Nürburgring officials may lift speed limit ban for auto manufacturers

By Alexander Kalogianni July 2, 2015

2015 Porsche 918 Spyder — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In case you might’ve missed the news, organizers of the famed Nürburgring track had announced they would be imposing speed limits on the 12.9-mile course, including for car manufacturers. That’s a big deal since ‘Ring times have become a significant and ubiquitous performance measurement in recent years, painting a clearer picture of what a can do beyond simply zero-to-60 acceleration.

Sources close to Road & Track say though, that automakers might get the reprieve they were hoping for.

The track is well known for including a multitude of tight bends and fast straight sections, testing a car’s power as well as its agility. Auto manufacturers use the course not only to test prototypes, but to set new benchmarks of performance.

This new level of track regulation came after the unfortunate incident back in March, when a Nissan GT-3 race car went off a section of the track during an endurance event, injuring several spectators and killing one. Track management was quick to apply speed limits to certain sections of the track which not only applied to the days in which the track is open to the public, but also when manufacturers book the entire track for timing purposes.

Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 — Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 at the 2014 Nürburgring 24 Hours Image used with permission by copyright holder

Filmmaker J.F. Musial brought this news to the forefront as he was scheduled to document the Koenigsegg One:1 hypercar’s attempt for his documentary, APEX: The Story of the Hypercar. Koenigsegg’s goal was to top the time set by rival hypercar, the Porsche 918 hybrid, a goal speed limits would make impossible.

The inside source claims that track owners and managers Capricorn Nürburgring GmbH might refine the regulations they have made, allowing the limited sections to go unrestricted for auto manufacturer activities. Still, nothing is yet official and they may still disallow lap record attempts. If they don’t, then we fans will need a new way to settle our “best car” arguments.

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Alexander Kalogianni

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…

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