Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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Last weekend I went to the nurburgring. The whole place is fantastic, like a petrol head's heaven and the whole area is like a giant play ground for car fanatics.
Set in the middle of some fantastic scenery, sweeping mountains, alpine style roads and forrests, you come across (literally spot bits out the corner of your eye) the 13 mile long nurburgring. It sweeps through loads of little villages, Ardneau (the place I was staying at) had a nice view of the track coming past from the hotel.
Rest of pics can be found here
It was a truely awesome trip, I can't recommend it enough to everyone, especially if a large group of you go (we had about 20 of us!). With in that we had 1 car's engine blow and one guy put his car into the armco! Everyone was so friendly!
I had one close call when I lost my gears going down the 'foxhole' - steap down hill section, I'd be doing 135 mph down it, and porsches do 150+ mph, didn't want to break down there, but got it working again and fixed.
There was quite a bit of traffic / yellow flags on track, so it was rare to get a clean lap. It's suprising it's actually fairly difficult to get a 10 minute lap!
a 10 minute lap requires you to be averaging 78 mph, meaning a lot faster in places too lol. I knew where I was going, it was remarkably similar to the track in Gt4... just the difference was A ) it went up and down a lot more B ) you could kill yourself in real life and C ) the level of grip was far lower than the game hah.
Anyway, I decided on my last lap to go all out. I managed a 9 mins 31! Which wasn't bad considering I went fairly slow first half of the lap.
Below is the video of 'said lap' - excuse the quality... you tube over compress stuff.
At the start of the video you see me behind my mates black mi16 205 (165 bhp) and both of us pass a vx220 Towards end of the lap I'm absolutely flat out haha... I've got another vid where I'm making beemers and leon cupra R's pull over to let me pass!
The video is here -> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPQZ42Bztec
Remember down the straight / a lot of down hills we were hitting 130 + mph... on the uphill a constant 110 mph... and the rest whatever it was
I've definately been bitten by the bug, and can't stop thinking about the place. I want to do some tweaks to my car and go back! need stiffer suspension (as you see in the car my car jumps about) and better tyres! I think I can do a sub 9 min (high 8 min) lap! Which would be awesome haha.
[Edited on 28-06-2007 by Paul_J]
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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Oh yeh - it also wasn't that expensive...
3 nights hotel (£25 each night) = £75!
Ferry Crossing return = £56
about 3 tanks of fuel needed for getting there and back = £110. (half with passenger). 241 miles each way.
Then got food (all cheap), beer (all cheap) and track laps (64 euro for 4 laps!).
All in I probably only spent about £300-£400 (maybe less?)
[Edited on 28-06-2007 by Paul_J]
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RS6
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Registered: 5th Nov 03
Location: with MJ
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looks great
good lap that one!
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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Looks like a really good time actually. Glad you had fun. Il do it soon, maybe youll come back with us? Haha.
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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How many laps did you do in total then?
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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I only did er... 7?
I did 1 lap, then 2nd lap lost all gears... then none on sat (except for passenger laps) - spectated for a bit, then sun deicded to risk it... at 8am went up alone and took it out for my final 2 laps, sticking with a new style scooby round the track...
Then bought another 4 lap ticket and played races with my mates mi16 205
End of the day - all this 'race in straight line' - 'race in the twisties' shit means nothing till you get on the ring!
The ring is where street races should be settled.
It tests man, machine and mostly BALLS! It's unlike driving on road, but also unlike any track day I've done before!
I will return and I will be doing sub 9 minutes no sweat, just from learning not to brake so early, or at all in places and thus carrying speed better!
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Nismo
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Registered: 12th Sep 02
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Looks like a good time was had.
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chrisj_88
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Registered: 22nd Sep 06
Location: Dewsbury
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quote: Originally posted by Paul_J
Oh yeh - it also wasn't that expensive...
3 nights hotel (£25 each night) = £75!
Ferry Crossing return = £56
about 3 tanks of fuel needed for getting there and back = £110. (half with passenger). 241 miles each way.
Then got food (all cheap), beer (all cheap) and track laps (64 euro for 4 laps!).
All in I probably only spent about £300-£400 (maybe less?)
[Edited on 28-06-2007 by Paul_J]
bloody hell thats cheap for a ferry crossing, where did you cross from/to, and with which company?
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VegasPhil
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Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
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Good read there Paul!
I found a new sig from this thread too!
Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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£56 return was with norfolkline ferries, dover -> dunkerque
Nice ferry too, really modern inside.
I keep comparing the nurburgring to drug addiction.
Both will cost you a fortune to maintain your addiction, and if you do either long enough it'll probably kill you. haha.
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Cupra Steve
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Registered: 7th Nov 06
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How long have you had vts wheels.
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topshot_2k
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Registered: 1st Dec 03
Location: Northampton Drives: Pug GTi-6
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WTF is that bonnet lifter
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Cupra Steve
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Registered: 7th Nov 06
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9min 31 is fucking impressive! Wasn't clarkson stuggling to get below 10 minutes in that jag?
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Cupra Steve
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quote: Originally posted by topshot_2k
WTF is that bonnet lifter
looks like a strut brace!
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Cupra Steve
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240 miles there? Thats not that far!
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mwg
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Registered: 19th Feb 04
Location: South Lakes
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Nice write up and interesting to see that you dont need to spend loads to do it! As long you dont crash or knacker your car anyway
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VegasPhil
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Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
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My car would probably do a quarter of a tank on a lap
Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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My mate, crashed his saxo into some armco lol...
Cost him 220 euro's for recovery and 500 for armco costs... plus his car was probably a write off. hah.
I know I'm in control of my car though, so worst that would happen with me is understeering slightly.
I still think even in my car I can do sub 9 minutes.
[Edited on 29-06-2007 by Paul_J]
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Doug
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Registered: 8th Oct 03
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Glad you had fun!
Its an amazing place isnt it?
220 Euros for recovery? Lad that was with us only got charged 180 Euros, maybe its true that they charge different people different ammounts!!
Lucky he only had 500 Euros of armco costs though, lad that was with us had 2000
Looks like you stayed in the Hotel Nordeschlief, we stayed in one of the guest houses just out of town that the guy owns aswell as the hotel. He is a good lad aswell, always driving on the ring lol Has a 350z I think?
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Cupra Steve
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Registered: 7th Nov 06
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What is Armco? Damage costs for grass etc?
Looked like a nice saxo
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topshot_2k
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Registered: 1st Dec 03
Location: Northampton Drives: Pug GTi-6
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Armco are the metal barriers.
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Cupra Steve
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Registered: 7th Nov 06
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Oh ok nice one
You get charged for damaging the turf to don't ya?
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willay
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Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
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nice paul, been waiting for this write up for abit now
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Steve
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Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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try driving it in FM2 its remarkably similar, that hotel youve shown in that pic is in FM2
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Doug
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Registered: 8th Oct 03
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Did you venture into Adenau itself?
Cherry bar?
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