Nürburgring

Hachiko

Has anyone been there to strut their skills?

I saw this video and it was thrilling to watch, the driver made it look easy but i seen how easy it is to screw up also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzUboHpmuXM

insurance would have a field day if you told them you wrote your car off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umWGoO-OFgo

Titzon Toast

You'd be surprised at the amount of cars that get written off just outside the entrance to race tracks!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

challengemaster

Hachiko wrote: »

insurance would have a field day if you told them you wrote your car off.

No such thing as insurance on a race track

These general exceptions apply to all
sections of this policy.
We will not provide cover for any of the
following.

Loss, damage or liability:
a directly caused by pressure waves
from aircraft and other flying objects
travelling at or above the speed of
sound;
b caused by an earthquake or
underground fire;
c caused by pollution or contamination,
unless it is caused by a sudden,
identifiable, unexpected and
accidental incident which happens
during the period of insurance;
d resulting from using the vehicle at
any event during which the vehicle
may be driven on a motor racing
track, derestricted toll road (with no
speed limit) or at any off-road event;
or
e caused by using the vehicle in or
on any area where aircraft normally
land, take off, move or park.

porsche boy

The Nurburgring is designated as a one way toll road by the German government so 'technically' not a race track. Also they have recently introduced speed limits on sections of it so the legalities of it are unsure.
Good luck arguing that with some dope in liberty insurance though.

Hachiko

interesting, You would need to be a very skilled driver to absolutely lamp it around the course like that guy in the video.

afatbollix

I did it a few years ago.

I have to say the reputation really does put a fear of god onto you on your first lap. There's a photo of the Girlfriend in the passenger seat and on lap one she looks terrified.

Got out had a break and went out again and had a great lap. Wasn't in a great car just a Audi A4 but was worth €50 for the two laps.

dashcamdanny

I did it a few years ago. Was going over to see the Intermot motorcycle show and made sure we passed the ring.

Was the hardest 200km our brand new Merc B class rental car will ever see. Don't tell Hertz ..

That guy was a pro race driver obviously , but the lay people he was passing out, you can be sure, they are still driving the nuts outta their cars..

davycc

did it myself a few years ago in a rented chrysler 300c which thankfully broke down on the autobhan

swapped it for a new audi a6 avant 2.7 tdi below which was a bit more fun;)

definitly a bucket list experience for any petrolhead:D
i need to go get my fix again, been way too long:o

Mister Jingles

Most crashes in that video are either in the wet or Rwd cars losing traction and locking up.

I'd love to do it in one of their own rented track cars but not in my own yoke. I'm actually surprised how many people do it in rental cars.

Marcusm

porsche boy wrote: »

The Nurburgring is designated as a one way toll road by the German government so 'technically' not a race track. Also they have recently introduced speed limits on sections of it so the legalities of it are unsure.
Good luck arguing that with some dope in liberty insurance though.

Absolutely correct although my (UK) insurer specifically excludes it Nordschluefe something or other.

landmarkjohn

Did it once as a passenger, my German driver made me promise not to tell anyone that we got passed by a middle aged lady in a Belgian reg Micra...... but we were in a VW LT pickup truck!

Enjoyed it none the less as we were getting passed by everything, fast bikes, fast cars etc so kinda had a real good view of the action. Do it!:D

jimgoose

landmarkjohn wrote: »

...we got passed by a middle aged lady in a Belgian reg Micra...

Don't read too much into that. Sabine Schmitz is 46!

Notch000

another thing to add is the alcove barrier is a few hundred per section and must be paid for & replaced if you clip it, no matter how lightly, you can also go over and rent a track prepared car but they put all sorts of conditions on you driving (like penalties for missing gears etc- recoreded by data loggers, unreasonable damage excess) ands make you watch crash safety videos before you go out scraying the bejasus out of you first. but as stated absolute meca for any petrol head

tossy

Did it a few years ago, no amount of videos or video games prepare you for it the elevation changes alone are breath taking - there is about 180ft between the heights and lowest points, it's the scariest and most thrilling thing i ever did in a car have been back loads of times but always in rentals so haven't been on it since.

