[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

You reckon? There are some steep sections and long straights...

Matt

True - but 320d has plenty of torque. Only one long straight really and that's divided in two by the start barrier.

[Matrez]

My 320d has 425Nm of torque, so I hope it would be going somehow out of corners and up-hills I hope to do under 10 minutes per lap haha

[chris_s1]

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

You reckon? There are some steep sections and long straights...

Matt

Of courses, its not a race!

I've driven my M3, my E90 and various other cars round the ring and by far the most fun I've ever had was in a Suzuki Swift 1.6 rental!

[Matrez]

Originally Posted by chris_s1

Of courses, its not a race!

I've driven my M3, my E90 and various other cars round the ring and by far the most fun I've ever had was in a Suzuki Swift 1.6 rental!

I suppose because it was a rental and you could do anything with it haha

[RagingKileak]

Originally Posted by - Paul -

True - but 320d has plenty of torque. Only one long straight really and that's divided in two by the start barrier.

There are a few more 'long, uncomplicated sections' than that. Each to their own though, if the chap wants to take his 320d he should. I'd go in the same crew and run with him happily in whatever car, I'm just sayin is all.

The semi prepped Swifts out there are 40% lighter than a 320d, have suspension mods, rollcages, no interior, an LSD and petrol. That's like comparing a stir fry and a curry - just coz they are both food, doesn't make them similar. At all.

Matt

[Alpina_B3_Lux]

For a beginner it can even be better not to have a too powerful car, because then you're not too inclined to take too big risks and go too fast without knowing the track properly.

Once you know the track - and that takes a loooong time - it's of course more fun to exploit it with a more powerful car.

Alpina_B3_Lux

[Matrez]

So probably these Swifts are a little faster than 320d. 1.6 petrol has around 100BHP I suppose. How much is it to renting a Swift and for how long ?

[RagingKileak]

Originally Posted by Matrez

So probably these Swifts are a little faster than 320d. 1.6 petrol has around 100BHP I suppose. How much is it to renting a Swift and for how long ?

£350 a day or so I think mate.

Matt

[Matrez]

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

£350 a day or so I think mate.

Matt

350 pounds a day including track laps ? So you can also drive the car outside the track ? How long is the track typically opened daily ?

[Raymo]

Just done the ring this weekend gone, Saturday evening and all day Sunday then a Trackday on Monday at Spa, top long weekend

[Raymo]

Originally Posted by Matrez

350 pounds a day including track laps ? So you can also drive the car outside the track ? How long is the track typically opened daily ?

I think you get some laps thrown in, not sure exactly, dont think you can go on a jolly round Germany in the rental just to the track and back and the track opens when there isnt any functions or testing on, best bet is to look on their site

[magic77]

when Igo in July have a swift rented for a day at least I want wear out my car, and they sound like fun,

Had the GTI last time and great car especially with DSG but budget a bit tighter this year so suzuki will do

[Matrez]

Hehe, its preety expensive for the rental :P
I hope that petrol and laps are included in the price... hmmm
So since renting a car you have 24 hours excatly to give it back right ? Every minute handing it late costs right, or so ... ?

[magic77]

if you hire the car you get the car / insurance plus allowance to do so many miles. You pay for petrol and the actual ring ticket. These are not normal road cars , all are preped in case of the golf. it has KWS suspension, dot5 break fluid, totally different track setup so handles better on the ring, not mention things like roll cage and is stripped out for weight saving.

[Alpina_B3_Lux]

I was at the Nürburgring last Friday (8th of April). I decided to drive there spontanously, as it was one of the rare days when the 'Ring is open for everyone ("Touristenfahrten") during the week. It opened at around 2 p.m. and closed at 7 p.m. this day, and as the weather was perfect (sunny and not too warm), I took the afternoon off work and made the 140 km - trip.

When I arrived there at around 3.30 p.m., I was greeted by a very pitiful sight: An M3 GTS in that particular fire-orange colour being carted off on a tow truck with the whole front smashed. You would think that people owning cars like that know how to drive!

