[hifisharu]

Nürburgring: The one word that means so much to different ppl; for manufacturers, it means it's been tested at the ultimate level; for James May, it's a good car that's been ruined with stiff suspension and a harsh ride and for petrolheads like you and I, it's great scenery, great cars and one of those 'Off the bucket list' experiences. It's also known as one of the most dangerous tracks in the world, but let's not dwell on that. Last weekend, decided to finally pay a visit and did some good research of the facility before we went there. Couple of great videos that helped me in this regard:

https://youtu.be/HDCqOZ1upoo

This one shows you the exact entry points, some great do s and don't s and most importantly, reminds you that you're not there to set any lap records, so take it easy and just enjoy the drive


From our very own member, karan561:

https://youtu.be/iW7pVhvJd5U

and of course the main Nürburgring website (www.nuerburgring.de), which has all the dates on which Touristenfahrten is conducted, opening times, prices etc.

The internet is awash with videos of accidents on the Nürburgring and would advise everyone to tread carefully during their first time. Took my humble Golf Mk6 (1.6 petrol, 102bhp) which has no modifications whatsoever, completely bone stock.



Scenes when we arrived there





That's the ticket office where one can buy various kinds of tickets ( single entry, multiple laps, yearly ticket etc)

Here's what you get for one lap:




Pre-drive parking lot check:





The Beast From the Green Hell had to be there:



Making a tough decision:




Then onto the lap; if you can sit through the 15min video, you might hear some interesting commentary and of course get to experience all the 73 turns and of course, see some really fast cars and bikes going around

https://youtu.be/ZuRU18epj50

As you can tell from the video, the actual experience of going through those elevation changes, tight twists and turns and crazy fast drivers around is something that only be felt in real life, cannot be shown in a video. The entire experience was exhilarating to say the least and at the end of it, the disease gets to you, you want to keep doing it again and again and again.

One would always wish to do it again in a faster, more powerful car, with suspension, rollcage etc, i.e built for the track. Maybe some other day...


Some post drive parking lot pics:













The main restaurant/ diner where you'll find people discussing hitting the apex, different corners on the track, right air pressure to be maintained and what not



After the lap, we drove around to the nearby viewing areas, from where you can enjoy some high speed, high adrenaline action



A small sample of what the powerful cars can do

https://youtu.be/kB9pJabb6cE

And lastly, of course some souvenirs to remember the good times

[Jeroen]

Very nice write up. Thanks. It is indeed an unique experience. Our Alfa Romeo Spider club used to visit the circuit every year for the Classic Grand prix, which is actually held on the new circuit.

One year I decided to take my Spider on the Ring. I did not like it much as I was being overtaken left right and centre. Anyway, at least I can claim I did the Ring! Small word of caution, always check your insurance. You are very likely not insured on this, or any circuit!

Jeroen

[hifisharu]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Very nice write up. Thanks. It is indeed an unique experience. Our Alfa Romeo Spider club used to visit the circuit every year for the Classic Grand prix, which is actually held on the new circuit.

One year I decided to take my Spider on the Ring. I did not like it much as I was being overtaken left right and centre. Anyway, at least I can claim I did the Ring! Small word of caution, always check your insurance. You are very likely not insured on this, or any circuit!

Jeroen

Thank you very much for those kind words Jeroen. The insurance validity was a concern for me and had considered taking a Ring Rental before, but here's what I found on the Nürburgring.de site about touristenfahrten:



Also, in the video by the Ring Taxi guys, they say on the tourist days it's like any other public road, so in case of an accident one follows the normal procedure by reporting to the police and reporting the incident to the insurance company.

However, I do understand that the case can be denied at the discretion of the insurance company, so it was definitely on my mind to avoid any huge speeds and definitely avoid having an accident. Here's a small clip of what happened later that day, thank goodness we didn't have to drive around under a yellow flag

https://youtu.be/qDTghgAY2Mw

[ChiragM]

Originally Posted by hifisharu

for petrolheads like you and I, it's great scenery, great cars and one of those 'Off the bucket list' experiences.

