DBYT

No affiliation but Exclusive Option can do your steering column in deviated stitching at a decent price. http://www.exclusiveoption.com/

aelia

+1 no affiliation... there work is as good as OEM.

alanjcook

Thank you for the suggestion! Just got a quote from my dealer. They are now working with factory to determine who pays. I'm not gonna worry about it right now -- having way too much fun driving around.

chuckbdc

Thanks for the postings. I am grinning with you! Congrads.

alanjcook

Hi All, I uploaded eight videos today. Here are links and brief descriptions. All best, Alan

May 21: Zurich to Basel
http://youtu.be/xy_Be-rMfAU

Construction congestion slowed my departure from Zurich. It took over an hour to drive one mile! Then the drive was still boring. Lots of rain. Heavy traffic. So I rocked out to NPR. Afterwards I reached several unnamed small towns in the hills. Great roads with virtually no traffic. What a pleasant discovery!

May 24: Evian at Night
http://youtu.be/Qg1OA78Ww2U

I drove from Lausanne to Montreax, visited Castle Chillon and continued to Evian-les-Baines, France for dinner. This video captures the drive back to Lausanne, Switzerland at night. The sleepy little towns are larger-than-life in the dark.

May 26: Lausanne to Interlaken
http://youtu.be/hVx6p-YSXok

This trip started dull like the Zurich-to-Basel drive. Passing through Bern was uneventful, too. But coming into Interlaken was amazing. Video captures a sweet drive along the water with majestic snow-capped mountains in the distance.

May 28: Lauterbrunnen
http://youtu.be/veD_OGiBbrw

The train to the top of Jungfrau passed a pretty village. This is my drive through that village and surrounding area. Easy put-putting about yet beautiful.

May 29: Views from Castle Spiez
http://youtu.be/orjp6jdFk1E

This is not a driving video. I drove around Lake Thun to visit several castles. This video is taken in the courtyard of Castle Spiez and shows the small castle, its gardens and surrounding hills and water.

May 29: Thunersee
http://youtu.be/7QeAi1CnXk0

The Castle tour continued to Thun, Hiltifingern and Oberhoffen. The return drive to Interlaken along the north shore of Lake Thun was unexpectedly great. This video takes us back to the main program and highlights some great driving. Notice the artistic camera work! Self-critique: as much as I'd love to host Top Gear, this video shows that the UK and US crews have nothing to fear with me coming after their jobs!

May 30: Departing Interlaken
http://youtu.be/evDWa4cfvsA

Today I called myself Ulrich von Liechtenstein and declared myself ready to joust! (see picture below). There were more great roads just above Interlaken on the way to Liechtenstein. An exciting mountain climb and pretty valleys just outside Interlaken.

May 30: Feldkirch
http://youtu.be/QPR7a-4rNBQ

After Liechtenstein I continued a few kilometers beyond the Austrian border to stay at "Hotel Yoga". I'm not sure what was more unique: the live accordion music at night and opera singing in the morning, or the tiny village with great driving.

For completeness, here are links to videos previously posted:

Day 1 - Pickup
http://youtu.be/LxnFDbDCtm8

First drive off the factory lot. Phone call with Mom starts at 2:55.

Day 2 - Baden Baden
http://youtu.be/wtBdqmV6fHo

Great drive down the Romantic Road south of Baden Baden. Got pulled over by a policeman! Edited out most of conversation, but left in his comment to "Enjoy the Black Forest.

Day 3 - Zurich to Klausen Pass
http://youtu.be/DbfLghX14pw

I'm all smiles while driving along Lake Zurich.

Day 3A - Climbing Klausen Pass
http://youtu.be/IviiVDspDOk

This video didn't play the other day. Deleted and uploaded again. Enjoy! Klausen is considered a minor mountain pass, but challenging nonetheless!

Day 3B - Descending Klausen Pass
http://youtu.be/2Jy9Ff3KNEM

This video shows the twists and turns going down Klausen Pass.

stealthboy

Fantastic videos; thanks for taking the time to upload these and share them!

Makes me miss my time there last week even more...

