You never know what you'll see at the ring, or how well it will be driven
Race?Our best experience was exiting the pits behind a black Porsche Carrera GT. As we start, the Porsche pulls aside. As luck would have it, we had Australian V8 Supercar driver and two-time Nrburgring 24-hour racer, Warren Luff, driving our Golf. He decides to see how long we can keep Porsche's V10 supercar behind us
Warren hits every braking point and traces a perfect line through every corner. We're regularly glancing in the mirror for the menacing nose of the GT, but after six miles there's still no sign.
We pass sections like the uphill Flugplatz and the rollercoaster Fuchsrohre (Foxhole), and are passing cars and bikes a full eight miles into the lap before we see it. As he blasts past, with about a 50mph advantage, it had taken 10 miles for the average driver in a Porsche GT to beat our expertly driven Golf GTI!
And our lap times? Although traffic has a huge effect, Warren's best time for the weekend was bridge-to-gantry in 8m:48s.
FinallyWhen you've had your fill of driving, there's a museum, indoor kart track, Hall of Fame, indoor attraction park, helicopter rides, even a 16-mile mountain bike path that winds in, around and under the track, visiting all the spectator points.
The Pistenklause hotel is a famous landmark and its walls are lined with photos and memorabilia. The seats are often filled with famous drivers too. The Pistenklause is famous for its steak on a hot rock that you cook yourself
There are plenty of restaurants, but it's essential to visit the Restaurant Pistenklause. It's less than a mile from the track entrance and the walls are filled with motorsports memorabilia. And they serve a legendary steak on a hot rock.
After 40 laps of the Ring, our tires were done, but the brakes were cared for and only half worn; an important consideration if the car is your transport home.
If you're returning to London, there's another surprise in store - the small town of Spa in Belgium. Just ten minutes off the freeway, it's home to another of the world's best tracks, Spa-Francorchamps. There was an open track day when we visited, and many of the cars we'd seen at the Ring were taking part. It was worth the visit just to see cars tackling the daunting Eau Rouge corner.
There are better ways to spend $4000, but for motoring thrills, few compare to the mystique, wonder and thrills of a weekend at the Nrburgring Nordeschleife.
Hot Ring Links:www.nuerburgring.de (official homepage)www.nurburgring.org.uk (one of the best fan sites)www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwtyZosuPNE (Radical lap record)