Nürburgring Easter trip tour report.
Discussion
The Ring – Easter 2009
Tuesday April 7th
Pick up the Boxster at the dealer after adjustments to the newly fitted exhaust. Pick up a pair of radios from a mate, to use instead of mobile phones. Work late, and then packing for the trip after a short run.
Wednesday April 8th
WORK … being busy season at work, I have to put in some hours before leaving for the main attraction. Being the last working day before Easter, the mood is much like a Friday, meaning my concentration is not really in top form.
I grab a quick lunch .. chatting with the boss before setting sights for the Boxster. Suffice to say, the sight of the purpose bought toy in the parking lot, knowing I’m about to set out to do exactly what I wanted the car for, is enough to lift my mood substantially. Text my mate about the meeting place, and set off. Shades on, music loud, exhaust even louder.
The trip through DK is uneventful, traffic is light, and we just manage to catch the ferry.
Safely into Germany we make our first stop early, on the first Shell station we meet. V-power 100 Octane is what we crave. South of Hamburg, traffic and road works pile up …. We watch the arrival time on the GPS rise while being held up at Bremen, Münster and Cologne, and then the rain starts! The prospect of a late dinner, combined with a nearly overwhelming need to empty my bladder should be enough to keep me awake. Doing 100 mph in pouring rain provides the last mental boost to stay sharp behind the wheel. However, not even this is enough to be the fastest on the road, crazy white van man in an Iveco!
Following the A1 from the ferry to the Ring is easy travelling, and ignoring the earlier commands by the lady in the sat nav, we turn towards eiskürchen and the final stretch of autobahn, before the Ring. Traffic and the rain has let up, and some epic driving, touching on 120+ mph over longer periods is possible. Finally the autobahn ends and we hit the last leg of B-roads before Nürburg.
There was a slight mess up at the hotel with the room, however, they have two keys on the table, and two names on their list we can recognize. We end up with each a double room. Rumpsteak, weisbier, bed
Impressive mileage from the engine, when you look at the distance and average speed.
Thursday April 9
Wake up earlier than I would like, turn away from the window and fall asleep again. The phone beeps. Think about it, and get up. “Been up since 5.30 .. are you awake?” …. “Well now I am thanks to you”. After breakfast, we go to the ruin just up the road. Weather is foggy, damp, and everything is wet.
We agree to go touristing in the area. The Boxster also needs nectar! Being in the Ring mood seems not to pose a problem for me, my mate however, is a bit more reluctant to catch the bug this time, the sight of a blue E36 M3, stripped, cage, R tyres and bucket seats helps a god deal.
Arrive at Cochem and find the castle at the top, the Mosel at the bottom and the picturesque cozy German village in the middle, suggesting everything is probably as it should be.
We ditch the car near the Mosel, and start a trek to the castle through some very nice narrow and steep streets. Ignore the touristy chap in the picture
The castle is definitely worth the trip, and the guided tour is quiet and nice. The view is fabulous and during the tour the weather clears, the sun peeks through and the temperature starts to climb.
After getting back to Nürburg we go for Pistenklause, to see if we can book a table for later on the weekend. Find the place closed, but chat up a friendly guy with a Manthey tweaked GT3 at the parking lot. More on that car later!
We then drive to Brünchen to look at some of the testing going on. There is a lot of Skoda’s going round, a couple of Bentleys and two new GT-R’s one sounding really angry. And then there is a matt black Audi A5 going very brisk, and sounding nice. We guess it’s testing the V6 supercharged engine, as it doesn’t sound like a V8.
We then proceed to pick up my car and head for the entrance grounds for a good spot to park. The queue for the ticket office is long and looks not to be moving, but I tip in, as I need a jahreskarte. At least the sun is still out. Meanwhile my friend does two laps in his car as he bought a 15 trip card at the gas station while refueling earlier.
Lots of friendly chatter going on as the chap with the tweaked GT3 queue up behind me.
I get the Jahreskarte with little less than one hour of open time left. Just as my mate pulls up from his second lap, I stand with my door open, waving the transponder. LETS GO! Start out easy, as the car is cold. After 10 km. I pick up the pace out of Breidscheid after being cought up by two Scirocco RentRacers. Not knowing the car properly, and not coming on a fast lap, they evade me, and the rest is easy going. Trying to figure out the grip in my winter tires, as well as getting into the Ring again. Initial thoughts on my first trip round the Ring in a Porsche is .. Fuuck me this is great. The car is fast and I am not left wanting at any point round the track, rather it is my ability behind the wheel, general lack of cojones and the tires setting the limits of performance.
