NEWS: New Qualifying Race for 2014 ADAC Nürburgring 24hr Race

Get your diary out N24 fans. This year's N24 has a brand new Qualifying Race – including more than 15 hours of action with the 24h Race teams, low ticket prices and "special highlights" for the fans, including some night lapping – all set for April 5th and 6th. 

The exciting new warm-up qualifying event gives fans a low cost, high octane access to the top N24 cars and teams – a full two months before the big race itself. See our report from last year here.
ADAC says the event offers the teams the opportunity to optimally prepare for the ADAC Zurich 24h Race in June. And they hope the new qualifying race in early April will be a hit for the crowds and race teams alike.
"Every single kilometre covered on the Nordschleife is valuable," explains Stefan Wendl, Team Manager of BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert. His team plans to contest the ADAC Zurich 24h Race with two BMWs Z4 GT3 and will make extensive use of the qualifying race. "In the off-season, BMW worked very hard on improving the car’s reliability," Wendl adds. "In the Dubai 24-Hour Race held early this year we were able to cover the entire distance without encountering any problems whatsoever. Now, we want to carry this experience over to the Nordschleife. And the 24h qualifying race is a great testing-opportunity on the way to achieving this goal."
Perhaps the most special highlight of the ADAC Qualifying Race 24h Race will be the first night qualifying session held on Saturday evening. From sunset, the teams will be testing for two and a half hours into the night. 

ADAC says: :"For the motor-racing enthusiasts, this session should be – apart from the six-hour qualifying race itself – the definite highlight of the event. For the teams, however, there is more to gain in the two qualifying sessions: here, they can secure one of 10 slots for the ADAC Zurich 24h-Race top-30-qualifying and prepare their cars even better for the main event in June as it was possible to date. "The fact that we are going to test into the night is a particularly positive aspect of the first qualifying session,” stresses Wendl. "This fact offers us the chance of attending to the lighting system and go into details while doing so. It may sound trite but if you want to be fast you first of all have to see as much of the track as possible. Therefore, the headlights are a really vital component but the opportunities to attend to them are rare." 

Meanwhile, contesting the qualifying race also is extremely attractive for the drivers. After all, newcomers and returnees can acquire the necessary Nordschleife expertise in just this one event. According to the ADAC Zurich 24h-Race regulations, you have to have competed in three VLN rounds to do so but due to the extreme long track times, an equivalent level of expertise now can be acquired in the ADAC Qualifying Race 24h Race on a single weekend.
And N24 fans can look forward to great specials and low ticket prices – with tickets from €15 (day
ticket adults, Saturday/Sunday) and €25 (weekend) respectively. And the tickets do not only include access to the GP-circuit grandstands and the paddock but also to the starting grid. In addition, it is planned to hold a big autographing sessions for the fans in the paddock. Of course, the access around the tree-lined Nordschleife is free. The ticket-price details and further details for the visitors will be published in time for the event at the event website, www.24h-rennen.de.

New to N24? Read our special issue FREE here to see why you should definitely be going to this unparalleled event! 

VIDEO: Nurburgring Backwards: It Must Be Rallye Köln-Ahrweiler!

Ask yourself… what's wrong with this picture? Did I drink too much last night, or is this all, well, very familiar, but all odd?! Answer: You're watching all the corners of the Green Hell taken at full chat, backwards! Yes, it's the super-cool Rallye Köln-Ahrweiler, which not only runs in the forests and towns of the glorious Eifel region, but includes two special stages around the Nordschleife, the wrong way around! It's a unique opportunity to do so and is one of our favourite European clubman rally events – and not just because the stages are so great and your get to go up the Foxhole. Just look at the cult classic cars involved! Get involved this year. Find out more here. It's a cracking rally…

PRODUCT: New Limited-Edition Manthey Racing Watch

Christmas is coming – so why not ask your loved ones for one of these lovely new watches from Green Hell 911 dominators, Manthey Racing? 

