American Reacts to Tom Hanks on German Autobahn
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Fun Fact from a german native here:
Most foreigners imagine when they drive on the Autobahn that they would be overtaken on the left lane by luxury / speedy cars a la Bugatti, Porsche, Ferrari etc. etc.
Let me tell you: No, it will be the VW Passat overtaking you, even if YOU are in the Porsche 😁
We call it understatement 😎
acurate. friend was trying out his new M5 and we got passed by a granny in a old C200...
ALWAYS fear the Combi/Kombi Passat, the Golf MK I-II or the Transporter Vans from craftsmens in the back mirrows!
Its who ever got the most fuel in the tank 😂
Don't forget about all the DHL, Prime, UPS etc.. vans going at near light speed.
This traffic sign means that you are entering a zone where people are living and children are playing („verkehrsberuhigter Bereich“ = traffic-calmed area). You are only allowed to drive at walking speed („Schrittgeschwindigkeit“), like slow-slow. I think your comparison with „children at play“ might be accurate although I‘m not sure what it actually means for the driver.
Got that immediatelly, as a Finn. Even though our signs for that are slightly differerent. But they get the message done, which is good in Europe.
While his comparison with „children at play“ might be accurate might be valid, but it's probably not as helpful for non-English speaking drivers compared to this.
Vienna Convention signs are hell a lot easier for any driver to understand compared to MUTCD, regardless what country the driver is from.
Also unlike the US, when exiting the zone, Vienna Convention also have the same sign, but with a diagonal line across it.
Max speed in these "Begenungszonen" is 20kph or ~12mph, and the pedestrians have right of way across the whole area. Edit: Not yet officially implemented in Germany, but they're working on it. Already norm in Austria and Switzerland.
We have the exact same sign in Sweden as well, but I think you're not supposed to drive there faster than 7 km/h (divide by 1.609344 for mph), which is like walking slightly faster than you usually want to. Few people drive that slow there, though.
@@johnnyrosenberg9522 *"We have the exact same sign in Sweden"*
All European countries uses Vienna Convention sign, obviously with different styles and symbols, but the shapes are the same regardless of the country.
Yes it's 7 km/h in Sweden, that's why it's called Gångfartsområde. But in most countries in Europe, it's either 10, 15 or 20km/h
No Joke: if you're driving on the autobahn in the middle lane with 120 km/h and someone passes you on the left with 250km/h+ you feel how your own car gets sucked into the left lane 😅
well, i'm doing like 160km/h regularly with my 32 year old car when i'm on the autobahn. today i was allowed to drive my neighbors model Y and i stopped at 200 because we just did a short tour and i didn't want to wreck it :D now imagine what a bugatti or similar could do
He's exaggerating. Berlin - Dresden takes a good two hours.
Yeah. Google says 193km. (about 120 miles)
So, to do it in 17 minutes you'll need to average about 680km/h (about 420 mph)
..to be germanly exact, it takes 2 hours and 17 minutes. Yes, Tom exaggerated a little bit...ok, with exact 2 hours. But his conversion from 130 km/h to 700 MPH was close, wasn't it..😅
@@Jeff_P-1988To be fair, he mentioned 700 at one point… 🤣👍 Unfortunately I think he said mph… but maybe he's just confusing all the different units…
@@Jeff_P-1988 We drove it in 58 minutes and i think that was pretty fast :D
He may have said 70 minutes
130km/h is like parking on the Autobahn.
Oh there is a rising resistance against unlimited parts.
@@Nordlicht05 Meh... I don't think that'll happen anytime soon. They have other things to talk about after what happened in Solingen.
Exactly. You have to drive something like that.
th-cam.com/video/uBqs4oBQb3M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0lX-KYVXdqzZOBDj
😂😂😂
@@Sciss0rman Autobahn does have sections where 130km/h is enforced, so how is 130km/h like parking?
@@Sciss0rman yea but the impacts are getting closer.
130km/h is mostly relaxed driving on the autobahn (unless conditions don't allow it)
In my Autobahn driving lesson my instructor told me to accelerate once there was no speed limit. Was already going 160kph and I was like "okay, thats probably enough", but my instructor told me "here's little traffic, go pedal to the metal". Ended up doing 220km/h in driving school in an Audi A6 on a nice Monday morning at 10am.
That's just sensible. The Spartans threw their children in the wilds to learn and fend for themselves. Cruel by modern standards? Sure, but that's what it took back in those days. It's the same with driving in Germany.
Not quite. 130km/h is Richtgeschwindigkeit (i.e.: recommended top speed) and the vast majority of drivers don't go faster. Cars blitzing by significantly faster are a rarity. 160km/h is already pretty damn fast and anything above 200km/h excessive which hardly anyone ever does. If anything, really the only prominent category of people who do speed like that are the Autobahn tourists who rent sports cars precisely so they can go extremely fast. No one that actually drives on the Autobahn for any lengthy time will race down the roads, it's just plain too expensive witht he fuel economy, nevermind the danger of it.
Driving instructors sometimes make learners go fast on an empty stretch so they can get a feel of what it is like to go really fast and that's mostly to instill a sense of respect for such speeds. But this is usually emphasized before or after the fact to ensure learners don't get the wrong idea. It's what my instructors did too.