There were quite a few people there who had had the same idea as I had, but it was still quite calm compared to the frenzy that is usually encountered during the week-ends. Lots of Porsches there, as usual, also quite a few M3 (E46 and E9x), an occasional Ferrari and the odd ricer and Audi. The conditions were really ideal - the track was dry, it was sunny and cool (great for turbo cars), and only comparatively few people drove at the same time. No difficulty in finding a parking spot in the car park, no queuing up at the entry, and no permanent rear-view-mirror-check required.

I did one lap during which I passed a fully prepped E36 M3 lying on its side near the railguard about in the middle of the track. As oil was leaking out of it, the track was closed for about 30 minutes after that.

I did five more laps in total during that afternoon, twice two in a row and then a last one. After that I was knackered! It took about 1-2 laps to get comfortable with the track again and remember most of the lines, as my last laps had been in September last year. It was great fun, and the car held up very very nicely. With the M3 strut brace and the new Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires it handled even better than last year - I was very pleased! And it pulls very well too - I let some GT3s pass me (they had visibly cup tires and were race prepped) but had no problem keeping up with them on the straights (in corners it was another matter...).

All in all, a great afternoon and a fabulous way to start into the new racing season. I'm looking forward to doing some more laps during the weeks and months to come, and plan on going to the 'Ring again most probably on the 21st of April as it's then open again between 2 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.

A photo of the afternoon, taken by Jochen@Frozenspeed:


Alpina_B3_Lux

[chris_s1]

Thanks for the report. Sounds like you had fun, I wish I lived so close, I would be there all the time!

[marcel b]

Season starts at 10.05 this year. Doing the BMW training on the Ring :-) but will take my own car and drive a few laps on Tuesday and stay until Sunday. On Saturday there is a 6 hours VLN Race which is fun to watch, and on Sunday the track is open from 08:00.
Would be nice to see some of you guys. Marcel....?

[chris_s1]

I am going to be there 6th May - 12th May!

[marcel b]

Originally Posted by chris_s1

I am going to be there 6th May - 12th May!

great
you are (also) doing the BMW training on 11 and 12 May?

[chris_s1]

Originally Posted by marcel b

great
you are (also) doing the BMW training on 11 and 12 May?

No, I'm just there for a holiday. I wish I was though, I wonder if there are places left?

[E90Yaz]

When is Tony gonna get these dates sorted!!! I need to decide when i wanna go!!

[Alpina_B3_Lux]

Originally Posted by chris_s1

Thanks for the report. Sounds like you had fun, I wish I lived so close, I would be there all the time!

It was really good fun. The best thing was - besides the weather - that there were so few people on the track compared to the week-end tourist drives.

I'll most probably go again next Thursday (21st of April) again in the afternoon.

Originally Posted by marcel b

Season starts at 10.05 this year. Doing the BMW training on the Ring :-) but will take my own car and drive a few laps on Tuesday and stay until Sunday. On Saturday there is a 6 hours VLN Race which is fun to watch, and on Sunday the track is open from 08:00.
Would be nice to see some of you guys. Marcel....?

Tell us a bit more about that BMW training. From what I know they only do their M trainings and you can't take your own car but are given an M3 to drive. Which is why I was never interested in that sort of training, because I want to drive my own car (which is probably faster anyway than their stock M3). Will you drive your own then?

I'll try to be there on the 10th of May in the afternoon, as the track is open to the public between 5.15 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. and includes the Grand Prix track combined with the Nordschleife (I've never driven that). People that have already driven there told me it's a bit strange because the two circuits are completely different and usually also make different setups necessary. The Grand Prix circuit is also much much harder on the brakes than the Nordschleife. But maybe we could meet up then?

Originally Posted by chris_s1

I am going to be there 6th May - 12th May!

Cool! Then you'll also be there on the 10th normally. Let's meet up then in the afternoon!

Alpina_B3_Lux