Nurburgring

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Cobra_UK

Cobra_UK

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After seeing the Top Gear show last night I have decided to make a trip there early Summer 2005. I'm going to start learning the curse and get any information I can about "The Ring". Must say that watching Jeremy Clarkson's reaction after beating a 10 minute time I want a taste of that. :)

Now, you all may be asking why the reason for this thread. Well Nurburgring is a track featured on GT4. Hopefully it will also be the most realistic representation with the most realistic physics of this "killer" circuit.

So, on to the subject. I'd like opinions on such a trip, such an experience and how it may compare to driving a simulation. Also if anybody has already tackled the most famous racing circuit that is Nurburgring please post with your impressions and advice.

Maybe when GT4 is released, we can also compare simulated to real life times on Nurburgring.

The car I will be taking is the car described in my profile and I hope to at least beat the 10 minute lap time but I'd also like to see if someone has done a lap in a car similar to mine and can give me a time for reference.

I've been to Donington Park and Mallory Park for the day in my car already and got good times so I hope I can put in a good performance on Nurburgring.
 
heh, funny that cos exactly the same happened with me and my old man. We've always wanted to go over to the 'Ring, and kept on meaning to do it but never did. So we were thinking of going over, seeing Le Mans then heading to the Nurburging after the race. But since I mentioned to him that GT4 will have Nurburgring in it, it's ri-kindled the idea, along with seeing the report by Clarkson as well. So we're hoping to learn it and go over and do it in his 300ZX (he'd prefer to take his replica shelby 427, but not the most comofrtable car to drive round teh continent in ;)). He said as well that for my birthday present he'll buy me a couple of laps and let me have a go in his car for my 18th.....I'll believe it if i see it....knowing what a stingy bastard he is....
But still yea you should do 10mins easily with the bmer.....well ok I don't know how good a driver you are, but still. Intersting to see though, he spoke to another British bloke who'd done the same, but learnt it on teh xbox and the one thing that caught him out was the undulations of the track.
 
Duke Videos has a Subaru Impreza 22b dvd,with inboard camera covering the whole track, from Tiergarten to Galgenkopf, the f1 track included. Recommended.

I havent seen Jezzas face yet, bet it looked funny.

Anyway, I cant wait to try this out, with whatever kind of car in GT4.
Ive studied the laps from the DVD, and its a mad track, take Ex-muhle, thats old-school!!

💡 Check also: adac.24-rennen.de
 
I remember that guy on the bike, he said he played it on the Xbox and it wasnt very much like it in real life.

Then again, that was a crotch rocket game. And its on Xbox. And its NOT Gran Turismo.

But if you do go, take some pics and post back. I'd like to see! :D

Good luck!
 
ChroniX
I remember that guy on the bike, he said he played it on the Xbox and it wasnt very much like it in real life.

Then again, that was a crotch rocket game. And its on Xbox. And its NOT Gran Turismo.

!
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Yeah, but there isn't a motorbike game with the Nurburgring on xbox, must've played the crappy Project Gotham Racing 2 Nurburgring track.
 
ChroniX
I remember that guy on the bike, he said he played it on the Xbox and it wasnt very much like it in real life.

Then again, that was a crotch rocket game. And its on Xbox. And its NOT Gran Turismo.

But if you do go, take some pics and post back. I'd like to see! :D

Good luck!
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Was he playing Moto GP on XBox? Because that game is HIGHLY unrealistic. But fun (:
 
tiptopcream
Yeah, but there isn't a motorbike game with the Nurburgring on xbox, must've played the crappy Project Gotham Racing 2 Nurburgring track.
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Good call - working my way to it currently. PGR2 is alright, very arcady. Not really what I'm interested in, but it is nice to have something new while I'm waiting on GT4.
 
Bike physics are compltly different to car physics...unless you're driving something like a Caterham or Aerial Atom, but still.....
 
This is in no way an advert for someone else's website, but check out www.nurburgring.org.uk

It's a fantastic site and shows you all you need to know about heading for the 'Ring. This guy reports on his 30 plus trips there, and mentions in his later trips about the 'Xbox heroes', people who think they know what happens after playing PGR and end up crashing on their first lap...

His major piece of advice is to not keep lap times, otherwise you're asking for trouble by putting pressure on yourself. Just go out there and enjoy the fantastic curves, but keep in mind that it's an unforgiving place.

I'd love to head there myself sometime, but first I'd need a car to do it justice...
 
Doing the 'ring from the UK. Then I strongly suggest that you take a look at Ben Lovejoy's site. This guy has just about everything covered, with a lot of good advise on places to stay, costs, insurance, accidents, etc.

http://www.nurburgring.org/

I've done the 'ring once (5 laps) and you will love it, me and my dad are looking to go out next year as well. Your 10 minute target will very much depend on how much time you have and how busy it is; if you only have one day then you will spend most of it getting over the 'fear' factor and getting confident. Personally I would not bother about laptimes, they generally lead to accidents at a place like the 'ring. I would also strongly recomend that you wear a helmet.

http://www.nurburgring.org/warning.html - read this page and take note.

