Our spies have put together a unique collection of shots of prototypes catching some serious air on a certain stretch of the Nürburgring. Every enthusiast knows that the Nürburgring demands a driver’s respect and full attention, but for us, these latest shots put that fact into an entirely new perspective.
Nicknamed “The Green Hell”, the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife has been called “The greatest, and most challenging race circuit in the world” by none other than Jackie Stewart.
The ‘Ring wrings out every strength and shortcoming to be found in a car’s platform. The nuances of a car’s body control and overall vehicle dynamics are laid bare by the “Northern Loop’s” 33 left turns and 40 right turns, many of which are multi-stage corners that bring the grand total of about 100 corners over 20.8 torturous kilometers.
But as our latest collection of spy shots from the ‘Ring show, the corners aren’t the only challenges to the brave ‘Ring pilots. Test cars regularly go airborne at triple-digit speeds, to really crank up the Nürburgring’s “Pucker Factor”.
Take flight
In the course of a week at the ‘Ring, spies snapped a wide array test vehicles taking flight. With its rear wheels still well off the ground, the front wheels of a beefy prototype for the wide-bodied Mercedes SL Black touch down and go up in smoke like a landing 747.
A lightweight Renault catches big air, but it’s flight is almost eclipsed by a porky prototype for the next-gen BMW 7-series.
Another BMW–the upcoming X6 Sport Activity “Coupe” launches repeatedly, but it’s overshadowed by the incongruity of an ungainly VW Eurovan that sails by with all four tires touching nothing but air.
10/30, 11:02 AM
posted by:
Rotman
It takes a lot of courage to do this in a French car.
10/30, 11:09 AM
posted by:
injunraiv
Hell, I’ve caught air bigger than those pix on my Gran Turisimo IV…
10/30, 11:15 AM
posted by:
mujician
I caut a hell of a lot more air in my cougar, granted I has going over 90 over an overpass.
10/30, 11:18 AM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
hey did anybody watch top gear last nite? i missed the end but it was about roadkill, camaro`s, cadillac deville`s and dodge trucks. they were cruising around south looking for roadkill to cook, 2 guys found a squirrell and were wondering where jeremy was, then he comes with a dead horse strapped to the roof of his camaro. it was a total crackup, then my girl started whining about the show and i went home……did they eat the horse?
10/30, 11:23 AM
posted by:
Jazz
no it was a dead cow. Jame refused to eat it outright. NOt sure if they really ate it though. Jeremy had dead foul smelling cow juice in the Camaro the next day. Hilarious.
10/30, 11:23 AM
posted by:
Jazz
*James
10/30, 11:36 AM
posted by:
atourya
I, unwillingly, caught air once. Luckily it wasn’t in a RWD car.
10/30, 11:38 AM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
thanks jazz. women just dont understand men and their car shows.
10/30, 12:49 PM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Wait, this isn’t about GM? What happened to the LLN-GM conspiracy?
10/30, 12:57 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
ca36gtp especially when the advertisement across the top today is for a nissan maxima
10/30, 1:14 PM
posted by:
jamaicandude
lol @ CTS and Jazz. Top Gear is hilarious. The new season has already started in the UK. Been watching them on Satellite tv… the 3rd episode was on last weekend, but the 2nd was the best… the redid their amphibious cars from season 2 and tried to cross the English Channel to France. James and Richard’s cars both sank, but Jeremy’s made it. Great stuff. You may be able to find ‘em on YouTube.
Oh, and these ‘Ring photos are cool too.
10/30, 2:06 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
Damn that rear wheel on the Benz coupe is ****ing wide as hell.
10/30, 2:11 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
i am looking that up today jamaciandude, that sounds halarious
10/30, 2:24 PM
posted by:
injunraiv
CA36GTP – you didn’t notice the significant lack of Al Gore coverage as well?
10/30, 5:39 PM
posted by:
global_lightning
I can see catching air in a sports car, but in a VW bus??? I bet that thing shook like jello when it bellyflopped.
10/31, 12:26 AM
posted by:
sharpie
Wiggle!
11/03, 12:10 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
rav: my ps2 is busted.
What i liked to do was get a hatchback and go to laguna seca against vipers and the like, turn around the wrong way and go heads-up with them at the corkscrew.
Wouldn’t do thart in real life, though.