However if any instructor genuinely teaches to go even remotely as fast as that you ought to demand your money back and switch driving schools. That's a one way street to beginners pancaking themselves (and others) in high speed crashes. Even if the driver felt confident they could reliably keep control at these speeds any instructor worth their money is going to tell you ad nauseum that you should always assume every other person on the road (and adjacent to it) is a blind idiot and will get in your way sooner rather than later, at which point nothing will stop you in time to avoid a quite probably lethal crash at any high speed.
Seems a bit excessive. My children learnt to drive in Germany and their instructors just taught them to "maintain" 170km/h. So always returning to 170 when conditions allowed so that they felt comfortable at 170. Anything more requires years of experience and a better than average, well maintained car.
@@Aotearas interestingly the 130 km/h is also very close to the average that is driven. Just because you can go faster, doesn't mean you have to. Sure, the trip is done quicker, but going fast is also stressful.
My driving instructor also asked me to drive as fast as I could on an empty highway. So that I could get used to the speed and feel my way around under his supervision. Also to be able to assess the speed of other road users
10:50 residential area, it means you can expect people in the middle of street and they have right to be there
And you are only allowed to drive at walking speed which isn't a fixed speed, but below 10 km/h you are mostly on the safer side, with bad visibility better 5 km/h
@@Rafaela_S. in poland 20
@@Rafaela_S. there actually is a determined speed when talking about walking speed. its 4 to 7 KM/H
In The Netherlands it’s a “woonerf” which is also a terminology used in Canada and maybe the US in urban design field.
20km/h France
The reason for picture-based road signs isn’t only the language barrier: humans are great at recognising patterns but not texts. A white arrow in a blue circle can be understood a lot faster than a sign with the text “one way”. Also many people confuse left and right as a concept, but an arrow pointing in a direction can not be misunderstood even without thinking.
Not just Europe:
》The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, is a multilateral treaty to standardize the signing system for road traffic (road signs, traffic lights and road markings) in use internationally.《
For comparison of english speaking countries:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_traffic_signs_in_English-speaking_territories
The white arrows in blue circles are my best friends on complicated intersections 😅
except americans lol if you go over there, all their signs have a written explanation of what it is under it, or signs that are not signs, just texts.
@@pakkinen Do I have to stop so that I can read the whole text first?
This blue traffic sign means "Play Street". This is basically a real traffic-calmed street where walking pace is required. These signs are usually found in residential areas where, among other things, children playing are to be expected.
MfG Matthias from Germany
I live on such a street. Cars should drive at walking speed. Amazon delivery drivers don‘t care.
Technically it's not a "play street". The official name is "traffic-calmed area" (verkehrsberuhigter Bereich). A play street is something different, but everybody calls this a play street for some reason.
We also have that sign here in Spain, i guess is the same all over Europe.
In slovenia this sign called mixes erea. So erea where pedestrian, cyclist and cars can be on same surface.
@@asmodonI know two places where they also make 90° turns where you can't see anything. Yea some people may drive slower because of that bit why make the roads crappy on purpose. I want to see the bycicle on my side (there is only one side)
To be fair VW owns VW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Skoda and Cupra. So they pretty much are all Volkswagens.
Porsche still do their own development i think. The point still stands. the 2022 (maybe 2023) skoda octavia is loosely based on the vw polo chassis. (yes, polo, not golf)
and runs concentration camps in China where Uyghurs are detained for looking too Uyghur
@@hendrikvoss9368 the Porsche thing is a bit wierd, the Porsche Holding owns part of VW, but VW owns 100% of the Porsche AG (which builds the cars)
@@hendrikvoss9368this is not correct. The Fabia is based on the Polo, the Octavia on the Golf and the Superb on the Passat.
They owned also Bugatti, VWN, which means Nutzfahrzeuge, the Van Company in Hannover and Poznan in Poland. But there is also MAN, Scania, the companies for trucks, the Brazilian part is also a separated part of truck companies. But in the end they owned also Ducati, a motorcycle company in Italy, very famous on all racetracks. In China and Brazil, they have special cars designed for these markets and customers. Not talking about all the design studios, development shops, financial services and so on.
So we can see, no wonder they are, at the moment, one of the greatest car manufacturers in the world. But, we are awaiting the future, when Chinese companies growing up.
I can't drive myself (half blind), but about a decade ago I was in a Porsche with my then Boss, driving from a sales meeting to another one. It was from Mainz to Frankfurt.
And my Boss asked me, if I'd like to go as fast as his car could go and I foolishly said yes. We were doing 171 MpH (276 KmH).
Let's just say I didn't say a word for the rest of the duration of the drive on the autobahn...
On the Autobahn there is something called Richtgeschwindigkeit (target speed) 130kp/h.
It means: Even if you can go faster, you are recommended not to drive faster than 130 km/h (80 mph). Going faster is at own risk - if there's an accident, you might be held accountable by the police.
Also trucks only allowed max 90kp/h and your vehicle must make atleast 60kp/h to even go on the Autobahn.
Also when you drive with a trailer it depends you only allowed 80, 90 or 100 kp/h.
Also we have Rechtsfahrgebot (driving on the right).
You have to use the right lane only when you overtake you should go middle and left.
Problem many even germans are to stupid to drive that way. Also you need to signal every lane change.
Also always watch mirror so you dont interrupt a faster car.
