How to get good at Nurburgring?

  • Thread starter Thread starter TheTaZ
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Lancer Drifter
The way I became to get better at Nurburgring is get a stock car and try to memorize the dangerous turns you found and keep trying finnish a lap without a disaster, then when you can do a few laps without a disaster, skip for a faster car, and keep doing this.
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This is the strategy I'm using, and it works. I started with '62 Lotus Elan, then up to the BMW Z4, then the RUF 3400S, then the Aston Martin DB9, and I'm currently enamored with the BMW M3 GTR. I've used others, and everything I've used stock (with either SM or SS tires), but these have been the most pleasing to drive.

I was so excited to finally break the 8 minute mark (7:58 in the DB9) and also to win races on the ring (1000 miles in '62 Elan and Liga B in M3 GTR). Like first steps after crawling, I tell you.

I'm still a "Ring Newb", but, now that I can turn a lap cleanly, I'm hooked. Rather than try to complete GT4, I'm stockpiling DRT's (Designated Ring Toys): stock cars (like the ones mentioned above) that are a joy to drive on the Ring.

All the advice in this thread has been very helpful, a rookie like myself can't help but be thankful for everyone's kindness.
 
I think many of us are seeing Nurburgring Nordschleife for the first time, Orpheus. The only game I remember which featured Nurburgring Nordschleife was Project Gotham Racing 2 on the XBOX. And I'm saying this based on games I've either played or heard of.

I guess to make it easy on you rookies, at least you're not racing the 24-Hour Nurburgring Nordschleife event like this past weekend or weekend before last. The 24-hour course uses the Nurburgring F1 Circuit as well as the rest of the 11 or 12 miles of the Nordschleife. When I first saw this track, that's the first thing I wondered. I was saying "isn't the F1 circuit connected to this track?" After seeing a video online at school once, the F1 circuit IS used. I know GT5 may have over 20 cars, but the way pit road is set up, I don't think I'd want to be a pit guy standing behind a wall with screaming fans, rather than in a garage. The easiest part of the track is that long straight heading into the final few turns. Why? It's simple! Floor the accelerator. You must be careful, though. There's a quick bend in the road. If anything scares me about Nurburgring Nordschleife, it's been the License Tests here. True to Germany, both test cars (IA-15 and S-16) are Mercedes-Benzes. They are basically the same car, only one is the racing variant. I can't stress this enough. Longer license tests mean you have to hold your concentration for the entire duration of the test. You'll never know how well you've done until you reach the Finish. I know the track has some fun parts to it, but I don't see this as a completely enjoyable track. It's an accident waiting to happen for me. From the Start/Finish line to maybe Intermediate 2 is all I can recall. My only problems would be taking the bend heading into T2, then lining my car up just right to enter T2. Much worse is the northeastern end of the track, with two critical hairpins, then a series of extra corners after a slow one. These extra corners remind me of a rally course because they all come so sudden, yet have a smooth rhythm to them.

This track is not easy. It's just like a math problem- you mess up one element, you mess up your entire lap.
 
TheTaZ
The one track that I can't seem to get good at is Nurburgring.

This is a huge track and it is very hard to memorize. For those of you who are good at this track, is the key to great times memorizing it, or, can you get good times with just good driving skills?

I have been practicing it, but I still get destroyed by the AI at this track. I just can't keep on the road if I push it and if I drive more carefull my times are worse.

Any tips on getting good times at this track would be appreciated.

Thanks.
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Here's what I did to prepare for the Mission Hall 34: I bought myself the same car that I was going to be using and took it to the practice 'ring, then b-spec'd it for about an hour until Bob was not getting any faster. Then I A-spec'd the ring for about 3 hours straight, following the gost of bob around the track, my first few laps were HORRIBLE, he beat me by almost a minute.... but after lap 14 or 15 I started finishing withen 10 seconds of Bob and when I could BEAT bob that's when I went and completed mission 34 on the first try. I've read so many horror stories about the 'ring that I wanted to be as prepared as possible.

