Nurburgring?

[ArtBasement]

Anyone been and have tips? I'm going to be in that area next week, and hope to free up at least one day to try out the track. I'm assuming the rental car lease will exclude me from taking one of Hertz' fleet through the "green hell". So far all we have for a vehicle is my brother's Volvo station wagon kid hauler.

I saw the video Ulix posted and can't wait to try, even in a Volvo.

 

[abec]

From what I know, rentals are not an issue to take there.

 

[Andrew Coles]

I think its fine to take rentals there, a member of our local club rented some kind of diesel Mercedes C Class and spent the day lapping the green hell when he was there on his honeymoon (his new wife is a lovely and patient woman haha). I think he saw well over 220kmh down the big straight. Its just another public toll road, except it is free of speed limits.

Although, he did warn that if you ever drive it just be very careful you don't come off and hit anything. I think they charge somewhere near 1000 euro for every metre of guard rail you take out... and if you're moving your gonna take out quite a few metres!

 

[Ulix]

Cool

Hi Erwin,

I think you can take your rental there.
During "open driving" (Touristenfahrten) times, it is not a race track, but public road. Even tour buses supposedly go around there at times.

BUT, you can only go at certain times, they are listed here:
http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/nuerburgring-race-track/hours-of-operation-nordschleife.html?no_cache=1

Some tips:
If you don't know your way around the 'ring area, try to research beforehand where the entrance to the Nordschleife is, since it is not well labeled.
There may be some traffic congestion at the traffic circle at the entrance, don't worry, you will get there and the Nordschleife will not be as crowded as you may think.
I recommend you get 2 or 3 laps. There is a machine (like a parking ticket machine) where you can get tickets. Decide how many laps you want and get the tickets for that amount of laps. Don't plan on parking and buying another round - big hassle.
Two laps is good and may be enough, don't get more than three.
Use the first lap to get a feel for things and the second to go fast.
Stay right in areas where you are slow or to let others pass, but don't let traffic make you nervous. Do your own thing.

HAVE FUN!

 

[Carl Pålsson]

I've done a handful of laps.

#1 tip: Be careful.

It is nothing like your average racetrack. Blind corners are everywhere. The track goes up and down like a roller-coaster. Runoff areas don't really exist, so if you screw up you will hit something.
The barrier repair costs is a small problem. Tourist drivers getting killed or seriously injured is by no means unheard of. Stoppages because of cleanup or ambulance happens regularly.

Having said that, it is a great experience. Read up on it, perhaps watch some videos to get some feel for the track (keeping in mind that most videos don't convey the uphill and downhill aspect of the track, and probably are more than twice as fast as what you should be doing), and don't assume you know the track because you have driven five laps. More like hundreds of laps are probably needed to get a decent hang of the whole track.

Just treat it like it's a public road without speed limit (which it is, sort of), and you'll have great fun.