Also when there is no speed limit and you drive fast you stay on the left and overtake but you always have to move out the way when someone is faster and there will always be someone faster.😉
Few minor things: your vehicle must go 61 or faster according to its paperwork. My dad was a truck driver for the German military and always told me all their trucks and heavy equipment was officially capable of 61 kph so they could go on there, even if they'd only go 61 downhill with the wind blowing from behind.
Also trucks in Germany are "allowed" to go 80. But the police don't care if it's 5 to ten more. Truck speedometers have to show an accurate reading by law, while car speedometers are by law only required to never read too little. So when you follow a truck your care might indicate 90. However if I remember correctly trucks sold in the EU have to have their speed limited to 90, so maybe that's what you meant?
Also, no you don't "stay on the left" when there's no limit. If you're not passing someone for over 20 seconds, you always have to return to the right. At least German courts have ruled 20 seconds to be a reasonable time, before you really should utilise the Rechtsfahrgebot again.
@michaeld.uchiha9084 it is either km/h or kph, but not kp/h. that's literally saying kilometer per per hour.
Was ist kp/h?
@@sylviascherf3501 kilopond pro Stunde. Es ist also ein Maß dafür, wie schnell sich eine wirkende Kraft über die Zeit ändert.
Gern geschehen.
5:43 what Tom had is called a VW Multivan, still the spacy princip of the old buses (there´s not just one version) but as the name Multivan suggests, the base model was made so it can be easily adopted for different purposes. The main target audience were campers and families or camping families with up to two kids, for that there where add-in kits available like cooking plates with a fridge which could be changed to a bed or instead of that you might want three extra seats (importing not having more than 8 seats in Germany or you would need a bus license) to drive more people and there was more.
He could have had a California too since that's what he said. he had. And yes, the California is a variation on the Multivan but it's not called Multican it's called California.
@@rasmuswi and has a max velocity of almost 200km/h = 125 mp/h
Imagine you drive 300 kmh (186mph) and someone behind you flashes at you to move over...
Bugatti be like
That could happen, but it basically never will. It is a bit of a myth that everyone goes super fast on the Autobahn. Most people drive between 120 and 160 kmh (75-100 mph). When traffic and weather allow it, I like to drive at around 230 kmh (143 mph) and it is very rare that someone overtakes me. If you go 250 kmh (155 mph), chances are that you won't encounter anyone faster, because most cars are limited to that speed. Yes, there are cars (and drivers) that go 300 kmh+, but chances are you could drive thousands of miles on the Autobahn without ever encountering one.
And there is good reason for that - driving that fast is incredibly exhausting. You have to be highly concentrated the whole time, because at that speed, you can't be distracted even for a moment since you travel nearly the lenght of a football field per second. I had situations were someone pulled out in front of me and even with full-on emergency braking (I am talking tires completely locked) it came very close to a crash. Those are mostly foreign drivers who aren't used to people driving at high speeds and have a hard time realising how fast a car they see in the rear-view mirror is actually going. Don't get me wrong, the Autobahn is incredibly safe and in 25 years of driving, I only had a handful of really scary situations - but you have to be ready for those.
That's why I highly recommend to everone coming to Germany: Don't overdo it, start slow and don't try to be the fastest on the Autobahn. It takes time to get used to driving at high speeds, took me years until I felt really comfortable to drive in excess of 200 kmh for extended periods of time. And you learn to read traffic, different situations and other drivers, you develop some kind of sixth sense if someone is about to pull out in front of you and prepare for it. That's why even most Germans don't go that fast, because they find it to stressful and exhausting to be constantly extremely focussed. They prefer to arrive relaxed at their destination. So please, don't be the idiot who on their first drive on the Autobahn believes they are Michael Schumacher and drive at speeds they are not prepared for, being a danger to themselves and others.
Absolutely right. You can not overstress how important it is to be able to read traffic and look far in front of you, not getting tunnel vision and so on.
I also like to go near the 250-limiter once in a while, but for general driving, the added stress and fuel consumption is just not worth the time saved in my opinion.
I don't drive a lot nowadays, maybe 13000 km a year, and of those maybe 100 are at speeds above 150 kph 😂
I really value arriving relaxed and comfortable way more than quickly. That's changed a lot from 15 years before. I think I'm getting old... 🫠
@@nerigalvb8779 Takových slov a naprosto zbytečná, stačila jedna věta, nejezdím tak rychle a unavuje mě rychlá jízda, nechápu, proč píšete román.
That’s what you get for being on the train tracks 😂
Vans are fast here, have a look at the legendary Sabine Schmitz taking a van round the Nürburgring for Top Gear.... It's epic
The ford transit and the VW are different. The ford is bigger and more truck like. The VW T6 multivan feels like a car. And can go 180km/h depending on on the configuration. But on the California above 150km/h the roof will push open the divider.
10:55 in Poland is similar sing. There it means:
Parking only in marked place
Pedestrians can go the entire width of the road and they have priority.
Speed limit 20 km/h.
Kids under 7 yours old can by here alone.
It is kind like residential area. Area, small roads beetwen blocks.
The sign they were discussing at the end indicates a "Spielstraße", a "playing street". These streets are regularly found in densely built-up residential areas with small or no courtyards or gardens. They are usually decorated with installations to slow down traffic such as flower tubs. Cyclists, pedestrians and playing children have the right of way and cars are only allowed to go at pedestrian's pace (6 km/h), which is usually at idle rpm in the first gear or let your automatic crawl by itself. Parking is restricted to designated parking spots.
