[TheGerman]

Hi Everybody,

Has anybody some lap times for the Nuerburgring Nordschleife driven with a MCS.Would be nice to know how fast different setups or drivers are. I also want to be able to compare when I go there next time.

Please state if you drove a full lap (including new Nuerburgring) just a lap on the Nordschleife or a lap during Public Access.For latter: which points did you use for timing??

Drive Fast AND Safe
The German

[xoura]

Nordschleife: 9 min 10 sec with MCS
Nordschleife: 9 min 55 sec with MC CVT (Mine)

from bridge to bridge.

[Beester]

Mmmm I wouldn't focus so much on laptimes... that tends to get you into trouble

I can say that the mini was made for ringing. Both suspension and brakes are more then up to the task.

All that said...

With a margin for errors, not on the limit, normaly a bridge (tiergarten) to gantry (after galgenkopf) time of 10 min, 9:50 is normal for a cooper, I guess with an S you could substract at least half a min.

[garehaan]

never timed.... used to to that on my bike but i am afraid that this will frustrate me.
My problem is that it takes only half a lap untill my tires get so hot that the cooper just slides along
Have to find out what happens and what's wrong.

BTW, mondays are my ring days.

[KlausR]

I have to introduce my MCS to the Ring yet. But I don´t think I´ll achieve anything under 10 minutes, my times in the 316i were around 12:00, so not really pushing. An article concerning Nürburgring test drives with the MCS mentioned it should be capable of a time just under 9 minutes. Nevertheless, I´m anxious to find out how the overall performance (esp. brakes and balance) of the MCS is on the best 21 km in the world.

Klaus

[Beester]

Brakes and balance... I haven't done that many laps yet at the ring in my cooper (16 laps). But I can tell you that the mini is made for the ring.

I've driven and paxed alot of laps and it realy shines there. Suspension and stiffness of the body both help alot, the car realy communicates, no real vices, which helps alot. Stock run-flat tires are not the best in the grip department but with those stiff sidewalls they are better then non runflats. No troubles with brakes, which are more then sufficient for the car.

The only problem (not realy a problem mind you) is lack of torque and power, specialy when going uphill (the exmuhle-kesselchen-steilstrecke rechts part of the track).

[ringmini]

I'll be at the ring for a week from the 28th so I'll see what kind of times I get then. I should think 9:30 bridge to Gantry should be about right for it's first trip, maybe 9 later in the year when I've got used to the car:-)

If anyone else is around then, feel free to ask for a passenger lap.

[Keevan]

don't time on tourist days .. for your own safety

time only on track days or GLP etc ..

with all the busses and cycles around there on the summer weekends.. it's just too dangerous.

if you want to drive in a MINI GLP challenge feel free to contact me

kevin@MINIcooperS.org

we have 2 spare places for 2 races in october. (12 laps.. not faster than 10 minutes overall ( which is really hard to beat in a stock-MCS)

I did talk about times earlier.. but i know that timing CAN be dangerous for some people as they try to push it so I don't talk about times anymore..

as for BTG times... add 50% more time than you think to get the time for a whole lap... it's wayyyyy longer than you might think .

( tried it on track days and during the challenge)

[oleum]

Hoping to be there with a friend in my MCS and his MX5 over the weekend of 14/15 August, I'll let you know what a first-timers times are in those 2 when we get back. Also can anyone confirm or otherwise the status of video cameras on the ring. I read somewhere they are now banned, is this true?

Thanks,

Nick

[Keevan]

stopwatches and cameras are strictly forbidden on the ring during touristsdays..

as a first timer.. please try to learn the track and not time yourself.. for your own safety

timing can be done, but just do it when you're absolutely sure it doesn't affect you at all .. i know it does affect me as i try to find these last 10 seconds to drive as fast as a really fast cooper-S driver... so i only time myself on trackdays and during the challenge

[oleum]

I'm pretty sure timing won't affect me, not so sure about my mate in the mx5. We'll take it easy don'y worry .... In fact I think we might run as passengers and do it that way.

Shame there's no cameras as I just bought a camcorder to film laps.... Do they check cars on the way in?

[smiffy]

Around 12:30 for a mild lap in my old MINI ONE. Havent timed the S, and I dont want too, you more likely to make a mistake when being timed. Its best to just sit back & enjoy the drive & scenery! I'll be over there in 2 weeks time but im flying over & i'll have a hire car waiting for me this time!

