On Sunday, 14 October I made my way up to and around the Nordschleife, here's a few pics.



















Sunday evening and all day Monday, I attended a driver training program from MINI through the BMW M division. When we are at breakfast, we had the pleasure to see race legend Walter Röhrl. He was doing private testing for Porsche. Here are the pictures I could get of them unloading the car in front of him.









Here are some picture of the Hotel Dorint and the MINI training, it was a blast!

 

ooOh.... Austin Healey !!! nice!
anyway Looks like fun
I like the euro plates on euro cars

 

nice shots.
hope it was as much fun as it looks.

 

I wish BMW had MINI Driver Training here in the States

 

Awesome. But I'm still glad I spent my money to go to Japan for a semester. Next summer maybe...

 

Nice photos. I'm jealous.
No helmets on-track? Their lawyers must not be a vicious as those here in the US!

 

MINI driver training on the Nordschleife??!?!? Where do we sign up?

Stateside, try out a car control clinic from the local BMWCCA. Drive what ya brung.

 

It's on the GP track not the Nordschleife. I took my own car the first day on the Nordschleife. Our training took place on the Mullenbachschleife which is located around the Schumacher S.

http://www.mini.de/de/de/driver_training/index.jsp

If you or anyone else ever want to do something like this get a group together, they need a minimum of 10, and email them at mailto:drivertraining@mini.de, they will set you up with an English speaking instructor and whichever program of instruction you want. I did the Power Pack, it was 700 euro, all inclusive-hotel, food, etc. It was worth every cent, everything was great the food, room, instructor, you name it.

If you want to go solo check that webpage for when the training is happening and reserve yourself a slot. Just let them know you speak (only) English, it's not a problem. You don't get to go round the Nordschleife, which is what you will ultimately want to do. Plan to go early or stay late to take a lap. You'll have to rent a car for that one or reserve a spot on the ring taxi.

 

BMW does run a program in the US, but they use BMW cars: http://www.bmwusa.com/bmwexperience/...Center/faq.htm

 

I would have loved to have been in that Austin-Healey for a ride around the 'Ring!

 

For 1777 Euro I'll buy you your own Jahr Karte for teh Nordscleife and ride w/you on as many laps as you can stand giving you pointers and reference points!

I'll know in a week or so if I got the follow-on assignment back to NATO Air (North) here at Ramstein again and then it's hello to another couple years of the Nurburgring and schnitzel!

 

Man, nice pics! Some people have all the fun...

The driver training course looks a whole lot like the Street Survival School that we help run here in the Dallas area for teen drivers - if you have a teen driver, you owe it to yourself and your teen to sign them up for a local event! Not only will it give them the car control skills they weren't taught in "Driver's Ed", you get a break on your insurance (assuming your carrier gives discounts for driver training programs - some kids have gotten up to 20% off their policy!!!)... The BMW Foundation does a great job on this program...