In most countries in Europe, it's usually 20 km/h.
@@automation7295 I'd like to see someone walking at 20 km/h.
@@dsludge8217 I guess you never been outside Germany?
Believe it or not, each European country have different speed limit applied to Living Street, usually 10, 15 or 20km/h.
I guess you never seen a speed limit sign on Living Street? Austria, Switzerland, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia Slovakia, Spain allow 20km/h.
Das heißt Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich!
Spielstraßen haben ein rot-weißes rundes Schild mit dem Zusatzzeichen eines Ball spielenden Kindes darunter.
The Euro vans (often referred as mpv) style cars can have some speed in them. I ones drove with an uncle from the Netherlands to Austria with his bright yellow Mercedes Vito which had a v6 that was tuned and topped out on the German autobahn between 150-160 mph that speed in a van of that colour definitely catches some attention. Also with the torque it had it was a pleasant drive up some steep windy mountain roads towards a glacier top we where to visit.
You are absolutely right. The sign in question is indicating a "Spielstraße". Literally meaning a "play(ground) street". Drivers are only allowed to drive walking speed,
need to pay extra attention and pedestrians and kids are allowed to use the whole street, for example to play with said kids.
They are usually pretty common in certain residential areas.
I couldn't stop laughing at Tom's description of a car overtaking you at speed. He is hilarious. 🤣
Some 15 years ago I was driving on autobahn about 145 km/ h and a SMART two seater passed me!!!
Must be a Brabus one. Most Gen 1 Smarts where limited to 135km/h, Gen2 partly to 145 (when I remember correct) and only the Brabus Smarts where limited to 160km/h
as a german i really really liked it that you pronounced BMW the german way 👌😊😊
Wouldn't that then be more like "bay - em - way"?
The W was nice like if you seid vegetables but stopped after the ve before the g thats Our W :)
👍👍
@@V100-e5q..or like „be-em-wa“
When I moved to Vienna, and needed to get the car back, I passed Berlin in 160 kmhs. The damned thing would not go faster. And it is true, stay in the right lane. Some cars will pass you with a "Weo". You need to watch the mirror as much as forward. Even when aware, you get scared by cars passing you.
That's actually what they tell you in driving school, check all your mirrors every few seconds. My car (Tiguan All space, in the US only called Tiguan, they don't have the smaller version, 110 kW Diesel) does something like 210 kph. And even at that speed, some Audi, Mercedes or BMW will come flying from behind.
@@alexanderkupke920 from my experience, the true sports cars (like Ferarris and similar) and the motorbikes are "the worst". Even IF you check your mirrors, they are very small and easy to miss. They have scared me many times when they fly by. Some definitely drive over 300 kmph. Insane. Especially dangerous outside rush hours and in the night.
Once on a german autobahn, I was cruising at 220 kmh (140 mph) on the right lane. There was hardly any traffic. Suddenly a Porsche and a Lamborghini came flying by and 5 seconds later i couldn't see them anymore. crazy
Oh maar echt he? At least in Germany you have the only right reason to own a damn fast car😂❤
This reminds me of my time in the German army. Every Friday we could leave the base and go home. One time I joined a dude who had a big, powerful Audi and drove pretty fast. And as we're getting closer to Dresden the traffic gets denser and suddenly there is a fucking plumber in his work van (similar model as the one Hanks showed in this video) who flew past us like a rocket ship. That's such an Autobahn thing lol.
VW California is legendary,genial campervan with open high tent roof with place to sleep,little kithen,fridge,table for 4 persons,water tanks and even outside shower.We love this cars in Europe.Looks like normal VW transporter/multivan.You can use it as every day car.
The direct road connections from Dresden to Berlin are around 193 km.
Doing that in 17 minutes, as Tom Hanks stated at 3:41, would mean an average speed of 681 km/h or 423 stupid units.
A couple of years ago I drove a few colleagues from US with a 8-seater Opel Van on the Autobahn. There was no speed limit and I went +200km/h.
The passengers were totally silent. But after we reached our destination one of the colleagues started saying endless: „he broke my landmark record OMG…he broke my landmark record…almost 130mls/h…OMG“
That was so funny 😂
Most of those VW vans are called Transporters I termed a VW Transporter into a camper. They drive so nice like a car not a van.
His description of getting overtaken is pretty acurate when your are traveling at 120-130km/h and someone overtakes you with around 220-250 km/h.
For your own safety you have to check the mirrors every couple of seconds.
Constant check your mirrors, it's about seconds😂
the sign is like in my country I guess. It is a road sharing zone and pedestrians have priority over cars. You must drive slowly, generally 10 km/h maximum. The ww van goes a maximum of 190 km/h... This is not very fast for the German autobahn....
and I have seen some Work-Vans fly by Pasta Rockets (Black Horse on yellow shield, usually red) making those look like going only 80 the maximum speed for trucks in Germany.
one time they almost opened a fourth lane to pass …
I drove from Norway to Poland through Denmark and Germany this weekend and I drove 220km/h for about half an hour in Germany (average) and thought I was driving fast, passing the majority of the cars until I saw lights in the mirror waaaay back and in a couple of seconds he was way ahead and made me feel like I had parked 😂
In my country (Czech Republic) the "no dogs allowed" sign means a residential area and it also means that the speed limit inside of this area is 20 km/h (slightly over 12 mph)
My driving instructor (germany) makes me drive at a top speed of 7 km/h in an area with such a sign
@@fireblow6842 how do you manage to not stall a car at 7km/h :D but yeah jokes aside sometimes the cobblestone at such locations itself forces you to go at such speeds cuz anything faster feels like you car is going to fall apart
@@abram6282 you use the clutch, don't let it out all the way or you'll go too fast.
