Our slumber may have been deep, but it wasn't very long. We left Munich at 7:30AM sharp, destination SPA Francorchamps where we wanted to see the track and Quali session for the F1 race.
Onto the Autobahn then, and mindful of the break-in limits. Pure torture as you can imagine.
After an uneventful drive we made to the F1 circuit, not without some confusion. I hope nobody from Belgium here on the forum will get offended, but it was the most disorganized F1 event we've been to. Took us forever to find the entrance, the cops that were scattered all around being completely clueless as to where things were.
What surprised us both is just how much elevation change there is to that track. We've driven it virtually in GT but the reality is completely different. It is a grand track, artfully draped onto the surrounding mountain landscape, and a track day there is now on our bucket list.
Now I'm a Lewis fan, and T is a Ferrari/Seb fan. Lewis put in a stupendous qualification lap in the rain, no-one else could touch him, much to my friend's chagrin. But he was vindicated on race day where Seb put in a masterful pass on Lewis, and then sailed away into the distance to win the race. I'm getting a little ahead of myself here because we saw the race on DVR when we returned home. That's because Sunday was a very special day for us, at our next destination, the Nurburgring.
After the quali session, we set onto our new destination for a short 90 min drive. But it took forever to leave the track location, again with no help or inspiration from the local authorities (quite the opposite they made of mess of traffic).
And finally there we were, the car nut's Mecca, the big daddy, the one you will never forget, the one and only Nurburgring. Too late to lap, that would be for the next day.
Putting a little gas at the famous ED Tankstelle.
Checking in at the Linden hotel right across from the GP track, a fun-themed hotel.
Paying tribute to my car's spiritual birth place.
And dinner at the Pistenklause, car in very good company.
The next day, mindful that the new ED insurance doesn't cover the Ring, we had booked a race car from Ring Freaks. An E90 325i VLN race car, fully kitted with stuff, for 10 laps (5 laps each).
All business inside.
All systems GO, T is ready for his first ever Nordschleife lap.
A few pics in action, one of mine and one of T's.
T did 3 laps and mercifully there were no accidents so he got the full experience: being passed by a train of fast&furious GT3/M3/M2/Ferrari/you name it, passing slow moving bikes and cars, the dips, the bumps, the elevation changes. It's absolutely magnificent. Next, I did 3 laps but the track was getting busy and accidents started to happen. What I noticed was that I was completely at ease with the passing rules and the speed - I did do a few Ring laps in the past (and more than a few on the playstation), but no doubt the track experience from the US helped tremendously.
So on a whim, I decided to take the M3 on track, fully understanding that the insurance wouldn't cover any potential mishaps. I wanted the pics from the Carousel and to not get them after having traveled so far seemed unthinkable. So I took it easy, ever mindful of the break-in rules, and was still able to comfortably lap faster than T in the 325. The ZCP did very well on track, all things considered, and I never regretted the decision at all - would do it again in the future if possible.
First pic, after I'd passed a bunch of slower cars and going into the Carousel. Second pic, a lap later I was all alone there.
A big shout out to Ring Freaks, they were awesome. Easy to deal with, no hidden clauses, well prepped car, decent price all made for a great experience.
I have some videos too, and will post a few selections as soon as I edit them.
One interesting thing that struck us both was that in the paddock, a good 40-50% of all cars were BMW's. M3's of all generations, M2's, M4's, in all sort of prep and tune states all the way from stock to full wild wide body monsters.
So without further ado, some gratuitous car porn from the parking lots and surrounding areas.
The experience of driving on the Ring was exquisite. If you are a car person it must be on the bucket list. Both T and I were absolutely in awe, and we will go back there someday. I figure perhaps for a trackday, or even Touristenfahrten but for more than one day. Can't even begin to scratch the surface in a day, and it is absolutely magical. The M3 acquitted itself very well, and we did it with a trunk full of luggage plus assorted stuff in the cabin.
In the end, took one quick look at the ED Tankstelle miniature store, but unfortunately we were running out of time & energy for shopping.
After we returned the car to Ring Freaks, we set our new destination - B500 or better known as the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse.
Driving through picturesque villages, one after the other, and an amazing road in between as the dusk set in, air full of incredible smells of fresh pine, water, grass and flowers.
The B500 winds its way running on the top of the Black Forest and should be on everyone's bucket list.
We had a late dinner in Triberg, then found our way back on the Autobahn - destination Munch and the break-in service the following day. Ended up overnight at this hotel, a quaint German typical hotel with a nice breakfast (and just 8 min away from the service).