YbFocus

Notch000 wrote: »

another thing to add is the alcove barrier is a few hundred per section and must be paid for & replaced if you clip it, no matter how lightly, you can also go over and rent a track prepared car but they put all sorts of conditions on you driving (like penalties for missing gears etc- recoreded by data loggers, unreasonable damage excess) ands make you watch crash safety videos before you go out scraying the bejasus out of you first. but as stated absolute meca for any petrol head

Added to this, the Armco is 3 high most of the time and you have to pay for the retaining posts too.
You have to pay an hourly fee for the truck that replaces them too.
you pay for recovery, medical and a flat 15k an hour if they gotta close the track.

I'm still going at the end of next month to attempt a sub 10 minute lap!

Patser

Did it about 10 years ago, drove my own car over - strongly believe, and it's strongly suggested by Ring aficionados that a Ring sticker should only be on a car that made it. It can be done in a long weekend, over and back.

We all stayed in Hotel an der Nordschleife in Adenau, which is only a 10 minute spin to entrance and has a pedestrian entrance/viewpoint for when your chilling out. Don't go expecting a party atmosphere, it's all very quiet around there and most visitors are Petrolheads worrying about their track times. However there are Aldis and Lidls for cheap beer, and nothing to stop you having late night drinks on track.

When it comes to driving, just take it handy, practice and slowly improve. 2 laps together will tire you and start to melt your brakes. And you will be passed by locals in Zafiras looking completely unfazed. And remember the most dangerous lap, traditionally said, is your last lap when you'll push yourself too hard to prove what you can do. Far better to save the last lap for a relaxing spin taking in the views over the bends and straights ahead.

You will be fine.... But-
Track closures are common due to accidents, accept you'll be waiting around at times.
If your car starts leaking oil/fluids pull over and get the pick up truck. It'll cost you.
If you don't and someone crashes due to your slick (bikers are common victims), you'll find yourself in serious legal troubles, and as others above said financial too as you've to pay for any damage to track, armco and loss of earnings.

Oh and for those lads talking about hire cars - there are lots of track side photographers who'll post up pics of you in your car, if you want to buy them. They also make a good sideline in selling on evidence to Hertz, Axis and Sixt of their cars on the Ring. Lots of stories online of 911 renters getting charged for pads and discs on returning the car. Stick with the track rental companies nearby or just drive your own.

Go, you'll remember it forever.

TrailerBob

Patser wrote: »

Did it about 10 years ago, drove my own car over - strongly believe, and it's strongly suggested by Ring aficionados that a Ring sticker should only be on a car that made it. .

Couldn't agree more... Too many passats going around with eBay jobbies. And then there's me with a genuine one on a landcruiser!

It's a great experience. Well worth the drive. As said, rental companies in Koln, Koblenz and any other town near the ring specifically exclude use of the ring. One chap I met there has rented just to drive over to the car park and hop in with another guy. Rental company called him to ask why he was at the Nurburgring!

It's like nothing else, and definitely worth doing. Stay right on the track if there's a car coming up behind you.. which there will. You need to keep your wits about you. I did 6 laps and saw 4 wrecks... Including a brand new Focus ST.



We stayed in Hotel am Tiergarten in Nurburg, owned by the Schmidt family. Some great memorabilia on the walls!

Big Nasty

YbFocus wrote: »

Added to this, the Armco is 3 high most of the time and you have to pay for the retaining posts too.
You have to pay an hourly fee for the truck that replaces them too.
you pay for recovery, medical and a flat 15k an hour if they gotta close the track.

I'm still going at the end of next month to attempt a sub 10 minute lap!