@@fireblow6842 ofc you do, but poor clutch, thus 20kmh it is, 7kmh... the instructor is ridiculous
@@abram6282 it's not the instructor, it's the rulebook. He makes me do this so that I don't fail my driving test. Outside of driving school nobody sticks to this limit. 20 can work but obviously you should go considerably slower if you can't see what's behind a corner or something of the like.
10:58 Sign meaning: Residential area - drive only at walking pace
I've experienced that some ~20y ago, cruising down the autobahn at a (not yet for me) comfortable 200km/h (~125mp/h?), overtaking some trucks. then something flashes in your rear-view mirror, and a few seconds later, it's on your tail, and angry because you're in it's way. got myself back to the right lane past the column of trucks, and that thing just cruised past at 250 or something. woosh. was quite a humbling experience.
Ian catches me off guard when he says BMWay instead of BMdoubleU.😊
BMW 3.0 csl aka the batmobile!!!
Native german here: the VW Camper can't go past 160km/h. It's like a brickwall facing wind. And don't be fooled by numbers, I drive a T Roc-R '24 and 160 kilometers per hour is hella fast. Also fun fact: Porsches are common here and they mostly get overtaken by family haulers like for example RS4 Avant's (wasn das fürn Kömbi...wasn mitm Kömbi los - old, german meme).
I used to be a cabby in Munich.
Often picked up American passengers from Munich airport, which is roughly 45 minutes outside of Munich with my mini bus.
In between, the Autobahn.
Normally, my American passengers were chatting in excitement over being in a different country.
Once I went beyond 130 kmh (80 mph), they went silent. And once I went beyond 150 kmh (93 mph), they were all pretty convinced that we would all die soon.
When I drove an American group for a week (which would sometimes happen), they would soon be perfectly relaxed at going 190 kmh (118 moh).
My Viano V6 bus was well capable of going faster than 200 kmh.
However, I would rarely go maximum speed - since for once, this requires MUCH more focus on potential dangers (such as other people merging in front of me without paying attention), and secondly, the ride was less smooth then for my passengers.
For some time I worked as a taxi driver in the 80s. This was in Bremen. There was a time when the exchange rate was over 3 marks for $1 That time it was perfectly usual to have several fifty Mark trips to the US facilities at Garlstedt north of Bremen. One early Sunday morning in late autumn I drove 2 Americans back to Garlstedt. I was doing the usual 120 on the B6 federal Road in a 100 zone and suddenly hit a patch of ice. The car, a Mercedes W123, the old 200D model, slid a bit off onto the grass, but luckily, the left wheels stayed on the asphalt. I quickly returned into the lane after regaining control and said casually: "I guess it's a bit icy this morning."
I looked at the passenger on the right front seat. He was staring at me with eyes like coffee cups and really had drops of cold sweat on his forehead😅
„VAG“ Volkswagen Audi Group consists of quite a few brands - Volkswagen, ŠKODA, SEAT, CUPRA, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche and maybe more. i guess Tom Hanks was referring to VAG owning so many manufacturers
Yeah, and don't forget Ducati, MAN and Scania as well 😉
The VAG is a huge corporation.
The left lane is only allowed if you have your right foot in the oil pan and you will nobody slowdown or hinder in anyway to go faster than you.
Everything else is a traffic obstruction and is punishable.
Overtaking a truck, bus or other slower vehicles that only drive 80 km/h to 120Km/h at 125Km/h is also a traffic obstruction.
If you overtake, then do it properly. Shove your foot right in the oil pan and then go back on the right lane again, if you don't really want to drive that fast.
A perfect cruising speed for me is 160 km/h, very cosy.
Btw I love your voice 🤭
I found this on Google. The distance from Dresden to Berlin is 193.1 kilometers.
Or 120 miles in freedom units.
@@markmosley3547 "freedom"
"point one"...
@@markmosley354720 years ago there was a time and a autobahn near Berlin without speedsigns. We drove in one hour with our VW Passat like 220km. Man this was loud with the 5cyl engine. The pause was well appreciated 😅
In that case, they had to be going at approx. 680km/h throughout the whole 193.1kms for those 17 mins to be true.
The blue sign is for a traffic-calmed area. Pedestrians are allowed to walk in the middle of the road, children can play on the street, cars are only allowed to drive at walking speed and must pay special attention to pedestrians.
Audi, skoda, seat, porsche, all vw.
The vw bus is usually the classic van, the new one is a vw transporter.. might hear them being called a bus if they are a camper or fitted as a mini bus.
One important rule on the Autobahn is to drive on the left lane only for overtaking. After that return to the middle or the right lane. Mostly there are 3 lanes. Trucks use the right one so except overtaking we use the middle lane. In this connection the exits all are on the right side. Furthermore before overtaking you have to look in the rearview mirror and mind fast cars from behind. Mostly the cars have their lights on and you can estimate how fast they are approachinig in a better way.
I've seen VW T3 in the US and they're from 1979-1992.
