Here are 10 justifiable reasons why you should visit the Nurburgring
01 Jun 2017|21,556 views
Only in Nurburgring will you find more than 150 vehicles racing overnight, over 150,000 people gathering around the area and an unlimited number of exciting reasons to just hang around and catch the never-ending pulsating entertainment that will eventually become the topic of the night at your usual pub with the boys.
Elsewhere at the Ring, bars and food joints include cult favourite sausages, burgers and beers, a 24-hour fanshop, exclusive merchandises and most certainly, boasting rights. Not forgetting 10 other priceless reasons, which we've compiled in this story, why you should head to the Nurburgring at least once in your lifetime.
1. Spyshots
These are typically prototype cars that aren't ready for production just yet. They're wrapped up in black and white camouflaged stickers so as to prevent the public from knowing what make and model the car is, since almost any new product from every carmaker is secretive.
Being able to be the first few in the world to the see these cars before it goes out to the public does give you a sense of exclusivity, even if you're not the kind of person who's into automobiles.
The reason why cars of these sorts will be here at the 'Ring of Hell' is really because the track is the perfect place for testing the strengths and weaknesses of the car, and to allow carmakers to better recognise the car's potential before it heads to production for you and me to purchase.
Then, there is the festival held by BMW M itself. The slogan 'Go to Hell, and stay the weekend' captures just how thoroughly and boldly BMW M's ascent to success is, putting its competitors out to pastures. Credit also has to go to the recent unveiling of the BMW M8 prototype as well as the BMW M4 GT4.
This year is the seventh year the BMW M Festival has taken place, which also means the carmaker has had enough time for trials and errors to make this year a smashing good one.
Apart from food and drinks, you can expect to look forward to an adrenalin-fuelled time, thanks to the spectacular 24-hour race through the Green Hell. From screeching tyre sounds and thunder-roaring engines to addictive fuel-burning 'aroma therapy' and constant passionate cheers from front-row seated fans, you're guaranteed to get up to speed with the motorsport action.
Saying you won't catch a good view of a spectacular car at the Nurburgring is like saying you can't have a good pint of beer at a well-established pub. It's impossible.
During our three-day period at the 'Green Hell' (the circuit is located amidst dense forest covers in the mountains and has claimed many lives, hence the name), we saw countless Audi RS, BMW M, Lexus F and Mercedes-AMG cars. While most will probably think such a sight will only appeal to car enthusiasts, you'd be wrong.
You and I have seen many casual observers that have stopped in their paths just to take a photo of a pretty car driving past. When it comes to all things good-looking and pretty, they always end up attracting everyone regardless of age, gender and race.
This is like being at a music festival where they sell exclusive Led Zepplin t-shirts. While there are mainstream official merchandise, which may not appeal to you, there are other exclusive items that may.
And I don't mean stuff that you can purchase online.
From limited edition car models to one-of-a-kind wearables, this is the place you'd have to be if you want to feel 'limited'. You won't be disappointed even if you're not a purist, thanks to an emerging yet traditional foodie scene and an array of relevant racing sights.
After all, it's the Nurburgring we're talking about and it'll shine like the golden cupola on top of one of those glorious churches.
Due to the fact that this track is infamous for testing and development, let alone racing, you'll have ample opportunities to witness car launches firsthand.
We managed to catch the unveiling of the BMW M4 GT4 as well as the sneak preview of the BMW M8 prototype during our time at the Hell track. For the very circumstance that both the cars are exclusive in that very sense of the word, they naturally make you feel like the selected few who was made for these kinds of things, even if the truth was otherwise.
Interestingly, we even managed to catch up with some of the more important folks from BMW M like CEO Frank Van Meel as well as Dirk Haecker, the Vice President of Engineering at BMW M.
These kinds of stuff don't require any form of elaboration, since we can all safely assume that food and drinks will always be readily available at huge arenas like the Nurburgring.
What we do need to bring to light here is the fact that unlike other big events at huge arenas, there are ample food stalls at the Nurburgring. This means getting a bite or a drink is as easy as pinching your nuts and because of the convenience of it all, the queue is short and there isn't a need to wait 20 minutes to order.
