Roadtripping with

The sound of the engine revving, the feel of the road through the steering wheel and seat, the wind blowing through an open window or roof, the occasional adrenaline rush of sudden oncoming traffic, the car flowing from one curve to the next, discovering new things after each unsighted turn. For Frank Berben-Groesfjeld, professional photographer and author of the picture loaded coffee table book ‘360 NÜRBURG‘, few things are as satisfying as a good drive.

Frank was born and raised in the Netherlands and subsequently moved to Copenhagen in Denmark. “Denmark is one of the only places in Europe that is actually just as flat as the Netherlands. It has not always been easy to satisfy my need for an exciting drive. This means I have had to look for driving thrills elsewhere. Fortunately, I found driving heaven not too far from home, in the Eifel mountains in Germany.”

For those of you unfamiliar with the Eifel region; The Eifel mountains are located between the city of Aachen and Cologne/Bonn to the north and the picture-perfect valleys of the river Rhine and the Moselle further south.

“It is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and fascinating areas in Germany. The Eifel is characterized by high hills and circular lakes shaped by volcanic activity, deep valleys cut by numerous streams and rivers, omnipresent roadside shrines and chapels, romantic castles, quiet villages, and unpredictable weather. The incredible diversity offered by such a geographically small area is one of the most striking things about the Eifel.”

Anyone who’s been there, will know about the dense, rain-soaked forests in the Schneifel, mild and sunny wine-growing valleys around the Mosel and Ahr, gently rolling farmland in Maifeld, and impressive hills in the Hohe Eifel. Each offers its own take on motoring nirvana. “And let’s not forget the famous and infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife” Frank says. “A legendary racetrack, also known as the Green Hell. It is probably the most unforgiving, challenging, and beautiful racetrack anywhere in the world.”

Frank continues: “Fortunately, the past few years I have been in a position where I had time and some money to spend on indulging in my hobby. The first thing I did was the obvious; purchasing a Porsche and just driving around without a purpose. I have always been an enthusiastic photographer, so these journeys led to a growing collection of pictures, as well as a deepening knowledge of the Eifel and the local roads and sights.”

“After some time, I started thinking about doing something useful with all these images and experiences, so I decided to work on a book. Fast forward 12 months, 14,000 miles on the Eifel’s country roads, and thousands of pictures, and I have just released a road book called 360 NÜRBURG.”

360 NÜRBURG is a 334-page hardcover coffee table book with 14 routes throughout the Eifel. The routes take the reader on a journey along the most exciting roads the Eifel has to offer. Each route is illustrated with multiple pictures and custom route maps, there are descriptions of the main points-of-interest, and there are downloadable itineraries. In time there will also be a smaller paperback version.

At a certain point, Frank’s Porsche wasn’t delevering what he was after anymore. “I never really got along with the Porsche. It was well-engineered, handled brilliantly, sounded great, and the interior quality was excellent, but something was missing. It was just not special enough. Not raw and thrilling enough. Not authentic enough.”

When you read these words, many will probably know the perfect solution. Buy a Lotus! Which Frank did.

“I decided to purchase an Exige 360 Cup from 2016 and I couldn’t have been happier with the decision. It is everything I was looking for. Of course it is loud and cramped inside the cabin, it rattles and squeaks, and some bits are of questionable quality. It’s not for everyone, that is for sure. But in order to experience the pure thrill of driving, while still retaining some comfort and luggage space, I have yet to find a more suitable car.”

The Lotus is featured prominently throughout the book. “Hopefully, my book will inspire more people to purchase a Lotus. Car enthusiasts are often lamenting the demise of the manual gearbox, the proliferation of electronic driving aids, the escalating weight of cars, and the increasing insulation from the road, but they need look no further than Lotus. I can’t think of another sportscar manufacturer that deserves success like Lotus does.”