My current Toyota GT86 can go Max speed on the Autobahn and it feels great, no problem. That's 141mp/h. My old Ford Focus station wagon shook it's steering wheel at 100mp/h .
The strange big blue sign means "Playstreet" = you have to drive cautiously in walking speed.
The VW Transporter are cool vans. Mercedes Vito is cool too.
We went 215km/h in a Vito V6.
And Tom is right. You don't hear them coming. When you drive 150km/h on the autobahn, you will be surprised how many cars and motorcycles come zooming by with well over 200km/h. I am Dutch, and not used to those speeds. It is scary on the left lane there.
The blue sign is a "heads up" for everyone, that pedestrians and anything on wheels moves around in the area and respectfully and causely has to be careful.
Very funny and very sweet of Mr Hanks to be so excited about his experience. Saw the clip back when it came out and have loved it ever since. The autobahn carries a lot of myth. Not every piece is flat and well kept like an airport runway. Nevertheless: If I'm not mistaken, the VW T5 California Mr Hanks must have driven was available with a big 174-hp-turbodiesel. That version was capable of a top speed of 190 km/h or 118 mph.
The Blue white Sign is a „Play street“ you Must drive there round about 10 km/h.
sing means residental zone, houses, kids at play, maybe kindergarten, elementary school, kids playing, people walking...
In (and around) Thailand there are crazy speed buses (tuned minivans with aero and all) that do visa runs to the nearest border with 6-7 passengers on board. Constantly speeding, of course. It's real life TAXI!
I think you've got the idea from both Mr Hanks and the comments, but the experience is real. When I'm driving through Germany, I usually set the cruise control to 200km/h (about 125mph) as a nice, comfortable cruising speed. It's generally a little faster than the average flow of traffic, so I can usually find a good clear passing opportunity. But you definitely have to have a thorough knowledge of what's going on behind you. A quick mirror check is not good enough; you have to be certain there isn't someone charging up from behind before you pull out. At 200km/h, vans and SUVs will pass you like you're going backwards; the speed differential is shocking. And if you dare to dally in the overtaking lane, even if you're clearly overtaking a line of slower traffic, someone will be driving an inch from your rear bumper with their high beam on, indicating left, and riding the median line to be sure you can see them in your left mirror. But it's not scary or intimidating. There are rules and everyone abides by them. As long as you're aware of what's going on around you, it's perfectly safe.
Agreed. And it's so much better for my focus tbh. You have to pay attention to the traffic around you. Not so boring as in the Netherlands ( it's exactly how one can fall asleep, damn). And what I am not reading: when one should slow down, ppl will do! Excellent.
Man it would have been so nice if Walter Röhrl would have been driven Tom😂
The T5 Van is available with 2 Turbos and 178hp out of 2.5l machine. Top speed around 200km/h
The van is a vw T5 or T6 with typically 2.0 TDI from 140 hp to 204 hp. You can go up to 200 kmh easily
Sign is Street Yard. Usually means only necessary driving with permit, limited speed to walk pace
In Austria, we have 130, but the official inofficial code says "dont go quicker than 160 when alone", or "dont ovetake the quickest guy", and you're fine. If you got a cool car you can go over 160, and the police will stop you, but just to watch the car aand then let you pay 30 for not having everything you need with you. In italy there is no speed limit if: You drive Ferrari, you're a spectacular good driver, you're a funny, nice guy, you're a hot girl. :D cheers
I remember they had road police stations along the Autobahn. Many yrs since i was there.
10:50 - the sign says. In this street, children are playing and the maximum speed is 6 km/h (as fast as people usually walk)
Especially at night time there is a lot of high speed traffic! Some
Drivers switch on extra the high beams to tell you:" I'm really fast coming, don't even think about it to switch on the left lane!!!"
He is obviously having a bit of fun with describing the situation.
From Dresden to Berlin. taking Hotels close to the airport.
Its actually 185 Km.
The engine is probably the 2.8 V6 with 200HP. with a Top speed of 124 Mph
what the others describe in their comments is actually what most people call a "play street", but it's wrong!
Play streets and traffic-calmed areas are often confused. What are the differences and what rules apply.
Play streets and traffic-calmed areas are not the same
Vehicles are completely prohibited in the play street. Sign consists of a combination of #250 and #1010-10 (just a child playing with a ball in black and white, rectangle and a prohibition sign "red ring on white, round")
Traffic calming zone: Sign # 325.1 Vehicles only at walking pace
1. Anyone driving a vehicle must drive at walking pace.
2. Anyone driving a vehicle must neither endanger nor hinder pedestrian traffic; if necessary, they must wait. (you must stop if it takes longer)
3. Anyone walking must not unnecessarily hinder traffic. (don't glue to roads ;))
4. Anyone driving a vehicle not allowed to park outside of the areas marked for this purpose, except to get in or out and to load or unload. (maximum "stop time" three minutes, in stopping zones, absolutely no parking, just "stopping")
5. Anyone walking may use the entire width of the road; Children's games are allowed everywhere. (no demarcation between footpath and street)
Note: not only for visitors, but also for "old driving license holders" in Germany.........!!!!!
As I described above, the "play street sign" consists of a combination.... which can be extended as desired (UNFORTUNATELY), for example with an additional sign
with the time from xxx to xxx and/or a sign for which days of the week!!!