And if you think it's just going to be sausages you're going to have since it's Germany, you're obviously stereotyping. There are other choices. Just don't expect a bowl of mee pok, hor fun or chicken rice.
Fun comes in different forms for different people, but when it comes to games, there can be nothing better than the classic arcade games like Street Fighter and Fifa or the timeless Super Mario from an old but gold Nintendo console.
Of course having a totally different game like the Playstation one you see here with full-on racing steering wheels and bucket seats takes fun and games to a whole new level.
It's the perfect opportunity for you and your buddies to get into some racing action to get your adrenaline pumped up before or even during the race. After all, what's a race track without any racing games?
Instead of grabbing used Pirelli tyres from racing cars as souvenirs, which we would really love, we decided on another kind of souvenir - a Nurburgring coin.
Like the ones you can find at Disney, the Nurburgring coins will only set you back 1.05 Euros. It may not be a big deal, but it's something you'll be able to keep with you for the rest of your life.
Alternatively, there are other stuff from the merchandise stores such as keychains, car models, racing helmets, bags, clothes, etc.
But trust me on the Nurburgring coin.
It can be the WEC, the ADAC Zurich 24-hour or even a Formula One race broadcast, but there is nothing quite like catching a race live in action. While many will argue that the view is better from the television screen, I must say that the atmosphere isn't.
Apart from passionate cheering all around you, which is certainly a good thing because it keeps the ambience all fired-up, you also get the smell of smoking tyres as well as thunderous exhaust notes from the race cars.
While you may claim that only a purist will enjoy such a scene, I beg to differ. You can sit through three sets of a tennis match or 90 minutes of an English Premier League soccer game without having to like the sport. It's all about the atmosphere when you catch them live, boys.
Last but not least, boasting rights. This isn't just catching any Formula One race where there's a high chance the event comes to your country or somewhere near. In this case, you'll have to make the effort to go to the race in its home country, Germany. That alone should speak volumes.
Plus, the Nurburgring is as illustrious a track as it is compared to, say, the Great Pyramid of Giza or even the Colosseum. You can see it from Google Images, but there's nothing quite like being there yourself and taking it all in.
Only in Nurburgring will you find more than 150 vehicles racing overnight, over 150,000 people gathering around the area and an unlimited number of exciting reasons to just hang around and catch the never-ending pulsating entertainment that will eventually become the topic of the night at your usual pub with the boys.
Elsewhere at the Ring, bars and food joints include cult favourite sausages, burgers and beers, a 24-hour fanshop, exclusive merchandises and most certainly, boasting rights. Not forgetting 10 other priceless reasons, which we've compiled in this story, why you should head to the Nurburgring at least once in your lifetime.
1. Spyshots
These are typically prototype cars that aren't ready for production just yet. They're wrapped up in black and white camouflaged stickers so as to prevent the public from knowing what make and model the car is, since almost any new product from every carmaker is secretive.
Being able to be the first few in the world to the see these cars before it goes out to the public does give you a sense of exclusivity, even if you're not the kind of person who's into automobiles.
The reason why cars of these sorts will be here at the 'Ring of Hell' is really because the track is the perfect place for testing the strengths and weaknesses of the car, and to allow carmakers to better recognise the car's potential before it heads to production for you and me to purchase.
2. The M Festival
Then, there is the festival held by BMW M itself. The slogan 'Go to Hell, and stay the weekend' captures just how thoroughly and boldly BMW M's ascent to success is, putting its competitors out to pastures. Credit also has to go to the recent unveiling of the BMW M8 prototype as well as the BMW M4 GT4.
This year is the seventh year the BMW M Festival has taken place, which also means the carmaker has had enough time for trials and errors to make this year a smashing good one.
Apart from food and drinks, you can expect to look forward to an adrenalin-fuelled time, thanks to the spectacular 24-hour race through the Green Hell. From screeching tyre sounds and thunder-roaring engines to addictive fuel-burning 'aroma therapy' and constant passionate cheers from front-row seated fans, you're guaranteed to get up to speed with the motorsport action.
3. Spectacular cars
Saying you won't catch a good view of a spectacular car at the Nurburgring is like saying you can't have a good pint of beer at a well-established pub. It's impossible.