Second lap is taken straight after the first, and is a quick one from the go. Exhaust sounding great, and getting more into the grip level of the tires and the flow of the track. Even getting the over hand on a S2K up Kesselchen towards Angstkurve. As we get to the corner leading into the Karrusell we meet yellow flags, and a busted EVO VI sadly. The driver is unhurt which at least is good news, although accidents are never good!
We do one lap in my mates car, and then do another in the Boxster. We ticket out behind this E30 Touring sounding thoroughly metallic on the exhaust, I dip the pedal on the Boxster and start the chase … quickly realizing I’m not gaining any ground, and settling for the fact that I can only try my best and follow. Not really doing a good job at that either, I lose track of the Touring through Bergwerk. I later learn that the cabin is stripped, M20 engine and R tires. He also has a NOS bottle in the boot, but claims not have used it on the Ring.
I keep going and down from Hohe act I carry more speed again, gaining confidence in the car and the tires. Through Brünchen not much to report, but then into Pflanzgarten I suddenly have an E30 all over my tailgate, and another closely behind! I can eventually let them through, and they disappear before the small Karussell. In the pits, I learn that they are Norwegian, stripped, caged and on R tires. One was driven with the girlfriend in the passenger seat. Utterly gutted over the fact that I have just been shown the way by not less than three BMW E30, not one being an M3 I am relieved to find the Ring Closed. Not sure my ego could take more of a beating like that. But it probably will tomorrow.
Before that however, we summize that the Boxster has now earned the right to be adorned with a traditional "Ring" sticker.
Pistenklause , pizza, weisbier, bed!
Friday April 10.
Wake up, still dark, turn round and go back to sleep. Wake up again, still dark! Start cursing and go back to sleep. Third time I wake up, I don’t even care anymore, just grab the pillow and go back to sleep. Then my phone beeps “the weather is sick ;o) I’m ready!” I look out and the sun is on a blue sky. I write back “I’ll take a shower and meet you for breakfast. While taking in breakfast an EVO races by, exhaust hissing angrily, dump valve sounding as he shifts to third. After that I grab the car and drive for the Ring which has opened by now. The second time I had my transponder out, I have covered 21,6 km. 20,8 of which is the Ring. “ringnutter who me?”
We get in some laps in my mates car, before the track closes for cleaning. We then cruise a bit in the Boxster, and get in 2 more laps after the track reopens. Lots of traffic and a close moment with a 964 Carrera just before Pflanzgarten. More accidents causes the track to shut down again, and before lunch, we end up ditching the hardtop in my room, and go topless in the fabulous weather, the exhaust sounds even better when it can be freely enjoyed.
After lunch we get in a few more laps, in the good weather. Spectators are generously spread all over the track. Brünchen is full of people, and even on remote locations such as halfway down into Fuchsröhe, a camera is ready to snap a picture.
In the afternoon we manage more laps, with heavy traffic, until a couple of crashes closes the track for 1½ hour. We sit in the queue for that time, happy we found sunscreen at the gas station.
Right at the end of the day, we manage some track time in both cars where we can follow each other. The track is light in traffic , and the sun is setting. These are the laps that we can wait all day for.
Shower, steak, Weisbier, ice cream, bed.
Saturday April 11.
Headache when I wake up. Probably that third weisbier was a bad idea. Go to breakfast and then for the Ring. First lap out is quiet and just to warm up the car. Second lap of the morning, and raindrops clatter my frontscreen crossing under the bridge. Down through Hatzenback, and I get busy controlling the slippery track while letting an anxious ring-taxi by. They really should have more patience you would think. After Flugplatz the track is dry, but I still drive with caution, not knowing if the track is suddenly wet. After a short stop in the pits, I put in 4 laps with my mate as passenger. Track still wet in some places as I slowly build up speed as I gain confidence in the car and tires, and where to place it when braking on a fast lap.
I bring the car out for a fast lap alone, and find the traffic manageable, as not to many people have brought out there motors before 10. On the cool down lap (gotta love that jahreskarte)my stomach starts quirking, and my headache gets a bit worse. When I park my mate calls from filling up his car, and I ask him to bring a big bottle of water. After half the bottle is gone, spending a good half hour on a bench, in the pits not getting better, I give up, and head for the hotel bed. I sleep for 3 hours before getting up again.
