Nurburgring trips are a MUST

[MisterMinty]

Posted this elsewhere (sorry!) but - I thought I should write in about something that the "older" members of the forum should seriously consider doing before they reach pension age...driving the Nurburgring in Germany. Why? Because if you've modded your car to perform, this road will truly make your car show what it can do!
I can promise with hand on heart, it's better than any track day the UK can offer. Yes, its a 300 mile drive, yes, it's a long and boring slog across Belgium, yes, it involves preparation.
BUT - combine your favourite mountain road with a track and you're about a quarter of the way there to the ring and what it's like to drive.
I should say one thing categorically - power is NOT a vital factor to fun - HANDLING is...which makes our Polo BIG fun. Any car with a wheel in each corner will make you grin like the Cheshire cat! My Polo currently is rated at 110 BHP - not huge - BUT its fitted with Bilstein shocks and most importantly Eibach springs. On low profile wheels and tyres your car will stick to the road like a limpet (unless you drive like a deranged baboon on acid).
I hope I might persuade some of you out there to join me and enjoy what our brill cars are capable of doing?
If you're interested, my next trip is planned for the 27-29 May (Bank holiday weekend). Hopefully nice weather, but more importantly good opening times at the track; basically from 8am until 7pm. After that, will consult the opening times planner!
If you're interested in doing this I can't recommend Ben Lovejoy's website enough: www.nurburgring.org.uk
It's full of information and advice for would-be Ringers (and I'm flying the flag for this forum on the Ringers list!)...you'll find stuff on places to stay, easiest way to get there, what to expect. Without wishing to sound like a doddery old windbag, it also highlights the risks; you shouldn't be under any delusions about the place. People have crashes there and people do get killed there - my strong advice is forget laptimes and concentrate on enjoyment. And most important: LEARN THE TRACK.
I'll be over there quite often this summer, so if anyone feels like it, you needn't be Nobby No-mates. Oh, worth mentioning. The beer in Nurburg and Adenau (nearby town) is plentiful, excellent, and ridiculously cheap! Hope you prospective Ring-Polo's like a little drink???

[Tahrey1043]

i think anything that handles ok should give you grins for the flat and downhill parts at least... i'd like to stack up a few increasingly quicker laps in a 1.0 there
(source: having played gt4 again for the first time in months, as my bro's home, and finally getting my perverted mitts on a Subaru 360 with a custom box.. it's only got 16hp, but then again only 350kg and very sorted aeros / handling.. it was a blast to sim-drive and chuck it about the ring, til it hit kesselchen and dipped from a previous 50-85mph down to 20.... and chucking the polo down country lanes always seemed a bit more fun than the bulky vauxhall, which i've now near destroyed the mirror on when the windy welsh mountain road actually became too narrow for it to fit down)

one day, one day though i think they'll all be electric by the time i make it there

[omicron]

Cadwell does me nicely thanks.