| Author | Message | ||
| Jens Haller (Jh280774)
New member Username: Jh280774 Post Number: 23 Registered: 9-2001 |
Martin, Great idea! Really looking forward to that! Would be nice to show you and your wife some nice spots in and around the Rheinland. We can surely do a lap with my 348 then. Feel free to contact me when you are coming to "good old germany". Con saluti cordialissimi, Jens | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 2354 Registered: 5-2001 |
LOL Tino, that was my exact thought...what if the car smokes or loses its brakes (like my 348) and you bring the car back limping. Marion is hard to shock, after all she is married to me for 10 years now  , but having the Ford Focus on 2 wheels in the Nordschleife gets the hardest woman screaming (NIka being an exception). Jens, thanks for the post. I will go there for sure the next time I am in Germany. Not this year for sure, too much to do here. Once I have a date I will post and maybe we can meet out there. The first overseas F-Chat member meeting | ||
| Tino (Bboxer)
Junior Member Username: Bboxer Post Number: 110 Registered: 8-2001 |
I took a Volvo rental once(I won't divulge the rental company's name)and did two laps with suitcases, terrified wife and super-excited ten-year old. I had to go exchange the Volvo as it was smoking badly. My clever son removed the Nurburgring lap ticket from the door pocket just in time.Still laughs at the story. | ||
| Jens Haller (Jh280774)
New member Username: Jh280774 Post Number: 21 Registered: 9-2001 |
As far as I can see you can take any car you like to the track, Martin! There is a ticketmachine where you buy the ticket you want (1 lap, 3 laps, 5 laps and so on).Then you drive your car to the entry gate and put the ticket in another machine where its checked (Exactly like driving in a parking lot!). Afterwards the gate opens and you are on the Ring (First section is called Tiergarten). Since the track is declared as a public road with toll you are even keeping your normal insurance. To be serious I would recommend you to first take a slower car to the track to get to know the Ring better. I did the same with my BMW Z3. It does not put so much pressure on you because nobody takes a look at you or wants to challenge you (Would be different with a Ferrari!). On the other hand you cannot drive real fast. So you are able to correct your first mistakes. After all it is off course hotter to drive your nice little red toy around the Ring (Notice the faces of the spectators at Breidscheid and Brünnchen if you can!!!) but first it is just safer to go slow and get used to the track with a slower car. All in all it is just great because at a nice day there are quite a lot of spectators at several crucial points (All want to see you crash off course, typically german habit I guess!) and you really can get a glimpse of how Fangio, von Trips, Clarke, Lauda, Steward and all the others must have felt when driving around this magnificient track! Con saluti cordialissimi, Jens | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 2345 Registered: 5-2001 |
Sounds like I gotta go there next time around. What did they ask you for in papers? Can you take a rental? I can see myself in a Ford Focus at 85Mph  | ||
| Jens Haller (Jh280774)
New member Username: Jh280774 Post Number: 20 Registered: 9-2001 |
Martin is right! Since I am living in Bonn which is just 50km away from the Ring I thought it would be a good idea to do some laps there. The Ring proved to be very difficult since it is so long. It always goes up and down and you never know what comes behind the next hill! I have been there four times in the last month and I still do not know the whole track. After some laps I got a little bit too optimistic and had to take the "emergency exit" at Adenauer Forst. That was kind of frightening and gave me back some respect for probably the most difficult race track in the world. After all I will be there again and again in the next future since it is just an incredible experience. The disadvantage of the Nordschleife is that a lot of crazy gooks drive there too (You remember the Capri?) who are simply constantly overestimating their car and their driving skill. Thus they are a danger for themselves and the other drivers around. A lap costs now 11 Euro which is quite expensive (You have done one in about 10 minutes with the right car without driving too hard). If you have some more specific questions about the track or the places around just ask me. Con saluti cordialissimi, Jens | ||
| Steve Smith (Steve308)
New member Username: Steve308 Post Number: 13 Registered: 2-2002 |
Jeez - a lap with someone like Surer must be the ultimate. I'm jealous! One thing I particularly like on the video of the 360 lap is the idiot in a beat up old Ford Capri who tries to race the Ferrari for a few corners. That's optimism on a MONUMENTAL scale... | ||
| Tino (Bboxer)
Junior Member Username: Bboxer Post Number: 109 Registered: 8-2001 |
Spent a whole week driving it every year from 1983 thru 88. Amazing how one can remember. I just watched it and remembered every corner before getting there. Twenty years later, it's still my favorite racing experience. Most memorable lap, with Hans Stuck in an 5 series Alpina and with Marc Surer (F1 driver) in my own 928S. | ||
| Mark Collins (Markcollins)
New member Username: Markcollins Post Number: 3 Registered: 7-2002 |
Did it in my 355 back in May, absolutely frightening but good to say you've done it | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 2332 Registered: 5-2001 |
We have a german Chat member that is doing it soon. Jens, where are you? Paul Sloan will be there soon. Don't know if he is driving himself. | ||
| Steve Smith (Steve308)
New member Username: Steve308 Post Number: 12 Registered: 2-2002 |
Don't you just love the Germans? They take the biggest, wildest race circuit ever and let anyone who wants to go round it as fast as they like using any car or bike - for about $4 a lap (a lap being 12 miles and 170-ish corners!!) Check out this lap from on board a 360 Modena http://www.motorcycle-dk.com/en/multimedia/index.php?viewCat=2 Anyone out there done it him / herself? |