[Andykf31]

So, I've decided I work too hard and as a result want to go to the Nurburgring at short notice.
I ve never been before and am thinking of hiring for the most part rather than thrashing my own car.
The idea is to drive from Thursday morning and then spend Friday on and around the track.
Anyone done this? Any tips? Is it a good or a bad idea?
Tips for car rental?

ANY advice would be graciously received.
I have never done anything like this before so am a complete novice!

[Tengocity]

Brilliant idea! I've been a couple of times. Hired the first time and used my own Mx5 the second time.

If you've not done any track work before then I'd suggest you hire a car. Bear in mind they still have a very high excess - we are talking thousands of pounds- and usually a mileage limit.

My suggestions are:

Drive slowly, or at least just how you would on a public road, at first

Try to learn the track beforehand- either using a guide, or on gran turismo.

Don't get sucked in to a stupid race with someone, no matter how slow you think their car will be.

[JustChris]

Great idea Andy. Will follow this with interest, never been myself.

[Andykf31]

Sounds fun,
Used gt5 to learn the track before.
Good call. PS3 to get me up and running.
I m assuming I'll probably get a lower powered car so I don't get in to too much trouble!!

[jusdorange]

+1 for the PS3/gran turismo

if you can stretch it. get a decent wheel like thrust master t500rs

[SkyJawa]

I've been before - don't underestimate how much driving it a few times in Forza or GT will help you once there, just knowing what bends are coming up is very useful. I was quite a bit quicker than my mate I went with because of this.

He recently went back for his stag do and they hired Suzuki Swift Sports and they said they were a right blast:

http://www.rent4ring.de/en/

[Andykf31]

Now to find a willing accomplice.
Anyone at a loose end?

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Andykf31

Sounds fun,
Used gt5 to learn the track before.
Good call. PS3 to get me up and running.
I m assuming I'll probably get a lower powered car so I don't get in to too much trouble!!

I would suggest you drive the car on GT (or a similar) that you will hire, so you get a relatively authentic understanding!

I would love to come but no free time between now and in to December.

[sweels]

There are a few companies in the village of nurburg that rent cars for this specific purpose. I have never used any of them but next time I go I will do. Not used any I can't comment meaningfully. One is called rent am ring, not sure of the others.

But, as you sensibly suggest you want to use one of them. They may appear quite expensive and may limit you to what feels like only a few laps, but 1 lap of that place is like about 7 of a normal track and that is just in terms of the distance round.

Note that even they will have an excess of approx 2500eur for damage to their car, but this is good compared with the effective excess on your own car as that excess would be its entire value. And this is before you consider the amount of wear on your tyres and brakes.

Don't just hire a car from a normal rental company. They employ spotters and a lot of people publish photos with number plates visible along with the date, so you will get found out!

Other advice...
Take it easy - there is very little runoff and the cambers are unpredictable

The surface is generally good but be very careful in the wet.

You're forced to only do one lap at a time, but this gives an opportunity for a breather between each one. When you park up in between each lap, leave it in gear but handbrake off or the hot discs and pads can damage each other

Yield to the right for anyone overtaking you. There are lots of people on there with varying degrees of ability, even in very fast cars.

Check the nurburgring website for opening times for touristenfahrten as that is when the public can use it (manufacturers block book it a lot during the day)

If you stay in the village, the hotel am tiergarten if available is very nice, and good value with a good restaurant and bar. As you'd expect, it is quite motorsport themed. And you might even meet Sabine Schmitz as her mum owns it!

[Tengocity]

http://www.rentracecar.com/

This was the company we used, but that was about 5 years ago.
They were good though, and the owner took us for a lap in the himself, which was fantastic.

Sweels makes a good point about the mileage limit. I shared the hire with a mate and then we bought an 8 lap ticket, then realised that 6 laps would take us to our mileage limit!

So then we did something that was a bit daft (looking back).. we then used my mates's Boxster to do the other 2 laps our tickets allowed for!

