I flew to Germany to conquer the Nürburgring; it conquered

Driving around the Nürburgring has been at the top of my automotive wish list for over a decade. When I was a teenager, I used to watch live video feeds of famous German racetracks, following random cars passing by and imagining myself driving the same corners.

Over the years I have watched countless series and endurance races on the track and been amazed by the bravery of the drivers, completing daring overtakes just inches from the crash barrier and reaching over 200 miles / hour (320 km/h). h) Drive along the main straight line, which seems to go on forever.

Read: We took the 2022 Hyundai i20 N on a 1,300-mile road trip

I’ve also played several video games featuring the Nordschleife, including Gran Turismo, and through my work have watched countless spy videos of cars driving around racetracks. So, last year, when I booked my first trip to Germany to go to the Green Hell, I thought I knew everything there was to know about the track. I thought I was as prepared as possible. Oh, I was wrong.

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make arrangements

While many people travel to the Nürburgring to watch races or learn about manufacturers testing their future products there, I know that alone doesn’t satisfy me. I also know that hopping into one of the many “circle taxis” to pick up passengers isn’t enough. I needed to jump in the driver’s seat and experience the track myself. So I started planning.

I visited Germany during a longer vacation to enjoy the European summer. I screened the calendar for days that would be suitable for visitor events, days when the track would be open to the public. I then booked accommodation and started looking for a suitable car.

Choose the right car

There are several car rental companies near the Nürburgring that provide track rental and track supervision services. I chose RSR Nurburg, one of the top rated rental agencies on the circuit and known for having a huge fleet to choose from. While it would be amazing to drive a Porsche 911 GT3 or Boxster Spyder, they are far beyond my budget.

Therefore, I booked a Hyundai i30 N. I’ve driven a few i30 Ns over the years, including many at Bend Motorsports Park and Sydney Motorsport Park. They are great fun and great for tracking use. Best of all, I felt comfortable behind their wheel and found it easy to push them to their limits without overtaking them.

After checking in and receiving a driver briefing at the RSR Nürburg factory, I jumped into the driver’s seat with a professional instructor sitting next to me and took the first lap of the track. As we pulled up to the gate and started our first of four laps, the law enforcement officers stopped us without any explanation. Red flags flew and we, like dozens of other cars in line, were directed to the parking lot to wait.

A few minutes later, word started to get out, and just 3 minutes into the 17:30 meeting, someone crashed. Soon my instructor told me that a motorcyclist and a car had come together and the track might be closed for a while. Fifteen minutes later, a law enforcement official announced that the entire meeting for that evening was canceled due to the severity of the incident. Just like that, I thought my Nürburgring dream was over.

Plans change

I had only booked one night at the track and had already scheduled an onward trip for the next day. However, I figured I might not be back in the ring for a few years, so it was a good chance and it would never come again. I extended my stay, extended my Fiat 500 rental car to drive to the track, postponed the bus transfer and arranged rental with RSR Nurburg for the following night. Unfortunately, all the i30 N’s were already pre-ordered, so I bought the i20 N instead. I’m also very familiar with the i20 N, and of all the N products I find it the most enjoyable to drive on the track.

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The next night I was so excited at the track that I strapped myself in and headed to the track. This time, no red flags were raised and the meeting was not cancelled. When I first rolled through the door and felt the track beneath my feet, I couldn’t believe that after all these years I was finally here.

My coach encouraged me to take it easy in the first few corners, so I did just that. Even though I’d driven the i20 N on a track before, I was still nervous. Extremely nervous.

Most of the tracks I’ve driven on in the past are wide and have large track areas, leaving you plenty of room for error. Most tracks are also much shorter than the Nürburgring, so it’s easier to learn and become familiar with the corners. “The Ring” is another matter entirely.

Intimidated? You bet!

I gained a little confidence on the first lap, but even my coach could tell I was nervous, even though he complemented my technique and awareness. He encouraged me to try harder. But I just can’t do it. Throughout the first lap, I couldn’t get myself over 160 km/h (100 mph) and through the corners with ease, fearing that if I encountered even the slightest understeer, I might end up in a snag .

If that happens, it will be very, very expensive. All companies that offer rental cars at the track offer insurance, but their insurance costs are high. For an i20 driven in NI, the insurance excess is €25,000 (approximately US$27,000). If I had an accident and my car was totaled, this is what I would have to pay. The cost is €1,000 ($1,092) per meter of crash barrier damaged and is not covered by any insurance. That’s money you have to pay directly to the track owner, and the thought of that is enough to keep me from driving more than 60% of my ability, or even half of the car’s ability.

I laid out four laps of the track. After the first lap, I left the coach and ran three laps on my own. The track surface is very smooth, but there are a lot of cambers to be careful of, especially if you’re not familiar with them. No amount of spy videos or video games could prepare me.

Find out what “the ring” really means

I was also struck by the elevation changes in the circuit as these really don’t show up on a computer or TV screen. Some parts of the track reach into the sky while other areas drop down, and on these parts it’s easy to get more power than you intended.

This was my first time at the ‘Ring and I had the pleasure of driving only a hatchback with a 1.6-litre engine. The Hyundai has been developed extensively on the track and feels right at home on the track. It doesn’t have the clever adjustable dampers of the i30 N, but it still remains supple and offers plenty of grip. I did manage to burn out the tires as I picked up speed after the second lap, but after letting them cool down for a few minutes I was able to start attacking the corners again.

The i20 N’s 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine develops 201 horsepower and 203 pound-feet (275 Nm) of torque. That’s plenty of power for a hatchback of this size that weighs just 1,190 kilograms (2,623 pounds). It accelerates effortlessly and has a surprising growl even at low revs. I also took full advantage of the excellent rev-matching feature, as trying to shift sharply on a scary track was a bit unmanageable.

Read: 2025 Hyundai i20 N is the last of a dying breed

Driving around the Nürburgring requires a lot of mental concentration and is more demanding than any other track I’ve been to. Not just because it’s 20.8 kilometers or 12.9 miles long, but because there are more than 150 curves and very few areas where you can relax for a second. Also, because I was taking a tourist driving course, I had to constantly check my mirrors and give way to any faster vehicles behind me.

Had a great time – then it rained

My first two laps were a lot of fun and by the time I started my third lap I had built up enough confidence to go a little faster while still controlling myself to not get close to 100%. Unfortunately, about halfway through the run, rain started to appear on the windshield, so I slowed down and handled it carefully. Then the sky opened for my fourth and final lap.

As if driving on the Loop wasn’t scary enough, driving on the Loop during a rainstorm takes things to a whole new level. In some areas of the track there was a flood and my visibility was affected by the rain, while in other parts of the track it was drier with almost no rain. This makes it difficult to determine the level of grip at each corner. My self-preservation instincts kicked in again and I took things slowly.

unforgettable experience

Through it all, this powerful little Hyundai proved to be the perfect companion for my first – and hopefully not last – trip to the Green Hell. It’s friendly, approachable, and performs well on the track. In fact, it remains my favorite N car on the track due to its compact size, excellent grip and fun nature.

Driving around the Nürburgring gave me a new appreciation for those who race on this powerful track. It’s hard for me to understand how competitors in famous races like the Nürburgring 24 Hours can lap the track hour after hour in changing weather conditions without making any mistakes or crashing. to the wall. If you are a car fan and live or visit Germany, experiencing this automotive marvel is a must.