That makes 4 different signs in a row. Such excesses are called a "SIGN FOREST" in Germany, which is why signs like the one shown in the video are regularly developed to prevent this sign madness and are included in the theoretical driver's test.
Unfortunately, in Germany you "only" take your driving test once and the licence is valid for life...
many old drivers should have to take additional training afterwards in order to know the new rules
According to "Google Maps", the regular travel time from Berlin to Dresden is 2 hours 14 minutes at the "guideline speed". Ton Hanks completely exaggerated with his 17 minutes (that would be 628 kmh or over 423 mph)
a T5 V6 does a maximum of 205 kmh, about 128 mph
a little more than 56 minutes would be the reality
"The California" can only do 185 max (115 mph)
The blue sign means Play Area for kids, means drive very slow like 5 to 10 km/h, and when it's over, you see the same sign crossed with one red line. I live in Germany, and I used to drive around 220 km/h on the Autobahn everyday to reach my work destinations around the country. Today, I don't drive so far anymore. And there are often limited areas, where you can drive over 120 km/h.
In Australia we call those VW vans “Kombi vans”
that california is a VW T4 bus with camping interior so depending on the engine it probably maxes out at about 220km/h, maybe even less. those busses are huge wind sails
Yes, the German Autoɓahn is world renound for high speed driving and notorious for its construction sites. This summer 1276 (2024) construction sites on the Autobahn.
The No Dogs Allowed joke is so underrated 😂
The blue sign means play street, drive at walking speed 5kph
Hello from Europe the blue sign is a pedestrian street sign meaning you are entering a "pedestrian zone" were the people on foot have priority over cars and they can walk/play on the street. Also you go MAX 20kmh, that's around 3mph.
We have a similar sign. It mean thats a residential zone. Which means you have to drive walkingpase and all other traffic have the right of way.
the VW California is a camper van (Minivan based RV) top speed is just under 120MPH
"Driving FAST" is a function of "how fast your car can go" AND "how fast you DARE drive it".
My 37 year old VW Passat (with the smallest engine possible at the time) can get up to 160km/h, but ... a) it starts drinking heavily and b) it does feel a bit unsafe (because even though it is a big car ... it is VERY LIGHT - only about 1 ton, less than a modern Golf - and easily affected by wind. It also takes a while to get to that kind of speed, so out of respect for other drivers (and my wallet) ... I wont drive that fast.
That funny sign is everywhere in Germany, not just Eisenhüttenstadt. It marks a street or area where pedestrians have priority over cars, and you're not allowed to drive faster than "walking speed" (4 to 7 km/h).
Futhermore the distance from Berlin to Dresden is 193 km. Usually you will hardly reach an average over 120 km/h
so it will take approximately 1 1/2 hour.
Anyone can drive fast, but not everyone can brake in time!
VW Caravelle as 5 too 9 seats. VW Transporter as a van or work car. The 2.0 litres turbo diesel 190hp does 180 km/h. Really comfortable car.
As for highspped roads in europe. Always stay in the right lane when doing "traffic" speed. NEVER pass a car on the right side, and left lanes are for passing.
The fastest VW Bus model I know is the "T5 TH2 RS" with a Porsche engine! -> 647 PS/HP: max. speed 311 km/h (~ 193 mph) ... *zoooom!!
can confirm, happened to me yesterday, i was riding on my bike home from work, cruising at about 280 and was tailgated by a audi station wagon
130 miles would be 210 kilometers per hour. Sounds reasonable for a person he calls "racer X". Even I drove that fast now and then. (Now I don't anymore, I'm getting older and my reaction speed isn't as fast as it once was, and 210 would be too dangerous now.)
5:30 Berlin to Dresden is about 200km - 17min is not possible. The VW van depending on the model has a max speed between 170kph to 203kph.
Years ago I had to take an US guest to the airport in Frankfurt/Main and he was lollygagging to say goodbye and we were late. I had to put the pedal to the metal in an Audi TDI and he was sweating bullets and he latched with both hands to the hand grip near the roof. Normally you need 2h for the trip. We arrived after 90min and they were already making the last call for him to board the plane. A few minutes later and he would have needed to wait for the next day to fly home to Dallas..... The next times when he visited our company he was always ready in advance to get the plane on time.
This is my favourite interview with Tom Hanks of all time. "Do I show these yet?" "NO DAVE!" And then his impression of the passing cars, hilarious. Also "This is not enough time to visit Eisenhüttenstadt!" LMAO. I have watched that interview like 20 times now.
On the Autobahn you have "Rechtsfahrgebot" which means "you have to drive on the most right lane possible to you unless you overtake asshole" - literally. Just kidding ;-) But yes, you can't be slow in the left lane and slow in this circumstance is anything below 180km/h, because there is people who will go 180km/h+ on the left lane where there is no speed limit.
But, but, I've got NL on the back of my car, that stands for Nür Links right?
@@foobar8894 Actually that is a warning to all other european drivers that means "never learned". ;-)
One thing to note: even if there’s no speed limit you’re still expected to drive not faster than 130 km/h. If you drive any faster (which you’re not forbidden to do) and something happens to you your insurance won’t pay unless you can prove that you driving faster didn’t cause the damage
The main reason for picture sign desing isn't realy a language barrier as practical reason, that when you're driving, you are supposed to keep your eyes on the road and limit distractions for driver as much as possible. With picture signs, you only need brief look at them, while reading the sign is essentialy unecessery and dangerous distraction, that in traffic can easily result in car accidents. Just one look at how long it takes a driver to react to unexpected situation from spotting to stopping the car still, when they are driving 50km/h (31mph) while concentratiing on driving, let alone drving more then that + being distracted... those are precious milliseconds that can save someones life.