It was November, and it was wet and neither of us had driven on track before that day, so after 3 laps each in a hired Golf GTI we then thought we were ready for it. Thankfully there were no mishaps, but since then I've done a lot more trackwork, had a fair bit of instruction, and I realised how little i knew back then and how incompetent I actually was.

[Steve C]

I presume you're going for a TF day rather than a track day? If so, then definitely go the hire (track) car route as UK cars won't be insured which means if you drop some fluid and Mr German Banker in his 911 crashes and is crippled you'll be on the hook for £millions!

I went this time last year, hired a Suzuki Swift from Rent4 Ring and stopped at the Foxhole. Would recommend both establishments.

Oh, and it'd be rude not to have a day at Spa as you will almost drive past it to get to the Ring.

More info can be found at Northloop.

[matt_320d]

Bear in mind that, if you decide to use your own car, nearly all insurance companies make the ring an exemption, so your normal policy is not valid.

Bear in mind that the ring is (And I stand to be corrected on this?!) technically a speed limit de-restricted toll-road. This means you should pass on the left, it also means that, although you can't get done for speeding, you can still face criminal prosecution for other driving offences if you are reckless/dangerous.

Have fun. Make sure you go over your car (or any other car) with a fine tooth comb before you hit the track. Check brake disc and pad wear, perform a couple of hard stops to test the brakes before you commit to the track, check all your lights are working correctly, check all fluid levels, check every window on your car is fully clean, check all mirrors and and seat/steering are optimally adjusted...

And then check them all again, before you start

[Quakered]

Make sure it is open on the Friday you plan to go. Looking at the Website it looks like it is only open on the 28th November

[Andykf31]

I will check of course, that would be a big problem!!

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by matt_320d

Bear in mind that the ring is (And I stand to be corrected on this?!) technically a speed limit de-restricted toll-road.

Correct, albeit a bit strange to have a public highway that goes nowhere other than in a circle. When I was there we saw a family tootling around in a 4x4 with two young kids on the back seat!

Oh, and if you approach a corner with a load of photographers sitting on the banking, slow down - they're there for a reason!

[SkyJawa]

Because locals use it to go from one side to the other and not do the whole lap

[magic77]

Having been number of times, definetly rentaracer is place to go and the suzukis swifts are a great fun. You can easily put in a 10min lap in them.

Try avoid weekends its just too manic and also weather. Having done a this time of the year trip while it was fun as slipper as hell want do it again.Much better in summer / spring when its dry.

Remember one trip out in october lapping the circuit and it was not even fog just clouds barely about 100 yards visibility, Good test of memory but at times just a bit too much

Either way enjoy great fun

[Ads4]

I've been about 16 times, you'll get addicted! There are a load of good videos on YouTube - guides and tutorials, couple of good ones here...

Enjoy yourself and be safe, it's a mental track and going there with too much bravado normally leads to an expensive trip home...been there, seen it, done it...don't time yourself!! Games are a good idea to learn where the corners or left or right, especially the blind ones but don't be fooled into a false sense of security, the gradients and cambers are so different to the games!

Stunning place to go, as a petrol-head just walking around the carpark looking at the cars, listening to the tinkering brakes, the smells, the sights...it's heaven.

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by magic77

Remember one trip out in october lapping the circuit and it was not even fog just clouds barely about 100 yards visibility

Like this?

[Notechy]

Been twice, as a passenger in sons Porsche. First time was a public day. Especially scary with mix of superfast cars and bikes, through to campervans etc. Second time was on a closed track day. Far more sensible. And far less traffic, though I guess that it depends whose track day it is. Son did know the track well from PS3.

Enjoy!

[Andykf31]

Damn and drat limited opening in November.
It's only open for 2 hours on Saturday!
There was me trying to be impulsive!
Going walking and biking in Switzerland instead!!! No cars but still bloody dangerous!! Haha

[Tengocity]

Maybe try a UK track day? You could use your own car and get it insured for a reasonable cost.