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VIDEO: Fast as hell

// Posted in Porsche, Video // 1 Comment

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It’s not very often that we get to see quality on board footage from inside a Porsche. Here, racer Timo Kluck is lucky enough to find himself at the wheel of a 911 GT3 RS 4.0 as a guest of Dunlop, running a set of Sport Maxx Race tyres. An empty Nordschleife awaits, so let’s get into it!

By our rough calculations Timo completes the bridge to gantry lap in 7 minutes 23 seconds. That includes a reported 250km/h through the fearsome Füchsrohre. Not too shabby!

[Thanks to James for the tip]

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Hyundai building Nürburgring test center

// Posted in Hyundai, Manufacturer testing // No Comments

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Hyundai brings a positive sign for the longer term future of the Nordschleife with word they are building their own Nürburgring test center.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, says the goal is to improve the overall reliability and driving dynamics of their vehicles.

“The new Hyundai test centre at Nürburgring is an expression of our intention to focus on improving the customer experience of our vehicles, such as ride and handling—an important consideration for European drivers,” Rushforth said. “The new centre represents a significant investment, and one we expect will significantly contribute to enhancing the perception of the Hyundai brand and our key competitive competence in Europe.”

Hyundai is spending around AU$7 million on the 3050m2 facility and they say construction is well underway. No opening dates have been announced as yet.

[Pic: Scoopy/autoevolution]

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BMW M135i laps Nürburgring in 8:18

// Posted in BMW, Lap times // No Comments

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The BMW M135i has been winning the hearts and minds of the world’s motoring press since its release. Now, German mag Sport Auto has used the 235kW/450Nm offered in the M135i to good effect by lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 8 minutes 18 seconds.

It’s understood the car used by Sport Auto was fitted with a 6-speed manual transmission and was rear-wheel drive, rather than an all-paw xDrive model.

Here’s a list of other times achieved by Sport Auto test driver Horst von Saurma that are around the same as the M135i:

  • 8:05 – BMW M3 (2007)
  • 8:09 – Audi RS4 (2006)
  • 8:09 – BMW M6 (2005)
  • 8:13 – BMW M5 (2004)
  • 8:13 – Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (2009)
  • 8:15 – BMW 1 Series M Coupé (2011)
  • 8:16 – Porsche Cayman S (2009)
  • 8:18 – BMW M135i (2012)
  • 8:22 – BMW M3 (2000)
  • 8:25 – Lotus Exige S (2008)
  • 8:26 – Audi S5 (2008)

[Source: bmwblog.com]

Enthusiast Apparel release new STR t-shirt

// Posted in Save the Ring // No Comments

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Enthusiast Apparel make some pretty cool t-shirts for all the revheads out there. Recently added to their collection is this shirt supporting the Save the Ring movement.

At US$22 it’s not going to break the bank, either. We suggest selecting another of their designs as well, in order to get the best value for your shipping costs.

Nürburgring enters new era of hope

// Posted in Nurburgring news, Save the Ring // No Comments

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It’s been far too long since we checked in on the status of the Nürburgring while grave fears have been held over its future. Since our last update some fairly significant things have taken place, including some news from today that would appear to be very positive, but we’ll get to that shortly.

  • Kurt Beck announced his resignation as state premier of Rhineland-Palatinate, which has a 90% stake in the Nürburgring. That move will take place from January 2013. Although, Beck was too gutless to admit his role in the NAG fiasco had anything to do with his decision, instead citing poor health as the main reason.
  • Next year’s German Grand Prix, due to be held at the Nürburgring, has become an on-again, off-again affair. The race alternates between the Ring and Hockenheim on a biannual basis. Hockenheim organisers have said they cannot step in if the ‘Ring cannot host the race in 2013. Thankfully, Nürburgring GmbH is confident the grand prix will go ahead.
  • In today’s news, the first step in removing the stain of Nürburging Automotive GmbH (NAG) management, that is Kai Richter and Jorg Lindner, from the Nordschleife has taken place. According to the blog of Save the Ring campaigner, Mike Frison, (English translation) Richter and Lindner no longer have any control over the management of the Nordschleife. They do, however, maintain their hold on the entertainment complex nearby hotels and the Formula One race. Still, this is a good step forward and brings hope that a more secure future for the old circuit lies ahead.