It's a fresh designed, limited chronograph of Manthey-Racing described as "a sporty and elegant timekeeper from the 24 h record winner team."
This is the second time the Nürburgring-based Porsche racing team has created an exclusive timekeeper with stopwatch function. And the last watch – put forward in 2011 – was sold out within a few weeks. And with only 300 units of this version being sold, expect the same again… so be quick if you want one!
Manthey say: "On the racetrack the relation between speed and time is a special one – it decides on victory or defeat at long last. Furthermore it is extremely important for the strategy, particularly in long-distance racing. Much attention was given to the esthetic design as one already imposes at first sight. A case made of brushed stainless steel, a genuine leather bracelet with in coloured ornamental stitchings as well as two engraves – the Manthey chronograph is impressive because of function as well as look."
And boss and Ring racing legend, Olaf Manthey adds: "This is where it comes full circle. On the racetrack the performance counts on the relation to timing. And only those who know how to unite
speed and reliability will have the lead at the end.”
The brushed stainless steel, mineral glass and black dial watch is capable of 10 bars underwater pressure, to 100m depth and features a high-quality CITIZEN quartz movement made in Japan. There are also four indicators for counting seconds, minutes and hours as well as the date display. And the stop function is controlled through two buttons which are upper and below the crown. While a shining mass on the indicators allows reading the time without problems in the dark. It also comes with a two year warranty and, naturally the Manthey Racing logo.
The exclusive watch comes in an exclusive present box with Manthey-Racing logo and is being sold at a price of €169, excluding shipment charges. It can be ordered via the Manthey online shop. 

NEWS: New ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24-Hour 2014 Qualifying mini-race

The 2014 ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24h-Race will feature a brand new “Little brother” for the 24h-Race – with a short qualifying race in April, described by Race Director Walter Hornung, as an “optimum testing opportunity in racing conditions but without championship pressure.”
The bold, new idea was unveiled today along with the news there will be several practice sessions (some in evening hours) on the original 24-hour race track, Nürburgring Nordschleife & GP Circuits. 

The new format offers the media and the motor-racing enthusiasts the chance of getting a first overview of the top-class field of the 24h-Race that will be contested in June.

From the function test at the Grand Prix circuit through the practice sessions held at the Nordschleife up to the evening hours to the two-hour qualifying session and a six-hour race in the Green Hell on Sunday, the new event format provides anything helping the teams preparing for the main event held on the Corpus Christi weekend.

Naturally, the new qualifying format will make the fight for the top 30 qualifying ranking places – and the flashing strobe lights that go with that accolade – more fierce than ever.
“To make sure that the teams will be able to complete as many laps as possible even in the case of technical problems or minor accidents, we will interrupt the practice sessions by short breaks that will be used to tow damaged cars back to the paddock,” adds Hornung. “And they also can practice driving in the dark, on this weekend – a move underlining our efforts to increase the safety for the 24h-Race competitors.” 

“This also might increase the motivation for teams from abroad with limited Nordschleife experience to regard the qualifying race as a must. After all, having contested the evening practice session and two stints in the six-hour qualifying race will result in the permission to contest the 24h-Race even for drivers who have got a lot of motor-racing experience under their belts – but not so when it comes to racing at the Nordschleife," a spokesman added.

VIDEO: Awesome Falken Tyres Nürburgring 24-Hour Movie

Our pals at Falken Tyres were great hosts for us at the 2013 41st ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24-Hours, and led the race in their Porsche 911 GT3 R for a while this year – their 14th ever N24 event. Set aside half an hour to watch this superbly produced video of the event. And read the full behind-the-scenes story in our FREE N24 special of Road Magazine here.

NEWS: Manthey Racing 911 GT3 RSR Legend Limited Edition Model

Are you a Manthey Racing 911 GT3 RSR N24 fan but can't stretch to the real thing? Why not collect this ace, deadly accurate endurance racing model of the legendary 2011 Manthey Racing GT3 RSR – record-holding multiple N24 winner. 

The car that ran to victory that year – making history with five N24 wins in six years – was driven by Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Lucas Luhr, aka the 'Manthey dream team.' They drove a blinder and won the 39th edition of the endurance classic in the now iconic yellow-green Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Team Principal and Green Hell legend, Olaf Manthey recalls the special value of that historic success: "That victory is particularly valuable for me because we made it against so many strong competitors as never before!" 

To celebrate that special victory, Manthey has launched a 1:43 scale limited-edition model of just 500 die-cast models (of which only 450 will go on sale). And it's really rather cool – with the car on the left being what it looked like at the start of the race (all shiny and new) and the car on the right being post-24-Hr-race (all battle-scarred, dirty and on different rims). And there's all the facts and figures from the race printed on the base and display case. Nice work!

