Rev up for a car-themed tour that includes expeditions to some of Germany’s best automobile museums and sites. In the historic town of Zwickau in Saxony, the August Horch Museum — dedicated to Audi’s founder — is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Located within the original Audi factory building, its collection includes fascinating exhibits detailing the technical and design development of the automobile. Cars on display include a 1911 Horch, the oldest surviving Audi, Communitst-era Trabants, a reconstructed Standard gas station from the 1930s, and prototypes of car models that never made it into production.

Just over an hour’s drive away in Dresden, you can watch your own Phaeton luxury saloon being assembled by white-gloved technicians at Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory. Not ready to place an order? Head to the factory’s three-story collection tower where the full-scale simulator is located, and spin out on a virtual test drive while facing a cinema-sized movie screen. Also worth the drive: Porsche’s customer service center in nearby Leipzig. Book the Porsche Co-Pilot experience, which includes a factory tour, a chance to watch assembly in progress, co-driving one of three different Porsche models, and a four-course meal with views of the adjoining race track.