Someone mentioned getting pictures, this I would not recomend trying for any in-car stuff as a ban on all in-car pictures and videos was put in place this year and the penalties are stiff (possiable year long ban). Track-side videos and pictures are still fine.

http://www.nurburgring.org/videoban.html

Have fun and get the pratice in come GT4.
 
i have been there last year with my brother and we drove a lap on the ring (costs 14 euros).
We where driving a Peugeot 306 1.4 and got in the way of Porches and M3s :dopey: :dopey: its good fun but its better with a fast car...nice thing is the crowds that are always there on the side of the track :) :)
 
The first thing I would suggest is to forget about trying to break any lap times. Like Ben says on his site (linked above), those are the people that end up dead. Bear in mind that the 'Ring is one of the most dangerous tracks in the world, especially that it's open to the public. People go out there, and think they know what they're doing, and end up seriously injured or killed. There are dozens of serious accidents on that course every day, and the average fatalities top one per week. Which may not sound like much, but bear in mind the 'Ring is mainly open on weekends, and only about half the weekends out of the year. So factoring in the time that the track is open to the public, and you probably end up with roughtly one death per day that the 'Ring is open to the public. Do NOT take it lightly. And do NOT try to push for lap times unless you really know what you're doing.
 
Good collection of videos can be found here (mainly Nurburgring, but some other drifting (lots of BMWs) and European trackdays.

http://www.8200rpm.com/index.php?p=1&t=3&lang=en

And the following just has to be seen, its in German but its a 911 Carrera taking on the 'ring in the snow. Quite amazing and one of the finest pieces of driving I've seen. The site its on is crap for download speeds and you will need to register (free for standard downloads - fee for fast downloads).

http://www.racingflix.com/getvideo.asp?v=558
 
I plan to go there around May-June next year depending on a few factors.Untill that time i'll be learning the track with GT4.I don't want to wreck my RX-8,i would kill myself.

I still need to call my insurance company to see if they cover it,should anything happen.I doubt it though.I don't think they will pay for any damage done on a race track.But who knows.
 
GTChamp2003
I plan to go there around May-June next year depending on a few factors.Untill that time i'll be learning the track with GT4.I don't want to wreck my RX-8,i would kill myself.

I still need to call my insurance company to see if they cover it,should anything happen.I doubt it though.I don't think they will pay for any damage done on a race track.But who knows.
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From what I remember when my old man tried to get his insurance company to cover him they said they don't cover for track days. So basically do it at your own risk. But the Ring is said to be an open public road...I dunno if you could argue that?

Just don't drive like a woman on her special time of the month, by ragging the socks off it when you first go out there. As others have said, the most common form of accidents is when people go out there on the first lap giving it their all and loose it. Also a lot of the Nurb is blind crests and brows so, even if you're driving sensibly, over the next crest their could be a rolled E30.

At the end of the day, any forms of motorsport (ok so it's not otu right motoracing, but you're driving quickly with other cars) is dangerous.
But having said that, there seems to be a few of us going down there.
 
Scaff
Someone mentioned getting pictures, this I would not recomend trying for any in-car stuff as a ban on all in-car pictures and videos was put in place this year and the penalties are stiff (possiable year long ban). Track-side videos and pictures are still fine.
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Oh yeah... Sorry that was me lol

Fair enough then, DONT take pictures. But... tell us what it was like! :D
 
Yes I am thinking of going next summer as well for a little go. I agree with the advice given by Jedi the ''track'' is actually a public one way toll road so I'm going just to say 'I've driven the Ring' not really gonna break any records in my Mini anyway :O

I can recomend watching the Duke DVD of the 22b its on the trackday warriors DVD, might I also recomend there Nissan Skyline DVD it features a few full laps with Ringmeister Dirk Schoysman in a very fast Skyline also In car 956 features Derek Bell driving around there very very fast :D .
 
I intend to go, probably next year.
I'm thinking my Puma could probably do with some upgraded brakes but it's not a power circuit and much fun can be had in quite modest machinery. It's a lot easier and safer to explore the limits or a more ordinary car than it is some broad tyred high powered monster.

I met a bloke a while back who flew out with a friends, rented a 350Z, did a bunch of laps each and then flew home all for under £400 all in, not bad really. He actually has an E34 M5 (6 speed with the electronic dampers - nice, he let me drive it :)) but I don't know if he's taken that over.
 
Dont forget Spa is in that neck of the woods as well and not tooo far away Grindwald from GT2 :D
Could check out Paris from GT4 on the way back to complete the Euro trash :D
 
This is one of the things I intend to do, although at the moment I can't see my VW Polo cutting it. Maybe in a couple of years when i've got a better car and I can afford to bloody insure it. But yeah, one day i'll be able to say i've driven around the Nurburgring.
 
I would plan to go myself. Except maybe when I can pay to ride shotgun to a race driver who knows the track well.

The only time I may actually drive their myself, is the day when he the public is not allowed and only one driver on the track.

I would most likely end up doing 40-60MPH, and slowing down for hills, and probably be rear-ended.

I rould rather drive Le Mans, but only small sections of the course are open to the public.

Of course, the straight is.
 
What's the thrill in driving Le Mans? Sure, it hosts one of the biggest, best-known sports car races of the year, but compared to the Nurb, it's more than a bit boring. There just isn't the variety and dramatic views the german circuit provides.
 
Im not lucky enough to have gone yet but the girlfriend has gone with her dad when she goes and visits him over the summer. They took her step mom's Honda Odyssey the first time and his Evo 5 the next time. She's not much for the track but she can't wait to get back on the ring.
 

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