Last weekend I joined a few friends for a trip to the Ring. My friends were mainly driving Donkervoorts and we had as well three 911’s with us.
We joined each other Saturday morning in the south of Holland to drive together to the Ring. The trip started out sunny and I was driving with the sunroof open while the Donkervoorts were driving all the way open but after an hour and a half when we turned of the Autobahn at Bad Munstereiffel to do the last leg via twisty mountainous roads, dark clouds started appearing on the horizon and the temperature dropped significantly to only 2 degrees centigrade and it start6ed snowing!!! For me this was not an issue, turning off MDM and closing the sunroof but my friends in the Donkervoorts were not so lucky.
Anyway, we aarived at the hotel am Tiergarten (owned by Sabine Schmidts family) in Nurburg at around 16.00 hours and were waiting for the snow/hail to pass by. We new that the Ring would open for individual driving between 18.00 and 20.00 hour and so we took the cars for a spin around the track that evening, and a spin it was. With the track all soaked there was not much of high speed racing, I had switched to MDM and already at the first corner I had my M5’s tail already breaking out, OK I though let’s turn the electronics on again and take it al little easier but even then when coming out of corners at relative high speed pushing the pedal the tail would break out again. As this was my first trip with the new beast to the Ring I though it was better to call it a day and return to the hotel praying for dry weather next day.
Tha evening we had a great dinner at the Pistenklause with my friends and I met some of the great experts of the Ring. Ed, ex race driver from America living in Germany with a 944 Turbo and Thorleif Nilsen, Norwegian guy living in Azerbijan with an M3 CSL. Both guys were very enthusiastic about driving the Ring, must be as they both have over 2000 rounds experience there.
I agreed with Thorleif to join him in the CSL for a few rounds and he would come with me in the M5 both driving each others car and Thorleif teaching me the lines of the track. This was definitely my best experience as Thorleif really knows the track and was explaining each corner and where to watch out.
So we did next morning, when the track was still a bit damp a few rounds with him in my M5 with him driving and explaining me the lines. First we did a run with all electronics on and then with one on MDM, the sensation was that the car was suffering from under steer and more difficult to control in corners. Then we did a run with all electronics off in S6 mode and the car changed from being a very nice sports saloon into a real track car. It was just amazing how the car was handling in corners and pulling out of it. The weight compared to handling really amazed me.
After this we switched to the CSL with the sport cup tyres. Now this is again something else. Seems that this car was build for the Ring. The car is more loud than the M5, much more direct in steering just eating corners as if it was on a straight line, great car! When Sabine took off in her Ring taxi we just went out before her and with Thorleif at the steering wheel we saw Sabine follow us in the first corners but the CSL was pulling more and more away only giving in on straight lines where the mighty power of the M5 played the bigger role. I did two laps myself in the CSL and really had to get used to the directness of the CSL’s steering, it is a matter of aiming and the car follows without hesitating your commands. The sound from the CSL is much more a sound of a track car, more brutal and very addictive.
Following the CSl experience I took some friends around the track in my M5 and did a few laps on my own where I now had the confidence of having all electronics switched off. This car is just amazing.
The only downside I found was that the front tyres (Conti Sport contact) were loosing some of their grip after 3-4 consecutive rounds and the car started rolling over the front tyres a little more when goinf fast into sharp corners. Apart from that all was great except the fuel consumption… one tank of gas every 150 kilometers = 50 liters but that gave me a chance to meet Sabine again at the petrol station.
At 14.00 in the afternoon I had a lap booked with Sabine in the Ringtaxi. I thought was going petty fast, but this girl goes around the track as if the devil is chasing her. I had more than one moment where I thought, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, we are never going to make it but the car was just holding it own. Again this M5 is capable of doing things with the right driver at the steering wheel beyond a normal persons comprehension. Once in a lifetime experience.
Hereby some pictures of me going around the track with special thanks to Member Anthony Soete, Jochen and organiser member Donkervoort.
Congrats nice, I met Jochen on 1st May when me and my friend was there in the big rain, 2 e60s NOT ///M5s, but still fast...wait for Jochen to send us the pix.ats greets from Bxl,BE.
thank you for the great post.
I noticed the white CSL with the custom paint on many Ring galleries. Now it is clear who owns it. This summer I'll be there, but with my motorbike (R1200GS) I guess.
__________________ '06 ///M3CS Perfect car around a perfect engine
Hey, I was at the ring 2 weekends ago (after visiting Brussells nonetheless ). I had my wife and kids with me, so no chance to run the track. If you guys go again, you should plan something & I can meet up. Matter of fact, if you go to the M3forum (international area) you may be able to get some of the local American M3 owners to show too. I would like to run with other M5s (not the ring taxi, its way to fast for me) in order gauge my speed.
I've run the ring 10 times in my old M3 & ended up doing a complete 360 one early morning. I was running with DSC off & just passed 2 bikes. There was dust and grass everywhere (even inside the car), but thankfully I didn't hit anything.
I also agree on the CSLs sounding like ring-monsters. I've been passed many times by them and they just sound & look so incredible.
How much is a ride around the track on the Ring Taxi? Is it hard to book? I heard Sabine is the best, and probably the most famous, but are there other "taxi" drivers?
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2006 M5 Black Sapphire Metallic / Silverstone
Vic
Belgium hospitality!
). I had my wife and kids with me, so no chance to run the track. If you guys go again, you should plan something & I can meet up. Matter of fact, if you go to the M3forum (international area) you may be able to get some of the local American M3 owners to show too. I would like to run with other M5s (not the ring taxi, its way to fast for me) in order gauge my speed. 
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