[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Fazerfahrer

Nearly everybody can use it, picture of a famous, fast van

Fast is relative... what kind of 'Ring time are we talking about?

[Fazerfahrer]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Fast is relative... what kind of 'Ring time are we talking about?

...sorry, but I don't know his time but you can see that he has a lot of experience on the Ring and is able with his builder van to overtake enough personal cars. For sure he is not able to fight against a Porsche GT3 or BMW M4.

[EdM5]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

The 'Ring is considered a public German street! Albeit a toll road in a one way direction. Helmets are not needed. There is no tech inspection... you just buy your 1 lap ticket (27 euros now) and go. The car needs only to have legal license plates(valid in Germany) & insurance. Rentals from the major companies are not allowed.

Dackel

Yes I know Dackel. I've done a few Nordschleife laps myself (e92 M3, e60 M5)

Helmet not mandatory but still. If you crash your little 330i at 80 mph and bump your head
Just think of what happened to Schumi, Bianchi and even Alonso.

[vsix]

Originally Posted by Ultimateone

I hope I can visit or drive on the ring one day...

I hope I NEVER see any kind of 'Ring for the rest of my life.
So idiotic, you pay a fortune for your car, park mile's away from other's so you won't get dinged, almost lick your paint clean and then freaking feel the need to drive on the hazardous area for crashing your car EVER.
Funniest part on all that...insurance doesn't cover anything.

[txpander]

Haven't seen any trabant yet. It would be fun

Can I ride it with my X6 with Bulgarian plates ?

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by txpander

Haven't seen any trabant yet. It would be fun

Can I ride it with my X6 with Bulgarian plates ?

Yes, as long as you have a valid drivers license(international or EU valid) and insurance papers(the so called: Green Card) for Germany.


17min lap in a Trabi...

Hockenheimring...

[txpander]

Thank you Dackelone.

Trabant on the track .. pure awesomeness

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by txpander

Thank you Dackelone.

Trabant on the track .. pure awesomeness

Since you seem to love Trabi's(me too!)... you should stop in Zwickau, to see the Auto Union Museum there. On your way over to the 'Ring. It's a very nice museum.

August Horch Museum – Zwickau, Germany...
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=441796

also the Traffic Museum in Dresden was interesting too.

Verkehrsmuseum Dresden...
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=490671

[mosport1]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

No, I think you will be ok. This was the season opener, and its always a mad house. Probably IF you go Friday(8th) and get there early(4pm) and wait for the TF to open up... you will be fine.

Just today Dale Lomas posted that the track was completely open for TF(Tourist Fahrt) and he only saw ONE other car while driving laps in his new M5 'Ring Taxi. For only 100 euros pp, you might also consider doing that. Especially IF it is crowed for some reason. Weekends are always the worse. Best are work days/evenings. The sunsets around 7:30pm now a days, Each day later and later. Usually by mid summer its still light until 9:30pm.

Dackel

ah good to hear,,I arrive on the Friday and have a Megane booked with RSR first thing Saturday AM....can't wait going to be an epic road trip,,,
I also have an M4 booked through SIXT for the rest of my road trip to Switzerland,,

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by mosport1

ah good to hear,,I arrive on the Friday and have a Megane booked with RSR first thing Saturday AM....can't wait going to be an epic road trip,,,
I also have an M4 booked through SIXT for the rest of my road trip to Switzerland,,

You'll be fin at the 'Ring. RSR are good people and track prepped cars.


As for Switzerland... my advice is DO NOT SPEED!!! They are crazy with speeding fines. So many cameras, under signs, behind them, in tunnels. IF they catch you going more than +40 kph over the speed limit they WILL TAKE YOUR CAR. Even IF its a lease or rental. The Swiss are very anti car people. Plus... everything there cost four or five times the price in Germany.

I think a fellow 1Addict said he tried not to speed... they got him doing 3 kph over the speed limit. Cost him 130 euros - he got a ticket in the mail thru the rental car company. Like I said the Swiss are crazy.

Switzerland(CH) is very a pretty country... but I always try to stay over night in France or Italy or Austria. Also... the speed limit on country roads is only 80 kph, while on the highways it is 120 kph(in Germany it's 100 kph and 130 kph or none!). You also need a Vignette for the windshield 34 euros - for one year in CH.

Have fun.
Dackel

[mosport1]

Thanks for the advice on Switzerland,,,, I know all to well how they are
over there,, I was on my way from Fussen to Garmish and cut through
Austria and came into a little town,,, got pulled over for only 5kms over
had to pay on the spot,,,,

We are planning on 4 days May 16-20 in Lauterbrunnen and going to make a loop on the Sustenpasse and Furkapasse.

