From: Ian Mendonca
Sent: Monday, September 30, 1996 3:39 PM
To: INTERNET:[email protected]
Subject: European Holiday
As promised I've put together a fuller story of our two weeks on the continent. apologies to anyone who's been there, done it and bought the t-shirt......
This is a definite 'do it' to anyone who is thinking of taking their MX-5 onto the continent next summer (or even this winter) after the last two weeks we can heartily recommend the experience. First off the MX-5 is about as common in France and Italy as rocking horse droppings. we saw at most ten Miatas in two weeks, and four of those were British. Secondly Europe is loaded with racing circuits - some of them abandoned but most of them have some portion of the track which you can drive - so if you feel like putting your Miata in the wheeltracks of the great now is the time to do it.
First stop on the tour was Le Mans, about half the 24 hour circuit (by length) is public road so it is possible to drive the wheeltracks of heroes. the Mulsanne straight is open almost its full length - Porsche 962s where topping 240mph along this straight a few years, back a Miata with the roof down will run out of steam at about half that speed - but its well worth it. Le Mans has a very dull car museum, made up for by the presence of the Gachot/Herbert/Wiedler 24 hour winning Mazda right at the end of the show. From Le Mans we proceeded down to Clermont Ferrand, another dullish town, with the circuit located way up in the hills. If you ignore the road signs and the route barree boards, weave through some plastic hoardings and move some pedestrian barriers you can actuallly get onto the circuit. unfortunately the whole place looks deserted, but apart from one fairly solid barrier you can drive the course. I don't know whether they still have races here, but the presence of sheep grazing down by turn one didn't suggest so.
The French were plenty impressed by Stirling, we got thumbs ups from old and young, cheers when driving past crowds of schoolkids. the roads were totally devoid of traffic police and as long as you slowed down in towns no-one seemed to care how fast you drove.From Clermont-Ferrand we went over the Ardeche mountains. sections of twisty sharp ascents and descents linked by ten mile straights - at one stage we were going along a standard B class road with clear visibilty of about three miles, straddling the centre of the road at an indicated 130mph. what little traffic we did come across seemed quite happy to let us through - even a lorry driver waved us past as we went down one of the descents.
Next stop Monaco and the most famous Grand Prix circuit of all. it is possible to drive the whole lap apart from a one hundred metre section at the chicane at the end of the tunnel. no question of speeding though as the roads are packed with Rolls, Bentleys and Mercs cruising along under the weight of serious gold jewellry!
Along the coast via Genoa turn left and head for Monza. on arrival the guy at the turnstiles tells us there are Ferraris going around and its only 10,000 lira to watch. we pay and head towards the car park. On the way there though I spot that the paddock gates are open and drive straight in. (the key to pulling it off is acting like you don't expect to be stopped) eventually we discover that the Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari Club are having a charity day for muscular distrophy and we make it into the pit lane to be photographed in front of the pits. Already in the pit lane is a silver italian MX-5, whose owner looks slightly bemused when I ask if I can take a picture of the two Miatas together. more bemused are the ItalianFIerrari owners when a little old lady walks past a 308GTB and demands her husband takes her photo in my car.
After a few days relaxing by Lake Garda (convertible heaven) where the MX-5 still turns most heads despite the presence of numerous Barchettas and Z3s, we crossed the Alps on the col de Petit St. Bernard. at the bottom a local in his Corrolla GTI thought he could stay with us - by halfway up he was somewhat left behind - at the top we were through customs and passport control and into france before he made it
On the way back through France the last stop was at Rouen to search out the Rouen-les-Essarts circuit. a near impossible task, but finally achieved after a good three hours searching. the circuit is in total disrepair - the main and back sections are now public road and the top loop has earth banks dumped across either end. the pit building and two grandstands still remain on the main straight, and one smaller grandstand on the back section.
Well that's about it for the holiday (we did do some sunbathing and other proper holiday things as well, in deference to the female half of the party....) next year I'm planning to do Spa, Reims, Nurburgring, Hockenheim and the Ostereichring - anyone interested in making a convoy of it?
Ian and Stirling
1996 BRG 1.8i