About the book: “Time will tell if the book becomes a commercial success, but regardless of the outcome, making and publishing it has been an incredible journey and learning experience. And, last but not least, it led to owning a Lotus, which makes it worth all the effort and more.”

You can read and see more about the book on Frank’s website www.360nuerburg.com and on Facebook and Instagram (@360roadbooks).

The book is available for purchase now at several outlets around the Nürburgring and in due time also on Amazon.

Amidst thousands of car blogging/vlogging petrolheads it’s hard to stand out from the masses. In the early years of this form of journalism being female was a way to get noticed. But that time has long gone, thankfully. Elisa Artioli was featured in the ‘Road tripping with …’ section of this website before. Now lets hear from our favorite Dutch petrolhead ‘femmes’ and from Rianne Bergman in particular!

Femme Frontaal – best translated as ‘a woman who acts head-on’ – started in 2011 and is a Dutch online magazine about the female perspective on cars. Not the car performance, but the broader driving experience and a bit of human interest is what this platform is about. Femme Frontaal is a subsidiary of marketing agency Daily Drive Media which offers a specific view on demographic thinking.

Besides the mandatory reviews of cars, like this review of the Alpine A110, the magazine has more to offer. Lifestyle pages, blogs and vlogs and racing are all covered. And, stressing why they are our favorite, they write about road tripping.

Femme Frontaal is run by Odiel Mennink (also owner of Daily Drive Media). She’s well known in the ‘old boys’ automotive industry in The Netherlands and she’s one of the jurors for Company Car of the Year 2020 and Women’s World Car of the Year.

For the first few years of Femme Frontaal Odiel was the main author and editor of content but since 2015 she’s hired a team to add content and photos to the online magazine. One of the latest to join the Femme Frontaal team is Rianne Bergman. She was hired as review editor. But first of all Rianne is a race car driver for Lohuis Auto Sport. In 2016 she was recognized by autosport.nu as one of 5 great talents in Dutch motorsport; a group in which also Max Verstappen was mentioned…

In her early twenties, Rianne is a real jack of all trades; next to being part of the Femme Frontaal team, racing for the PTC-Cup, racing ‘The Beast’ (Stayfast DW16, sponsored by oil and grease specialist TSL) and teaching advanced driving she’s a professional hair dresser and she owns a hair salon, which she named, quite aptly, Salon Pole Position.

In this versatile lifestyle it’s hard to find time to travel for leisure. Road tripping is the best way to relieve the pressure of a busy schedule though. We’ve asked Rianne some questions about this pastime activity.

She starts. “A road trip is special to me because it means adventure is ahead. It’s all about creating memories that will never fade. Still, I can’t name my ‘favorite’ road trip. I’ve travelled so much, both professionally and for leisure. For instance, I have fond memories of a trip with our racing team on tour to Spa-Francorchamps with joy and many laughs but also with excitement building up for the race. It’s such a great feeling when you are able to travel with a team like that!”

“Then there are press trips for Femme Frontaal which take me all across Europe in different types of cars. When it comes down to vacation, touring the beautiful island of Curaçao in a rental all by myself comes to mind immediately. It was awesome!”

“Still, I’ve got some things on my bucket list. What I really, really would love to do is fly to Australia some day to travel around with a camper! That would be a dream come true! In other circumstances, when a road trip is focussed on driving fast cars or sports cars, my absolute favorite car is a BMW M3. Followed by the Dodge Ram and then by the Mustang.”

“When it comes to driving, I have to admit that I really like to travel alone. But on a road trip it would be really cool to go with my best friends. Then those special stories that we have experienced together earlier come up and so is the laughter about these stories! It would be a lot of fun to do that!”

“Of course, music is important on a road trip. I love music, I listen to music all the time myself. Mostly to new entries of hitparades like Top 50. I think it’s really great to drive

Rianne finishes with a red hot tip for Bends and Curves road tripping. “If you ever ask yourself where to go next, consider the back roads near Marseille. In my opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful areas in France!” We’ll take note of that, Rianne! 

