Gran Turismo Events

Many people enjoy a really good road trip. So do we. In fact, we enjoy it so much that we have spent the last two weeks going about in Europe in one of the two company Lotus Evoras. We have been scouting for the best roads, hotels and restuarants for Gran Turismo Europa. The result - A 2000 km(!) route that spans over nine days(!) on the best roads in the world.



More driving

By extending the event one day, and with some clever planning by Jens Sverdrup, we are now able to include six(!) more mountain passes: Stelvio Pass (Top Gear best road), Ofer pass, Fluela pass and Susten pass. We are also removing Gotthard pass and driving the Lukmania pass and Oberalp pass instead. Stelvio is a classic. But it is not our favorite for Gran Turismo Europa 2012. We believe strongly in Fluela pass or Lukmania pass being the ones that you will enjoy the most with your super car. Fluela is fast and fun, while Lukmania offers other qualities. And to find out what exactly those qualities are, you will need to go there by your self. Or with us in September.




Upgraded hotels

All hotels along the route, except the fantastic Splendido Hotel by Lago Maggiore (Peters favorite hotel in the entire world, that doesnt need to be upgraded) are upgraded to better standard. We don't think you can upgrade the hotels any further now. We start in famous Villa d'Este and end the tour with two days in Byblos Saint-Tropez. The average price for a room night en route is a staggering 440 EUR.

Lunch beyond schnitzels

All restaurants selected for lunch, except Relais-Saint-Hubert on Route Napoleon, are changed. No more bad schnitzel on Klausen Pass höhe. No more dry spaghetti on the peak of Gotthard. From last year we have learnt to not stop on top of mountains, because the single restaurant there has monopoly on food at their location. And they don't have to care about their customers. Instead, we stop at idyllic village restaurants in the valleys and have much better food. We are amazed by the difference, especially in Switzerland.


























Driving in the Alps

Driving over a high altitude mountain pass is a very special experience. Many drivers, including me, feel intimidated by the scenery the first time. The bends are sharp. The drops are sometimes over 1000 meters. But after a while it gets better. The fear becomes diluted. And after a while your fear lets go altogether and something amazing happens - the joy of driving becomes totally overwhelming, Almost like a drug of some kind. The amount of adrenlain in your system has never, ever, been this high.

And soon you will drive through bends at ridiculous speeds, challenging the laws of physics in every step you take. The sound of your engine echoing in the valley. And you are enjoying every second of it. It is a strange transition that takes about a day. From being completely gripped by fear to total joy.




The route

The route for 2012 goes through three countries and spans over 2000 kilometres. Some of the stages are over 500 kilometres and take half a day. Some of the more challenging Swiss stages are less than 250 kilometres and still take the entire day to complete.

The driving covers no less than X mountain passes. We only stay at the best hotels en route. Villa d’Este is one hell of a hotel. Probably one of the best in the world. So is Byblos in Saint-Tropez. And why not stay at the also famous Belvedere in Davos. Yes, thats where they have the annual economic forum.



The company

The most important ingredient of a great road trip is who you are going with. And I'm proud to present what probably is the best company ever. We have 28 cars and over 50 people going for this years trip, which is now fully booked. The majority of the participants are from Norway and Sweden. Starting last year, we se a strong trend in other nationalities joining. We have three Polish teams and four Russian. The cars are on a very high level, too. Starting from the ubiquitus Porsche 911 to Ferrari 458 and Lamborghini Aventadors. Even a Koenigsegg CCX attending.

Join us

We are sorry, but this event is fully booked. To enquire about late registration, please contact us directly. To view the route, please go to the web page, which is now updated with the final version.

>>  Gran Turismo Europa 2012

Did not get enough of the Gran Turismo-spirit in Poland? Now, there is a second chance to meet all your friends this summer. Gran Turismo Baltica in August. Three days of driving on a brand new track, four nights in a hotel (that looks like something from star trek) and more fun with your friends than you can imagine. All this in a country that used to belong to the eastern bloc.

It is our happy duty to inform you that the track is ready for our arrival, and that the dates 24-30 August are rock solid. We are going to Estonia and Pärnu!

On the 1st day of July Poznań will be overrun by the most exclusive, powerful and expensive cars in the world. Over 140 cars from all over Europe are coming to Poland to join the eight edition of Gran Turismo Polonia, an event held sacred by many moto-enthusiasts. During the 3 hour-long opening ceremony all the spectators will be able to feast their eyes on pure mechanic muscles of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches. However, the most anticipated entry is to be made by Koenigsegg CCX – one of the rarest cars in the world.

The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. at Hlonda street and will be filled with numerous attractions including a race-showdown between Koenigsegg and a helicopter. After the opening ceremony the drivers and their machines will turn to Tor Poznań for 3 days of closed, track sessions, where they will each test both the true dexterity of their cars and their own skills.

Following our event on Nurburgring earlier in April we realized something important. You are becoming really fast on this demanding track. Not only are you upgrading your cars, your driving skills have increased dramatically since our first event on Nurburgring in 2010. Many of you are now well below the 8 minute lap time mark, which is a feat some drivers spend a life time to achieve.

Hence, we are creating a special event for experienced drivers. Drivers who are past the early learning stages and are getting really quick around the Nurburgring.

We call it Gran Turismo Nurburgring Evolution. A hard-core version of the very popular Gran Turismo Nurburgring event held each year. Like a RS version of the Porsche GT3. More focused, less compromise.

We are stripping out track walks, follow-me laps and all other content designed for beginners. Instead we open the gates at 8.00 in the morning. In total, we will have the same amount of time on the Nordschleife as in the spring event. We will have racing drivers as instructors. Accommodation and hospitality in Lindner Hotel. Lots of driving, lots of fun.

So you think you have a fast car? Think again. When the awesome 1200 HP Koenigsegg Agera R passed the pit lane on Döttinger Höhe on Thursday everyone was amazed by the speed of the car.

Using the whole 3.5 kilometer straight, the Koenigsegg logged a "quite impressive" 401.6 km/h before braking before the bridge at Tiergarten.

"No problems with stability under extreme speeds. The tarmac was a little bumpy while braking so It was quite exciting before the left turn" says owner Bård Eker from Norway.

Gran Turismo Nurburgring was not only visited by two Koenigseggs, we also had the pleasure to see a Pagani Zonda both on and off the track. Some 120 super cars attended, with the most popular being Porsche GT3, Ferrari 458 and Lamborghini Gallardo.

"I have never, ever in my life seen so many nice cars in the same place. This is unbelievable" says Dennis Noten from Netherlands

The event ended last night with a closing gala dinner and a party at Dorint hotel. Right now, the participants are packing their cars and getting ready for Gran Turismo Spa next week.

"Why go home? Im in Nurburg right now, just 100 km from the other best track in the world - Spa-Francorchamps"

>> Gran Turismo Spa 2012 (11-14 April)