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..was ace!!
So it had been something i'd wanted to do for some time, and even asked about it on here earlier this year..
I'd figured out that a few evenings in teh summer they allow you to cycle/run around the Nordschleif too (obvs, no cars!) so combined a trip in the Polestar with a couple of bikes in the boot to make a long weekend of it with my OH - we wend on Wed 23rd, coming back Sat 26th july.
All in we covered 910 miles of driving, with about 62 of those being on the 'ring! I only did 5 laps - one each eve, and 2 on Sat am.
I found it a fab experience - not just the driving aspect, but the local surrounding area is beautiful too. We stayed at Nurblife; only 3 min from the ring.
Prior to visiting the ring I've spent hours bashing out lap after lap in Forza Motorsport on the XBox - despite people being critical that this 'isn't a way to learn the ring', I believe it absolutely was. Yes; driving a real car on a real track IS different, but knowledge of the corners, track layout, where to brake on a blind crest compared to where you can stay on the throttle etc - all vital.
So, I'd DEFINITELY say that you CAN learn the track on XBox or in a sim!
After many hours driving from Hove, to Le Shuttle, and from Calais to Nurburg, I arrived with 40% charge still in the car and despite thinking I wouldn't do a lap that eve, I did! The P2 is SUCH a good cruiser car - it essentially drives itself which made the 400mile journey there VERY easy and relaxing.
So.. here's my first lap on Wed eve- excuse the swearing, as I'm a bit guiddy!!
Then on Thursday (after waking up hungover!) me and the OH took our bikes on the (frankly quite lovely) gravel track that weaves along the side of the racetrack, taking you to some AMAZING vantage points to watch the TF or whatever is going on on the track that day. All in, a lovely 24km loop.
^^ You-Tube corner, the classic!
Once we got back from our ride, I took my OH round for a lap as a passenger. She HATES going fast, feels sick in the car, and is nervous..so was a perfect candidate! (I won't stick that video up here, but it's on my YT channel!). The track was shut almost immediately as we joined the queue, but it then openend up..It was rainy, sunny, and we saw a Porche GT3 overtake us then crash into the Armco! Needless to say, my OH didn't want any more laps!
The Sun came out later that eve, an I got on my bike again to ride ON the GP track and the Nordschleif. This in itself was an awesome experience. You really do appreciate the elevatoin changes when it's YOU powering up Adenau forst etc! I maxed out at 80+ kph heading down into the Foxhole too!
I came back from the lap starving as hadn't eaten enough! Plenty of pasta and red wine sorted me out!
On the friday we went to 'Lacher see' - an amazing swimming lake/campsite. Was 15 euro for us both to get in - well worth it!
Great to swim to cool down, and the food at the 'campsite lodge' was ace.
I did another lap in the evening whilst my OH chilled with a beer by the track side! Saw a poor chap spangle the front of his M3 at the top of Adeneau Forst, the climb after the Foxhole. This shut the track, but I'd gotten past so finished my lap.
More wine and a delicious steak at Pistenklausewas served up!
Saturday was our last day, so I got up early to get to the track first thing (it opens at 8am), and was chatting to a few people by the side of the road. Come 8am, the track opened up and I drove a couple more laps; going fast, but still taking it well within the limits. I'm not there to break any records or push it too far, and over the time i was there I saw too many crashes and unnecessary driving to want to take it any further. The Polestar is an amazing car - very capable, but I still need to get home in it!
Here's a saturday am lap with a wider FOV, showing how alert you need to be for cars coming past (speedo is in MPH - I had it on kph for normal euro driving, but mph for the track!)
After 2 uneventful laps I popped back to Nurblife, filled the car, then drove home!
It seems there was a fatality on the surrounding streets on Friday evening, then a MASSIVE pile up on Sunday (lots of videos on reddit and youtube about that)
Terrifying stuff:
https://youtu.be/SVv4HsLFdqM?si=i_F9F1ebWZg-9NJG
However, I said to my neighbour when I got back (also into cars) It's easy if you go easy, and it's hard if you go hard.
My ethos was to not have an ego, and to enjoy being on an iconic track. By this i mean - if a faster car wanted to come past, I'd actively pull over and slow a bit, as the last thing you want it to be side by side with someone. Unlike UK track days, people here overtake on the corners, narrow parts etc. I just want to be left alone - if that means slowing down, so be it!
Regarding teh EV aspect - people were pretty interested in teh P2, asking how it drove etc. Clearly the acceleration is the strong point, with its weight being a hinderence in the corners! It's lowered and on coilovers (set to the stiffest compression damping on the track), and at the speeds I drove it felt great. I could feel the tyres heating up in the latter parts of the lap, but felt safe and secure.
RE charging - driving there was easy - there's chargers all over the place, and my bladder/stomach outlasted the range!
I used the Tesla supercharger near the ring to keep me juiced up!
I left home with 100% charge, and spend £172 on charging (including the £5.60 it cost to fill up at home), and covered 911 miles and got back with 14% charge.
So not too bad TBH, and likely comparible with a BMW m3 in terms of costs (prob 3 fill ups, at £60 a time?).
Would I do it again - probably, though reading about the serious pile ups etc makes me consider a track day there more so now.
Anyway - enjoy the pics and vids - it's a very special place!
