With my route carefully mapped out, I took off at about six o'clock that Friday afternoon. Before reaching the Autobahn, I stopped at a gas station to buy a few air fresheners to mask the musty smell in the car. 

It had been cold and cloudy all day, with light rain. About 20 minutes into my trip, the drizzle quickly turned into a torrential downpour, which battered the Hoopty mercilessly. Flashes of lightning mixed with rumbling thunder did little to ease my anxiety.

THE RAINY WE...