You can purchase the limited edition model on the newly created web site – www.manthey-shop.de – for €189. 

And see more images of the model on our Facebook page – and read all about their 2013 N24 campaign in the next issue of Road Magazine, out very soon.

NEWS: N24 2013: An Historic Event

The 2013 ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24-Hour was as thrilling as ever this year and most unusual – thanks to a forced 9.5-hour break between 11pm and 8am, caused by unreal levels of rainfall, spray and fog making the track unsafe. The event heralded a historic, dominant wet weather performance by the thunderous Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s, with the Black Falcon overall winner and the Rowe Racing cars finishing third and fourth. The amazingly quick and consistent BMW Sport Trophy Team Z4 GT3 came second. No Audi. No Manthey. No 911. Weird! And the Prodrive-built Aston Martin GT3 (#007!) which was so dominant in the dry faded to 10th. It really was a tale of two halves in the two separated sections of the world's best endurance race – one seven hours, mainly dry, then one nine hours, mainly wet.
The highly experienced N24 regulars, Black Falcon and the AMG GT3 Mercedes-Benz SLS (one of seven in the event) secured their first overall win in the 24-Hours of Nürburgring, with Bernd Schneider (Germany), Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Sean Edwards (GB) and Nicki Thiim (Denmark) driving from sixth position on the grid to finish the legendary endurance race 2:39 minutes ahead of the second placed car after 88 laps.
Record-breaking five-time DTM champion Bernd Schneider had a largely trouble-free race in the SLS AMG GT3 Black Falcon – after an excursion off track on Monday morning ended without drama. The victory was rounded off by positions three and four for Rowe Racing, with Thomas Jäger a double entrant, taking the cockpit in two SLS AMG GT3s prepared by Rowe! Hardcore! In Gullwing #22, the former DTM driver, along with Klaus Graf, Jan Seyffarth and Nico Bastian (all Germany), came home in third place overall. Jäger, at the wheel of car number 23, aided by team-mates Lance David Arnold, Alexander Roloff and Jan Seyffarth (all Germany), finally took the chequered flag in fourth place.
Alexander Böhm, Black Falcon General Manager: "The ultra-reliable SLS AMG GT3 was once again the cornerstone for this historic victory. All the drivers did a great job – we were really fast, especially in the wet. A big thank you to all team members!"
Hans-Peter Naundorf, Rowe Racing Team Manager said: "I am extremely pleased with securing P3 and P4 with #22 and #23, especially as we were forced to retire last year while in the lead. My thanks go to all drivers and team members. Congratulations to the winning team, Black Falcon."
Uli Fritz, Head of AMG Customer Sports, commented: "We were not among the favourites to win, as we are not a works team but simply a customer outfit. We are very excited about this historic success. So far in 2013, we have won every major endurance race with the SLS AMG GT3 – in January, the Dubai (UAE) 24-hour race, in February, the Bathurst 12-Hours (Australia) and now the legendary 24- hour race here at the Nürburgring. My congratulations go to all AMG customer teams, and many thanks to tyre partner Dunlop for the excellent manner in which they have supported our team."
And Ola Kaellenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH said: "A great success for our customer teams Black Falcon and Rowe Racing. I am very pleased that we have succeeded at only the third attempt in taking the top spot in the SLS AMG GT3. This victory is the best confirmation of our customer sports programme."
Meanwhile, Toto Wolff, Head of Motorsport at Mercedes-Benz added: "This victory in the 24- hour race at the Nürburgring is the just reward for the loyalty of our customer teams. Mercedes-Benz has a magnificent tradition in endurance racing that stretches back as far as the 1950s. The Nürburgring has always had a great importance and symbolic meaning for Mercedes-Benz, because this is where the legend of the Silver Arrow was born, so it is all the more gratifying to witness the success here today of the AMG customer teams. The Mercedes-Benz name stands for performance, quality and reliability – which are the perfect prerequisites for winning such a tough race on the most demanding racetrack in the world. I extend my congratulations to our customer teams, Black Falcon and Rowe. Credit is also due to Mercedes-AMG for their outstanding support without which this success could not have been achieved."
Driver Bernd Schneider of Black Falcon, # 9 said: "Our car was super to drive, especially in the wet, and even while the surface was drying out, we were always up with the leading group. I’ve attempted the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring on several previous occasions, but this is the first time I’ve ever crossed the finish line. My congratulations and thanks go to the whole team. The guys at Black Falcon did a great job."
Thomas Jäger, Rowe Racing # 22 added: "Once again, we have seen what a fabulous car the SLS AMG GT3 is to drive, even under these very difficult conditions here at the Nürburgring. Our third and fourth place finishes represent a great team result for us, and obviously I’m delighted for the guys at Black Falcon on their historic victory."
And Lance David Arnold, of Rowe # 23 said: "I’m very pleased that I was able to finish fourth on my very first outing for the AMG customer team ROWE RACING. This was very tough race, not least because of the heavy rain and the constantly changing conditions. I’d like to express my gratitude and congratulations to the whole team."
And we'd like to thank them for the amazing V8 burble and pace they showed in the epic race. The SLS contingent were a joy to watch and have really aded something special to this unique racing event.

