'Ring Weapon of Choice?

[Julien]

Hey guys,

hopefully I will be studying abroad this fall and next spring at the Goethe Institut Frankfurt -- only about an hour away from the fabled Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The plan is to choose a Euro-market-only (by that, I mean a car never released in the 'States) car to daily drive while living at Frankfurt and to also use on the 'Ring during weekends. Ultimately, the plan is to bring said car back to my native Chicago.

I want something sporty, light, relatively reliable, affordable to maintain, manual, economical, on the small side -- and most importantly of all, hopefully not another BMW. I've shared an E36 and an E90 and owned three E30s of my own. I'm ready to experience something new!

My maximum price range is roughly 7,000€, so no Lancia Delta Integrale Evos!

Think outside the box -- hopefully this can be fun for you all to play with the idea if you were doing this dream trip yourselves!

Vielen Dank!

so you will be studying abroad in europe? the absolute last thing you want to worry about is messing with a car. go on the school planned trips, get wasted, have fun.. don't waste your time with an old pos car- does your school even offer parking?

[matthugie]

so you will be studying abroad in europe? the absolute last thing you want to worry about is messing with a car. go on the school planned trips, get wasted, have fun.. don't waste your time with an old pos car- does your school even offer parking?

Bro, do you even know about Europe?

[MikeLenoch5]

so you will be studying abroad in europe? the absolute last thing you want to worry about is messing with a car. go on the school planned trips, get wasted, have fun.. don't waste your time with an old pos car- does your school even offer parking?

I'm going to get an apartment with parking -- it'll likely be outside, so I'm going to invest in a car cover.

Oh, and European schools don't have half as many (or any) clubs or organizations like American schools. So school-sponsored trips are highly unlikely. I will meet up with friends of mine living in Basel, Warsaw and Düsseldorf though.

[MikeLenoch5]

Bro, do you even know about Europe?

I'm guessing he doesn't.

[Alpina]

So you want to get a european-market only car that is impossible to federalize and import it into the US? You may want to rethink this strategy...

Furthermore, how experienced of a driver are you? People crash on the ring. A lot. I might suggest a rental the first few times around, with full walkaway insurance.

Damn,, how true this is,,

as i have been there A LOT ,, and i am NOT the fastest driver there,, and not trying to at all

rent a car ,, you can get 4 laps for 300€,, and all incl

http://www.rent4ring.de/en/info/rentals-for-the-nordschleife.html#p175_allinc

do not try to be a hero.. the trafic is sometimes so enormous that you are almost JUST looking in the rearview mirror to let faster cars pass you,,

on those days its impossible to learn an ideal raceline,,

instead of try going FAST,, and ..maby,, collide,,, enjoy the stay and drive safe

[matthugie]

I'm guessing he doesn't.

That was actually a joke directed at him, he's Belgian. He's spent time wrenching on cars in a parking spot on the side of the road to make it to the ring. The man knows what he's talking about...

[MikeLenoch5]

Damn,, how true this is,,

as i have been there A LOT ,, and i am NOT the fastest driver there,, and not trying to at all

rent a car ,, you can get 4 laps for 300€,, and all incl

http://www.rent4ring.de/en/info/rentals-for-the-nordschleife.html#p175_allinc

do not try to be a hero.. the trafic is sometimes so enormous that you are almost JUST looking in the rearview mirror to let faster cars pass you,,

on those days its impossible to learn an ideal raceline,,

instead of try going FAST,, and ..maby,, collide,,, enjoy the stay and drive safe

I know.

[MikeLenoch5]

That was actually a joke directed at him, he's Belgian. He's spent time wrenching on cars in a parking spot on the side of the road to make it to the ring. The man knows what he's talking about...

"Asheville" doesn't sound especially Belgian, but I digress...

[tttoon]

That's the thing about Belgians, sometimes, they move, but they stay Belgian.

[matthugie]

That's the thing about Belgians, sometimes, they move, but they stay Belgian.

Sneaky fucking Belgians...

[Julien]

Sneaky fucking Belgians...

Bro, do you even nordschleife?


And for op.. They make things called airplanes, ever heard of them?

[DEV0 E30]

Damn,, how true this is,,

as i have been there A LOT ,, and i am NOT the fastest driver there,, and not trying to at all

rent a car ,, you can get 4 laps for 300€,, and all incl

http://www.rent4ring.de/en/info/rentals-for-the-nordschleife.html#p175_allinc

do not try to be a hero.. the trafic is sometimes so enormous that you are almost JUST looking in the rearview mirror to let faster cars pass you,,

on those days its impossible to learn an ideal raceline,,

instead of try going FAST,, and ..maby,, collide,,, enjoy the stay and drive safe

I like this advice, and seems logical.

I would go a different route. I wouldn't purchase a car especially a used one to take on the ring, unless I was bringing it home afterwards.

See: James Crivellone with his E30 Touring.

Pay the fastest racers, with the fastest cars (or your favorite for whatever reason) a small but decent amount of money to sit in their passenger seats. That is after you have some seat time yourself for a few laps. It will be the most wild ride ever if you get someone who really knows the track, or is just nuts and happy to give you a ride. Like a ring Taxi, only you don't have to wait on a list, you just ask politely and see if they say yes. Spend that other money you would use on a car on different parts of your trip to make it memorable, with activities.

See: Sabine... oh wait:

Bro, do you even nordschleife?


And for op.. They make things called airplanes, ever heard of them?

Achievement Unlocked: Julien with the post to make everyone jelly.

Well played.

[MikeLenoch5]

Bro, do you even nordschleife?


And for op.. They make things called airplanes, ever heard of them?

Whatever could this "flying" thing you speak of be?!

"I have no idea how I got here..."

[MikeLenoch5]

I like this advice, and seems logical.

I would go a different route. I wouldn't purchase a car especially a used one to take on the ring, unless I was bringing it home afterwards.

See: James Crivellone with his E30 Touring.

That is what I'm planning.

Looking into Peugeot 205 GTIs now. Anyone know if the 1.6 is a major no-no?

I've found one for about half the price of a 1.9 with relatively low kilometers. The issue is that it's 1.3 seconds slower to 60 and about 25kg heavier -- but considering I'm going to be on the most dangerous course in the world, I don't think crashing into my fiery demise any faster than I need to sounds like such a bad thing.

So that leaves out reliability -- does anyone know if the 1.6s are any less reliable than 1.9s? I'll ask on the Pug forums as well in case no one here knows, which I'm fully anticipating.

[MikeLenoch5]

There's been a slight change of plans.

Now that I've found out about the cost to ship a car back to the 'States (a.k.a. too much), I think I'm going to have to unfortunately ditch the Peugeot 205 GTI idea.

Also, (and forgive me if it sounds pretentious, but it's true) the team owner of the Rent4Ring VLN race team, Dale Lomas (who you may know as Nürburgring Dale) from whom I plan to buy a seat next year recommended I get a RWD car to train for the team's 128i when I race for them.

With that being said, the plan is to get something that is not necessarily Euro-spec, as I will sell it before I go home.

The requirements (from most important to least) now are:

1. Rear-wheel drive
2. manual transmission
3. Very reliable
4. 2,700 Euro or less
5. large enough cargo capacity for spare track four wheels and tires
6. good handling and fun-to-drive
7. fuel-efficient
8. the smaller the better
9. low-power (for safety purposes as I am a complete 'Ring noob)


I was considering an NA Miata, and I'm all for that (apart from its shifter, which I'm not a fan of), yet it doesn't have enough cargo space. I'm looking at a 316i E30 with 96k miles, which I am considering as well, but I am unfamiliar with how reliable the 316i is.

Any other recommendations?