nurburgring?

[tom2004]

i have just been to the ring in my standard mr2 and did a 10.40 lap just wondering if anyone else has been and what time they did?

[Jimbo_Jet]

I'd love to try that one day! :D

Jeremy Clarkson famously did it in 9 mins 59 sec in a Jaguar S-Type diesel but was the thrashed by his tutor, Sabine Schmitz, in 9 min 12 sec in the same car ;)

[tom2004]

yea that is very true, i was happy with my time considering it was only my 3rd lap and the track was damp in places, dit i did beat my mates in an alfa 155 t spark, a golf vr6 and a 2.9 cosworth sieara :D

[charged]

You're a brave man chasing lap times at the 'ring, sod that! Would love to go, but not in my own car.. I've seen the other side of the Nurburgring, a chap I know caused a multi million £ claim and faced the very real possibility of losing his house. When I go, I'll be hiring a car, with insurance cover.

[Jimbo_Jet]

Easily done, have a look at this! 1min in see a MK2 MR2 getting binned!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2bZWQNbCN4&feature=related

[charged]

1min in see a MK2 MR2 getting binned!



Excellent viewing that!

[mr2mk1chick]

I did the 'ring on a private trackday with BaT, so had insurance etc. It was in our vx220, but i rekon i'd have thrashed it more in our old mk1a. I think its perfectly possible in a well setup and well driven mk1 to get under the 10 min time, but i would personally need more than 3 laps to start to know the corners etc. (did you know the ring before this?)
i didn't do any playstation practice of watch youtube, so after 4 laps was only learning sections at a time.
The mk1 is definately capable, but most drivers are not IMO

[Jimbo_Jet]

Just as an aside, how do you find the VX220’s handling in comparison to the MK1? I’ve always had a hankering after one of them one day :)

[tom2004]

i had done loads of laps on forza so knew fairly well where the track went, im on totally standard suspension tho so that didnt help lol

[CecilWard]

Is it doable by mere humans then?

How could I get to do it in an insurance-covered setting?

[mr2mk1chick]

Is it doable by mere humans then?

How could I get to do it in an insurance-covered setting?

you need to do it as a private trackday, where the ring is closed to the public. Then you can sometimes get insured, however for the cost of insurance versus buying another mk1 it may not be cost effective. i never bothered insuring the mk1, but insured the vx220 for 10k.

Richard Egger were the only ones i found to insure me at the ring, but i was already a road policy holder with them that also included 5 trackdays. they are great to deal with.
competition car insurance is another company who i am now with, as they also do 5 free trackday covers, but dont know if they cover the ring on private days.

Bookatrack.com are hoping to go to the ring again in 2012, so sign up to their website for newsletters as a reminder.
some insurers wont cover european trackday companies.

[mr2mk1chick]

Just as an aside, how do you find the VX220’s handling in comparison to the MK1? I’ve always had a hankering after one of them one day :)

The vx220 is quite frankly leagues ahead. We had a very well sorted mk1 track car and moved to a well sorted vx220 which has been modifed for track also, so maybe a std vx220 wont be quite as awesome. we test drove another vx220 but it was a bit less refined - i think it needed the suspension replacing and geo doen again.

The vx220 well setup is very intuative and you almost just think where you want to turn and the car goes there, inch perfect. no wobbles. the grip is massive. once past the limit though its more tricky than an s1 elise for some reason. no really driftable unless setup for that with less grippy tyres.
It gives loads of confidence with the handling, to the point where i crahsed mine up eau rouge at spa in the wet - oops! spapped round so quick.
apart feom that they are ace, and i know where i went wrong.

since i drove the mk1 to within an inch of its life, the vx220 has taken my driving ability much further, as i had gone as far as i could with the mk1

[CecilWard]

Come up to the Highlands some time. bring ironmongery. can put you up. Am sure I could close a road for you. :-) All welcome. Can all compare my new mk1b and tell me what needs doing to it.

[tom2004]

i couldnt find any of the track day insurance companys that will cover you for crashes on the ring

[mr2mk1chick]

i couldnt find any of the track day insurance companys that will cover you for crashes on the ring
They do - see the ones i said, but they will not do it on the normal ring days, only on fully private days with trackday companies they are happy dealing with. eg. a bookatrack private trackday day on the whole ring will be covered by richard egger insurance.
however, i still don't think its worth the price it will cost you to insure a mk1 unless its a minter.
the usual costs are £2-400 for the day. if you crash your excess is 10% of the insured value, unless there is a minimum that i dont know about.