HISTORY

Without doubt, this year's N24 top news story – apart from the glam of 007 Daniel Craig turning up to pilot a DB5 in the 100 Aston Martin parade prior to the race – had to be the Aston Martin Rapide S, powered by Hybrid Hydrogen.

The car, built by Aston Martin Racing in conjunction with Alset Global (a technical partnership made in heaven, which can not be underestimated for the future of motor racing/performance cars) and driven by Dr Ulrich Bez (AM CEO) became the first hydrogen-powered car to compete in, and to undertake zero CO2 emissions laps of, an international motor race.
Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez said: "We have exceeded our already very ambitious target of completing a full lap of the Nürburgring on hydrogen." 

Aston Martin partnered with Alset Global on the project to showcase its commitment to engineering innovation in its centenary year and should be applauded for doing this at the N24, not in a road car, lapping around the M25. Bravo!
The no. 100 Aston Martin Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S was the sole entry within a special E1-XP2 classification. The Hybrid Hydrogen system, comprising a hydrogen fuel supply system, tank and proprietary engine management system, ran faultlessly throughout, demonstrating the reliability and durability of the technology which could be on a series production vehicle within a couple of years. In the race, the car reached top speeds of around 160 mph / 255 kph on pure hydrogen, producing zero emissions.
"This is a historic day for two reasons: besides being the first hydrogen-powered race car to compete and undertake zero CO2 emissions laps, it has showcased the most practical technology available to fundamentally, and within a very short period of time, address the challenge of global emissions, without disrupting the automotive industry," said Jose Ignacio Galindo, CEO and founder of Austria-based Alset Global.
The hydrogen was supplied by Alset Global’s partner, Linde, via its TrailH2-gas mobile refuelling truck. Hydrogen was stored at 350 bar and a full refill was reduced to just 30 seconds per pitstop by the end of the race. 

Road Magazine is about to publish an N24 special and we have all the news on this momentous moment from Aston Martin and Alset, with exclusive interviews and comments from everyone involved, as well as lots of scoops on the rest of the event itself and a behind the scenes with the Team Falken Motorsport's GT3 R. Stay tuned for more and see some sneak preview images at our Facebook page of the best, maddest race on the planet. 

