A car lover's guide to Germany

Germany lays claim to many important inventions that paved the way for the modern car and is still regarded as one of the most innovative industries in the world. The German automotive industry is one of the largest employers, largest producers and most awarded in the world.

So if petrol runs through your veins, take a trip to Germany and delve into the world of cars. This car lover's guide to Germany’s museums, driving experiences and factory tours will help you plan your hit list.

Museums

Learn more about the VW family at AutoStadt in Wolfsburg, a huge car wonderland complete with playgrounds, a new car delivery centre, the Zeithaus vintage car museum, driving experiences, showrooms, guided tours, virtual racing and much more. AutoStadt is also home to the famous car towers which are fully automated, high-rise stacks with space for up to 400 vehicles. The new cars are rolled over from the neighbouring Volkswagen plant using a robotic-pallet system mounted on rails. 

Up to 50 rare racing and sports cars tell the story of 80 years of automotive history in this private museum in Hamburg.

The Audi museum in Ingolstadt, 80km from Munich, showcases the history of Audi cars as well as other models such as the Wanderer, DKW, Horch and NSU. Check out the huge open car elevator that offers up constantly changing views of a rotating collection of vehicles.

The Porsche museum stands tall among its factory workshops in Stuttgart’s Bad Cannstatt. It offers an impressive display of Porsche vehicles, from the Lohner-Porsche Elektromobil from 1900 through to the Porsche Gran Turismo Vision GT, the first car to be designed for the virtual world. You can even test your skills on a Porsche racing simulator.

The Mercedes-Benz museum is also in Stuttgart and charts the evolution of the car over 135 years through the context of world history. It was opened in 2006 near the site of Gottlieb Daimler’s original workshop, the inventor of the internal combustion engine. Both the ultra-modern architecture and the well-presented exhibitions are impressive.

MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW all share floor space at BMW Welt in Munich. With a focus on the future and free entry, visitors can interact with new vehicles, learn more about car production and technical innovations and purchase merchandise. It also hosts special car delivery performances for customers picking up new BMW vehicles.

Across the road, the BMW Museum is more of a traditional museum, charting the history of the company and its cars.

Factory tours

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Porsche manufacturing on a factory tour at their headquarters in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart. Choose between three different tours: 911/718, Taycan or Powertrain. Two-hour tours take place in English or German and cost $16-24 (€10-15), but are often booked out months in advance, so get in early.

Learn more about Audi production and watch the final assembly of an Audi A6, A7 or A8 as the body and chassis are joined together like a puzzle at Audi HQ in Neckarsulm. Tours run for one hour and cost $15 (€9).

AMG owners can join a free guided tour through the company’s headquarters in Affalterbach or Sindelfingen and see current AMG vehicles on the assembly line and the AMG engine shop.

Spanning more than 6 square km and with more than 60,000 employees, the VW factory in Wolfsburg has come a long way since the first Beetle rolled off the production line in 1945. Ride in an open Golf style vehicle through the factory floor on a 90 minute tour and watch the pressing works, chassis construction and final assembly.

Around 900 cars are built every day at the main BMW production plant in Munich. Factory tours here last 120 minutes and give you a chance to observe the production process up close.

You can also tour the iFactory in Leipzig, one of the most sustainable and innovative car plants in the world, or the legendary BMW motorcycle factory in Berlin.

Driving experiences

You will need a credit card with a large limit and an international driver's licence for most of these driving experiences.

At the AutoStadt site in Wolfsburg you can put your skills to the test at two off-road courses. Get behind the wheel of a Touareg or Amarok and tackle obstacles such as a steep moat, steps or an oversized seesaw on a 45 minute track (with an experienced instructor as co-pilot), for only $65 (€39).

BMW offers a range of safety, performance and drift training experiences to get your heart racing. The race track experiences take place at Hockenheimring, Nürburgring, Red Bull Ring or Sachsenring, and you’ll learn to perfect your driving style on the ring, in the mountains or on the ice.

Choose to rent a 911, Boxster, Cayman, Panamera, Macan or Cayenne directly from the Porsche museum in Stuttgart. Prices start at $533 (€319) for a day.

Spend a day on the tracks at the Mercedes-Benz inspection and testing centre in Immendingen. Here you’ll gain access to unique insights that only engineers usually have access to and get behind the wheel of a high-powered vehicle.

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