The weather is still amazing and feeling better, I put in a warm up lap, and a flying one after. Traffic is not anything like Friday, and parking in the pits is possible. I get a passenger lap with my mate, and my head copes finely. After a closed period, I bring the car out for a warm up lap and get slowly passed by a red E36 M3 towards Schwedenkreuz. He doesn’t get out of my sights, and up to Angstkurve I catch up to him again, not passing though as he seems to be slightly quicker than me in the corners. After following closely all the way back, I slip by after the gantry, and get out ahead of him for a new lap.
From the other gate this 335i lets me by just out of the cones,
and then slips in closely behind me, he is faster in the straights, but does not pass, even though I indicate right he just blinks and pulls in behind me towards Schwedenkreuz. I draw out some distance down towards Breidscheid, without him ever leaving my mirrors for good, up the hill his excess in power shows again, and I only pull out some distance from not braking for the Lauda kink. A biker is out in Bergwerk waving his arms, and I brake hard with the 335i behind me. A bike is in the armco and a pug 306 is in the middle of the track with the front facing the wrong way, smoking. A couple of cars are parked and I drive on. The 335i stops in behind me.
I pick up the pace up to angstkurve, and the pace starts flowing going down from Hohe Acht. Then under braking to the small karussell I meet another guy waving his arms around, I brake hard, and find this formerly fine looking black M coupé spread all over the track, another guy look up from the car and I give him a questioning thumbs up. The guy nods at me, and I take the car back slowly. The track is closed when I get back to the pits.
We spend the waiting time in Brünchen, hoping to spot some fast cars when the track reopens. Before that happens, it starts dripping again. We head for the pits, and get there just as the track opens. However the rain has followed us there. We head out in my mates car, and find the track drenched pretty much all way round. Not trusting the track to have much grip in this state, it is a slow lap.
We take out the Porsche for some laps before the tracks closes, and find a dry line forming where there has been little sun, the track dry where the sun has been out and fully wet in the shadow. We have a little slide exiting Breidscheid, but the track is nigh on empty, and wet driving on the tyres is not too bad. We take another lap and encounter even less traffic, until adenauer forst, we have met no cars, but we are travelling faster, as there has been no new showers, and I know where the track is wet. Up Kesselchen we have a small moment in the big sweeping lefthander after Bergwerk, but I correct the slide before the PSM steps in. It really is like soap when wet.
Dinner, weisbier, hot cokolate, bed
Sunday April 13
I wake up, look at the clock and get out of bed. 7.42 and I’m in the shower. First day all week that I’m first for breakfast and I don’t forget to rub it in my mates face when he arrives. Then its straight for the track for 3 laps in succession. 1 warm, up, where a Fiesta z-tech has an off in Adenauer Forst in front of me, a flying lap where a Celica GT Four catches up to me, but lacks the grunt and will to push enough for me to move over voluntarily. He passes me while slowing down for the pits, and gives me a thumbs up, which is flattering. Then a cool down lap for the brakes.
I then have a chance to go out with my mate. I get in the car and another friend calls, asks if I want a lap with him in the 996 turbo. Hmm, 528 E39 or 996 turbo, tough choice really, if you’re a moron that is. 45 seconds later I find myself strapped in at the front seat of a 996 turbo, ready for a flyer.
The Boxster has moved my boundaries for driving fast at the Ring over the weekend. The turbo is ballistic, utterly impressingly quick. On pilot sport cup tires, you feel the suspension work as the tires just finds traction in every bend and every twist of the track and motion of the car.
Back in the 528 I find myself yawning involuntarily, much to the disgruntlement of my friend. But hey, the difference is immense. While he takes more laps, I stroll the pits taking pictures.
I then head out for more laps, as my mate strives to empty his card for laps. Sadly, despite the fact that he waits at the Breidscheid exit, he does not manage to get any pictures before I park my car there. It will come to show that pictures will not be a problem later on the day.
We go for a currywurst mit pommes for lunch. I take the Boxster out alone for a couple of laps. One of these I follow a Gallardo around the track from Flugplatz. Driving with the windows slightly down waiting for him to give it some stick. Very disappointed I find that he just trundles along, and I could easely drive past him.
