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      10-23-2011, 09:44 AM   #1
Malm
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Canadian going to Germany

Hi All,

Figured this would be a good place to ask some questions...

I am going to Germany in November for work and will have a weekend to myself while I am there.

I would like to do a lap (or at least one...) of the Nurburgring. I would have to rent a car to drive there from Cologne where I will be staying. I would likely be fine with just driving the rental car around the track if this is allowed.

I have also done some searching and found this site:
http://www.rent4ring.de/

Does anyone have tips or advice for me? I thought I read somewhere that you must obey speed limits? If so, then I believe that whatever rental I get to drive there might be sufficient to simply "cruise" around the ring.

Any veterans of the ring here that can give me some advice?

Thanks!!
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      10-23-2011, 10:08 AM   #2
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Hi fellow Canadian,

I've been to Germany a few time and I've been on the ring also. For the most fun, I suggest you get a tour in the BMW Ring Taxi.

http://www.bmw-motorsport.com/ms_en/.../bmw_ring_taxi

If you really want to drive on the ring, rent a nice car and get a professional driver to coach you. Driving a cheap rental is not so much fun, neither is driving slow or not knowing where you are going. If you are used to the track in video games, it will help, but the environment is quite different then in games, so you might get lost on the track.

Friend of mine did the European delivery for his GT3RS4.0 and hired a pro driver to coach him and did about 16 lap of the ring. I could get his contact info if you want a coach.

Also, if you can, don't go there on weekends. Way to many people on the ring.
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      10-23-2011, 11:24 AM   #3
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I was not aware of the BMW ring taxi. Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately my only window of opportunity will be the weekend (travelling for business). I'm sort of hoping that November is outside the busy season there.
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      10-23-2011, 11:29 AM   #4
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Normal rental cars aren't allowed, it's in the fine print of the contract and they do have spotters. Best to rent a ride there or get a ride in the 'Ring Taxi. I still haven't taken a lap and with that nastiness at the construction zone, I'm not sure when I will. I only have the one car...
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      10-23-2011, 11:53 AM   #5
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November the weather gets colder and it does get slippery down there. Rent4Ring has good cars and the staff i've heard is good. You should also check RSR Nurburg. Great staff and very involved.
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      10-23-2011, 02:25 PM   #6
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I'm leaning more towards the taxi now. I remember looking that at one point they offered co-driver experiences in a GTR, now it looks like a Vantage. It seems that these "experiences" are only offered at certain days throughout the year.
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      10-23-2011, 02:35 PM   #7
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And to get on the ring taxi you have to make an appointment if they have any slots right now since they are booked in advance. Best of luck and hope you can there.
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      10-23-2011, 05:29 PM   #8
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Just going is fantastic if you're a car nut. I went to a DTM race and just driving next to the track was great.
You can always do research for your NEXT trip.
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      10-24-2011, 06:17 AM   #9
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Whenn in Nov are you going to be here? I'll be traveling in the middle....going the opposite direction back to the states for a week. Anyways if your around early Nov me and a bud are still looking at doing one more trip out this season. Let me know and I'll keep you posted and we all could meet up.
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      10-24-2011, 04:45 PM   #10
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Its looking like my only window will be the weekend of the 19th/20th. Whether or not I manage to get on the ring, I will go there for sure.
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      10-27-2011, 03:25 AM   #11
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Sweet, that will be the weekend after I get back from Vegas Baby!!! I'll let you know.
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      11-16-2011, 12:23 PM   #12
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I had scheduled a car from Rent4Ring for Saturday the 19th and looked for confirmation today. It sounds like the track has been closed all week due to the cold weather....

Very unfortunate... I was told that it would be a 50/50 chance as to whether I would be able to go.

Does anyone know how warm it has to be to open the track? I only ask because I have to arrange for a rental car to get from Leverkusen to Rent4Ring and don't want to pay/book (77 euro for a single day!!!! $$$$$) unless the track will be open.

Please get warmer!!!
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      11-16-2011, 01:08 PM   #13
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above freezing for tourist fharting.
Also depends on visibility and precipitation.
Keep an eye on their website.
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      11-16-2011, 01:33 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Malm View Post
I was not aware of the BMW ring taxi. Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately my only window of opportunity will be the weekend (travelling for business). I'm sort of hoping that November is outside the busy season there.

