The ‘Ring
What am I doing talking about rings..?
This is not a marriage blog, so don’t panic.
What I am talking about is a racetrack in Germany called the Nurburgring. This race course was completed in the late 1920s and used for the German Grand Prix several years both before and after World War II. The track, with over 120 turns during its most difficult configuration, was so complex and dangerous that it was actually boycotted at one time by Formula 1 drivers and nicknamed “the Green Hell” by Jackie Stewart.
So why is the Connoisseur talking about a race track in Germany?
Have you ever driven a BMW, Porsche, Audi, Nissan (GT-R), Mercedes-Benz or even a recent Cadillac CTS and appreciated the way the car handled a challenging section of road? You can thank the ‘ring, as these manufacturers have taken to developing and tuning various models on what’s known as the Nordschleife (northern loop) of the track. There is a quantifiable benefit to this, in the Connoisseur’s opinion, and it’s nice to see more manufacturers utilizing the facility.
One rather curious tidbit of information – on days when the track is not closed for racing, testing or repairs, it is actually open to the public as a one-way toll road. Any street legal car, bus or even motor home can be driven on this historic track at your discretion. Simply purchase the amount of laps you desire and off you go..! Just remember that this is no place to try doing your “I think I am a real race driver” impression.
If you are ever in Germany and are a car aficionado, we highly recommend adding the Nurburgring to your itinerary.
This is not a marriage blog, so don’t panic.
What I am talking about is a racetrack in Germany called the Nurburgring. This race course was completed in the late 1920s and used for the German Grand Prix several years both before and after World War II. The track, with over 120 turns during its most difficult configuration, was so complex and dangerous that it was actually boycotted at one time by Formula 1 drivers and nicknamed “the Green Hell” by Jackie Stewart.
So why is the Connoisseur talking about a race track in Germany?
Have you ever driven a BMW, Porsche, Audi, Nissan (GT-R), Mercedes-Benz or even a recent Cadillac CTS and appreciated the way the car handled a challenging section of road? You can thank the ‘ring, as these manufacturers have taken to developing and tuning various models on what’s known as the Nordschleife (northern loop) of the track. There is a quantifiable benefit to this, in the Connoisseur’s opinion, and it’s nice to see more manufacturers utilizing the facility.
One rather curious tidbit of information – on days when the track is not closed for racing, testing or repairs, it is actually open to the public as a one-way toll road. Any street legal car, bus or even motor home can be driven on this historic track at your discretion. Simply purchase the amount of laps you desire and off you go..! Just remember that this is no place to try doing your “I think I am a real race driver” impression.
If you are ever in Germany and are a car aficionado, we highly recommend adding the Nurburgring to your itinerary.