After getting more pictures in the pits, my mate picks me up, for a gas stop, and we then go to watch some of the action for the first time this trip for me. Werseifen shows a lot of action. Some understeering for bad lines or too much speed, some oversteer under braking, and some deliberately smoking by a 5 series E34. We also witness an orange rent4drive E36 nearly being planted in the armco, while being very unstable during braking. Not sure If the car was set up loose, or if the driver overshot the breaking point. However, the same car nearly went off in front of me between Brünchen exit and pflanzgarten.
I get in the Porsche, and get a slow and deserted lap to warm up the car. Getting back to the pits I head straight thru the gates, and get put behind the GT3 M410. I try to stay with him, but loose out through Hatzenback where he carries loads of extra speed on his Pzero tires, over my wintertyres.
A blue E30 has picked up my tail, and I decide not to let him through voluntarily. On the faster bits I take out a small lead over him, but in the tighter stuff, he gets right on my tail, but not with enough grunt to move past me. This however overheats my tyres, and on the cool down lap the steering wheel rattles as the thread on the front tires has risen.
Luck then strikes for the second time of the day, as I bag a passenger ride in the GT3 M410 just before the Ring closes for the day. Having the turbo lap for comparison in the back of my mind, I find the GT3 lap a lot more fluent, nigh on perfect lines all way round makes for effortless speed carried in all places. The car feel solidly planted, compared to the turbo, where the suspension seemed to be working more. Probably the experience of the driver has a great influence on this however.
Having tried both cars I struggle to conclude on which would be preferable as an allround daily driver/track tool. Maybe one day I will have the chance to make that decision after trying both cars in person, and not just as passenger.
At Pistenklause a guy sells pictures from the weekend. He has 23 shots of my car, and I end up buying 9 of them in high res. Just managing to have the specified amount in cash. Incidently he also cleans out my mate for Euro.
Steak, weisbier, bed
Monday April 14
Wake up early and head straight for the shower. Then start packing. Manage to cram everything back in the same bags I had with me at arrival. Grab my camera, shades and the room key and head for breakfast. At the door I get the first shock of the day. Fog. Dense fog! Take in breakfast and return to my room to write up a bit on the tour report. My mate texts me from breakfast and I go and meet him. We pack up both cars and cruise to the Zufahrt in his 528.
Parking lot is reasonably full of optimists hoping for the fog to clear. We walk around snapping some pictures.
Eventually we end up agreeing on the fog not lifting its grip, and we head for the GP circuit to see if the Touristenfahrt has attracted some optimists. At the entrance we catch the back end of an impressive convoy, and head in behind a 997 9ff convertible, following the yellow 430 Scud, behind two white 997’s (one of which shows to be another 9ff car) and a Ford GT in Gulf colors.
Lots more impressive cars has showed up, including two yellow Z06 Corvettes, Lotus TwoEleven, and heaps of Porsches in different guises. For people of the Jap persuasion we find EVO’s of all years, Scooby’s and even a 22B on gold rims.
Manage to get this Z06 wallpaper before we give in.
It’s 11 o’clock and the fog is relentless. We decide to head for Copenhagen, and go get the Boxster.
Traffic is not bad going North. No queue on our side of the Autobahn. We manage good miles on 100+ mph and north of Hamburg we get clear roads for some top speed tests. We decide not to stress and manage some bordershopping before we catch the ferry to Denmark.
21.36 I park the car and start unloading to the apartment.
Epic Easter … cant wait to sort pictures, and by 23.00 some are on facebook.
Please find all the pictures through this link:
http://a04-b04.mypicturetown.com/P2PwebCmdControll...
CK
Tuesday April 7th
Pick up the Boxster at the dealer after adjustments to the newly fitted exhaust. Pick up a pair of radios from a mate, to use instead of mobile phones. Work late, and then packing for the trip after a short run.
Wednesday April 8th
WORK … being busy season at work, I have to put in some hours before leaving for the main attraction. Being the last working day before Easter, the mood is much like a Friday, meaning my concentration is not really in top form.
I grab a quick lunch .. chatting with the boss before setting sights for the Boxster. Suffice to say, the sight of the purpose bought toy in the parking lot, knowing I’m about to set out to do exactly what I wanted the car for, is enough to lift my mood substantially. Text my mate about the meeting place, and set off. Shades on, music loud, exhaust even louder.
The trip through DK is uneventful, traffic is light, and we just manage to catch the ferry.