[Keevan]

@ oleaum.. yes they DO check on installed cameras when you're going on the track .. and even check on the track

( in the slow areas there are marshals checking if there are handheld cameras or such) or ( marshals on bikes)

[oleum]

Righty, no camera til final lap or 2, I heard its a season ban, well I'm not going back again this year

More importantly I am looking to book a hotel for Saturday night pretty close to the Ring, any recommendations. I'd prefer to book via net as I speak no German, nor does my mate.

[///ACS330Ci]

Will let you know as soon as I get mine

[oleum]

You going this weekend ? mmmm beer

[///ACS330Ci]

Quote: Originally Posted by oleum

You going this weekend ? mmmm beer

If my tires get here in time ... been waiting over a week

[oleum]

Well look out for a dark silver and white MCS with white roof and lights like the sig, there'll be a mini2.com sticker inside the back LHS window (thanks GRS). My mate has a black MX-5 with no distinguishing features. We're both old gits (late 30's early 40's) and I have almost no hair cos I shave whats left off ( : ). Anyway if your tyres arrive I'll look out for you. We hope to run around 5 laps or so Saturday afternoon and same again early Sunday morning.

Have fun

Nick

[jhwh]

hey, I'm going down from norway with 8-9 other cars to drive on the ring in late august, we leave from norway the 27th of august, boat arrives in kiel on the 28th (my birthday!) and we drive thru germany and hope to get a few laps before driveing ends this day.

any of you mini guys gonna be there?

look for a tall guy with red hair in a dark silver mini with 18", rideing on bilstein PSS9 with a little engine magic

gonna be weird, I'm not anywhere near a good driver, and I'm getting my MCS next week guess I'll be takeing it easy with new car and all.

wonder what my times will be.. hmm I'll let a friend drive it around to see how fast it really is.

[Beester]

jhwh...

Don't mind times... just enjoy the track. You don't want to let your brand new cooper S come in close contact with the nasty german armco now do you

I've been to the nordschleife 5 times this year and will probably be there again at the end of august begin of september. I've driven 20+ laps this year alone and in fact it's getting more dangerous.

When you don't know the layout of the track you drive slowly... so with alot of margin... after a while you get to know the track and the margin gets slimmer and slimmer. Until the nordschleife bites back.

I 've taken a bit of a pause in my nurburgvisits... just to adjust mentaly to the changing behavior of myself (inside influences, like driving more on the limit) and the other drivers (outside influences). In the beginning of june I had a near miss myself. Not my fault but still. I came full on over the quidlebacher hohe on a good line to take the flugplatz righthander flat out. When I came over the crest I saw a car that had spinned just 100m in front of me. I reacted and managed to avoid the spinned car. I stopped at a safe place and ran to a place before the quidlebacher hohe to warn oncoming traffic.

I can't imagine what would have happened if I hit that car at over 175 km/h...

Just something to remind yourself. It's not just you and the track... The risks you take for yourself, are yours to make. Keep a margin for error... knowing the track, etc. If you go out at Adenauer forst (a famous shunt area)... you can only blame yourself. On the other hand... the differences in speed and also skill make it dangerous even if you drive with margin and safe. The porsche GT3 that comes on behind you with a speeddifference of more than 100 km/u you didn't see, the ducati-rider who miscalculates a corner and goes full on the brakes in front of you... the bus you didn't see driving at 40 km/u while you came out of swedenkreuz at almost 4 times that speed...

Those things haven't happened to me... but I've heared the stories... mostly told in a macho voice to hide the fear.

And still I want to go Because when you get it right... you drive a clean lap (meaning with margin of error... so not the fastest you can but the safest you can while still going at reasonable speed)... you take the turninpoints right... you are always in the right gear... when you get everything right... the nordschleife is utter bliss!

To end this rather long rant... one advice... drive when it's wet. Yes wet... that seems a contradiction... but when it's wet there are less cars on the track. Everybody drives more slowly so the speeddifferences are lower. There are no bikes on track... which makes it safer (not because of the lack of ability... certainly not but because you can't always see them... )

Below some pics... 2 taken at Pflanzgarten II by a bystander.. one taken at departure by a friend.


cheers!