Next, I had to find a car. Let's face it, travelling all the way to the Green Hell without a machine to drive on it would have been only half fulfilling. After a quick search, I realized that leasing a car from Hertz or Budget was out of the question since they ultimately know if the vehicle has been used on a race track. So I kept searching and finally found the perfect company, RSR Nürburg, which specializes in car rentals for people who want to experience memorable thrills behind the wheel.
The selection ranged from a Renaultsport Clio Cup to a Lamborghini Porsche 911 GT3 997. Since the former couldn't satisfy my appetite for RWD machines and the latter far exceeded my budget, I finally opted for an Alfa Romeo 75 Stage 3 V6. This aging model born in the late 1980s is a four-door sedan which some might find aesthetically boring. However, the company went to great lengths to convert it into a genuine thoroughbred.
The challenge proved daunting: to drive an unfamiliar car on an unfamiliar track located in an unfamiliar land. That's a lot to deal with! As you can imagine, I felt like a nervous wreck upon arriving to the circuit. How can you not be intimidated by the track and the exotic cars lined up in the parking lot? I saw a number of Porsches, BMWs, Audis and Ferraris equipped with safety cells and race-spec suspensions and tires.
The first lap seemed to take forever to end. I needed to remain totally focused to maintain a proper line, check my mirrors for faster cars behind me, learn the ins and outs of the Alfa and the track, pay extra attention due to the wet surface, etc. My brain, not the engine, was overheating! Plus, I always bore in mind the explicit advice from the company's owner/instructor, Ron Simons: ''There's no ABS, ESC or traction control. If you lock up, you f**k up''.
Fortunately, it never happened and everything went more smoothly than I could have hoped for. Of course, I got a few scares during a couple of skids at medium speed on wet pavement. With a bit of luck and driving skill, I never completely lost control or went off the track. Thank God because crashing here can turn out to be very costly.
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| The driver and his car. The atmosphere at the Nürburgring fosters communication and making friends is easy. Thank you, Michael, for this great picture! (Photo: Michael Petrovic) |
The selection ranged from a Renaultsport Clio Cup to a Lamborghini Porsche 911 GT3 997. Since the former couldn't satisfy my appetite for RWD machines and the latter far exceeded my budget, I finally opted for an Alfa Romeo 75 Stage 3 V6. This aging model born in the late 1980s is a four-door sedan which some might find aesthetically boring. However, the company went to great lengths to convert it into a genuine thoroughbred.
The challenge proved daunting: to drive an unfamiliar car on an unfamiliar track located in an unfamiliar land. That's a lot to deal with! As you can imagine, I felt like a nervous wreck upon arriving to the circuit. How can you not be intimidated by the track and the exotic cars lined up in the parking lot? I saw a number of Porsches, BMWs, Audis and Ferraris equipped with safety cells and race-spec suspensions and tires.
The first lap seemed to take forever to end. I needed to remain totally focused to maintain a proper line, check my mirrors for faster cars behind me, learn the ins and outs of the Alfa and the track, pay extra attention due to the wet surface, etc. My brain, not the engine, was overheating! Plus, I always bore in mind the explicit advice from the company's owner/instructor, Ron Simons: ''There's no ABS, ESC or traction control. If you lock up, you f**k up''.
Fortunately, it never happened and everything went more smoothly than I could have hoped for. Of course, I got a few scares during a couple of skids at medium speed on wet pavement. With a bit of luck and driving skill, I never completely lost control or went off the track. Thank God because crashing here can turn out to be very costly.
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| How can you not be intimidated by the track and the exotic cars lined up in the parking lot? I saw a number of Porsches, BMWs, Audis and Ferraris equipped with safety cells and race-spec suspensions and tires. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |