 |
| Florence from above |
We returned from the family trip to Italy at the end of last week. Although it was sometimes very hot, the country is great, and we had a great time. It's always a bit sad for me to miss all the summer car events in Quebec, but it's also nice to be on a month-long trip with the family.
This was my second time in Italy and my last trip was 15 years ago. As I had noticed last time, there are very few "enthusiast" cars on the road. Most people have economical utilitarian cars with small engines. In a month, I maybe saw 2 or 3 BMW M-cars, 4 or 5 Porsche sports cars, 4 or 5 Miatas, 1 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1 Golf GTi, etc. Also, there are almost no modified cars. There are more SUV's than 15 years ago, but still way fewer than in North America.
As for driving, people drive aggressively and only obey stop signs and speed limits when they feel like it. Still, there is a logic to the way people drive and there is a certain level of courtesy... there has to be, with the number of 2-way roads which are not wide enough for 2 cars!
We used the train to get around for the first part of the trip, then had a rental car (a diesel Opel Astra, 94 or 108 hp, I don't know which). The car had about 16 scuffs, dents and scratches when we took possession, and I managed not to let it get any worse. The car was fine, comfortable enough. The Android Auto never worked and the navigation unit often sent us on tiny, awful roads, but the car met our basic needs for transportation in the South of Italy. It was very economical, probably costing the same to drive per kilometer as our 535i (diesel is 50% more expensive in Europe than it is here).
I photographed some notable cars, but really, there weren't that many, considering how long the trip was.
 |
| Our trusty diesel Astra after a car wash |
 |
| Cool 80's Alfa |
 |
| A rare modified hot hatch, but it's from Switzerland |
 |
| Nissan Terrano II |
 |
| AMG A-class |
 |
| Brabus G-Wagen in Napoli |
 |
| E46 hatchback |
 |
| Our car as a wagon, pretty neat |
 |
| Clean Saab in Lecce |
 |
| Also clean, 1.4 liter Civic EK |
 |
| Alfa Romeo 166 |
 |
| An Italian Mini by Innocenti |
 |
| Vintage Autobianchi |
 |
| One of only 2 Renault Sport's I saw on the whole trip |
 |
| Very clean Alfa sedan |
 |
| Awesome wheels on this Abarth |
 |
| Alfa 164, haven't seen one of these in years |
 |
| Cool 2-door G-Wagen |
 |
| Like a barn find, but in someone's yard |
 |
| Neat futuristic BMW scooter |
 |
| Nissan Patrol 2-door |
 |
| Hard to believe these are street legal in Italy |
 |
| Ferraris were not common |
 |
| Loud wrap on a quiet Porsche in Florence |
 |
| Jules with an Abarth 595 |
 |
| Alfa 155 |
 |
| Lada Niva! |
 |
| The new Alfa Tonale |
 |
| I didn't even know there was a Maybach SUV |
 |
| A Ferrari in Florence |
 |
| ... and a modern Aston Martin |
 |
| The new Nissan Micra, not available in Canada |
 |
| A new GT3 in Florence, a bit surprising to see it there |
 |
| Rare VW Phaeton |
 |
| Small cars |
 |
| Cool RS4 Avant |
 |
| Very cool like new Defender 110 |
 |
| Super rare Matra Simca Murena |
 |
| 2CV van |
 |
| Old and new Fiat 500... new one is electric only |
 |
| Very rare Mini GP edition, with extra Nurburgring badges |
 |
| Lovely vintage Alfa in a parking garage |
 |
| We never had the 16-valve version of the Mk.3 Golf GTi in Canada |
 |
| Smart and Citroen Ami |
 |
| Italian army truck |
 |
| 80's Alfa 33 |
 |
| 90's Fiat Barchetta... it's aged well |
 |
| Ferrari 308 (and an F355 behind it) in Rome |
