[E92Fan]

Right then - UPDATE

So, depart Blighty on the Friday, 15th May... returning, well, whenever you guys want to return...! I'm coming back on the Tuesday...

Eurotunnel train at 8:50am, getting in at 10:25 local time - we'll be at the hotel by about 2:30pm... Book Eurotunnel Here

Whoever's coming, book your tickets now, as they will start going up in price!!

And I'm staying at the Mercure Hotel in Koblenz - click on the link to make your reservations!

Let me know if you're coming
Let me know once you've booked your Eurotunnel
Let me know if you're staying in Koblenz, or elsewhere...





Tony (Me) - Booked Eurotunnel & Mercure Hotel
Carl (DXB) - Booked Eurotunnel & Mercure Hotel
Floyd (SoYank) - Booked Eurotunnel & Mercure Hotel
Tim (DerRing) - Booked Mercure Hotel
Jan (Ramppo) - Booked Mercure Hotel
Steve (bmwbailey) - Booked Eurotunnel & Mercure Hotel
Steve A (SteveA) - Booked Eurotunnel & Mercure Hotel
Will (Willhollin) - Booked Eurotunnel & Mercure Hotel
Paul (Biscuits) - Booked Eurotunnel & Mercure Hotel
Chris (Biscuits' friend, Crackers) - Booked Eurotunnel & Mercure Hotel


Also we have a few hopefully catching up along the way - neo871 (perhaps from Bucharest), Andrew (Palmball), MrFocusRS (FRS3052) & a couple of others. Baris (Xkalibar) will be meeting us there.


Tim & Jan will be meeting us at the 'Ring on Friday afternoon (Tim is coming from Prague, and Jan will be on his way back to Finland from Croatia )

*** Those coming from England and booked on the 8:50am should aim to meet at the Eurotunnel terminal no later than 8am ***



A few things people have asked me about...

• Those people who are meeting at my house first on Friday morning before heading down to Folkestone, need to be at mine for 6:30am

• You will need a few things in your car - a flourescent jacket (for driving in France), a spare set of bulbs, warning triangle, and fire extinguisher. You should also make sure you have your European breakdown service up to date (BMW Emergency Services in most cases)

• You MUST bring your UK driving licence, V5 document and insurance documents (photocopies are fine for the last two)

• Don't forget to bring the credit/debit card you used to book the Eurotunnel tickets with - the auto ticket printing machines need that card to print the boarding pass

• Helmets - these aren't compulsory, but are advisable. However, there are no helmets on site to hire, so you'll have to bring your own, or buy one when you're there (although that will be more expensive)

• 'Ring tickets - these are available on site from the ticket hut. Ticket costs vary, depending on how many you buy... basically, the more the cheaper, up to the €995 Unlimited Annual Pass.
  
  1 lap = €23
  4 laps = €76
  8 laps = €146
  15 laps = €251
  25 laps = €391

• The 'Ring Taxi (in a BMW M5) is normally booked five or six months in advance. However there are always possibilities for cancellations or last-minute spaces. If you want to try your luck at booking a 'Ring Taxi, give the booking hotline a call on +49 26 91 93 20 20

• The emergency Nurburgring telephone number is 08000 302112 when dialled from Germany. Store this in your phone, just in case!

• The Nurburgring runs as an open "Tourist Day" - it is not a dedicated track day, so you will see things like coaches and London taxis (!) going around to sightseeing trips. You are allowed to take passengers in your car when going around the 'Ring

• Rules - someone has asked about overtaking rules, and other general instructions. I'm not teaching people to suck eggs, but for newbies to the track, it's a very valid question. Like any other track day, being aware of your surroundings and the other cars and motorbikes around you is the key to staying safe and out of the Armco. Overtaking is ONLY done on the left - if a car is coming close behind you, indicate to the RIGHT and move your car to the RIGHT hand side of the track, to allow the other car to pass safely. If you want to overtake someone else and they are not moving out of the way, do NOT start flashing your headlights as the marshals take a very dim view of this. NEVER stop your car on the track. Yellow flags and red flags are self explanatory - no overtaking under yellow and drive with caution at a slow speed... red flag means circuit is closed and complete the lap. Blue flag means a car is wanting to overtake you

• Video cameras are NOT allowed to be mounted in or on your car when driving around the 'Ring. If the marshals see a camera, at best you'll be told to take it down, or at worst you'll be sent back to the car park!

• The 'Ring is open to the public on -
  Friday 15 May from 14:15 - 19:30
  Saturday 16 May from 10:00 - 19:30
  Sunday 17 May from 08:00 - 19:30
  Monday 18 May from 17:15 - 19:30

• The Mercure Hotel in Koblenz is about a 25 minute drive away from the 'Ring. Whilst it may seem far to travel everyday, it is actually a very good way of warming up your car, making sure everything is working as it should be, the tyres are ok etc etc. If there is a need for mechanical work to be done on your car, we have access to top-notch race mechanics who can do anything from a brake bleed to a full stripdown and rebuild (labour costs are a lot less than the UK!)

• There's a petrol station just 5 minutes off the 'Ring - so fret ye not if you start running out of fuel (you will!)

