Nurburgring

[70RTY]

Hi all,

I be at the Nurburgring on the 11th and 12th of July (Monday and Tuesday).

Originally I had planned to book a BMW Ring Taxi but it doesn't run on weekdays.

Can anybody suggest another way to experience this legendary track? I would be open to hiring a car (I have some track experience) but understand that I would have to be very careful as I have never driven the track before (apart from on GT5).

Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Stuart

[N1GTR]

http://www.rsrnurburg.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=5&Itemid=65'>http://www.rsrnurburg.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=5&Itemid=65

http://www.rsrnurburg.com/

http://www.rent4ring.de/en/news/radical-car-hire-on-the-nurburgring-gp-circuit-0-60-mph-in-3-seconds.html

http://993c4s.com/porsche-culture/rent-a-porsche-gt3-rs-at-the-nurburgring/

[N1GTR]

Let us know how it goes

[femno]

Im booked in for August to drive the Suzuki Swift Sport around from Rent4ring. The service (emails) has been good, theyre helpful, understanding when you stuff around with dates and prompt in response.

SOOOO looking forward to it!

[LotusGTR]

I did a day there in a little Renault Clio Cup thingy through RSR. I was delaing with Dale Lomas (English guy) who was great. They also do 'hot laps' in a 996 GT3 RS they have. A couple of the guys I was travelling with did this and said it was great. I was lucky to be there on a private track day so the track was fast and clear (still plenty of crashes - so watch out). Worth asking about this if you have flexibility in your schedule as I'm told the difference is chalk and cheese i.e. line up a private track day date.

All the best.

[evil_weevil]

Sick.

thanks for the links Steve, Ando and I are going in 2012

[Snowman]

A bunch of us use these guys - http://www.rent-racecar.de/english/index.htm

Their website is up the cack at the moment though - but a buddy was there with them only 2 weeks ago. We generally use and recommend one of their Scirocco's as a great car to do the ring with. Best bet is to contact them via email (Heidi and Theo)

[email protected]

Super nice couple as well.

Edit - reason their website is cack is because it has changed!

New website is http://www.rentracecar.de/index-gb.htm

[70RTY]

Thanks for the links and advice! I will report back on how it goes.

[Snowman]

Oh - I forgot to mention - the reason why recommend the Scirocco (and consequently rentaracecar) is that it is DSG (and a bloody good one). Because the Ring is hard enough your first visit without having to think about changing a manual gearbox on the wrong side of the car.

[Beer Baron]

yeah I have hired from rentracecar and rsr. both are good but I would probably suggest go with rentracecar for your first time and go with the scirocco of a swift. I can vouch for the scirocco being a great car to drive at the ring. if after that you want more by all means hire something like an exige or M3 but be aware the excess on cars like that is north of 30,000eu so a small crash can get bloody expensive.

also agree private track day is the go buy many times more $$$. private track day entry is around 500eu and that's just the entry. you'll need another 900eu or so for a car so budget 1500eu+ if your doing a private day. many more laps though and much less traffic and less fatalities (usually no bikes at private days).

tourist days are fine though, just keep eyes on your mirrors as there will be wankers in their GT3RS who seem to think they are about to re-set the porsche 'ring record on a tourist day...

just remember, never in history has someone set a record on a tourist day and neither will you. so just circulate, have some fun, try and learn some bits of the track and for god's sake don't hit anything or anyone.

have fun. i've been twice and will going again, and again.

[Beer Baron]

Oh - I forgot to mention - the reason why recommend the Scirocco (and consequently rentaracecar) is that it is DSG (and a bloody good one). Because the Ring is hard enough your first visit without having to think about changing a manual gearbox on the wrong side of the car.

could not agree more. on a busy ring day you will be passing cars every few hundred meters and being passed at the same rate yourself. on top of that you will occasionaly come around a blind corner flat knacker and find cars strewn across the track. many corners are blind and it takes all your brain just to remember where you are. many corners look and feel the same but where one opens into a flat section (and hence the corner is flat out) another may tighten after the apex into a hairpin (definitely not flat!) so just remembering where to position the car etc is tough enough.

the scircoo has good power (from memory I did an 8min something in one), easy to drive, forgiving handling, roll cage, upgraded brakes, semi slicks (ask for some if the car they give you doesn't have them as some do and some don't), sweet DSG box and just an all round good ring mobile.

everyone wants to be a hero and drive some old hero car (I did and hired an E30 M3 race car) but like snowy said you'll be most likely dealing with seat on the wrong side, manual box with the wrong hand on top of all the other challenges. it is rewarding though.

don't be scared to go out if it's wet either. some of the best little battles troy and I had were in the wet as 90% of the wankers in porsches etc all pussy out if there is a few drops or rain about so we had the track pretty much to ourselves except for all the people we were passing. lol. amazing how the tables turned. cars that were blowing past us on straights in the dry were mincemeat to our little steeds in the wet.

best fun you can have with your clothes on. well second best fun next to a spa trackday...

EDIT: swift and clio would make a great ring hire car too for those on a bit of a budget.

i don't really recommend trying to do it in a regular hire car either. i did in my hire audi A6 (which was brand new with a handful of kms on it when I collected it) and at the end of the first lap the brakes caught fire... d'oh! you really need a proper ring prepped car with good pads, suspension and preferably a roll cage. many people die at the ring (though over 90% on bikes from memory) but you don't want to be one of the few who do in a car.