Wonder do they do incident cover on the circuit. I.e. pay €100 or whatever to cover you for the day. I'm not talking car insurance as such more to cover you for potential track / barrier damage.

davycc

cant quite remember the hotels name (adenau?) but we stayed in a quirky big hotel full of random car art (trabants on the 3rd floor-f1 cars suspended over the ground floor bar)which backed onto the F1 start/finish line ...:D


somehow in a haze of cider ended up in this famous old bar full of old ring posters from the 1930s and where there were thousands of signatures on every wall,table,chair and it was tradition to ad your own sig which I gladly did:D


my advise OP is do it before the health& safety fekkers ban it!!

UhOh

2nd vid, seems to be that one corner catching multiple people out in the wet.


side note - they've introduced speed limits in certain sections (155mph) so no more record breaking laps, although I believe it's the result of a recent fatality.

landmarkjohn

[QUOTE=my advise OP is do it before the health& safety fekkers ban it!![/QUOTE]

Don't think you'll have to worry about that... the Germans being the powerhouse of Europe also happen to be home for Porsche, BMW, Mercedes etc..... same reason as there are still sections of autobahn unlimited.

challengemaster

davycc wrote: »

my advise OP is do it before the health& safety fekkers ban it!!

More like while it's still in existence.

biko

I haven't been but **** I'd love to have a go at it.

Tefral

I was there last Monday.

Here was my third lap. You can hear my brother in the passenger seat absolutely ****ting himself. My lap was about 9min 30 or so.

http://youtu.be/4erVHS-DfIk

davycc

cronin_j wrote: »

I was there last Monday.

Here was my third lap. You can hear my brother in the passenger seat absolutely ****ting himself. My lap was about 9min 30 or so.

http://youtu.be/4erVHS-DfIk

not a bad lap at all , what you driving? could not hear the engine over the turbo spooling up:D

as tossy brought it up-the incline changes reminded me of being on a rollercoaster

i had almost as much fun checking out the most randomly awesome ringcars in the car park and the zakspeed viper and alfa75 RSR racing cars

davycc

embedded your clip for you cronin :cool:

Tefral

davycc wrote: »

not a bad lap at all , what you driving? could not hear the engine over the turbo spooling up:D

as tossy brought it up-the incline changes reminded me of being on a rollercoaster

i had almost as much fun checking out the most randomly awesome ringcars in the car park and the zakspeed viper and alfa75 RSR racing cars

Thanks man! You can spot a few places where I left off that the shoe should have been planted. Pity about the crash too, would have gotten my time down to the 9 min mark id say.

I was driving a Megane 2 sport. Was actually a very good car to drive on it. The Brembo's never gave up on her.

Your right though, you cant tell from the vids but the track isnt smooth at all its up and down and the drops going down some of the hills are unreal.

The first day we were there we got there and it was black flagged, most people went home but we stayed and in a moment of madness took our rental on it for a spin.

davycc wrote: »

embedded your clip for you cronin :cool:

Thanks a million.

landmarkjohn

Damn you OP, you've got me hooked on Ring videos!

the phantom worker

davycc wrote: »

cant quite remember the hotels name (adenau?) but we stayed in a quirky big hotel full of random car art (trabants on the 3rd floor-f1 cars suspended over the ground floor bar)which backed onto the F1 start/finish line ...:D


somehow in a haze of cider ended up in this famous old bar full of old ring posters from the 1930s and where there were thousands of signatures on every wall,table,chair and it was tradition to ad your own sig which I gladly did:D


my advise OP is do it before the health& safety fekkers ban it!!

Stayed in the same place myself when i went over and did it! Brilliant place to stay.

Bit of a mad feeling in the morning eating your scrambled eggs and watching bikes roaring past the window! i think there was some test day on the F1 circuit when i was there.

The name of the bar in the hotel was The Cockpit (pretty apt as it was all lads in there!)

Tefral

landmarkjohn wrote: »

Damn you OP, you've got me hooked on Ring videos!