NEWS: Aston Martin Rapide S Hydrogen Hybrid History @ ADAC Nürburgring 24-Hour

Aston Martin Racing are all set to make history at the 41st Nurburging 24-Hours this weekend – racing their ground-breaking hybrid Hydrogen Aston Martin Rapide S V12 twin turbo, developed in partnership with Hydrogen experts, Alset Global. And they will also be racing in a international championship-winning V12 Vantage GT3 and a close-to-production specification V12 Vantage as well as the record-breaking Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S.
When the HH Rapide S races on Sunday in the N24, Aston Martin’s new four-door, four-seat sports car will become the first hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international event as well as the first zero CO₂ emissions sports car to complete a race pace lap at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. The car will compete in an experimental class (E1-XP) having passed rigorous technical and safety assessments by the German motorsport authority the DMSB to be granted approval to race.
It will be able to complete full laps with zero CO₂ emissions and will be refuelled after each stint with 3.5kg of hydrogen as well as gasoline.
Working in partnership with hydrogen experts Alset Global, Aston Martin’s engineers have developed a prototype twin turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 engine that powers the incredible Nürburgring car.
Capable of running on pure gasoline, pure gaseous hydrogen, or a blend of both, the Hybrid Hydrogen race car showcases Aston Martin’s commitment to engineering innovation. In pure hydrogen mode the car emits virtually only water from the exhaust.
The Hybrid Hydrogen system comprises a hydrogen fuel rail, storage tanks and proprietary engine management system. Safety is paramount and the system includes four ultra-high strength carbon fibre tanks holding a total of 3.5kg of hydrogen stored at a pressure of 350bar.
And we have been invited to follow all three Aston Martins at the world's greatest race! Happy days! We will be bringing you the amazing Aston's story home from the Eifel in a forthcoming special of Road Magazine, also featuring many cool cars from the 2013 N24.
The Aston Martin Rapide S – with technology developed with Alset Global – has already set a record as the world's first hydrogen-fuelled zero CO₂ emission lap of the 24 km Nordschleife. The lap was completed on Saturday 27th April with Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez at the wheel of the prototype Aston Martin Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S. That was a perfect test run ahead of a formal record-breaking attempt at the ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring (N24).


Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez, will be one of four drivers behind the wheel of the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S in the 24-hour race. He said: "The prospect of making history at the Nürburgring 24 Hours with the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S in this, our centenary year, is a great thing for Aston Martin. Alongside our partners Alset Global, we have worked incredibly hard to prove out this exciting engineering and I’m looking forward to taking the wheel of the race car at the Nürburgring on Sunday.

"I am incredibly proud of the Aston Martin team, and our partners Alset Global. We have written a little motorsport history with this qualifying lap as well as finishing the four-hour race on hydrogen and, of course, it bodes extremely well for our participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in three weeks’ time.
"To have run full laps on hydrogen gas alone during the four-hour event is an exceptional ‘first’, and I now hope that we can stabilise the system and further improve the Rapide S so we can complete the 24-hour race on May 19 with many zero emission laps."

The Aston Martin Racing team are aiming for numerous zero emission laps – in addition for their P1 class aims for their outstanding GT3 petrol V12 beast (pictured below) and a V12 Vantage which is as close to production specification as possible.

The third car in the line up is a V12 Vantage in close-to-production specification, modified to satisfy the N24 regulations. David King, Director of Special Projects and Motorsport at Aston Martin, explains: “It’s important to us that we don’t only show what we can do with pioneering technologies and race car development, but that we showcase the ability that our road cars have to deal with the demanding and gruelling challenges that the Nordschleife can create.”


To make life even more special for Aston Martin fans, leading up to the main event the Aston Martin Centenary Parade – a lap of the Nordschleife with 100 VIP and customer cars – will take place to celebrate 100 years of Aston Martin and to offer customers the chance to share in the Nürburgring experience that is so close to the brand.

Aston Martin will compete in the ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours on May 19-20 for the eighth successive year with the goal of maintaining its 100% finishing record. More than 200 cars will start the 24-hour race, which runs on the daunting 22 km circuit that combines the legendary Nordschleife with the modern Grand Prix track.

Bravo to Aston Martin & Alset Global. Can't wait to witness history with you firsthand this weekend...
See more images of the cars here on Facebook.

VIDEO: Falken Motorsports Wet Nurburgring Nordschleife Lap

We're off to the best race of the year, the epic Nurburgring 24-Hour in less than two weeks time now. And one team we will be paying very close attention to (bringing you the inside story) is the slick, experienced (and now armed with a brand new Porsche 911 GT3 R) Falken Motorsport's team. Always competitive and always wrapped in the outstanding blue & green Falken livery (not to mention the pit girls, see below), it's one to watch for the 2013 N24, as this wet lap in the VLN clearly shows, with ace Scottish racer, Peter Dumbreck at the helm. Lightning fast, stable and deeply impressive! Check it out! Naturally, we will be keeping you up to date on the race via our Facebook page & Twitter feed, here on the blog and with a special N24 issue of Road Magazine out in late May: Our homage to one of the greatest races ever... You going? Who's your top to win this year? Porsche? Audi? BMW?

