I have booked to go the ring and was thinking about taking the back seats out of my 265cup to try make it as light as I can . It will need to be light as I am going the ring with two mates that have a bmw135m and a Audi RS3 . has anyone done this to there's or have any good tips part from the ov's thanks
Serious answer. Don't bother. You really are not going to save that much weight and going out to the Ring in the mindset of trying to be quick is going to leave you with a large hole in your pocket and a bill for the armco. If you really want to save weight, remove all the interior, Bin the Recaros and fit some proper lightweight buckets. Oh and get some decent light wheels and 2 piece discs. I could go on and on but you get the idea. Rear seats only weigh 30kgs or so. You are not going to notice that. If anything just put less fuel in and don't take a passenger out....
I don't think you will need any weight dropping vs these two if you drive the meg smoothly. Yes the straights they will pull but just remember they should do...they have far more power!
Thanks lads oh forgot say I am running 320bhp and 365ft so they have not got anything on me power wise really
Bingo, Plus going out in a UK car without proper cover for TF and thinking of trying to do fast laps is mental.
I second everything Jamie has said. I've a feeling you're gonna go anyway but if there's one bit of advice you do take, it's don't go out at the same time as your mates. It will only end up in tears.
At the ring yes but had loads of track time just not in the Megane had a mk Indy with a cbr1000 engine in and full roll cage so no what that was like but not the ring and none in the Megane
Oh and ignorance is a dangerous thing but don't we by fast cars to drive them fast at the right time and no the ring can be a very dangerous place
I've been going to the ring for the last 8 years only on tourist days, my advice would be the following for a first timer, treat the Ring and all of its users with respect! dont try and set any records dont think for a minute you know the track and what's coming next, try and find someone more experienced around the track to take you out for a passenger lap or two, pick the time you go out on track when traffic has eased off, you'll know when it's right for you, dont think you need a stripped out fire breathing race car to drive the Ring fast enjoy talking to other car enthusiast in and around the track, dont race, anyone! Even if they are driving a renault espace/susuki swift and they've just overtaken you, (and they will over take you) there are consequences for those that get in trouble or crash and this WILL be expensive!! you will NOT be insured. dont think the track will be the same every time you drive on it, make sure your cars heathy before going all that way to the Ring, do NOT jinx the car by putting a RING sticker on it, before its completed a FULL lap!!! you will also have a a great time driving there and back if your in a group, we have more stories to tell from our journeys to the ring than what happens at the track. sorry for the rant but I don't think it's fair to put people off going to the RING or leading them on to think they can set record lap times. I'm Trying to stay impartial but I love the place. i have had a great time there and some very sad times! It puts things in perspective about the dangers/risks when you come around a corner and find a bike/car in pieces with the rider/ driver in a bad way! Drive within your limits and stay aware of what's going on around you and you'll be fine. I say Go and enjoy!!
i just drove it like it was a country road. Started at 10:30min laps got it under 8:45 in 10 laps. Had an oil issue too that caused some serious back pressure and top the dip stick a couple of times :mad: Download race union before go and you lap times get uploaded to the internet. https://app.raceunion.com/drivers/e94fea90-b51e-0131-e83f-06985a3259fa
I will second that advice. You will get overtaken by some right shit, but you just have to let them go, dont get sucked in. And keep your wits about you.Oh, & try to breathe during your lap. Also try to blag a lap off someone with a GT3 rs, preferably a local.
I got overtaken by a Suzuki swift ( a rented one from the ring with semi slicks and a cage etc) and also by a VW Touran driven by hans stuck and it was like we was standing still! We was in my old 182 trophy. Then I got sucked into gaining on a clio 197 in the wet and every bend I was slipping all over if it was t for my mate I would 100% of crashed! It was him who kept saying slow down and ended up screaming to stop which snapped me out of it and I slowed down for a good few bends to let it go. As people say it's not trying to scare anyone it's just from experience and the fact no body wants anyone to crash the £££££/€€€€ ain't worth it!!!
