MOC Rally Euro 2018
by Andy Abbosh
Mileage? What mileage...,
The McOwners Scottish tour 2017, forever now known as the MC500, was simply outstanding. Great roads, nice people and of course amazing cars. “Now just imagine” said Jeff “if we could add Alpine passes and beautiful weather?”. Well I need imagine no more; instead I only need to delve briefly back past the monotonous, humdrum and uninspiring sections of my grey matter and pull out the file marked “Breathtaking Moments” and bathe in the memories that really make life quite pleasant, most particularly as a McLaren owner.
In describing the Euro 2018 trip I could of course now simply list the beautiful roads we drove down, the amazing Alpine passes we crossed, the stunning views we saw and captured on virtual film and the relaxing and very different hotels we stayed at. I could tell you how the routes were extremely well planned to maximize McLaren driving whenever and wherever possible and how we had every daily route and stop meticulously laid out via a Garmin Satnav provided for every participant.
I could add that even when roads were closed or the German Police decide they want to give every Porsche driver in the land a 3 hour head start by holding us at the border, we still overcame the hurdles and continued on our way relatively unscathed. As a finale I could of course list the various McLaren models and their striking colours so that all us owners could revel in our brief infamy and look at it as an opportunity to remind everyone of the fastest colour and of course the plethora of MSO adornments making their particular car the ‘most expensive’ out of Ascot or Glasgow or Arthur Daley’s Supercar Emporium .... but I won’t.
You see, what I think the most important information to convey isn’t all of the above, and of course by me telling you what ‘I won’t tell you’ I think I’ve covered enough to hopefully keep Jeff and Nick (our own Nick Smith of Dettaglio Tours) happy.
What I will say is that 18 of us, in a bunch of McLarens, of various types and shades of colours (and MSO adornments) shared the most incredible experience.
We drove a combined mileage of nigh on 40,000 miles, we ‘raced’, we convoyed, we drove in big groups and we separated into smaller bunches, we shared breakfasts and lunches and dinners. We chatted, we giggled, we laughed and we shared stories. We talked petrol, we talked sport we talked about our commercial interests (happily we did not discuss Brexit) and I’m sure many of us talked bollocks; but we did so with wonderful, charming and interesting people. We stayed in luxurious surroundings and we slept in what I can only describe as a 5 star Colditz; I even spent one night in a Cadillac - albeit alone I’m afraid.
We drove numerous absolutely stunning roads and saw so many astonishing views that the trip will be a point of reference for me forever.
You see listing the routes and the venues and annotating pictures can only say so much. What I’m really trying to do is convey how enjoyable, to every participant, the trip was. The trip wasn’t perfect of course, especially the intervention of the wonderfully abrupt officious German Police Sergeant and his colleagues (I’m so desperately trying to avoid stereo typical cliches here) and by the one and only breakdown suffered by a member that curtailed the McLaren driving for them 3/4 of the way into the trip
(though they did have the pleasure of continuing their trip in a Dacia Duster - every cloud ....)
Blemishes and all the trip was superbly enjoyable and professionally run. It confirmed my fondness for the Mac Owners Club extended family (even those north of Watford!) it reaffirmed my love of the open road and in our clogged up everyday lives of relative monotony, it showcased the freedom of just driving with the sun beating down on my sun screened bonce and with Ed Sheeran serenading me from my MSO optioned door speakers.
However, most relevantly, most pertinently and of course most importantly of all, it yet again reminded me why I love my bloody McLaren so much! Viva McOwners trip 2019!
For a detailed look at the routes and places visited during the MOC Rally Euro 2018, take a look at the brochure here.