Darryl Sleath is the co-founder of the irreverent motoring magazine MotorPunk where he blogs about grassroots motorsport, automotive adventures and his ramshackle car collection. He has written for numerous print magazines, contributed to 1001 Cars to Dream of Driving Before You Die and various motoring blogs including Jalopnik and Silodrome.
Darryl has also produced several short films about classic cars and historic motorsport for MotorsTV, and regularly presents on CBS’s motoring channel Carfection. And then some.

Besides all this, Darryl Sleath is author of some epic books about road tripping: The Road Trip Book: 1001 Drives of a Lifetime, 1001 Road Trips To Drive Before You Die and 1001 Drives You Must Experience Before You Die. He has experienced many of these drives firsthand so if someone deserves a spot on these pages, it’s Darryl.

But now for some questions. The floor is yours, Darryl!

What makes road tripping special?

“I love road tripping because of the freedom to change plans and do things at our own pace. We often set over ambitious itineraries and never get as much done as we’d like too. ‘Spose that always gives a reason to come back. Mostly we like to retrace a route that played a part in motorsport or has an historical story to tell.”

What’s your best road trip?

“The best road trip I’ve been on in the last 12 months is a close tie between our adventures over the Atlas mountains of Morocco and the off-road trip we took to southern Iceland. We have been working on these trips for MotorPunk Magazine.”

“I think Morocco just wins as it was more exotic. Having a small group of five mates travelling together adds a different dynamic too. We travelled from Marrakech over the mountains towards the Tizn Tichka pass over the Atlas towards the desert town of Ouarzazat on the fringes of the Sahara. This was a weird place that was famous for its huge mud-built kasbah and a shabby film set that’s been used in things like Game of Thrones and Gladiator. But it was the endless dried up river beds and half abandoned towns that really made it feel ‘foreign’. In fact it is probably the most alien place you can do on a budget fly drive from the UK.”

“We rented Dacia Dusters, partly because they were made in Morocco, but most mostly because they were cheap and had air con. This last thing is the most important thing you’ll need driving into the Sahara. On the radio we had a lot of 90s Indie tunes because were are old blokes. The stand out tune however was Egyptian Reggae from the film Baby Driver. Seemed appropriate.”

Which road trip is on your bucket list?

“My bucket list trip is to have full week with a big 4×4 in Iceland and do the whole Route 1 loop but mixing it up with F Roads. Ideally, I’d like to do it with a gang of friends as it’s handy to have someone to tow you out the river crossings when you misjudge things!”

What means of transport would you use on that road trip?

“My dream ride in Morocco would be an Ariel Nomad to get off road and into the maze of gravel roads that just sprawl everywhere.”

Who would you be travelling with?

“My co-editor and Rich and I usually drive together. We talk about almost anything, although we have a running joke about a run down Soviet Water World … it’s a lot funny when Rich does it in a Russian accent, honestly!”

What about music on the road?

“Music tastes are pretty eclectic. I’m a 90s Indie / Grunge fan. Rich likes Israeli Jazz!”

It’s not often that an artist blows you of your feet the first time you get the chance to see him/her perform. Robin Borneman did. His music, voice, lyrics, intense performance, tough appearance, awesome band and super kind personality mix up to goosebumps all the way.

Robin Borneman’s recent life is best described as a musical novel, as a boy’s dream come true. In 2013 the singer from The Netherlands was discovered on YouTube by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), an American progressive rockband. With over 10 million records and many more concert tickets sold, TSO is one of the most successful rock-productions of our time. Robin is touring with TSO two months a year, performing for millions of people in arenas all over the US and Europe.

