperion667

killer.....I'm sure that was fun.......the V is pretty fast huh? 556hp??????just went to the site to visit it....that is going to be some car man!!the hood on that thing is sweet......can't wait to see pix

and nice debadge too, I am going to debadge my new car when it arrives.....the 550.........don't know yet.....maybe, lol

Arrie

Of the Audi, BMW and Mercedes more than 90% are debadged in Germany, could be 95%. You generally see badges only on rental cars.

RJC

Tested the V coupe before ordering the XKR, I was quite impressed at the level of the refinement

K-A

Maybe the reason almost all M-B/BMW/Audi cars are de badged here is because the sh*t European drivers have rear ended them off.

I mean, I miss my (de badged) E like crazy, I miss my Chevy like crazy as well.... Being here and having to take the damn train everywhere, and not having that coveted-to-me freedom of driving my cars when and where I want, is wearing thin on me.... At the same time, driving on these streets is like every man for themselves..... And if you stand in their way on the streets, you will get hit. Now I know why the EU is the one pushing those ugly front end regulations on cars (just look at how badly it's affected BMW's frontal designs, absolutely terrible).

I don't care what anyone says about American drivers, at least they follow laws and at least Police have a presence on the road!

.... When I get back, I'm taking my E, and I'm going to use it as gluttonously as possible, in all its de badged glory.

220S

You're a just stranger in a strange land. When in Rome, do as the Romans. Don't be an ugly American. Enjoy the difference of a different place and have a good time. I lived there for many years and loved every minute of it. I may even move some day to Bretagne or Provence and become an ex-pat. It beats LA by a long shot if you ask me. Have you ever tried to really walk in LA? It almost impossible. And without a car, there's basically zero way to get around.

It always seems unsettling at first in a different place. But it's not bad, just different. Have fun, eat great food, and drink some real wine.

K-A

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm loving it. The architecture is beautiful, the food is amazing, and indeed about the transportation, it's much easier to get around. However, the driving is insane. Good luck having a nice car out here, as they get trashed and banged up.

What's also cool is how "at home" European car designs look out here. It's almost like you haven't really understood a good German car design unless you've seen it piloting down a street with stone ground, surrounded by ancient and avant-garde architecture.

wmoor004

I spent over 5 Years in Germany and I loved it! I owned an BMW M5 at the time and I drove nearly 40K miles a year accident free. K-A the FOOD! The food is worth it alone.

lfranklin

Finally, this thread has turned into an example of the cosmopolitan refinement, sophistication and taste that I always presumed MBz owners possessed.

K-A

wmoor: I agree, the food is amazing! The SWEETS are absolutely intoxicating and toxic (literally, as sugar to me is practically poison). I'm gonna have some withdrawals.

BTW, your car looks stunning in that Sig pic!

220S

Driving within Paris is hectic but really not a lot different than driving in Manhattan or San Fransisco (and in terms of "getting your car trashed and banged up.") Navigating things like the Place de l'Étoile takes some skill, I agree. I lived in Ville-d'Avray which is just outside of Paris on the Rue de Versailles. There's a train station in Sèvres nearby and I'd metro into the city. Although at night I used to drive in. Like any major cosmopolitan urban center, traffic can be dense and is especially nerve wracking if you're new to the territory. Get outside of town into the country and the driving is fantastic: properly paved roads, no potholes, and clean. Great countryside to drive through.

Have a good time.

p.s., you said in another post that you were in "Parid." I assume you meant Paris. So you are there, right?

hyperion667

KA, if you make it to Germany check on that AMG for me eh?

and enjoy yourself to big guy........all work and no play makes anyone a dull boy.....or something like that.....

enjoy!

wmoor004

Once you bite into some German Chocolate Milka OMG! There will be withdrawals!! hahaha

I remember the Rhine River trips and we would just eat and drink and eat! The memories! OH, rent a Porsche and say hell to the autobahn for me!

And thank you for the SIG compliment... It's "Debadged" of course...

K-A

Thanks.

Yeah, the roads are much better here than in the U.S it seems, by a longshot.

Yeah, I meant "Paris", lol. I'm staying right outside of the City as well (in my Cousins Hotel ), and have been taking the Metro everywhere. Kind of funny as I've rarely ever taken the Metro in the U.S, but am totally engulfed in the Metro system out here.

Thanks for the well wishes guys, and Hype, I've been trying to get to Germany, but unfortunately it doesn't look like it's gonna pan out.

I also wanted to visit any Euro Benz Dealer, to see how different it is, but doesn't look like that will happen either, as I'm coming back tomorrow.