PTRLSM on tour: Nürburgring 2022
18/06/2017 - the first time I've had the chance to visit the legendary track, a day to remember and a pivotal moment in my petrolhead life. The first lap done in an RSR Nürburg rental Megane 3 RS changed everything. I knew I wanted more and we kept coming back with the crew. September 2018, summer 2019, and then - the pandemic happened. We made an unanimous decision that 2022 was the year to come back, better and bigger than ever.
With 11 of us in six cars - majority of them BMWs (two F87 M2s, an E92 M3 and a G20 330i) plus our hot-hatch wing in an i30N and an FK2 Type R, on June 15th 2022, we embarked on a nearly 900 km trip to the petrolhead mecca.
Traditionally, we checked into Lindner Ferienpark Nürburgring - during the Green Hell Driving Days this place transforms into the petrolhead estate. Ringtools parked outside the houses, with occassional supercars and more regular cars, like ours. Hard to describe the vibe in words, so here's a few pictures.
For some of us, it was their first time around, so we did a mandatory tour of Brünnchen, Nürburg and Adenau to get that first feeling. This also included a visit to Bistro Cockpit for some currywurst.
Next day, the Green Hell Driving Days started - unlimited 4 days of Touristenfahrten being open from dusk til dawn. Some of us took their own cars, some (like yours truly) opted for a rental to begin with. Personally, I can't recommend Ringfreaks enough - a great choice of proper Ringtools, like the E90 325i I went for, perfect customer service and a very relaxed approach. Just make sure you use instruction on your first-ever lap.
The weather gods were gracious this time around - it was perfect, most of us did some laps behind the wheel, then switching to passenger seats for taxi laps or relaxing and car watching at one of the corners.
For those who would like to enjoy a day off-track, the finest German wine region of Mosel is just around the corner. We took a day trip to visit Philip Lardot - a friend and an ambitious winemaker changing the image of the region as we speak. Highly recommended.
Back to Nürburgring and more laps, more laughs and even more drooling over the track-prepped machines. You just can't get enough of it. We will be back again, that's for sure.
Enjoy,
D.