Tag: nürburgring

VW headed to Nürburgring enduro with Golf24 racer

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Racing

Volkswagen Golf24

Volkswagen Golf24 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Volkswagen will be returning to the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race this year with this, the new Golf24 race car. It’s a hot little number, and we’ll see it take to the track during the official race events that span from June 23 to 26.

Under the hood is Volkswagen’s turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five, though output has been bumped up to 434 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. That power is managed by a six-speed sequential gearbox and runs to the ground via permanent all-wheel drive. Combine that with a body that has been optimized to keep the car as flat as possible through turns, and what we have here is a seriously fast Golf that’s ready to eat the competition.

The last time Volkswagen entered a Golf in a Nürburgring race was 2007, when a 296-hp, front-wheel-drive example placed eighth overall. Since then, the automaker has commissioned its Scirocco GT24 for ‘Ring duty, but since 2011 marks the 35th anniversary of the infamous GTI hot hatch, VW decided that an all-new Golf-based car was in order. Follow the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: Volkswagen Golf24

Volkswagen Golf24Volkswagen Golf24Volkswagen Golf24Volkswagen Golf24

[Source: Volkswagen]

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VW headed to Nürburgring enduro with Golf24 racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: ‘Save the Nürburgring’ effort not going so well

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Europe, Earnings/Financials

Save the Nurburgring trackside cross

It seems all the efforts to Save the Nürburgring aren’t going all that well. According to eyewitness reports from Germany as relayed by the Axis of Oversteer clan, all those fancy debt-causing buildings and their roller coasters are sitting idle with nary a visitor in sight… still.

Apparently, there are apparel shops and a BMW dealership without any actual patrons doing any shopping, and the so-called Formula 1 Experience rollercoaster has had its speed cut from over 100 miles per hour to just around 40 due to some shoddy engineering and/or building techniques. Sounds rather un-F1, no?

All of this is bad, but what could be worse are potential plans from the developers to raise the costs of actually driving on the track. Other quick fixes may see the track being rented out for more non-racing events, which will undoubtedly make it more difficult for the true aficionados to actually lap the ‘Ring. Read more about the Nordschliefe’s woes here. Thanks to all for the tips!

[Source: Save the Nürburgring via Axis of Oversteer | Image: Walter Koch via CC 2.0]

Report: ‘Save the Nürburgring’ effort not going so well originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sabine Schmitz needs your help to save the Nürburgring

Filed under: Videos

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Race tracks open and race tracks close. It’s an unfortunate reality. But there are some circuits that we simply couldn’t imagine the world carrying on without. Like the Nürburgring Norschleife.

Lamentable as it may be to even ponder, the legendary road-course in Germany is apparently in trouble, and not the kind that Lassie can save them from. The track is reportedly half a billion euros in debt, and while the government apparently wants to help, that support has apparently arrived in the form of indoor roller-coasters and other amusements built by private companies. Unfortunately, all the ‘Ring really needed was a new parking lot and some maintenance.

With the unthinkable looming on the horizon, supporters have enlisted one Sabine Schmitz – the Ring Mistress herself – to campaign on their behalf. Follow the jump to hear her plea, and check out SaveTheRing on Facebook for more.. Hat tip to msport!

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

Continue reading Video: Sabine Schmitz needs your help to save the Nürburgring

Video: Sabine Schmitz needs your help to save the Nürburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: GT5 vs. Real Life, Nürburgring Edition

Filed under: Videos, BMW, Toys/Games

Gran Turismo 5 vs Real Life

Driving an M3 on the ‘Ring: Real life vs Gran Turismo 5 – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Denis Malevanyi is one skilled hot shoe and he can hustle a BMW M3 around the ‘Ring with the best of them. He’s also pretty good at driving virtual cars in simulation series like Race2Play, as well as in Gran Turismo 5. We’ve seen how a virtual driver’s skill can translate when placed into reality, but Malevanyi already knows what he’s doing behind the wheel. He recently captured video of himself running the Nürburgring in an E92 M3, both in reality and the digital world, and stacked the footage together.

Hop the jump to see how he does in both versions. Thanks for the tip, Daniel!

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: GT5 vs. Real Life, Nürburgring Edition

Video: GT5 vs. Real Life, Nürburgring Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari trots out past and future at Nürburgring

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Ferrari, Racing

Retired Ferrari F1 cars take to the Nurburgring – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’re lucky wealthy enough to own one of Ferrari’s retired works Formula One machines, the automaker’s F1 Client department takes care of maintenance and preparation of your historic racer, whether it be Nigel Mansell’s ex-F190, Michael Schumacher’s championship-winning F2001 or any number of pedigreed prancing ponies.

This week, the crew brought 10 of its most prized possessions out to the Nürburgring so current owners could spend some quality time behind the wheel. And the open wheelers weren’t the only exotic wares in Germany. Four of the Enzo-based FXXs and 15 of the newer 599XXs were on hand, each track-only variant equipped with cutting-edge technologies that the Maranello boffins are experimenting with for future products. The “owners” of these XX models are essentially paying for the privilege of being Ferrari beta testers, but to our eyes, there are worse ways to spend a few days at the Green Hell.

Gallery: Ferrari past at future at the Nurburgring

[Source: Ferrari]

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Ferrari trots out past and future at Nürburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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