Autoblog Night Watch: Der Nürburgring
It's claimed numerous lives and Niki Lauda's ears. It snakes through 22 kilometers of German countryside. It's been updated, modernized, even replaced. But the Nordschleife course of the formidable Nürburgring circuit in Germany is still the most famous – and infamous – track in the world. F1 have abandoned it years ago for a more modern track nearby, but the old Nordschleife is still used by enthusiasts driving anything with two wheels or four, and by manufacturers who aim to put their test mules through the paces.
This 22-minute wild ride covers the track's history while blitzing through each of its loops, bends, dips and straights. Along the way we get to visit with our old friend Sabine Schmitz, Queen on the Ring, and get an inside glimpse at a few options available for visitors looking to get the most out of the experience, including driving schools and the Ring Taxi.
We owe our thanks to BMW for producing this video, the first manufacturer to begin testing its road cars on the Ring and the only one that still tests every new model there.
[Source: BMW]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Car Videos and reviews from Dpccars 12:45AM (1/23/2007)
Awesome video,
Its interesting to see why most of the high end sports cars test there.
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John 3:42AM (1/23/2007)
Awesome video, filled with lots of real people commentary, which is good. A few laps on the Nurburgring are on my check-list of things to do. :) I'm pretty sure my M3 dreams about that sweet track too. Cars can dream, right?
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Dustin 5:31AM (1/23/2007)
My good god. This movie gives me goosebumps. Unfortunately, I won't be going there any time soon. I guess Gran Turismo and a nice loud soundsystem will have to suffice.
Video was extremely well produced, and covers some great angles, including historical. A+
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Rob 8:09AM (1/23/2007)
I was skeptical that BMW is "...the only one that still tests every new model there" until I read the source.
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Jim 8:10AM (1/23/2007)
Great video, if you don't mind watching the world's longest BMW commercial. My only complaint is the guy who drives 190 mph on the Autobahn. The performance of the car is very impressive, yes, especially the braking when he comes up on slower traffic (at 190 its ALL slower) but that kind of thing is just so totally unsafe and irresponsible. I've driven 135 on the autobahn and can tell you 190 is so out of the question. I know there isn't a numerical speed limit, but the law there is that you can't drive at an unsafe speed. And 190 is always unsafe when other cars are doing 85, and trucks are doing 60.
Impressive performance by the car, but very poor decision making by the driver in doing it.
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gkz 10:06AM (1/23/2007)
Jim - Is there anything else you'd like to complain about? How about how Ruf tests their cars to over 200 on the Autobahn at night? I guess you think they probably belong in jail.
Please keep your whining to yourself.
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RKS 11:47AM (1/23/2007)
Somehow I'm pretty sure that Porsche tests all their new models at the 'ring too, so I don't think BMW is the only manufacturer to do this.
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nagmashot 11:51AM (1/23/2007)
Jim the driver taking the M6 to 194mph on the Autobahn was Hans Stuck... a world class race driver, driving 194mph is quick but it is not unsafe. My own car goes 160mph I do that regulary I drove faster in other cars... there is nothing special about it at all.
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MikeW 3:12PM (1/23/2007)
Ding dong the struts are dead
Where the beef? The N54, the X5 is ~5000 lbs, the N52 will not cut it for ~$45K
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Dreizehnernuss 3:28PM (1/23/2007)
"Impressive performance by the car, but very poor decision making by the driver in doing it. "
Hans-Joachim Stuck is allowed to do anything he wants in a M5.
Its like telling Tiger Woods he should not hit the ball that hard because its unsafe for the spectators.
Stay on the right lane with your Prius Jim and nobody gets hurt.
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