The man whose gravelly voice filled and tamed many sold-out arenas in the US has more to offer. There’s another side to him that’s more profound, sensitive, even philosophical. He expresses it with his own music. A mix of dark roots, blues, folk and film music. An emotional blend of styles that surprises and touches with each and every song. His albums were described as ‘mini radio plays’ that take the listener on an exciting adventure, with the wayward Borneman singing and crying his heart out in songs ranging from vulnerable spoken word, to fully orchestrated musical epics. Film music, anyone?
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In 2012 his self-released, short album ‘Home’ regionally sold so many copies that in some recordstores he became top-selling artist, even topping big-time stars like Muse and Ben Howard. It got him a record deal with a small new label, Kroese Records. Between 2015 and 2019 they’ve released his longplayer trilogy Folklore I, II and III. The songs are about a nameless traveller who is exploring, travelling towards new worlds, passing the dark places and almost gets lost before finding the light again.

Distant echoes of Tom Waits, 16 Horsepower and Johnny Cash float around the eerie landscape, while the warmth of Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen offers a sense of hope and beauty. The cinematographic detail that’s become Robin’s trademark has been fully developed here, and the album was greatly received by the press. Not long after the release Robin signed with Dutch booking agency Bureau Zwaardvis and he played several festivals around the country with his band before he flew to the US for yet another tour with TSO. ​More info, music & tour dates at www.robinborneman.com.

What makes road tripping so special?

“When I’m travelling I’m always in the NOW. I’m not thinking about tomorrow as much as at home. I can sit on a mountain and just gaze, and not really think about anything at all. A rare moment for me, and a time of inspiration and reflection.”

What’s your best road trip so far? 

“(Multiple memories enter my head) … I went to New Zealand with one of my best friends a few years ago, that was epic. We travelled around for two months in a rental van. We went hiking, climbing, skydiving etc. Extremely adventurous and us being together made it extra special for me because I usually travel alone. Also, this year I went to Scotland with my Dad. We walked the West Highland Way which was absolutely stunning. We’re going to do a hike every year from now on. My dad’s still a badass!”

Which road trip is on your bucket list?

“Antarctica. An obscure choice perhaps but … yes. I would love to go there, gaze over the immense ice plateaus and just imagine the world in a different way. I think it would be mesmerizing. It’s really the last place on Earth that’s truly untouched by people. I would probably go there alone. Actually, there’s something I do every year and that’s going out to the mountains alone. It’s a beautiful place in France that I’ve come to know very well. It’s everything I could dream of; mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, stunning views and not too many people haha. If only I could build myself a house there…”

What means of transport would you use on that road trip?

“A friend of mine went to the South Pole on a large ship that he worked on. It was an old ship, almost like a pirate ship! Very cool. They sailed from Patagonia to Antarctica in a few weeks time. His pictures were truly stunning. I’d do that! If it’s closer to home? Well, hypothetically, an old Volkswagen hippie van. No, an old school bus!”

Who would you travel with?

“With my band, touring in Europe! We’d be perfect travel buddies for sure. My bandmates are the best, we would talk about life and music for hours while Manny, our Irish driver, would occasionally stop for fuel, or say something cool.”

What about music on the road?

“We’d probably write songs on the road! The best songs happen when you’re in the moment you know. And we’d all be together, it would be perfect. Furthermore we would play anything from Bob Dylan to James Blake. And some classical music as well, maybe Bach. We’d have whiskey, but not too much, just enough :-). Man, I’m starting to look forward to all this. Let’s make this happen!”

The ninetees have played a significant role in the story of Lotus Cars. In this era Group Lotus was owned by General Motors (until August 1993) and Proton (1996 onwards). Probably the developments in the interlude made that we can still buy Lotus sports cars nowadays. In these years Group Lotus was owned by Italian businessman Romano Artioli, who also owned Bugatti Automobili SpA at the time.

A new Lotus was developed during Artioli’s ownership of Lotus. It should be a ‘back to basics’ Lotus, like the Seven. An agile sports car with a revolutionary aluminium bonded chassis was developed. This car definately helped Lotus survive; press and public were amazed which was expressed in the sales figures in the years following.