Safely into Germany we make our first stop early, on the first Shell station we meet. V-power 100 Octane is what we crave. South of Hamburg, traffic and road works pile up …. We watch the arrival time on the GPS rise while being held up at Bremen, Münster and Cologne, and then the rain starts! The prospect of a late dinner, combined with a nearly overwhelming need to empty my bladder should be enough to keep me awake. Doing 100 mph in pouring rain provides the last mental boost to stay sharp behind the wheel. However, not even this is enough to be the fastest on the road, crazy white van man in an Iveco!
Following the A1 from the ferry to the Ring is easy travelling, and ignoring the earlier commands by the lady in the sat nav, we turn towards eiskürchen and the final stretch of autobahn, before the Ring. Traffic and the rain has let up, and some epic driving, touching on 120+ mph over longer periods is possible. Finally the autobahn ends and we hit the last leg of B-roads before Nürburg.
There was a slight mess up at the hotel with the room, however, they have two keys on the table, and two names on their list we can recognize. We end up with each a double room. Rumpsteak, weisbier, bed
Impressive mileage from the engine, when you look at the distance and average speed.
Thursday April 9
Wake up earlier than I would like, turn away from the window and fall asleep again. The phone beeps. Think about it, and get up. “Been up since 5.30 .. are you awake?” …. “Well now I am thanks to you”. After breakfast, we go to the ruin just up the road. Weather is foggy, damp, and everything is wet.
We agree to go touristing in the area. The Boxster also needs nectar! Being in the Ring mood seems not to pose a problem for me, my mate however, is a bit more reluctant to catch the bug this time, the sight of a blue E36 M3, stripped, cage, R tyres and bucket seats helps a god deal.
Arrive at Cochem and find the castle at the top, the Mosel at the bottom and the picturesque cozy German village in the middle, suggesting everything is probably as it should be.
We ditch the car near the Mosel, and start a trek to the castle through some very nice narrow and steep streets. Ignore the touristy chap in the picture
The castle is definitely worth the trip, and the guided tour is quiet and nice. The view is fabulous and during the tour the weather clears, the sun peeks through and the temperature starts to climb.
After getting back to Nürburg we go for Pistenklause, to see if we can book a table for later on the weekend. Find the place closed, but chat up a friendly guy with a Manthey tweaked GT3 at the parking lot. More on that car later!
We then drive to Brünchen to look at some of the testing going on. There is a lot of Skoda’s going round, a couple of Bentleys and two new GT-R’s one sounding really angry. And then there is a matt black Audi A5 going very brisk, and sounding nice. We guess it’s testing the V6 supercharged engine, as it doesn’t sound like a V8.
We then proceed to pick up my car and head for the entrance grounds for a good spot to park. The queue for the ticket office is long and looks not to be moving, but I tip in, as I need a jahreskarte. At least the sun is still out. Meanwhile my friend does two laps in his car as he bought a 15 trip card at the gas station while refueling earlier.
Lots of friendly chatter going on as the chap with the tweaked GT3 queue up behind me.
I get the Jahreskarte with little less than one hour of open time left. Just as my mate pulls up from his second lap, I stand with my door open, waving the transponder. LETS GO! Start out easy, as the car is cold. After 10 km. I pick up the pace out of Breidscheid after being cought up by two Scirocco RentRacers. Not knowing the car properly, and not coming on a fast lap, they evade me, and the rest is easy going. Trying to figure out the grip in my winter tires, as well as getting into the Ring again. Initial thoughts on my first trip round the Ring in a Porsche is .. Fuuck me this is great. The car is fast and I am not left wanting at any point round the track, rather it is my ability behind the wheel, general lack of cojones and the tires setting the limits of performance.
Second lap is taken straight after the first, and is a quick one from the go. Exhaust sounding great, and getting more into the grip level of the tires and the flow of the track. Even getting the over hand on a S2K up Kesselchen towards Angstkurve. As we get to the corner leading into the Karrusell we meet yellow flags, and a busted EVO VI sadly. The driver is unhurt which at least is good news, although accidents are never good!
We do one lap in my mates car, and then do another in the Boxster. We ticket out behind this E30 Touring sounding thoroughly metallic on the exhaust, I dip the pedal on the Boxster and start the chase … quickly realizing I’m not gaining any ground, and settling for the fact that I can only try my best and follow. Not really doing a good job at that either, I lose track of the Touring through Bergwerk. I later learn that the cabin is stripped, M20 engine and R tires. He also has a NOS bottle in the boot, but claims not have used it on the Ring.