• The official website for the Nurburgring is www.nuerburgring.de

• If you want to setup a professional photoshoot to get amazing high-res photographs of your car going around the 'Ring, you need to contact Jochen Van Cauwenberge, who is the guy behind the website www.frozenspeed.com - brilliant photographer, very very good friend of my brother, and if you tell him that you're coming to the 'Ring with me, Tony, he'll sort you out a good deal. If a few of you want to club together and save a few Euros, he's up for doing a package deal too. Look him up on the website and send him an email at jochen@frozenspeed.com I have told him already that he might receive a couple of enquiries
  
  UPDATE - We have already been in touch with Jochen and he is up for doing a considerably discounted rate of only €75 per car for a dedicated session. A few have already signed up wanting photos... anyone else, let me know!
  
  Tony - photo YES
  Tim - photo YES
  Carl - photo YES
  Floyd - photo YES
  Jan - photo yes/no ??
  Steve Hoops - photo YES
  Steve A - photo yes/no ??
  Will - photo YES
  Andrei (neo871) - photo YES
  Andrew (palmball) - photo YES
  Baris - photo YES
  Paul (Biscuits) - photo YES
  Chris (Crackers) - photo YES

And that's all I can think of... any other questions, just ask and I'll try to answer!





Pictures courtesy of Jochen@Frozenspeed.com

[biscuits]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

you want me to put you down for some photos as well??

Yes please... with Jochen right.... not 'big' Steve

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by biscuits

Yes please... with Jochen right.... not 'big' Steve

I'll leave you and Steve to work that one out!!

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by biscuits

Yes please... with Jochen right.... not 'big' Steve

LOL!!! You are more than welcome to come along to one of my photo shoots anytime Paul - but the girls love new fresh meat so they may well eat you alive!!!!!

Glad your coming along on this trip though buddy - you'll have a blast and if you sell the M3 later in the year its a perfect way to say cheerio to it!!

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by bmwbailey

LOL!!! You are more than welcome to come along to one of my photo shoots anytime Paul - but the girls love new fresh meat so they may well eat you alive!!!!!

I'll come along!!!

[Hoops]

Tone - can you put me down for pictures with Jochen too please - and when i say that i mean pics of my car driving around the Nurburgring - and NOT of me with my schlong hanging out in various guises and poses!! - got more than enough of those thank you very kindly!!!

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

I'll come along!!!

Looking at your avatar - you'd eat THEM alive!!!!

[biscuits]

I can't wait guys.... it'll be great to go with a good group. Just waiting for confirmation from two mates, one with a 130i LE with loads of BMWP parts the other with a TVR Cerby (only got one lap last year because his exhaust was too loud!)

I live 30 mins from Folkstone, so an easy start for me

This time next month we'll be having a few jars in Germany!

PS: only thing that makes it a good weekend, is we all drive home in one piece... Feck lap times, feck who's fastest, feck everything... all home safe is all that matters.

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by bmwbailey

Looking at your avatar - you'd eat THEM alive!!!!

Sounds like an excellent mutual agreement then!
So just let me know when...

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by biscuits

I can't wait guys.... it'll be great to go with a good group. Just waiting for confirmation from two mates, one with a 130i LE with loads of BMWP parts the other with a TVR Cerby (only got one lap last year because his exhaust was too loud!)

I live 30 mins from Folkstone, so an easy start for me

This time next month we'll be having a few jars in Germany!

PS: only thing that makes it a good weekend, is we all drive home in one piece... Feck lap times, feck who's fastest, feck everything... all home safe is all that matters.

Did you manage to book the hotel??

[biscuits]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

Did you manage to book the hotel??

Nope... still waiting to hear from the other two, but will book them in the morning regardless.

[biscuits]

Originally Posted by bmwbailey

LOL!!! You are more than welcome to come along to one of my photo shoots anytime Paul - but the girls love new fresh meat so they may well eat you alive!!!!!

Love it...

Shame I'm hung like a Walnut Whip

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by biscuits

Shame I'm hung like a Walnut Whip

Who cares.... you drive an M3!!!!!

[willhollin]

My suit is freshly talcum powdered up for the trip.

[biscuits]

Hotel now booked.

Me (Biscuits) - E92 M3
Chris (non forum) - 130i LE

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by biscuits

Hotel now booked.

Me (Biscuits) - E92 M3
Chris (non forum) - 130i LE

Same hotel in Koblenz ?

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by willhollin

My suit is freshly talcum powdered up for the trip.

Bring out the GIMP!!!!!

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by bmwbailey

Bring out the GIMP!!!!!

Thank GOD I'm not the one sharing with him!!!!
Will & Carlos together... nightmare...!

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by biscuits

Hotel now booked.

Me (Biscuits) - E92 M3
Chris (non forum) - 130i LE

Oh, and does your mate Chris also want Jochen to take pictures ??

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

Thank GOD I'm not the one sharing with him!!!!
Will & Carlos together... nightmare...!

Tony, we are in the room next to yours.

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by willhollin

Tony, we are in the room next to yours.

Just as long as I don't hear your bed squeaking all through the night, I'll be fine...

And thank GOD there are no connecting doors...!!

[SiKkBaSs]

Sounds like its going to be an amazing trip. Looking forward to the pics after!!