When it came down to naming the new Lotus sprout, Romano Artioli didn’t have to think long. Since nearly all models of Lotus Cars start their name with an ‘E’ and he had just become grandfather of his granddaughter Elisa, it was easy peasy lemon squeezy. The Lotus Elise was born and little Elisa lived a life in the spotlights.

After these years of ‘celebrity life’ Elisa turned very shy and didn’t want to talk at the Lotus meetings.  She spent many years behind the scenes. But with the 20th anniversary of the Elise in 2016 several Lotus clubs and dealers asked her to participate in meetings to celebrate the important date. Yet in her twenties she created a Facebook and Instagram account to support these developments and to share her adventures with her Lotus Elise. The one her grandfather gave to her as a young child. And Lotus owners cheered. Her posting was received with a lot of enthusiasm.

First road trip

Elisa was living in Spain at the time and before moving back to Italy she decided to do a roadtrip and take the chance to visit all the beautiful cities around Madrid and drive under the hot Spanish and Portugese sun for many many kilometers. After that she visited the United States due to an invitation of Lotus Owners Gathering (LOG).

She took the chance to visit more cities so she expanded the trip to the West Coast. After visiting Orange County, Santa Monica, San Francisco she travelled South (Houston) and to the East Coast to visit Princeton, New York City. This trip ended in Söderköping in Sweden for the 40th anniversary of Club Lotus Sweden.

“What I love the most about road trips is the driving, of course, and enjoying the scenery. I enjoy seeing new places, explore, eat, see and take all the memories with me back home and some kg more too. It’s so great to drive and feel the breeze in my hair, to feel the heat of the sun on my skin that makes me feel relaxed while my skin slowly gets warm and red.” 

“If I compare road tripping to a cocktail, there is no perfect mix but there are some basic ingredients to make it right. Sometimes you can mix it in a different way and see what comes out. For me the most important ingredients are: curvy roads, nice weather, awesome people, good food – coffee in particular – and a comfy bed.”

What’s your best road trip so far?

“When it comes to the car I used, it’s super easy … my Elise of course. But to name the best roadtrip so far is too difficult to tell. All roadtrips I took part in have been special in some way that made them unforgettable.” 

Which road trip is on your bucket list?

“A good friend told me that the North Coast 500 in Scotland is awesome. That is definitely on my bucket list. Some others are: Amalfi Coast in Italy, La Route des Grandes Alpes in France and the road trip in Croatia that I will do soon … can’t wait to check that one off.”

What car would you take on that road trip?

“I might be biased but I haven’t found a car that gives me as many emotions as the Elise. She isn’t perfect, neither am I, but this makes the journey even more exciting. Perfection can become boring.”

Who would be your co-driver?

“I usually drive alone in the car during a road trip. Although sometimes I like to be the passenger, even in my own car, to benefit from the view and to unwind.”

What music would you be playing?

“Music is a good travel companion for long distance trips. I have different playlists to match my mood when I don’t listen to the engine sound, and many of the other Elise noises.”

Style. Classic Mens Style. These are the first words that come to mind after being in touch with Sven Raphael Schneider – he prefers Raphael – founder of Gentlemans Gazette.

As the founder and resident Arbiter Elegantiarium, Sven Raphael Schneider has been sharing his passion for classic style and fine living with Gentleman’s Gazette readers since 2010.

His obsession began at the tender age of 14, and he has since amassed an ever-expanding classic wardrobe, a significant collection of 20th-century fashion references, and a keen understanding of what it means to be a gentleman in this day in age.

Raphael shares his knowledge daily with Gentleman’s Gazette readers in the form of articles, videos, and social media posts.

When he’s not interacting with readers or designing Fort Belvedere products, he enjoys cooking, photography, drinking port, exploring the cuisines of the world, and playing with his daughter Louisa. Besides that, Raphael really enjoys driving fast cars on curvy roads. And that’s what we’re going to talk about, mostly.