I keep going and down from Hohe act I carry more speed again, gaining confidence in the car and the tires. Through Brünchen not much to report, but then into Pflanzgarten I suddenly have an E30 all over my tailgate, and another closely behind! I can eventually let them through, and they disappear before the small Karussell. In the pits, I learn that they are Norwegian, stripped, caged and on R tires. One was driven with the girlfriend in the passenger seat. Utterly gutted over the fact that I have just been shown the way by not less than three BMW E30, not one being an M3 I am relieved to find the Ring Closed. Not sure my ego could take more of a beating like that. But it probably will tomorrow.
Before that however, we summize that the Boxster has now earned the right to be adorned with a traditional "Ring" sticker.
Pistenklause , pizza, weisbier, bed!
Friday April 10.
Wake up, still dark, turn round and go back to sleep. Wake up again, still dark! Start cursing and go back to sleep. Third time I wake up, I don’t even care anymore, just grab the pillow and go back to sleep. Then my phone beeps “the weather is sick ;o) I’m ready!” I look out and the sun is on a blue sky. I write back “I’ll take a shower and meet you for breakfast. While taking in breakfast an EVO races by, exhaust hissing angrily, dump valve sounding as he shifts to third. After that I grab the car and drive for the Ring which has opened by now. The second time I had my transponder out, I have covered 21,6 km. 20,8 of which is the Ring. “ringnutter who me?”
We get in some laps in my mates car, before the track closes for cleaning. We then cruise a bit in the Boxster, and get in 2 more laps after the track reopens. Lots of traffic and a close moment with a 964 Carrera just before Pflanzgarten. More accidents causes the track to shut down again, and before lunch, we end up ditching the hardtop in my room, and go topless in the fabulous weather, the exhaust sounds even better when it can be freely enjoyed.
After lunch we get in a few more laps, in the good weather. Spectators are generously spread all over the track. Brünchen is full of people, and even on remote locations such as halfway down into Fuchsröhe, a camera is ready to snap a picture.
In the afternoon we manage more laps, with heavy traffic, until a couple of crashes closes the track for 1½ hour. We sit in the queue for that time, happy we found sunscreen at the gas station.
Right at the end of the day, we manage some track time in both cars where we can follow each other. The track is light in traffic , and the sun is setting. These are the laps that we can wait all day for.
Shower, steak, Weisbier, ice cream, bed.
Saturday April 11.
Headache when I wake up. Probably that third weisbier was a bad idea. Go to breakfast and then for the Ring. First lap out is quiet and just to warm up the car. Second lap of the morning, and raindrops clatter my frontscreen crossing under the bridge. Down through Hatzenback, and I get busy controlling the slippery track while letting an anxious ring-taxi by. They really should have more patience you would think. After Flugplatz the track is dry, but I still drive with caution, not knowing if the track is suddenly wet. After a short stop in the pits, I put in 4 laps with my mate as passenger. Track still wet in some places as I slowly build up speed as I gain confidence in the car and tires, and where to place it when braking on a fast lap.
I bring the car out for a fast lap alone, and find the traffic manageable, as not to many people have brought out there motors before 10. On the cool down lap (gotta love that jahreskarte)my stomach starts quirking, and my headache gets a bit worse. When I park my mate calls from filling up his car, and I ask him to bring a big bottle of water. After half the bottle is gone, spending a good half hour on a bench, in the pits not getting better, I give up, and head for the hotel bed. I sleep for 3 hours before getting up again.
The weather is still amazing and feeling better, I put in a warm up lap, and a flying one after. Traffic is not anything like Friday, and parking in the pits is possible. I get a passenger lap with my mate, and my head copes finely. After a closed period, I bring the car out for a warm up lap and get slowly passed by a red E36 M3 towards Schwedenkreuz. He doesn’t get out of my sights, and up to Angstkurve I catch up to him again, not passing though as he seems to be slightly quicker than me in the corners. After following closely all the way back, I slip by after the gantry, and get out ahead of him for a new lap.