David in Talent

Thanks so much for posting these videos. I have been to Porsche factory tour three times and my lifelong dream has been to pick up a new car and tour Europe: Austria, Switzerland, Tuscany and Provence. It will most likely be after the 991 second generation is unveiled......

alanjcook

I haven't spoken much about the steering column casing and deviating stitching since I picked up the car other to say the customer service I've been receiving has been excellent. Conclusion: my dealer rocks! Just got this email: "We ordered <a new> steering column casing. Hope it gets here before the car, so we can install it when we prep the car. I will get it covered at no cost to you."

Great support in Germany and back home in the States. Thank you!

Latest trip notes: Stelvio and other passes remain closed due to unseasonably late snow... but finding all sorts of other roads to enjoy. Will share more in a few days.

gota911

Great news for your about the steering wheel casing.

destaccado

Looks like you're having a fantastic trip.

In regards to the stitching, it's pretty sad that Porsche hasn't solved these issues in-house yet. If I had a dollar for every deviated stitched car I've seen with something jacked up...etc

It really oughtta be a one size fits all option and come on all ordered leather surfaces unless specifically requested -- not the other way around.

alanjcook

Hi All, Weather permitting I'm heading to Stelvio tomorrow and will report back afterwards. Here are some of the highlights from last week and a half (most recent first). All best, Alan

Drive through Dolomite mountains:
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...cs-from-today/

Grossglockner High Alpine Road:
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/epic-drive/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/car-photos/

Mondsee (near Salzburg) to Spittal, Austria:
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...end-continues/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...the-powerband/

Innsbruck to Salzburg, Austria:
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...to-salzburg-2/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...ys-rest-stops/

Innsbruck:
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/bob-sled/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/car-wash/

Castles:
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...ohenschwangau/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...eutte-austria/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...-62-in-fussen/

Ferry to Konstanz:
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/im-on-a-boat/

Each of these links go to a single picture. They don't have cars but are just pretty or interesting:
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...iful-insanity/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...-of-the-day-1/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/which-castle/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/...on-the-ground/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/interlaken/
http://alanjcook.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/lausanne/

Hugo Gunnarsen

Bummed out about that girl friend thing ... so I guess no point asking for advice there (aka 911 is not a 100% GF magnet

When you did your ED, would the insurance allow other people to drive the car? (I'm having my brother meeting me at the pickup, and I wanted to allow him to drive the car around as well, with me in it ...).

Did you have to get an international driver license? (I can't tell for sure if it's required).

Did you inquiry about possible be able to hit the track in Leipzig, even if you pick up the car in Stuttgart? (Seems easier for me to fly in to Frankfurt, and take the train to Stuttgart instead of Frankfurt->Leipzig).

Also ... looking forward to the experience in May (if all goes well).

lbcgolf

Was told that in Germany it's the car that gets insured, not the driver. So yes, you can have others drive the car... if you can trust them, that is!

No. Your US drivers license is ok. Not likely you'll ever be pulled over anyways. If you ever get a traffic ticket it will probably be of the photo variety.

My dealer suggested that might be a possibility and I should ask when I did the car pickup. Alas, after looking at my planned route, Leipzig would have taken me too far off my route. Besides, I'd rather go to the Nurburgring anyways.

FYI... you can take a Delta flight nonstop to Stuttgart from Atlanta or United from Newark. So unless you live near a major city that has a nonstop to Frankfurt, you might look into connecting through one of those hubs. I live in LA and do have access to a nonstop to Frankfurt, but I flew United via Newark anyways. It was cheaper on the dates I flew and less of a hassle.

RMA4

Took delivery of Porsche #19 this past Nov. in Zuffenhausen. Trip was as follows: Stuttgart, Munich, Saltzburg, Passau, Bayreuth, Leipzig
Nuremberg, Stuttgart. About
( see museum)

RMA4

Took delivery of Porsche #19 this past Nov. in Zuffenhausen. Trip was as follows: Stuttgart, Munich, Saltzburg, Passau, Bayreuth, Leipzig
Nuremberg, Stuttgart. About 1500 miles, 14 days. Two tips: buy a bottle of windshield cleaner and paper napkins, not much on paper towels in Germany. Also take a paper map to put small town names in nav.for scenic back roads. Nav . will usually send you on the Autobahn, which is fun, but you miss a lot. Have fun.