Cannonball Run Europe 2008

The little green elves have been at it again interfering in the right of way of people to cross Germany.


The miserable sods even stopped the racers indulging in an unorthodox pitstop routine.


What I don't understand, however, is that this years Cannonball is supposed to be on September 19-21.

Hmmm, seems there are two different Cannonballs across Europe, the event organised by the UK was July 6-12.

See also the previous rather heated topic: Gumball 3000

Breaking the law is breaking the law. After Raser-Rolf we should understand the motorway is there to get people from A to B not a racetrack. Those who wish to use a racetrack should do so. I'm quiet sure they could rent one for a day.

A few months back the cops raided the OCE plant in Poing, where many of these cars were being stored. It went on for 3-4 days with cops guarding the place 24/7.
They even had huge press conferences and the like..

Here are pics of the cars. No sympathy for em really...

Nice tackle though eh?

I wouldn't say no to the R8. Couldn't live with that green Porsche though. Then again, ya probably don't notice the colour when you're sitting inside and clocking 260 km/h...

Maybe the Porsche was the Polizei or Zoll? They like green

Police doing some decent work for once, rather than busting me on my bike because a reflector is missing. The Police should just wait for these guys at the border and escort them across the country, noting all traffic violations along the way.

@ Guy
Like this one? Don't think you'd miss that in your rear view mirror!

Not sure what to think about that really - it's not illegal to drive across Germany, and not illegal to drive at high speeds on some areas of the motorway. So on what ground did the Polizei impound the cars? Because they believed they were going to do something illegal? That's a pretty scary new power.

I was thinking along the same lines about the taking away of the drivers' licences on the grounds that they were going to continue in hire cars. Effective, yes, but if the police didn't take the licences away for the original offence, then the drivers have been penalised for something they haven't yet done (notwithstanding the fact that they almost certainly would have done it).

Or are the police going to start taking away the licence of anyone caught speeding, on the grounds that they will probably do it again? Actually, that might be a pretty good deterrent! Hmm.

they do

I think you've misrepresented the context of my statement a bit, there.

Illegal automobile race, cars confiscated...

good, what's the fucking big deal?

Nothing except it is a car race and macho macho. Let the fuckers do something else illegal like screwing minors and see how fast they are stopped and looked down upon.

so having a race on the public highway is OK then.

Not by me it is not.

Ok

I was being ironic, Take their cars and melt them down for all I care.

It was a great set of films though. Burt Reynolds was excellent

Having taken trips like this before, it is a group of car enthusiasts traveling across Europe. The main aim is to have an enjoyable drive and a good party in the evenings afterward. Most of the trips include a stop at a track (in my case we visited the Nordschliefe for a few laps) to get the cars really going. The German Police were constantly harassing any drivers of foreign registered super cars and accusing us of illegal road racing, which was not the case at all. At one point after stopping in Munich, our hotel was blockaded by the local police and nobody allowed to leave for 3 hours. It was in my opinion plain harassment as the German participants (or German plated cars ) were allowed straight through. In Italy, France and other countries there was no problem at all and the local constabulary were all smiles to see so many great cars.

Of course not, but as far as I know nobody has been stopped for speeding, or committed any other offence. Sure everyone knows that in previous years they've broken the law but as far as I'm aware the police don't have the power to impound your car and confiscate your license because they believe you are going to offend. These sanctions are all available, and rightly so, if you do offend, but just because it's likely? That seems a bit OTT to me. What if, as the previous poster has said, it was just a leisurely drive across Europe this year?

Well, as far as the reports go, it's not so much about speeding, more about dangerous driving at high speed. We've had a few lovely examples of that on a recent tour through France, and at one or two points it was only thanks to my boyfriends great driving skills that those idiots did not involve us in an accident. It's one thing to drive fast (we did, too ;-) ), but quite another to be able to control that power under your hood and not cut, overtake on the right lane and skid because you can't seem to find the brakes. Speed limit or not, if you want to drive really fast make it a night drive or, better still, find yourself a race track - but if you have to use public roads for this, either show some consideration for other drivers, or stop whining that the evil police has taken your pretty little toy away.

I have to agree with a couple others; unless the police have seen these guys breaking the law they have no business taking their cars or licenses. Otherwise there shouldn't be a single exotic car with German license plates allowed on the Autobahn since the German police (more specifically Munich police) have such a problem with it. You can't tel me that some German dude with a Ferrari isn't going to "race" down the autobahn. I've been passed while going 240-250kph by many Porsche and a Ferrari or two.

Ferrari's shouldn't be allowed on the roads, they are too dangerous, why just the other day I nearly ran in to the car in front of me because a ferrari was passing