From the other gate this 335i lets me by just out of the cones,
and then slips in closely behind me, he is faster in the straights, but does not pass, even though I indicate right he just blinks and pulls in behind me towards Schwedenkreuz. I draw out some distance down towards Breidscheid, without him ever leaving my mirrors for good, up the hill his excess in power shows again, and I only pull out some distance from not braking for the Lauda kink. A biker is out in Bergwerk waving his arms, and I brake hard with the 335i behind me. A bike is in the armco and a pug 306 is in the middle of the track with the front facing the wrong way, smoking. A couple of cars are parked and I drive on. The 335i stops in behind me.
I pick up the pace up to angstkurve, and the pace starts flowing going down from Hohe Acht. Then under braking to the small karussell I meet another guy waving his arms around, I brake hard, and find this formerly fine looking black M coupé spread all over the track, another guy look up from the car and I give him a questioning thumbs up. The guy nods at me, and I take the car back slowly. The track is closed when I get back to the pits.
We spend the waiting time in Brünchen, hoping to spot some fast cars when the track reopens. Before that happens, it starts dripping again. We head for the pits, and get there just as the track opens. However the rain has followed us there. We head out in my mates car, and find the track drenched pretty much all way round. Not trusting the track to have much grip in this state, it is a slow lap.
We take out the Porsche for some laps before the tracks closes, and find a dry line forming where there has been little sun, the track dry where the sun has been out and fully wet in the shadow. We have a little slide exiting Breidscheid, but the track is nigh on empty, and wet driving on the tyres is not too bad. We take another lap and encounter even less traffic, until adenauer forst, we have met no cars, but we are travelling faster, as there has been no new showers, and I know where the track is wet. Up Kesselchen we have a small moment in the big sweeping lefthander after Bergwerk, but I correct the slide before the PSM steps in. It really is like soap when wet.
Dinner, weisbier, hot cokolate, bed
Sunday April 13
I wake up, look at the clock and get out of bed. 7.42 and I’m in the shower. First day all week that I’m first for breakfast and I don’t forget to rub it in my mates face when he arrives. Then its straight for the track for 3 laps in succession. 1 warm, up, where a Fiesta z-tech has an off in Adenauer Forst in front of me, a flying lap where a Celica GT Four catches up to me, but lacks the grunt and will to push enough for me to move over voluntarily. He passes me while slowing down for the pits, and gives me a thumbs up, which is flattering. Then a cool down lap for the brakes.
I then have a chance to go out with my mate. I get in the car and another friend calls, asks if I want a lap with him in the 996 turbo. Hmm, 528 E39 or 996 turbo, tough choice really, if you’re a moron that is. 45 seconds later I find myself strapped in at the front seat of a 996 turbo, ready for a flyer.
The Boxster has moved my boundaries for driving fast at the Ring over the weekend. The turbo is ballistic, utterly impressingly quick. On pilot sport cup tires, you feel the suspension work as the tires just finds traction in every bend and every twist of the track and motion of the car.
Back in the 528 I find myself yawning involuntarily, much to the disgruntlement of my friend. But hey, the difference is immense. While he takes more laps, I stroll the pits taking pictures.
I then head out for more laps, as my mate strives to empty his card for laps. Sadly, despite the fact that he waits at the Breidscheid exit, he does not manage to get any pictures before I park my car there. It will come to show that pictures will not be a problem later on the day.
We go for a currywurst mit pommes for lunch. I take the Boxster out alone for a couple of laps. One of these I follow a Gallardo around the track from Flugplatz. Driving with the windows slightly down waiting for him to give it some stick. Very disappointed I find that he just trundles along, and I could easely drive past him.
After getting more pictures in the pits, my mate picks me up, for a gas stop, and we then go to watch some of the action for the first time this trip for me. Werseifen shows a lot of action. Some understeering for bad lines or too much speed, some oversteer under braking, and some deliberately smoking by a 5 series E34. We also witness an orange rent4drive E36 nearly being planted in the armco, while being very unstable during braking. Not sure If the car was set up loose, or if the driver overshot the breaking point. However, the same car nearly went off in front of me between Brünchen exit and pflanzgarten.
I get in the Porsche, and get a slow and deserted lap to warm up the car. Getting back to the pits I head straight thru the gates, and get put behind the GT3 M410. I try to stay with him, but loose out through Hatzenback where he carries loads of extra speed on his Pzero tires, over my wintertyres.