Best road trip so far

As said, Raphael really enjoys driving fast cars on curvy roads. But he also hates commuting or driving long stretches. “Living in Minneapolis, MN in the central Midwest in the US means you have to drive through boring landscapes if you ever want to go on a roadtrip and I am just not fond of that at all.”

Boring roads and landscapes is not what we want to read about, so lets skip this part and look ahead.

Which road trip is on your bucket list and why?

Highway 1 in California – a.k.a. California State Route 1 or CA 1 or SR 1 – is epic. And that’s what Raphael says too. “I would like to drive up and down Highway 1 in California. I would enjoy the scenery, the food, and stop at places like Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, as I am a big fan of old, grand houses.”

“Apart from that, the US has a fantastic wealth of nature and I would like to visit Montana, Lake Tahoe etc. but as I said, I would try to minimize the boring driving part and maybe rent a really nice care at my destination.”

What car would you take on that road trip?

So, Raphael enjoys driving fast cars. “For example, on a trip to Nashville, I flew there and then I drove a Ferrari F430 with a modified exhaust so it sounded devine. I also had a chance to drive a Ferrari California and a 69 Mustang and Camaro. Frankly, the F430 was the very best for me, because I loved the feeling on the road, and the speed. The California was too cushy and the muscle cars really just felt like big squishy sofa. If it was me and my wife going on a road trip, I would want a convertible like a F430, F458 or F488.”

But, there is so much to choose from. Confession time. Because this stylish gentleman started of like we all did. “As a kid, I loved to play the various iterations of Gran Turismo on the Play Station, and I always liked Lotus because they were lightweight and had good handling. But I have never driven one in real life. Alternatively, I would like to give the Porsche GT3 a go, a lot of people have raved about it and I have never driven it.”

“If it was me with my daughter, I would want to drive a Bentley Flying Spur or if I needed more trunk space an AMG E63 Estate. For a long road trip the interior of a car is important. Cooled seats, nice squishy carpets and beautiful leathers and wood is what attracts me to the Bentley. On the other hand the AMG E63 Estate is a hatchback with a little over 600hp, and with is adaptations, it can be a relaxed family cruiser or a wonderfully sounding car and fun car to drive. I am actually thinking about buying one as our next car…”.

And then back to the inner Raphael, the Gentlemans Gazette founder. “If it was to dress up, I would drive a Mercedes Benz 500k from the 1930s. I saw it at the Mercedes Benz Museum, and it is simply gorgeous.” Well, we can’t disagree there. Only 342 were built and a road trip in this grand touring car would be super special for sure.

The co driver and the talking

Next question. Who would you like to accompany you, on this epic road trip? Raphael: “My wife really enjoys cars but she is not too fond of me driving quickly. I think it is most fun to drive a fast car with someone who is equally into it. I think we would talk about the car all the time.”

“If I was driving the Mercedes 500k with my wife, we would talk about the the beautiful landscape, the restaurants we would go to (we are both foodies), and the places we would stop at.”

And, of course, what about the clothing?

If someone knows what to wear during travelling, it is Raphael. He says “It all depends on the car of course, with the exception of one thing: driving gloves. I would wear them in all of the cars. I’d try to match the colors to either the interior or the exterior of the car. In a Ferrari, I would wear a polo shirt with short sleeves, some seersucker pants so I don’t overheat and thin soles boat shoes so I can feel the pedals well.”

“In the Bentley or AMG, I would wear a suit or combination but you always hang the jacket in the back hook, so you don’t sit on it because driving with a jacket on is hard on the jacket and will shorten its lifespan.”

“In the Mercedes 500k, I would wear a genuine 1930s suit with patch pockets in a brown tone, and maybe a Panama hat if I can make sure it doesn’t fly away in my convertible.”

If you like Raphael and his perception of gentlemen and classic style like we do, subscribe to the Gentlemans Gazette newsletter and receive the free eBook 15 Style Mistakes & How To Avoid Them.