Should things become clearer in the future we’ll be sure to be more diligent with our updates. Remember, keep calm and carry on ‘Ringing!

[Pic: Bridge to Gantry]

Walter Röhrl says Nürburgring needed to build perfect car

// Posted in Porsche, Walter Rohrl // 1 Comment

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In this short video from Porsche we see Walter Röhrl explain why the Nürburgring is great for developing cars and how good he reckons the 918 Spyder is. He should know, he’s managed to get it around the Nordschleife in 7 minutes and 14 seconds.

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991 Porsche 911 Carrera S laps Ring in 7:37.9

// Posted in Lap times, Porsche // No Comments

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Porsche has done something it doesn’t normally do; release onboard video to support a claimed Nürburgring lap time. In this instance it’s the 991 911 Carrera S and its 294kW 3.8 litre flat six lapping the Nordschleife in 7 minutes 37.9 seconds.

Previously, Porsche had claimed the same car lapped the Ring in 7:40, so this is a pretty handy effort from a sniffling Timo Kluck.

According to the unofficial database of lap times this is where the 991 Carrera S sits:

  • 7:33 – 997.2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (2010)
  • 7:34 – Koenigsegg CCR (2005)
  • 7:37.9 – 991 Porsche 911 Carrera S (2012)
  • 7:38 – Lexus LFA (2010)
  • 7:38 – 997 Porsche 911 Turbo (2008)

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Toyota TMG EV P002 laps Nordschleife in 7:22.329

// Posted in Lap times, Toyota, Video // No Comments

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This plucky little Toyota TMG EV P002 has knocked an astonishing 25 seconds from its own Nürburgring lap record. The new benchmark for electric powered vehicles now sits at a blindingly quick 7 minutes 22.329 seconds.

Jochen Krumbach was at the wheel again for this new record and the TMG crew are just a little bit pleased with themselves.

Ludwig Zeller, TMG General Manager Electrics and Electronics said: “Since our Nürburgring record last year, we have developed our electric powertrain to deliver more power, more consistently, over a longer distance by managing the temperature of batteries, motors and inverter.”

But it’s the advancements made in the recharging that Zeller is most pleased with. In fact the Radical-based P002 can be recharged from a unit in the back of the team’s Hiace van.

“This achievement is not only about on-track performance; we are also very proud of the DC Quick Charger which again provided a reliable power supply in a remote location,” said Zeller. “This is an aspect of electric motorsport which has not been discussed at length but it is very significant; electric race cars need to be charged and it is a challenge to have the right infrastructure at race tracks, particularly temporary street circuits.

“Together with our partners at Schneider Electric, we have developed a solution to charge a race car literally anywhere in the world. This, along with the TMG EV P002 powertrain, represents a major step forward for electric motorsport.”

Video and pics are all yours after the break.

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Augusto and Liri Farfus drive the Nordschleife

// Posted in BMW, Video // No Comments

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BMW DTM driver Augusto Farfus recently took his wife, Liri, for a drive around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a company M3. For our amusement BMW fitted the car with a few cameras to make sure we didn’t miss any of the action.

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Porsche 918 Spyder claims 7:14 Nürburgring lap time

// Posted in Lap times, Porsche // 1 Comment

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The official release of the 770hp Porsche 918 Spyder is not far away. Key to that is the claim of a Nürburgring lap time of 7 minutes 14 seconds, which has been shared by Porsche’s facebook page:

Sometimes, words cannot describe a feeling. But in this case, a simple figure can. Location: Nürburgring, Nordschleife. Car: Porsche 918 Spyder. Lap time: 7 minutes, 14 seconds. Any questions left?

According to the unofficial list of Nürburgring times on Wikipedia, the Porsche 918 shares the following company:

  • 7:11.57 Gumpert Apollo Sport
  • 7:12.13 Dodge Viper ACR
  • 7:14.xx Porsche 918 Spyder
  • 7:14.64 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package
  • 7:18.xx Porsche 911 GT2 RS
  • 7:19.63 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z01

[Source: Facebook]

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