[RahulNagaraj]

The Nurburgring Nordschleife is one of the most iconic race tracks in the world. However, what makes it even more unique is its "touristenfahrten" sessions or "tourist rides", wherein anyone with a valid driving license and an appropriate road car can drive around a lap of the Nurburgring's 20 km circuit by paying just 30-35 euros.



Until now, track officials allowed almost all sorts of cars to run a lap around the circuit, making it common to see supercars share track space with old city hatchbacks. However, now, the Ring has made amendments to the rules, which mandates all vehicles participating in the touristenfahrten sessions to be able to do at least 130 km/h.

Although the tourist ride sessions aren't full-on track days, the change in the rule has been made keeping in mind the increasing speeds of today's road cars. It also offers some safety by not allowing old cars which struggle around some parts of the track, posing a danger to themselves and other cars driving past them.

The Ring officials will look at the car's original registered top speed (when it rolled out of the production line) before allowing it out on track. This means that even if owners put a large, powerful motor in an old car that didn't originally have a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h), it still won't be allowed out on track; even if it can now exceed the 80 mph limit.

Source: Road&Track

Link to Team-BHP news

[svsantosh]

Are there cars in Europe going less than 130Kmph?!

Except for my 2004 Alto (close to 120-125~) only my Nano cannot touch 130. Well, my CJ340 & Armada can easily do 130Kmph all day (both speeds combined ).

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Are there cars in Europe going less than 130Kmph?!

This might be for classic cars.

Even a new license car (Italy had a restriction of 55 kW for the first year) like Fiat Panda have a top speed > 130 kph

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Are there cars in Europe going less than 130Kmph?!

Except for my 2004 Alto (close to 120-125~) only my Nano cannot touch 130. Well, my CJ340 & Armada can easily do 130Kmph all day (both speeds combined ).

130kmph on a CJ? what engine/tyres do you have?

[Bigzero]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

130kmph on a CJ? what engine/tyres do you have?

My jaw dropped too, then I saw the last bit

[GTO]

They should just make it 100 mph / 160 kmph . Guessing this new rule was announced because of:

- Classic cars

- Old economy hatchbacks, Dacias etc.

- Some offroaders

- Yesteryear electric cars

- Slow NA diesels

- It says "all vehicles". I can think of a lot of two-wheelers & scooters that cannot do 130 kmph.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by GTO

They should just make it 100 mph / 160 kmph . Guessing this new rule was announced because of:

- Classic cars

- Old economy hatchbacks, Dacias etc.

- Some offroaders

- Yesteryear electric cars

- Slow NA diesels

- It says "all vehicles". I can think of a lot of two-wheelers & scooters that cannot do 130 kmph.

And tourist coach buses, parcel delivery trucks, and what not Hence this rule. The touristenfahrts intention was to let the track be open for enthusiasts but it became an element of joke since people wanted to bring in anything and everything on the track. Hence this rule will be well received at least by the enthusiasts who were earlier getting annoyed with random vehicles on the track.

[Turrrb0]

Great! This means I can take my santro xing on touristenfahrten!!!

[Piyush Kanthak]

I remember watching a video of a DHL Ford Transit van overtaking cars at Nurburgring, it was hilarious, sad to see this won't happen.

[nikhilthegunner]

This just reminds me of the Top Gear old Alfa challenge where they had to try and overtake much faster cars but failed hilariously. Maybe they got wind of Top gear wanting to try this again.

[rkv_2401]

Originally Posted by Piyush Kanthak

I remember watching a video of a DHL Ford Transit van overtaking cars at Nurburgring, it was hilarious, sad to see this won't happen.

Ford Transit vans have a top speed in excess of 130km/hr. Think it's electronically limited to 160 (older versions) /175 km/hr (newer) if I'm not mistaken.

[blueather]

Originally Posted by audioholic

And tourist coach buses, parcel delivery trucks, and what not Hence this rule. The touristenfahrts intention was to let the track be open for enthusiasts but it became an element of joke since people wanted to bring in anything and everything on the track. Hence this rule will be well received at least by the enthusiasts who were earlier getting annoyed with random vehicles on the track.

Honestly this sounds more anti enthusiastic. No offense.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by blueather

Honestly this sounds more anti enthusiastic. No offense.

No problem, but I didnt get the point you wanted to convey. You should elaborate further. What I understood is you feel banning slower vehicles is anti enthusiastic. If that understanding is correct, then I don't know what enthusiast you would be referring to. The track was open to public use so that people who wanted to push their cars to their max performance would get a safe, access controlled and professionally made track to do so and discourage doing the same on public roads. This is a track where 200+kmph is like normal. It completely destroys this purpose if there are really slow vehicles which can't even reach 130kmph, which is like the recommended top speed in Germany. Which also means, most production cars must be able to do 130kmph easily. The rest of the vehicles either aren't fit to drive so fast and hence, have nothing to do on a race track. The slower vehicles have thousands of kms of roads which are engaging to drive and the rest of the traffic will also be supportive. For example, I know a person who is touring from Germany to Croatia on a 50cc moped but restricted to non highway roads. He is a hard core enthusiast with two other fast cars. Imagine the same moped on the Nordschleife. Total disaster