[Beer Baron]

the renault megane R2R6 (from RSR nurburg) is another good option as even though it's manual it is in RHD so will be familiar. They are a pretty cool hatch, 250ps, 1200odd kg. should be pretty rapid around the ring in the right hands and certainly very forgiving. I very nearly hired one last time I was there but went another day in the scirocco instead.

[LotusGTR]

the renault megane R2R6 (from RSR nurburg) is another good option as even though it's manual it is in RHD so will be familiar. They are a pretty cool hatch, 250ps, 1200odd kg. should be pretty rapid around the ring in the right hands and certainly very forgiving. I very nearly hired one last time I was there but went another day in the scirocco instead.

I got some great passenger laps from a guy in a modified R26R. Fantasitc car and great bloke. Even mailed me a DVD of the laps. Just met him at the RSR garage and he was happy to take me out as much as I had time to do so (he was known to the RSR guys and was a 'safe pair of hands'). The RSR Clio was RHD too and I'd echo all the above comments about caution and not needing another variable like a gearbox to deal with, though I had a manual and found it OK. Definitely want to keep your wits about you. I can't quite remember what I paid but I think all up it was near 1,000 euro. I was very very lucky as the Audi team had their Le Mans cars there and there was a Ferrari FXX, and I followed the the GT3 hybrid into Carousel right on it's rear bar and it bottomed out the whole way through with sparks a flyin. It was a very real experience and I was quite relieved to have done it and handed the keys back to RSR with no further discussions required! I remember a lap where snow was coming in horizontally when the Clio was at top speed on a straight and thinking WTF, and then it all cleared up with the next couple of corners.

Anyone else get a Nurburbring sticker from the servo when you filled the rental up at day end? Still haven't stuck one on my car but I reckon I will. Badge of Honour.

[Roy]

Be a MAN...if it starts to rain then grab a left hook Alfa from RSR, with the window fogging up, you will be in fits of laughter to the point your tears blur your vision as much as the rain soaked windscreen whcih has typical Italian wipers and demister.....and you will find the dead brake pedal, gutless engine but amazing handling will be sooo much fun...but scary at its desire to spin on a bottle top :)

Or, go the Scirocoo and be sure that you are not going to break down by the side of the track with fuel pump problems

I am blowing the bank for my next trip back in a few weeks time.... figure a Tuesday night tourist day should be pretty quiet so if I am going to smear something expensive against the armco then best do it when nobody around is to see it

[Beer Baron]

I LOL'D! troy's comments are all borne of experience. he has driven their 'stage 3' alfa and driven it in the rain, on semi slicks, with no demister and an arse that puckered up so hard he couldn't shit for a week! and I was right there behind him in the little scricco with the heater and demister on practically bump drafting up his arse just to keep him alert! and yes we have had the pleasure of one of those fking alfa's braking down (at km12 which is exactly half way round the circuit and furthest from everywhere). but wouldn't trade the memories for anything (except a working car).

the alfa's were good fun but my god when I first pulled up in the shitbox troy wouldn't fking stop laughing for about 20 minutes. neither could I to be honest. especially when we'd go to touch something and it'd just brake off in your hands. just little things, like the steering wheel, or the door handle. lol. but nothing beat passing a bloke shitting himself in his GT3 while we were driving a 200hp (at best) 80s alfa with bits hanging off it.

yep, no power, no niceties but great handling though it did try to murder you mid corner in the wet if you got off the gas. in the rain you had to drive it like you wanted to die as with positive throttle use it seemed to grip up, lift off for a mili-second it was swapping ends on you. killing one just added to the satisfaction... lol.

can't believe you're going back without me bris. i'm stinging for a holiday! carnt.

[Beer Baron]

and yep, got a few nurb stickers. too pussy to stick them on anything yet. but one day. maybe stick one on my power rangers lunchbox for the guys at work.

[Roy]

My cheeks were tingling from the fits of laughter when you, being 6ft 4" or whatever rocked up in this beast ...

Or was this the second one But seriously, they are a very entertaining and sure footed car to drive..ust make sure you drive the thing and get comfortable first. The first time I sat in it was the carpark of the Ring and my first drive was the 20mtrs to the boom gate for a lap in the wet.... Wouldnt have bene that bad if i had of driven it for a few kms on the road first to understand the car

This is the better bet , but perhaps a tad too civilised if you really want a comical adventure...

and Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...

Figured the guy lunched the engine in the 3.8L GT3 at Spa last year when Baron and me were there in the Exige...so best i put it out of its misery by binning it proper closer to the RSR base

BUT SERIOUSLY ... 70RTY I would take your money and look at doing a full track day at Spa. Its a little more expensive, but WAAY more enjoyable then a tourist day at the Ring. If you can only do one then do Spa every time...if you can do both...then do both. I will be at the Ring late July and Zandvoort early August....not sure I can get back from the Hungarian F1 in time to do Spa...but will be trying

[Nee-san]

I am so epically Jelly at the moment, excellent write up guys.

Going to have to be a finishing uni present I think.... mum , dad ? haha.

[Snowman]

Save some coin for March Bris!!

[Roy]

I am going to find a wealthy middle aged broad to look after my needs...all will be good in my universe