From Dresden to Berlin is 193 km, roughly 120 miles.
That happend to me on german autobahn. I was wondering about top speed of my work van (Fiat Ducato Maxi) so I floored it. The road was empty so I was in the right lane going about 170-180kph (105-110mph) and then red blur screaming. It shaked my van so much it scared the crap out of me. Almost went off the road. Since that day I never went over 110kph (70mph) with that van. I dont know what it was or how fast it was going because it was gone in like half a second and it was literally red blur. I asume Ferrari tho.
I live near Germany, and when i drove a Matra Murena, i went to germany a couple of times.. there i was able to go flat out, and 202 km/h is quite the speed for a 1983 car with "only"120 hp.., been there with the motorbike a number of times as well.. just spending a few days there, mostly touring the B-Roads (Bundesstrasse) which are the main roads..
the thing is.. Speed?.. it becomes normal quite fast.. one day i was catching up to my friends, and as i opened the throttle, i thought "hmm.. there's something wrong.. it doesn't accelare that fast.. until i looked at my dash, and noticed i was alread doint 190 Km/h...
On long trips, i just put my Cruisecontrol on 130 km/h, which is like a "relaxed speed" on the Autobahn, you overtake some people, others overtake you, but at that speed you still get good gas mileage.. 7 liters/100 km is not bad for a BMW at 130 Km/h..
You're totally right, he just confused it,no big deal.
The VW Transporter T6 2L Turbodiesel tops at 180km/h, so yeah, it can go fast for a van. But where there are speed limits, and there are many places, you better slow down. The blue sign implies 20km/h speed limit, and dogs are allowed.
The blue traffic sign means speed limit 20 km/h. They call it "Begegnungszone".
The road sign shown by Hanks on the end of the clip stands for Woonerf (Dutch) or Wohnhof (German) or Living Street, created in the 70's in the Netherlands. See Wikipedia for more info.
i love our autobahn.
i made the police with sirens on change lanes, because i was so much faster than them, which was fun^^
Greetings and Love from Germany.. . You mentioned the only Volkswagen in the states..yes, the busses, in Germany called 'der VW-Bus' or 'das VW-Büsschen', the cutie form of Bus, like 'a tiny bus'. But the nikname was mostly the VW Bully, in the US and also in Germany. However, these vintage busses have Cult-Status here and some of these rare special, limited editions are priceless under those Bus-fanatics. So, i once watched an episode of "American Pickers". I guess you know them. They found a guy who owned 3 VW busses, so he said. They drove to him and this dude didn't lied. Sidenot: Arround the Woodstood, Peace, Pott Hippie era three different VW busses became a muss for hippies, surfers, nerds, rockabillies and later this rare cult-bus we know to day. One had 15 windows, one with 21 windows and one with 23 windows. I don't know how much of each were produced. Not many, i guess, cause they're called those, the so often quoted 'Holy Grail'. Now imagine Mike's and Frank's reaction as they found those 3 raries togheter at one place. A dream came true for Frank. And knowing they are for sale. And now their reaction as they slowly went closer and closer up to these busses only to find out that this dude had them standing outside all those years. Outside, without any protection for Rain, Snow, Tornados, Vulcano's...😂kiddn. They were in such bad conditions that even i , who's not into cars and stuff at all, (MTB cycles only😊), got watery eyes and felt their pain. Of course Frank saw only the beauty of them. But so much to repair, replace, finding orig. Parts, a huge pile of money to invest. Yes, i know how fanatic you car lovers can be and Frank surley gave a shit bout the money. And he really talked that dude to sell them. And they made the deal, Frank paid for all three VW's 37.000$. Damned, that gave me goosebombs, serious. I've heard the the 23er window alone is worth bout 69.000$.
In 2017, a 1960 23-window VW bus, similarly attractive, fetched a whopping $207,200 at an RM Sotheby's auction in New York. That same year, a 1965 example, heavily updated, went for more than $300,000 at Barrett-Jackson.
Oops, sorry, might be off the topic. But i thought you might find it intressting. Stay safe & keep on rockin your channel, best wishes from a longtime subcriber..PEACE
Something like 20 years ago, I was visiting a friend in Germany. He was driving his Audi A3 at 210 km/h on the autobahn and we got honked at by cops in a Porsche because we were too slow...
Haha😂
11:06 It is a "Spielstraße" (Play street), in this area you only are allowed to drive at walking pace.
In the seventies I drove a tour bus on the Autoban, in fog. The police stopped me, I knew why = left rear light out of order. A policeman came forward, the other with his hand on his gun. Never been so scared. I tried a joke and the police got mad. The cop with the gun on the holster made a move and I was about to shit myself. THEN German Police were nothing to play with.
It was the time of the RAF (Rote Armee Fraktion). Maybe that's why they were uneasy.
a safety notice here, if changing to left lane, watch rear viev mirror twice. a car that appears to be far enough away might smash into your trunk a second later. so keep speed difference in mind and that one can just estimate distance, but not the speed of the approaching car in such situations.