So in short, bspec with the car you want to drive and then just follow him around watching his line, braking points, when he accels out of corners....
 
JohnBM01
This track is not easy. It's just like a math problem- you mess up one element, you mess up your entire lap.
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While it just takes a little bit to mess up an entire lap time, I wouldn't say that would mess up the entire lap.

When learning the Ring in practice mode, don't give up on a lap when you have a "disaster". Keep going. The extra work on the rest of the track will prove useful.
 
Ok...I consider myself a Ring pro now...I've put over 500 Miles on at least 3 different cars, and driven approximately 200 different cars for at least 3-5 laps around the Ring...

Everything from a Honda CRX on N1 tires (10'00 flat) to a Polyphony Digital (5'20, with THREE complete mid air spins...nuts, that) and all sorts of cars in between.

I find my personal favorite choice completely invalidates what someone said earlier, "the ring is not kind to cars that like to oversteer"

My 550 Mile Ruf RGT on N2/N1's disagrees thoroughly, and I can now drift every single turn on the course like a bad ass.

Still got a few more laps before I can get a totally clean lap with a BTR on N2/N1's....but hey, that car is like Ice Skating.


The Ring in reverse...man...you really don't appreciate just how long the downhill stretches are, til you drive it in reverse and see that most of the track is a gentle downhill slope, which is why a lot of the turns are tricky...it's much easier to lose traction and slide when you're taking a 65 degree corner at 120 Mph downhill than it is uphill or on flat ground.

I won't try to give you specific corner tips, as I have to rely on reflexes to take the track gripping anymore...now I'm just obsessed with trying to link as many turns as I can.


Here is the tip that I give to the people in the Nurburgring Diary thread on GT4's Gamefaq's board: Pick a car you like and want to improve your lap time with. Change the Oil, Turn off the Aids, Put N1 tires on it.

Drive until you can run a clean lap with N1's (it will be slow...slower than the car runs in real life, as you have to brake earlier, take corners gently, and be careful when you accelerate) and by clean, I mean not even letting more than 2 tires go off, and no wall kisses.

After that, move up to N2's or N3's...lap a few times...slap on the S2's or S3's the car came with...you will find yourself undercooking corners at first, then you will see just how quickly you can really take things, and I guarantee you will drop 10 or more seconds from your first lap after hopping on S2's...you feel like you're glued down.

Drive lots of different cars, don't be afraid to oversteer a little bit...

and if you really want a wild challenge...pick up a Ruf RGT, and but N2/N1 tires on it and try to run a clean lap....it is WILD.


Edit: I found a good yardstick for your skill against real world drivers.

Get a BMW M3 GTR Racecar, put R1 tires on it (as the tires the cars come with tend to be about two grades stickier than real life tires) and try to run a 7'00 Flat.

Hans Stuck ran a 7'21 during that Qualifying run...if he was going flat out, I wouldn't be surprised to see him push a 6'40...but a 7'00 flat is a DAMN good lap for that car on Racing Superhard tires...no aids, no mods...just you, your road carving tool, and 13 miles of death.
 
for me it was just a case of practising with various cars to get a feel for not only the track, but the way various cars react to the track.

first car i started in was the car I first bought a Skyline R32 and I started running that on the Ring both stock and modified. Eventually as time goes on and you get different and better cars, I practised with various others, BMW M3, BMW M3 GTR, Mercedes CLK DTM, Polyphony Digital, etc etc. That worked well for me and now I like to say that I've memorised a fair portion of the track.
 
Don't forget to drive slower cars, and cars with less horsepower.

Learning it in a high horsepower car just tells you how to bludgeon the corners.

Learning it in a low horsepower car tells you how to caress them.

Lotus Elise
Lancia Stratos
BMW Z4
Caterham Seven

Drive stock cars, get to know the various drivetrains and their reactions on the Ring...

I have recommendations too.

FF: SRT-4
FR: BMW Z4
MR: Lancia Stratos
RR: Ruf RGT
4WD: Subaru Impreza Coupe

Gives a nice feel for a variety of drivetrains...but for the best experience drive them on Standard Comfort Tires (N2's) or Worse.
 