A genuine story, from my own experience, on having an off at the ring..... This, BTW, is not intended to put you off going. It is an awesome place and the Megane is very well capable and suited to the track. Anyway...... Circa 2009 I was at the ring one weekend with my family. Germany based soldier so I had german insurance on my car = fully comp insurance for the Ring whenever I lapped it. I was in the car park and heard the siren go and the gates close due to a track closure. Rumours were going around that there had a big crash at Pflanzgarten 3 so I wondered down to have a nosey. On arrival there were 2x fire engines, police and and an air ambulance on the track. On the grass agaisnt the armco were 4 cars, all pointed in different directions - a track prepped Nissan something or other, a race prepped impreza, a 911 and a BMW 3 series. Up the track on the left was a UK plate E39 M5. By now the Nissan had had its roof cut off (c/w cage) and the driver and passenger were being air lifted to hospital. The other cars were pretty damaged too. The driver of the M5 had been arrested and was been taken to the cells in Adenau. So, what happened? The M5 had a mechanical failure and the oil filler cap had popped off somehow. As a result, there was a trail of oil on the track through PF3. The M5 driver realised this, pulled over and started waving a yellow flag. Those that know the track also know that PF3 is a bit blind and, very very fast! Unfortuntately, the four cars didnt see the yellow in time and went off on his oil, each in turn and into one another. I'm reliably informed that the M5 driver was later bailed (a motoring solicitor friend of mine was there that weekend and got him out) and that the final outcome was circa £250k in damages. I'm also reliably informed that he had adequate insurance cover for the ring (some UK companies did it back then) so he was very lucky. It put it all into perspective for me and as a result I've not driven TF since I left germany in 2010, as I don't have the insurance anymore. A lot of my 'Ring Veteran' friends sit in the same boat. Like I said, don't let this put you off but please be careful and consider the 3rd party consequences. Take it easy, enjoy it and drive it home afterwards.
The Ring is something that is on my bucket list too however the consequences of making a mistake are a major deterrent (pulled from http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/prices.php) - Cost of crashing on the Nurburgring These include Armco repairs, safety car attendance, vehicle recovery, track closure, hospital stays and helicopter fees. I recommend avoiding these. If you can't, then the following price-list may help: Base fee for attendance of armco truck: €150 Removing damaged armco: €10/metre (x2 or x3 or x4 for multiple-height sections) Replacement armco: €31/metre (x2 or x3 for double/triple height) Removing damaged armco posts: €5.10 each Replacing armco post: €39 each Safety car attendance: €82 per 30 mins (car + 2 people) Circuit closure: €1,350 per hour Recovery truck: €250 (inc VAT) Hospital stay & air ambulance: Let's just say, do NOT go there without travel insurance! (Though a European Health Card - which replaced the E111 - may cover the hospital bit.) Everything except the recovery truck is then subject to 19% VAT. The record armco bill I'm aware of is €15,000. That was a car that managed to flatten a very impressive length of armco between the Quiddlebacher Hohe bridge and the crest on the approach to Flugplatz. But even a minor bump can turn into a surprisingly expensive day out. Because of the above the trip I'll next be doing is a road trip of all the best driving roads in Europe (Route 500, Silberstrasse, Stelio, Napoleon etc).
even crashing on the road can cost you money. Mate crashed near the ring and got fined 2k and was arrested he is now banned from driving in germany
The record armco bill I'm aware of is €15,000. That was a car that managed to flatten a very impressive length of armco between the Quiddlebacher Hohe bridge and the crest on the approach to Flugplatz. [/QUOTE] I was second car on scene for that crash. E46 M3 flipped and landed upside down and backwards on top of the Armco, which acted like a saw. Passenger got out, driver he to be extracted. Heaviest rain I have ever driven in on the ring. Driver was airlifted, compressed skull fractures, took him a while to recover. His American Express trace insurance sorted everything out. He pics are a bit scary.
In all my years of going and the countless laps i have driven and passengers there i think i can honestly say that the Brits are one of the worst when it comes to acting like idiots. Ignorance or naivety or whatever it may be I'm not sure but they seem to think that cause the are not in the UK they can drive like cunts. its scary how little UK drivers that go out actually know about the place and what can happen. I personally know of two of my friends that have had off's and had to pay rather large bills. One won't do TF ever again, That is more down to how his car is modified now and it won't be let out on TF, The other still does the odd lap but knows fully the risks he takes and saves the fast lapping for proper trackdays. Again, As Chris said this isn't me trying to put people off, More advise and open peoples eyes to what can and potentially will happen if you out out there with no first hand track knowledge and try to do fast laps or timed laps. xx777, For Armco alone the highest bill may be around 15k Euros but they have been much, much more expensive off's. Talking hundreds of thousands of Euros worth of damages and other associated costs
Oh, absolutely. I've been going for 13 years now. I've pretty much seen everything there. Quite right about the drivers - UK plates are by far the worst.
Like I said if it's on the bucket list it's getting done if you live your life thinking ye but what if then Ya won't end up doing fuck all me for me am going to enjoy have a good time . I no there has been a lot of crashes at the ring but at the same time how meny people go and don't crash . Thanks for the tips and advice
Oh yeah don't get me wrong it is an amazing place and every petrolhead should visit at least once, I just like to educate people so they know the risks and what can happen. Not in anyway trying to put anyone off but as I said, UK drivers seem to be pretty ignorant and naive to the risks associated. I have no qualms in doing TF but will only do so when it is quiet