NEWS: Sabine Schmitz Joins Forces With Ron Simons Racing

Two of our greatest Green Hell buddies – Ron Simons and Sabine Schmitz – have (finally!) joined forces, offering yet another string to the fabulous RSRNurburg and RSRSpa track experience bow. 

"Ring queen" Sabine will now be on hand (most days of the week!) to offer her infamous 'hot taxi laps' around the world's greatest circuits – Spa-Francorchamps and Nurburgring Nordschleife – in the superb, eclectic mix of RSR track hire cars. Quite a heady combination, I can tell you – having sampled both over the years. Certainly a memory of a lifetime.   

For those who do not know, RSRNurburg (run by dude ex-racer, Ron Simons) have built a reputation of excellence over the past 15 years at the famous Nurburgring for driver training, instruction, track car rentals, corporate events and Road Tours. And Sabine Schmitz has raced the world over, but her true passion belongs at the Nurburgring where without doubt, she is most recognizable figure at the Green Hell, and Spa. 

The fabulous Sabine Schmitz said: "I am really thrilled to be able to work with RSR. Their huge fleet of modern cars and wide range of services makes sense for us to create a partnership. We were looking for a reliable and reputable company to help service our clients...it only takes a small glance at RSR’s testimonials to know we are in capable hands.

"The goal is to extend the available offerings, and RSR enables us to do this. Taxi Laps at Spa are really great, throwing the car around on this Formula track is just a joy, I can push so hard!” And in closing, “I am pleased to have formed this partnership. RSR are a professional company that have built a successful business on a reputation of excellence that is known and respected worldwide. Bringing their cars, expertise, various driving & instruction services and programs into our packages will open up new opportunities for our customers from around the world. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with them."
And the ace Ron Simmons added: "We are extremely excited to partner with Sabine. I have followed her career over the years, we have worked together in the past and now we cement this with a formal partnership to continue our combined success” Ron goes on to explain; “This partnership gives our existing customer base another range of options to choose from and now we have the quickest female racer in the world, certainly a force to be reckoned with on track!."
Find out more about how you get involved with these two lovely, experienced, fabulous track people and the RSR experiences at: www.RSRNurburg.com and www.RSRSpa.com.

A marriage made in heaven... or should we say (green) hell!  

NEWS: Kumho Success in VLN Championship

Tyre manufacturer, Kumho has already achieved numerous class wins in Germany’s popular Nürburgring-based, amazing VLN series this year – including a first ever top 10 finish in the opening round of the 2013 season (April 13), courtesy of twins Dennis and Marc Busch, driving an Audi R8 LMS Ultra (pictured).
Kumho say: "The result was particularly memorable as, having been troubled by a loose splitter in qualifying, the team occupied a lowly 40th place on the starting grid. However, a trouble-free run in the race allowed them to climb an impressive 32 places to finish a fine 8^th overall. This was the first time the well-known Busch pairing have shod their Audi with Kumho tyres. They acquired and raced the LMS last year, but this season decided to upgrade the machine to ‘Ultra’ specification and switch tyre brands, the combination of which clearly has great potential."
And Kumho’s European Motorsport Manager Steve Thompson added: "These are serious motor races, and this first round comprised no fewer than 500 drivers from 30 nations doing battle round the incomparable 24.6 kilometre-long circuit for four hours. As ever it was a great test of man and machine and we were delighted with the performance achieved by our tyres, and very much look forward to the remaining rounds of the championship."
This all bodes well for cars carrying Kumho for the forthcoming ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24-Hour.
For further information on Kumho and both its road and competition tyres, logo onto www.kumhotyre.co.uk.

VIDEO: 2013 ADAC Zurich 24h-Rennen Preview Film. Watch now!

MAG: Nürburgring Special No.2

Open publication - Free publishing - More autos

Get yourself in the mood for the 2013 Nürburgring season of madness with our second, classic Green Hell issue of Road. And see what's on out at the world's most incredible track here.

MAG: Nürburgring Special No.1

Open publication - Free publishing - More top gear

One of our most popular and talked about early issues of Road Magazine was this first Green Hell special. Check it out... and do share it with your Nürburgring mates – novices, or pros. And find out what's on out there here.