Practice, practice, practice, practice, and more practice. The 'Ring came somewhat natural to me in GT4 because I raced on it soooooo much in PGR2 (even though it was pretty unaccurate).
 
I mastered it from using N1 tires so much...you kind of slide around by default with them.

The sudden realization that you have gobs of grip is a fun one.


It's odd, I remember hating Sim tires in GT3...but I love them in GT4....can't wait to get some laps in when my DFP pedals arrive.
 
The easy way to get around the 'Ring without much problems is to memorize the more dangerous turns of the track with a fast stock car. A few times around will do the trick. Then, try one of your LMPs on the 'Ring. With your attained experience, you'll master the 'Ring in no time.

As they say, "practice makes perfect."
 
Man, after getting the hang of a car like the BMW M5 with N1 tires...everything else feels pretty tame...

I will say that I've still got some work to do before I can get my Ruf BTR (N2 Front/N1 Rear) around totally clean (no grass runs) cause when the turbo kicks in, the car feels like it's got sideways roller skates under the wheels.
 
I would suggest, look at videos from the Nordschleife over and over again, untill you can run the track in your head! nowing what corner comes next.

Than start GT4 and take a ''slow" car (on N3 tyres), and do some laps, try to take a smooth line because thats the key at the Nordschleife. Dont want to go fast all the way!
 
this worked for me. buy the SLR McLaren, and turn ASM off. Than do the 4hr endurance, b-spec a few laps if you get bored. You might also want to try getting gold for the licence tests that are on the nurburgring before doing this, maybe not the full lap ones, the sectional ones like the graduation A test in the Rx-7. after the endurance go straight to mission 34, and you should be able to to finish first go.

it helped me, i was lapping about 8:00 mins in the SLR at first after by the end i was consistently doing 7:13 not great but just good enough to pass mission 34. i think the SLR in mission 34 is slightly lighter the stock SLR though.
 
im just about to do the 24 hour race what car should i use my Nissan Motul Pitwork Z or MERCEDES-BENZ AMG CLK-GTR Race Car '98 im guesing that my mercedes will smoke the feild and the Nissan but someone told me just use the Nissan so i guse im asking wich one you would use
 
i myself have managed a PB of 5:12 in the pescarolo judd and just love the track, id say i have done more than 5o laps round the 'ring but i would kill to be under 5:10, to all you who are, HUGE AMOUNTS OF RESPECT
 
thebindley
i myself have managed a PB of 5:12 in the pescarolo judd and just love the track, id say i have done more than 5o laps round the 'ring but i would kill to be under 5:10, to all you who are, HUGE AMOUNTS OF RESPECT
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Get into a Sauber and you will get there, and you will use less tires doing it also.
You have to gear that car just right but the balance can get perfect, Judds and R8's need tires!
 
I've mastered the 'Ring, know all the corners, and general braking points. Use the curbs, and just have to brake well. This with all kinds of different cars.

I got good by doing sections and stretches, and then moved on as I got those parts down to parts further in the track. Did full laps once I got everything down good enough, and eventually just got the whole track. This with all kinds of different cars as well.

My best times are in the low 6s. Still have a whole bunch of fast cars to get though, so that'll change. My highest class I have are GT-cars.
 
I've done about 50 laps (roughly, it's probably more) of the 'Ring and i've learnt large chunks of it. It's just a case of finding a car you love to drive round it and practising. :D
 
Start off with the One Lap of Nurb (I forget if it is a Mission or a License) in the Evo. You can just follow the pace car around bunches of times to familiarize yourself with the track. That's how i learned it. The License runs have parts of Nurb in them to familiarize yourself with a few critical sections.
 
you know those warning and shift lights? you could probably get a estimation on how the next corner is like
 
Apart from familiarity the problem with the ring is its sheer size. Top times anywhere are when you get everything together and it is difficult to nail a perfect lap when you are taking 5-7 mins to lap (depending upon car). However there are a few sections that are much more critical than others to your overall lap time and you should concentrate on those.


Steven
 

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