Wow. It has always been my dream to drive on the Ring someday. Guess it is in the bucket list of every driver.

This one shows you the exact entry points, some great do s and don't s and most importantly, reminds you that you're not there to set any lap records, so take it easy and just enjoy the drive

I guess many people push on their very first lap and get into trouble.

How did you manage your first lap? Did you do any practice laps on the simulator before stepping into a real car? It is a huge track and takes time to remember all those corners.

As you can tell from the video, the actual experience of going through those elevation changes, tight twists and turns and crazy fast drivers around is something that only be felt in real life, cannot be shown in a video. The entire experience was exhilarating to say the least and at the end of it, the disease gets to you, you want to keep doing it again and again and again.

One would always wish to do it again in a faster, more powerful car, with suspension, rollcage etc, i.e built for the track. Maybe some other day...

Looks like you had a lot of fun. Great. Yes, the Ring is addictive. Hope you take it on in a purpose-built car.

Originally Posted by hifisharu

However, I do understand that the case can be denied at the discretion of the insurance company, so it was definitely on my mind to avoid any huge speeds and definitely avoid having an accident. Here's a small clip of what happened later that day, thank goodness we didn't have to drive around under a yellow flag

I have read reports stating that the Ring asks you to pay up (a lot) in case there are any accidents which damage the barricades or red-flags the session and requires recovery teams on site.
Crashing could become a very expensive mistake even if insurance takes care of the car.

Cost of crashing on the Nurburgring
These include Armco repairs, safety car attendance, vehicle recovery, track closure, hospital stays and helicopter fees. I recommend avoiding these. If you can't, then the following price-list may help:

Base fee for attendance of armco truck: €150
Removing damaged armco: €10/metre (x2 or x3 or x4 for multiple-height sections)
Replacement armco: €31/metre (x2 or x3 for double/triple height)
Removing damaged armco posts: €5.10 each
Replacing armco post: €39 each
Safety car attendance: €82 per 30 mins (car + 2 people)
Circuit closure: €1,350 per hour
Recovery truck: €500 (inc VAT)
Hospital stay & air ambulance: Let's just say, do NOT go there without travel insurance! (Though a European Health Card - which replaced the E111 - may cover the hospital bit.)
Everything except the recovery truck is then subject to 19% VAT.

The record armco bill I'm aware of is €15,000. That was a car that managed to flatten a very impressive length of armco between the Quiddlebacher Hohe bridge and the crest on the approach to Flugplatz. But even a minor bump can turn into a surprisingly expensive day out.

Link

[karan561]

Well Done, driving at the Nurburgring is surely a great feeling. Infact whole of Nurburgring area has such high energy levels flowing it surely is the Mecca for Auto Enthusiasts

Originally Posted by hifisharu

From our very own member, karan561:

^ Glad my video helped you

[murthy_p]

Came across this video where an enthusiast is getting real time guidance to hone his driving skills on this dream track.

https://youtu.be/2LCqVYQOGlw

[hifisharu]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Wow. It has always been my dream to drive on the Ring someday. Guess it is in the bucket list of every driver.

I hope you too get to drive on it one day, in the car of your choice

Originally Posted by ChiragM

I guess many people push on their very first lap and get into trouble.

How did you manage your first lap? Did you do any practice laps on the simulator before stepping into a real car? It is a huge track and takes time to remember all those corners.

My intention was to just get around the track, so I took no effort to 'know' the track, I just drove on it like any other unknown road, carefully and safely. As you can tell from my video, I was in no way pushing myself or the car

Originally Posted by ChiragM

I have read reports stating that the Ring asks you to pay up (a lot) in case there are any accidents which damage the barricades or red-flags the session and requires recovery teams on site.
Crashing could become a very expensive mistake even if insurance takes care of the car.

Link

Thankfully, I had not read any such posts regarding the aftermath of an accident on the 'Ring. Which is why taking any risk of such sort can be very very costly, literally

[boniver]

Searched around and found this to be the only appropriate thread. Came across this video where the instructor beautifully guides the driver on The Nürburgring.
Sorry for hijacking your thread, hifisharu.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQn7iYiXpTc