NEWS: Destination Nürburgring April Private Track Event

Destination Nürburgring (DN) has opened bookings for their first Nordschleife private track event of the year on April 2nd and 3rd, priced at £749 for both days. But be quick, as places on the event are set to sell out fast, with a real shortage of quality TDO's offering Green Hell events this year.
And as if you needed much more encouragement, Road and Ring super snapper pal, Jochen from Frozenspeed will be providing free photographs!
Darren Langeveld who runs DN said: "I've noticed a growing trend of third parties offering Nürburgring track days, with one UK based website in particular seemingly 'passing off' other operators events as their own. 'Passing Off' is an offence under UK Trading Standards laws. Destination Nürburgring are currently the only UK based track day operator at the Nürburgring, we're ATDO members, fully insured - and when you book with us you book with confidence. We're also the UK's biggest Nürburgring events organiser, whichever way you care to measure it. Of course - you're free to spend your money with whomever you please, but the risk in using some of these 'third party' sites is you may not know with whom you ultimately end up sharing track space. 'Buyer beware' - take it from my first hand experience, not all track day operators have the same stringent safety requirements we do!"
Find out more or book on their website. Pretty tempting stuff!

VIDEO: Z Cars GM V8 Supercar Test @ Nurburgring With Tim Schrick. Get Involved!

Our amazing pals at Z Cars have gone and done something rather special. We've been lucky enough to know about this project for many months now, since it was just an idea on paper, then a chassis in development and now it's an R&D 'mule.' And it's special. Really special.

We still can't tell you much (as mum's the word for now), other than it's being built under the terms of a special projects supply from General Motors. But we can show you how unbelievably quick it is in this video of our good pal Tim Schrick (who we put up for the test via Royle Media) putting it through some suspension R&D at the Nurburgring in Autumn 2012. Just watch how fast its going at the end of the lap, after Tim gets into it, not to mention making mincemeat out of two BAC Mono's at the four minute mark! Jees! 

The weapon of a car is going to be a gorgeous, top-spec, bonkers fast V8 mid-engine, street-legal supercar – and Z Cars are looking for a customer to become part of the program. The package includes the lucky customer getting the first finished car and meantime, being invited to test sessions and press events. It's a once in a lifetime experience for 2013. All serious enquiries should go via the Z Cars offices by calling +44 (0)-1964-527725. Fancy it? We do! 

Oh, and here's what it looks like with bodywork on too... lush! 

More details here on the blog, and @Roadmagazine and @Roylemedia on Twitter soon... 

VIDEO: Bilstein Audi R8 Ring Racer

Fantastic film by top suspension gurus, Bilstein (a name synonymous with the Nurburgring Nordschleife) and one of the best looking, fastest, coolest race cars in the VLN Championship and ADAC 24-Hour, the Bilstein Audi R8. Love it!

VIDEO: Porsche 918 Spyder on the Nurburgring

Road & Track look at the Porsche 918 Spyder, testing on the Nordschleife. The mid-mounted 4.6 litre V8 produces 580bhp – which is more than the RS Spyder LMP2 race car it's based on – and the lithium-ion battery feeds 200 kW of power to the electric motor driving the front wheels. All of this resulted in a 7m14s lap... which is good, but in the light of the 2013 Nissan GT-R time of 7:18.6, is it quick enough?

VIDEO: 24h-Rennen 2012 Nürburgring Tim Schrick: Scirocco TDI vs Porsche 911

Question: Is a Porsche 911 faster than a gas-powered VW Scirocco on the Nürburgring?
Answer: Not if Road pal, Tim Schrick is driving the Scirocco.
This is footage from the Nürburgring 24-Hr 2012. Hilarious.
The pass is inevitable... and perfect, when it comes... go Tim!

VIDEO: Sabine Schmitz & Klaus Abbelen 2012 Frikadelli Racing VLN Highlights

The best of Sabine Schmitz and Klaus Abbelen racing on the Green Hell this year in the VLN in their awesome Frikadelli Racing RSR. Awesome! Want to know how to race the Ring? Watch and learn... and enjoy the sound of this bonkers fast, incredible sounding, amazingly driven hardcore 911 racer in action. Some incredible pasess to relish...  and just look at the telemetry too! Utterly insane, and we love it! Like them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frikadelli-Racing-Official-Fanpage/160145224008529?fref=ts