Driving on the Autobahn
The autobahn is a glorious thing. When I lived in Germany I bought a Honda Civic hatchback, 1.6L, 5 speed manual through AAFES car sales (cars sales to US military personnel in Europe). I drove that car all over Europe from where I lived near Frankfurt. I’d drive it on the autobahn regularly. That little car had 120 mph on the speedometer. I had to really push the accelerator into the carpet but it could do it, easily on a down slope a bit harder on a flat, not at all up hill. Invariably I’d be in the left lane building up speed to get around someone going 110 or so, only to have a big bmw or Mercedes to pull up behind me and flash their lights. Then I’d have slow down, move over, let them pass then try again. Note this was out in the countryside far from major cities.<p>People here are amazed when I tell that story, 120 in a Honda? Is that safe? All I know is it felt rock steady, and the autobahn was so smooth and sweeping it, was nothing to drive at those speeds.<p>I brought that car back to the states and drove it till 2010. A lady backed into it in a store parking lot. Dented the left rear quarter, totaled the car because it wasn’t worth much at that time. Somewhere there’s Honda with a German owners manual in the US.<p>Edit typo