what do we need to do?!?!

[drumzz]

hi,

well after becoming some sort of expert on the nurburgring on gran turismo 4, me and a friend are planning a road trip from london up to the 'ring for a couple of days before coming back.

firstly, is there any quicker way of getting there other than driving from calais? and how much do tickets cost to get onto the ring?

(after searching here, i know quite a few of u are experts with planning trips as such! so any help would be appreciated )

secondly, we both have post facelift cooper s's, never have been tracked before, so what sort of precautions do we take? brakes/tyres etc? driving style?

thanks!

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by drumzz (original)

well after becoming some sort of expert on the nurburgring on gran turismo 4...

Uh oh - there's an ominous start to a post...

As well as posting a few horror/warning photographs, a few guys have been offering advice on losing your ring virginity in this thread here:

MINI at Nurburgring

I think the general consensus was that taking it slow and steady at first was the best plan - otherwise you're likely to hurt yourself. And someone also suggested getting an instructor at the start of the day, which seems a pretty good idea.

All the best,
Andrew.

[118]

I've been quite a few times now and whilst you may feel you have become an expert on GT4, one thing you don't experience with the game is the way the track dips up and down, curves and also the g's that you can experience - the Ring is a dangerous place, so I would be extremely careful and take your time, especially if you have never been before!

as Andrew says above, the link he's posted will show you what can happen if you get it a little bit wrong I have been when it was damp and the track gets extremely greasy, which caused my car to spin - luckily it was quiet and there was nothing around, and the car didn't get onto the grass just take your time and enjoy the experience

when we go, we usually go Speed Ferries from Dover to Boulogne and it's about a 4 ish hour drive from there - they tend to be cheaper than the tunnel and it's only about 10 mins longer too! tickets cost around 21 euros for a single lap, but you can buy tickets for 4 laps, 8 laps, etc which work out cheaper - have a look at this site for all the info Ben Lovejoy's Nurburgring Nordschleife website

[supa-dupa-cooper]

How the hell can you compare a game to the real thing

Either way, its a dangerous place, dont push the car too hard, if youve never been on a track before you wont have a clue what your doing, no matter how much of a confident driver on the road you are!

The squished Dooper on the other thread puts me off to be honest...

[joshie]

Quote: Originally Posted by 118 (original)

when we go, we usually go Speed Ferries from Dover to Boulogne and it's about a 4 ish hour drive from there - they tend to be cheaper than the tunnel and it's only about 10 mins longer too! tickets cost around 21 euros for a single lap, but you can buy tickets for 4 laps, 8 laps, etc which work out cheaper - have a look at this site for all the info Ben Lovejoy's Nurburgring Nordschleife website

Confusion... Boulogne is further from the track then Calais...

[118]

Quote: Originally Posted by joshie (original)

Confusion... Boulogne is further from the track then Calais...

only about 15ish miles though

[Martin L]

Only one piece of advice from me....
Don't treat the real thing like the game. You'll stack it on corner one!

As mentioned before the gradients and undulations just can't be conveyed in the game.
Just take it at a pace you're comfortable with. You're first lap should be just used as a gettng used to the other cars and containing your excitement/adrenalin...

The first time a dedicated race car passes you at record speed will blow your mind

Chat to other people in the carpark too, they're very friendly and if lucky you should be able to blag a ride with a seasoned veteran, if you're brave enough that is

[JerzyBondov]

Hi Drumzz,

Did you make it to the Nurburgring in the end? I just got back after spending the weekend there - pretty mental experience!