A blue E30 has picked up my tail, and I decide not to let him through voluntarily. On the faster bits I take out a small lead over him, but in the tighter stuff, he gets right on my tail, but not with enough grunt to move past me. This however overheats my tyres, and on the cool down lap the steering wheel rattles as the thread on the front tires has risen.
Luck then strikes for the second time of the day, as I bag a passenger ride in the GT3 M410 just before the Ring closes for the day. Having the turbo lap for comparison in the back of my mind, I find the GT3 lap a lot more fluent, nigh on perfect lines all way round makes for effortless speed carried in all places. The car feel solidly planted, compared to the turbo, where the suspension seemed to be working more. Probably the experience of the driver has a great influence on this however.
Having tried both cars I struggle to conclude on which would be preferable as an allround daily driver/track tool. Maybe one day I will have the chance to make that decision after trying both cars in person, and not just as passenger.
At Pistenklause a guy sells pictures from the weekend. He has 23 shots of my car, and I end up buying 9 of them in high res. Just managing to have the specified amount in cash. Incidently he also cleans out my mate for Euro.
Steak, weisbier, bed
Monday April 14
Wake up early and head straight for the shower. Then start packing. Manage to cram everything back in the same bags I had with me at arrival. Grab my camera, shades and the room key and head for breakfast. At the door I get the first shock of the day. Fog. Dense fog! Take in breakfast and return to my room to write up a bit on the tour report. My mate texts me from breakfast and I go and meet him. We pack up both cars and cruise to the Zufahrt in his 528.
Parking lot is reasonably full of optimists hoping for the fog to clear. We walk around snapping some pictures.
Eventually we end up agreeing on the fog not lifting its grip, and we head for the GP circuit to see if the Touristenfahrt has attracted some optimists. At the entrance we catch the back end of an impressive convoy, and head in behind a 997 9ff convertible, following the yellow 430 Scud, behind two white 997’s (one of which shows to be another 9ff car) and a Ford GT in Gulf colors.
Lots more impressive cars has showed up, including two yellow Z06 Corvettes, Lotus TwoEleven, and heaps of Porsches in different guises. For people of the Jap persuasion we find EVO’s of all years, Scooby’s and even a 22B on gold rims.
Manage to get this Z06 wallpaper before we give in.
It’s 11 o’clock and the fog is relentless. We decide to head for Copenhagen, and go get the Boxster.
Traffic is not bad going North. No queue on our side of the Autobahn. We manage good miles on 100+ mph and north of Hamburg we get clear roads for some top speed tests. We decide not to stress and manage some bordershopping before we catch the ferry to Denmark.
21.36 I park the car and start unloading to the apartment.
Epic Easter … cant wait to sort pictures, and by 23.00 some are on facebook.
Please find all the pictures through this link:
http://a04-b04.mypicturetown.com/P2PwebCmdControll...
CK
Edited by CK_N4S on Wednesday 29th April 22:20
Not Ideal said:
Fantastic trip report - really enjoyed that!
Was it a bit struggle on winter tyres..??
Well it's not fantastic I can tell you. They feel very soft in the thread, so when you push, the car does not feel as stable as you would want on track. the transition from tyre movement to actual understeer/oversteer is impossible to feel, which can make you enter corners to quick when pushing. Was it a bit struggle on winter tyres..??
Having said that, it was my first trip in the Boxster on track, and much of the time was spent learning the car as well as the tyres.
Have now got my Dymag wheels with Pilot Sport on, and been to Knutstorp in Sweden on these. The difference was very big, so I am looking forward to returning to the Ring later this summer and have a go.
CK
Superb report; this is the kind of post that should grace a future "Best of PH Forums" section.
It could be worth posting a link to this thread in the Trackdays section as I'm sure there'll be many interested readers from that forum (plus this thread inevitably wil get buried under the weight of GG traffic).
It could be worth posting a link to this thread in the Trackdays section as I'm sure there'll be many interested readers from that forum (plus this thread inevitably wil get buried under the weight of GG traffic).
HereBeMonsters said:
Great write-up. What did you have before the Boxster, and how did it compare around the 'ring?
I drive an Octavia Estate 2.0 TDI which was at the Ring last summer. It sits on a KW V3 coilover, which is in the softest settings right now, and on 18" BBS wheels. So to say the difference to the Boxster is huge would probably not be to far off. The Octavia I found, would gladly go at full throttle through long stints at the Ring, and would provide an ease of driveability there. Bit boring however, and lots of understeer even in the dry.
CK
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