The track can get very slippery when cold. I have driven the Ring when the temps were cloe to freezing and it can be downright scarry!


With regards to the Ring Taxi... ticket are sold out months in advance. Maybe you have a better chance in the "off season" winter months. The track is still used all year round for manufacture vehicle testing. Although TF is limited. Even so... there are other things to do while at the Ring. There is the BMW Test Center to go drool over and the Ring Museum. Also be sure to stop by the no name gas station in Dottinger Hoehe new the Ring. Inside that gas station is a (scale)model of almost every car known to man kind!


Here are some of my old threads you might find interesting...


Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=494657


Grüne Hölle Musuem und Ring....

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=412648
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      11-18-2011, 12:48 PM   #15
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Great info!

Thanks for the links Dackel! Pretty excited for tomorrow now, even if I don't get on the ring!
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      11-18-2011, 01:11 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Malm View Post
Great info!

Thanks for the links Dackel! Pretty excited for tomorrow now, even if I don't get on the ring!

Have fun tomorrow! Becarefull of the fog. The fog seems to only hang around the Ring area. It is such a heart breaker - when you get close to the track and see that foggy weather. The weather should be like 8'C so the Ring Gods might be smiling upon you!

IF for some reason your Ring trip is a wash out... be sure to go to that no name gas station in DottingHoehe - just down the street from the RingWerk Museum. You can also watch from Brunchen of Pflantzengarten my two favorite places to go watch Ring traffic.

IF you have the time... and IF you are interested in Military stuff... there is a really cool museum in Koblenz. Its about an hour away from the Ring. Here is my photo thread about TWS Musuem of the Bundeswehr...

WTS Military Museum - Koblenz, Germany

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=498498&highlight=museum+military
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      11-18-2011, 01:54 PM   #17
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Malm - I just thought of another place that might be of interest to you. Since you are staying up around Leverkussen, you are near Duesseldorf. There is a classic car strange place there called the MeilenWerk. It is more than just a wharehouse for classic cars. There are shops and automotive themed shops there. I ahve always been meaning to go there one day. Here is their website. They are also in Stuttgat, Hamburg, Berlin and in Zurich (CH).

http://www.meilenwerk.de/


Dackel
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      11-19-2011, 03:15 PM   #18
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The Ring Gods smiled!!!

It was VERY foggy going down the 257 in the morning. I left from Leverkusen and got there just after 10 am. Went in to Rent4Ring to let them know I was around just in case the fog lifted.

I went through the Ring Werk museum in the morning, and when I came out the fog was still lingering a little. I was driving down the 258 and pulled over to snap some pictures of the castle. I heard a car coming and put my camera down to make sure he saw me on the road... but there was no car there! I then realized the sound was coming from the track!

I drove immediately to Rent4Ring and was on the ring before I knew it! I only got two laps in with the package I purchased but it was well worth it. I soooo wanted to go around again.

Drove around in a Suzuki Swift. Since I am not familiar with the track (besides what I have played in GT5) the Swift was great because I could push reasonably hard with it and not get in too much trouble.

The track was wet in a lot of areas but the fog was all gone. Like you said, the temperature was around 8C. I think because it was closed in the morning and the fact that it was late in the season, there were not that many people there. This was great since I was not ALWAYS looking in my mirrors making room for people to pass. While track conditions were perhaps not ideal, I think the lack of traffic more than made up for it.

All in all a great experience, and like I said, fun in that little car. Almost as fun as driving it was seing GT3's and R8's blow past me...haha. Not to mention a 1M with m-sport blue/white/red stripes on it


After I returned the car I went and watched cars go by on what I believe was the Brunnchen section (off the 412). At one point someone in an older 3-series ( also with some M sport blue/white/red stripes) came drifting basically around both those corners. Fun to see.

Great Day!
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      11-19-2011, 03:19 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Malm View Post

After I returned the car I went and watched cars go by on what I believe was the Brunnchen section (off the 412). At one point someone in an older 3-series ( also with some M sport blue/white/red stripes) came drifting basically around both those corners. Fun to see.

Great Day!

That is really great! Glad the Ring God's were smilling on ya today.
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