I love watching the crash or fail videos. You can see the inexperience in the drivers once the cars go wrong, they cant compensate for the oversteer or understeer!

markc1184

Had hoped to get over this summer but other things popped up so its on the back burner now. I will get over at some stage though and will hopefully have worked up enough courage to take my own car around.

Tefral

markc1184 wrote: »

Had hoped to get over this summer but other things popped up so its on the back burner now. I will get over at some stage though and will hopefully have worked up enough courage to take my own car around.

Fly into Koln-Bonn airport and rent a car locally. Probably the cheapest way to do it. We rented the Megane sport from a company called "needforring" in Quiddelbach which is a 10min drive from the entrance.

edburg

Big Nasty wrote: »

Wonder do they do incident cover on the circuit. I.e. pay €100 or whatever to cover you for the day. I'm not talking car insurance as such more to cover you for potential track / barrier damage.

You can/could get damage insurance for the track which will cover damages to track, lost earnings for track and medical assistance (helicopter). But not your car, there was a track day insurance available ages ago which would cover your car to a max number they see fit, but have not clue if its still out there.


If your going to test your skills then you need above otherwise you will get bills in the 10's of THOUSANDS of euro's if it all goes tits up.

Its a scary place from all views

Tefral

OSI wrote: »

Saucy enough

Ah he did it cheaper. If you speak to him on the phone. I think we got 5 laps for 300 or something, I cant remember exactly as i was so pumped with adrenaline after the laps I was away with the birds.

Definitely scary place. Any of the cars i saw that were stuck in a ditch were all RWD.

YbFocus

cronin_j wrote: »

Ah he did it cheaper. If you speak to him on the phone. I think we got 5 laps for 300 or something, I cant remember exactly as i was so pumped with adrenaline after the laps I was away with the birds.

Definitely scary place. Any of the cars i saw that were stuck in a ditch were all RWD.

Going in my e36 next month
Getting the nerves as is!

Tefral

YbFocus wrote: »

Going in my e36 next month
Getting the nerves as is!

Im sure you'll be fine! The scariest thing is getting overtaken while you are overtaking someone else, mad **** altogether.

From the 3 days I was there, its clear to see the 911 is the king of the ring. They are everywhere there! I was going flat out and a GT3 passed me like i was stopped.

renofan

Like so many others it's on my list to do in the next few years.

Vicxas

What are you in Cronin?

Tefral

Vicxas wrote: »

What are you in Cronin?

A Megane Sport

This is me here, with my missus not looking too happy ha ha

Vicxas

Lovely sound for a Megane

Tefral

Vicxas wrote: »

Lovely sound for a Megane

Yeah. To be honest i thought it would be a heap of shíte. The handling was pretty good, the brakes were Brembos all round and even without the car warming down fully between laps I never found the end of them. The arse end was a little twitchy, but the back seats and stuff were taken out so i'm sure that played into it.

This was my favorite car that I saw on the track. The speed and sound off it were unreal!

Patser

Yep the car park at the track is almost* worth the trip alone.

*almost in the sense that I'd merrily drive to see that car park's regular contents alone anywhere else but to go to the Ring and say Nah! Just here for a nosey - would be silly.

Big Nasty

edburg wrote: »

You can/could get damage insurance for the track which will cover damages to track, lost earnings for track and medical assistance (helicopter). But not your car, there was a track day insurance available ages ago which would cover your car to a max number they see fit, but have not clue if its still out there.


If your going to test your skills then you need above otherwise you will get bills in the 10's of THOUSANDS of euro's if it all goes tits up.

Its a scary place from all views

Can you still get this? Any idea how much it was?

edburg

Big Nasty wrote: »

Can you still get this? Any idea how much it was?

Few companies listed for trackday cover

http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/insurance.php

Sure there was a place for insurance at the gp track that covers to. My old website favourites are long lost unfortunately.