DrP
Nice write up, it looks great
Nice!
An entirely justified amount of exclamation marks used in that write up 😁
Needs a “bruuum bruuuuum!” soundtrack! 😎
Just watched the S660 pileup - it’s that sort of thing that would put me off driving somewhere like the ‘Ring; it’s not that I might be a poor driver and over-estimate my talents, it’s the multi-vehicle pileup around a fairly blind bend, with zero chance of stopping. 🥴
it’s the multi-vehicle pileup around a fairly blind bend, with zero chance of stopping.
Agreed - it could have been avoided with an immediate 'yellow flag/sign' coming on after the first crash. Lots of comments about the delayed yellow on the corner prior..
DrP
I'm not a car person but I found OP and videos interesting.
Guy in the Honda could never stop from that speed with those obstructions. Stupid question: obviously normally you're told you shouldn't drive faster than you can see your stopping space is clear. Is the whole point of a track that that rule gets suspended because it's a track?
Is the whole point of a track that that rule gets suspended because it's a track?
Good report. Interesting to read a report from someone totally new to the place. The cycling round the whole area is great...much of the driving isn't...so off road cycling is the way to go.
There's been a recent crash involving a UK BMW M2 and a foreign Porsche GT3RS. The bill coming their way will be huge (It seems likely that under German road traffic law, they'll each have to pay for their own damages IF it decided to be a 50-50 collision. UK insurance companies haven't covered the Ring for many years now. Fixing your £3k/£30k/£60k car and paying for any barrier repairs may pale into insignificance if you put someone in a wheelchair thru your driving. It's a track on occasion, a one way (de-restricted in places) toll road when TF is on.
The big problem as a proper 'tourist driver' (which is what TF is actually for) is that many others are really on it as DrP will have seen. You could drive round a corner in total control and at a suitable speed, to be met with carnage in front of you...you stop in time with a phew....and one of the 'on it' brigade rear ends you and punts you into the back of another car(s).
Nice to see you enjoyed it, but not something I would do as highlighted above, you can be careful and still get taken out. I know someone who has been for years and they won’t go any more
Would have been interesting to see how you found a Polestar v similarly quick ICE sports car. I’m not a fan of EVs but the Polestar is towards the better end of a bad bunch.
How much battery did you use per lap?
great stuff. I have always wanted to cycle the track. Was there a website or similar sharing when they allow it?
I am off there in October for a few laps, a few beers and some spectating.
Was there a website or similar sharing when they allow it?
It was on the official Nurburgring website... under 'events'. They run several sessions in the eve through the summer.
Look for "Rad am Ring" - was 18 euro to take the bike on, booked in advance.
How much battery did you use per lap?
I think it was between 10-12% (the lap is just shy of 13 miles, 78kWh battery)
When i've done UK track days i've averaged 90-100kWh/100miles, so this was similar useage.
DrP
This is a great post - thanks for taking the time to write this.
The full Rad am Ring weekend is a superb event, various categories of road (riding round the 'ring and GP track) and MTB ..single laps, specific distances or 24 hrs with solo, 2, 4 and 8 people per team. And the Germans do the event incredibly well (Did it in 2010 and 11...I imagine it is still every bit as good)
Good report - I'll watch your video's later when I have time.
I'd like to do a lap there just to say I've done it but my cars aren't fast enough and reading on PH it sounds like it's been utter carnage recently.
Good report - I'll watch your video's later when I have time.
I'd like to do a lap there just to say I've done it but my cars aren't fast enough and reading on PH it sounds like it's been utter carnage recently.
Go and rent a Mini Cooper S from Rent4ring. It MAY seem pricey at about £500 for 4 laps (all incl) but it's in a properly prepared car (the key thing being it ain't your pride and joy) with a proper briefing and wsith it being a fully liveried car, most other drivers give you a wide berth as they know you're a beginner.
Good report - I'll watch your video's later when I have time.
I'd like to do a lap there just to say I've done it but my cars aren't fast enough and reading on PH it sounds like it's been utter carnage recently.
I did one on my KTM back 15 years ago and absolutely hated every second of it, blind entry, blind exit, blind BOTH, throw in incompetent drivers and it was honestly horrid.
I was offered 4 laps for free from a mate who bought a 5 pack, i refused. Went back there twice again, but never bothered lapping it.
The road from the Ring to Cochem was miles better, with less traffic and a nicer surface 😀
I took my RX8 round. Lap similar to your first. I’m glad I did it but one was enough as I had a lot of traffic and that pile up vid convinces me never to go again.
Also rode my MTB round the outside. Worst loop ever 😀
I'd like to do a lap there just to say I've done it but my cars aren't fast enough and reading on PH it sounds like it's been utter carnage recently.
You sound like the ideal, safe candidate to be on the ring TBH!
You don't need a fast car, and in reality a slower car is likely to be safer as people will pass you quicker, adn you'll be unlikely to be chasing anyone's tail.
My ethos was "just leave me alone"! I spent large parts of the lap with no-one in front or behind, and if someone did come up behind, I pulled over and just let them dissapear out of site.
When I caught people I either made a safe overtake, or just held back (one of my vids was in the rain and I caught a Beemer.. I COULD have pushed past on the section i caught them, but they weren't indicating, it was raining, and it wasn't worth the effort or risk..)
DrP