During our three-day period at the 'Green Hell' (the circuit is located amidst dense forest covers in the mountains and has claimed many lives, hence the name), we saw countless Audi RS, BMW M, Lexus F and Mercedes-AMG cars. While most will probably think such a sight will only appeal to car enthusiasts, you'd be wrong.
You and I have seen many casual observers that have stopped in their paths just to take a photo of a pretty car driving past. When it comes to all things good-looking and pretty, they always end up attracting everyone regardless of age, gender and race.
4. Exclusive Nurburgring merchandise
This is like being at a music festival where they sell exclusive Led Zepplin t-shirts. While there are mainstream official merchandise, which may not appeal to you, there are other exclusive items that may.
And I don't mean stuff that you can purchase online.
From limited edition car models to one-of-a-kind wearables, this is the place you'd have to be if you want to feel 'limited'. You won't be disappointed even if you're not a purist, thanks to an emerging yet traditional foodie scene and an array of relevant racing sights.
After all, it's the Nurburgring we're talking about and it'll shine like the golden cupola on top of one of those glorious churches.
5. Car launches
Due to the fact that this track is infamous for testing and development, let alone racing, you'll have ample opportunities to witness car launches firsthand.
We managed to catch the unveiling of the BMW M4 GT4 as well as the sneak preview of the BMW M8 prototype during our time at the Hell track. For the very circumstance that both the cars are exclusive in that very sense of the word, they naturally make you feel like the selected few who was made for these kinds of things, even if the truth was otherwise.
Interestingly, we even managed to catch up with some of the more important folks from BMW M like CEO Frank Van Meel as well as Dirk Haecker, the Vice President of Engineering at BMW M.
6. Food and drinks
These kinds of stuff don't require any form of elaboration, since we can all safely assume that food and drinks will always be readily available at huge arenas like the Nurburgring.
What we do need to bring to light here is the fact that unlike other big events at huge arenas, there are ample food stalls at the Nurburgring. This means getting a bite or a drink is as easy as pinching your nuts and because of the convenience of it all, the queue is short and there isn't a need to wait 20 minutes to order.
And if you think it's just going to be sausages you're going to have since it's Germany, you're obviously stereotyping. There are other choices. Just don't expect a bowl of mee pok, hor fun or chicken rice.
7. Fun and games
Fun comes in different forms for different people, but when it comes to games, there can be nothing better than the classic arcade games like Street Fighter and Fifa or the timeless Super Mario from an old but gold Nintendo console.
Of course having a totally different game like the Playstation one you see here with full-on racing steering wheels and bucket seats takes fun and games to a whole new level.
It's the perfect opportunity for you and your buddies to get into some racing action to get your adrenaline pumped up before or even during the race. After all, what's a race track without any racing games?
8. Souvenirs
Instead of grabbing used Pirelli tyres from racing cars as souvenirs, which we would really love, we decided on another kind of souvenir - a Nurburgring coin.
Like the ones you can find at Disney, the Nurburgring coins will only set you back 1.05 Euros. It may not be a big deal, but it's something you'll be able to keep with you for the rest of your life.
Alternatively, there are other stuff from the merchandise stores such as keychains, car models, racing helmets, bags, clothes, etc.
But trust me on the Nurburgring coin.
9. Catching the race live
It can be the WEC, the ADAC Zurich 24-hour or even a Formula One race broadcast, but there is nothing quite like catching a race live in action. While many will argue that the view is better from the television screen, I must say that the atmosphere isn't.
Apart from passionate cheering all around you, which is certainly a good thing because it keeps the ambience all fired-up, you also get the smell of smoking tyres as well as thunderous exhaust notes from the race cars.
While you may claim that only a purist will enjoy such a scene, I beg to differ. You can sit through three sets of a tennis match or 90 minutes of an English Premier League soccer game without having to like the sport. It's all about the atmosphere when you catch them live, boys.
10. Boasting rights
Last but not least, boasting rights. This isn't just catching any Formula One race where there's a high chance the event comes to your country or somewhere near. In this case, you'll have to make the effort to go to the race in its home country, Germany. That alone should speak volumes.
Plus, the Nurburgring is as illustrious a track as it is compared to, say, the Great Pyramid of Giza or even the Colosseum. You can see it from Google Images, but there's nothing quite like being there yourself and taking it all in.
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