[Disturbed]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Well... No. The problem is as your hurtling towards the first LEFT(90+ mph), then braking to 40 mph), your going DOWN a hill and then UP a hill, thru some twisties, then track looks like it goes to the RIGHT, the way the tree line is cut(but its only an track access point) the track goes LEFT, and its really off camber, so MANY cars just plow(understeer) right off the grass. Many hit the curbs on the right while trying to stay on the pavement. I had a friend blow BOTH right side tires of our rental car on these curbs. IF you survive the entry... the exit as the S-turn hooks right is also evil in its off cambers. I've seen many an old school 911 Turbos end up crashed back end first into the armco guard rails! lol

You really need to respect this track. Especially in the rain and cold weather. The curbs are really slick and the off cambers are pure evil. That's what makes the 'Ring so great though!


Dackel

Sounds like a great 2 week vacation spot.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by mosport1

Thanks for the advice on Switzerland,,,, I know all to well how they are
over there,, I was on my way from Fussen to Garmish and cut through
Austria and came into a little town,,, got pulled over for only 5kms over
had to pay on the spot,,,,

We are planning on 4 days May 16-20 in Lauterbrunnen and going to make a loop on the Sustenpasse and Furkapasse.

Paying on the spot is normal for Europe. In German it's called: Sofortkasse which loosely means PAY on the SPOT! Most (German)Polizei now take credit cards, but not all. In Germany cash(Bar) is King. The Germans don't like the idea of credit cards.


The Susten and Furka Passes are AWESOME! Awesome!!! If you watch Gold Finger... the Alpine roads were filmed on the Furka Pass. Be sure to pull over and admire the view. I've driven it a few times and it never gets old. Here are some pics... just a "few".


Dackel's Swiss Alpine tour...
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=878216

[mosport1]

great pix,,,,
BTW just picked up our new M235,, what a car,,,

[Dackelone]

Here is another entertaining video from Good Friday...

[Wannagodiving]

Dackleone, when is a good time To go to the ring? I live in Neunkirchen, and we have been planning to go. My wife's as trying to talk me into going a few weeks ago on the last days for the whole track being open, but all we would have been able to use is her work car(it's a crappy Toyota Auris...) That and I figured it would have been crowded.
I was hoping to rent a track ready swift or something of that nature. I've owned cars that were capable of 200+ mph, and I don't much care for the top speed anymore. I can get that on the autobahn.

Anyways, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Wannagodiving

Dackleone, when is a good time To go to the ring? I live in Neunkirchen, and we have been planning to go. My wife's as trying to talk me into going a few weeks ago on the last days for the whole track being open, but all we would have been able to use is her work car(it's a crappy Toyota Auris...) That and I figured it would have been crowded.
I was hoping to rent a track ready swift or something of that nature. I've owned cars that were capable of 200+ mph, and I don't much care for the top speed anymore. I can get that on the autobahn.

Anyways, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

If you just want to get some laps in... I would say definitely go during a work day - afternoon. NOT on a weekend. Or go when the weather is bad. You'll have the track mostly to yourself! Most of the time the Nordschleife is open from 17:00 onwards. But you need to check the 'Ring website for specific dates/times. Before 17:00 you can watch the test cars on the track from the "testing pool". That's quite cool to see in action and identify the test cars.

Neunkirchen is a whole lot closer than where I live in North Bayern. You should definitely go one afternoon or best IF you could stay over night and also try the next day(in case of a TF being cancelled or closed down early).

The Dorint Hotel at the Ring or even Sabine's mother hotel in Nurburg are cool places to stay over night. Also check out the BMW Test Center in Nurburg.

BMW ///M runs the official Ring Taxi. But its kind of pricey and its normally book out well in advanced. Six months or so.

There is another Ring Taxi... Dale Lomas from BtG(Bridge to Gantry) drives some new M6 GC and M5's for them. They also have a 911 GT3, as a RIng Taxi. ringtaxi.de

https://www.facebook.com/ringtaxi.de?fref=ts

You could also sign up with one of the Ring Rental companies like RSR Rentals. They also do schools and track lap rentals for the Ring AND for Spa which is also quite close(~1 hour away) to the Ring.

A third option would be Green Hell Days... this is where you rent the ENTIRE Ring for a weekend or work day. The dates are already set up and you get to drive the Grand Prix section and then onto the NS(Nord Schleife).

http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/drives...ving-days.html


What ever you decide on doing... you will have a BLAST! Be sure to visit the small indi gas station in Döttinger Höhe. They have lots of cool scale models and all the Ring stickers and "stuff" one could ever want. They also run a small hotel and restaurant. Just sitting outside near their Imbis shop is a "happening" watching - who will show up with what kind of machine.


Dottinger Hohe - gas station...
http://www.doettinger-hoehe.de/Dottinger_Hohe/Home.html

FB...
https://www.facebook.com/EDTankstelleDottingerHohe



Have fun!
Dackel