Hire cars on the Ring?
Discussion
Hopefully myself and some other e30 owning friends (about 30 of us) will be making the pilgrimage to the Ring next year.
I dont really want to take my car on track, as I dont think it could take the pounding - so what are the legalities of hiring a car, then taking that on track instead?
The plan would be drive there in the E30, pick up a hire car in a nearby town, thrash it, then take it back.
Something RWD and reasonably tasty would be nice.
Has anyone done this?
I dont really want to take my car on track, as I dont think it could take the pounding - so what are the legalities of hiring a car, then taking that on track instead?
The plan would be drive there in the E30, pick up a hire car in a nearby town, thrash it, then take it back.
Something RWD and reasonably tasty would be nice.
Has anyone done this?
Realise I didn't address your question about legalities etc. On a public day, arguably it's a public road. On a closed day (as the 996 situation was) I guess you'd have big big problems if you came to grief.
Personally, whatever the legalities, I couldn't bring myself to do this. You have to put yourself in the position of the hire company - if someone did that to one of your cars, you'd be pretty pi..ed off.
You still have to smile when your hear these sort of stories from others though.
Personally, whatever the legalities, I couldn't bring myself to do this. You have to put yourself in the position of the hire company - if someone did that to one of your cars, you'd be pretty pi..ed off.
You still have to smile when your hear these sort of stories from others though.
It's a public road so as a general rule you can take a hire car onto it. If it's obviously a hire car the marshalls will probably wag their fingers at you but are unlikely to stop you. But make sure you examine the insurance conditions carefully (or use your own insurance) to ensure that the 'ring isn't excluded - a lot of the hire companies around that region specifically exclude it.
When I went a little while ago we hired an Alfa GT from Europcar.de - picked it up from Cologne Airport which is pretty much en route.
A quick car-wash later and a full weekend of thraping was almost unnoticeable, apart from 'compromised' tyres and brakes
Fortunately there wasn't too much branding on it and no-one batted an eye lid at the Rong (apart from one interfering c**k-jockey to whom it didn't seem to have occured that I might have read the agreement first).
Main thing - check the small print. If you get really jittery then tell them when you book, then they really can't moan. I would think you'd only be able to do it on a public day however..
>> Edited by stumartin on Wednesday 6th October 16:24
A quick car-wash later and a full weekend of thraping was almost unnoticeable, apart from 'compromised' tyres and brakes
Fortunately there wasn't too much branding on it and no-one batted an eye lid at the Rong (apart from one interfering c**k-jockey to whom it didn't seem to have occured that I might have read the agreement first).
Main thing - check the small print. If you get really jittery then tell them when you book, then they really can't moan. I would think you'd only be able to do it on a public day however..
>> Edited by stumartin on Wednesday 6th October 16:24
i think you'll find every hire co for 100miles has a disclaimer!
airport would be best, less likely to think of the ring...more corporate etc.
there was a guy on here a while back who took a hired TT round, well some of the way!
put it into the kitty litter after running down a couple armco sections
never found out how it panned out...it went all quiet. but VERY expensive i'll bet!
airport would be best, less likely to think of the ring...more corporate etc.
there was a guy on here a while back who took a hired TT round, well some of the way!
put it into the kitty litter after running down a couple armco sections
never found out how it panned out...it went all quiet. but VERY expensive i'll bet!
I went out with a bunch of friends a few months ago and rented some cars from Avis at Niederrhrein airport (not too close to the track 
but not too far and easy to get to with Ryanair). I'd hoped to get Focuses or Golfs as many of the participants were Ring newbs. We ended up with Merc A Classes which were a source of initial disappointment, but with a wet circuit their huge amount of electronic gizmology made them almost impossible to go wrong in.
The most comprehensive insurance we could get still left a £500 excess, so it was agreed in adavance that if someone crashed we'd split the excess between the lot of us and call it a day. Fortunately no one did and we had a great time thrashing the nuts off the cars for a couple of days.
Having been diddled a number of times in the past by hire car companies I have absolutely no stain on my conscience when the cars went back. 'Ave some and like it, you crooks!
but not too far and easy to get to with Ryanair). I'd hoped to get Focuses or Golfs as many of the participants were Ring newbs. We ended up with Merc A Classes which were a source of initial disappointment, but with a wet circuit their huge amount of electronic gizmology made them almost impossible to go wrong in. The most comprehensive insurance we could get still left a £500 excess, so it was agreed in adavance that if someone crashed we'd split the excess between the lot of us and call it a day. Fortunately no one did and we had a great time thrashing the nuts off the cars for a couple of days.
Having been diddled a number of times in the past by hire car companies I have absolutely no stain on my conscience when the cars went back. 'Ave some and like it, you crooks!
Guillotine said:
i think you'll find every hire co for 100miles has a disclaimer!
airport would be best, less likely to think of the ring...more corporate etc.
there was a guy on here a while back who took a hired TT round, well some of the way!
put it into the kitty litter after running down a couple armco sections
never found out how it panned out...it went all quiet. but VERY expensive i'll bet!
It cost 800 Euros!
And it made it the whole way round the lap, just you needed a calander to measure the lap time!!
Once we dragged it out of the kitty litter, I carried on driving it for the rest of the weekend, just had some explaining to do at the rental firm.
I didnt damage the Armco, so not too expensive and no charges for track closure
It was the front wheel drive version and on reflection trying to get round Schwedenkreuz at 200kph in the wet was a little silly i feel.
If you look at pikey.net there is a video as he was sat in with me at the time. Strangly though he has never taken up the offer since
The Ring is no harder on a car than any other piece of tarmac. Just make sure the car is in good order and enjoy it. I have an E30 318iS which I have thrashed (when warm!) in far more severe conditions than you will find at the Ring, apart from eventual brake fade there are no problems. You shouldn't even get brake fade at the Ring.
I hired a Passat 1.6 :0 a few years ago and thrashed it round and round. I felt bad returning it to the hire company until the rental company employee who took it from me did a max revs wheel-spinning getaway!
Shane
I hired a Passat 1.6 :0 a few years ago and thrashed it round and round. I felt bad returning it to the hire company until the rental company employee who took it from me did a max revs wheel-spinning getaway!
Shane
Kawasicki said:
You shouldn't even get brake fade at the Ring.
I disagree the Ring can be very harsh on brakes, especially if you try and do 2 laps in quick succession.
Having had my hire car cancelled due to it being smashed up prior to picking up, I was left with an Audi 1.9TDi Estate, having completed 15 laps, with no doubles, Breidscheid suddenly became a tad scary with no brakes! Ok a tad of an exaggeration but it felt like no brakes. The fade was quite severe, and was enough to scupper any further Ringing!!
Still with less than 1000km on the clock I felt proud to have killed the first set of pads
I've heard of some American chaps doing this with hire cars every year.
They get a BM 3/5 series, take it to a local garage and slap on sports suspension (that they've already bought).
Rag it round der ring, then go back to the garage, swap the suspension back and return the car!
This has worked quite a few times i gather, but the last time, the hire company complained about the tyres and brakes, and slapped a huge bill on the credit card. The racers tried to blame it on "hard Alpine roads" and it was in the hands of their lawyers!
They get a BM 3/5 series, take it to a local garage and slap on sports suspension (that they've already bought).
Rag it round der ring, then go back to the garage, swap the suspension back and return the car!
This has worked quite a few times i gather, but the last time, the hire company complained about the tyres and brakes, and slapped a huge bill on the credit card. The racers tried to blame it on "hard Alpine roads" and it was in the hands of their lawyers!
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