Look What I’ve Just Bought

After months of uncertainty, the world’s most famous circuit, the Nürburgring, finally has a new owner. In a press announcement on Tuesday, it was declared that the beleaguered track complex has been sold to the German automotive firm, Capricorn Group, for a figure totalling over €100 million. Just days ago, it looked certain that the American HIG Group would take ownership but the winning bid was apparently received with mere minutes left to go in the process. 

The 2013 running of the Nürburgring 24 hours, May 16-21

Business talk aside, Capricorn have announced that they want to keep the track open for public use, which is really the news that all us petrolheads wanted to hear. Changes are already being planned, including relocating the ill-fated ring°racer rollercoaster and dropping the ring°card (the cashless card system you have to use at the circuit to buy laps, food and drink). Hmmm, I wonder how much my collection of ring°cards will be worth in ten years’ time?

Round 6 of the 2010 World GT1 Championship at the Nürburgring circuit, Germany, 27-29 August 2010

For visitors, it means things will continue as normal for the year of 2014, which is already fully booked, and then ownership will transfer at the beginning of 2015. With the circuit back in the hands of automotive enthusiasts rather than pure businessmen, this can only be a good thing. The world’s most dangerous, yet amazing track remains open and if you’ve not already crossed this automotive bucket-list item off your list, there’s now no reason not to get out there and jump on circuit!

Suzy Wallace
Instagram: speedhunters_suzy
suzy@speedhunters.com

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1

An awesome place, lets hope its not commercialsed too much, thinking parking and viewing areas that are currently free being cashed in on (I guarentee that if this was in the UK that would have happened years ago)
It is great news though, I just wonder how they are going to get round the tourist ticket issues with insurance for the ring owner, as is ie a public road, its not an issue. Fingers crossed things will carry one and I'l be able to head over again in the future.
oh and if your interested my trip to the green hell-
http://www.thepetrolstop.com/2013/04/the-nurburgring-trip-part-1-getting.html

2

Hopefully this is good news, and the track will be run properly from now on (and not just because I'm going back there in May !)

3

I have a legit reason why I cant get out there and jump on it, my car and I live on the other side of the planet, makes it a very expensive proposition

4
boost me till i burst

Id love to go and nearly mad a plan with a cousin to go on our motorbikes but then watched crash videos on You tube. It made me feel sick,

5

Philmanktelow You only have half a legit reason, then :) Leave your car at home and rent one there !

6

eefy Considering a metallic fence costs about 100€ each meter, this would be a 2 million € fence and this doesn't count the people to pay at the many entrances + maintaining costs of the fence. Leaving spectator access free is probably cheaper :)

7

Great news and just buys me a bit more time to get to the ring one day. Really happy to see it stay in German hands.

8

Wonderful news.
Now I need to get myself on a plane to go have a lap or two

10

Damnit! I wanted to prove to Jeremy Clarkson that we, Americans, had found a map, looked inside it and found a place in the country of Gerr-many, called the Nurburgring. We did all of this because we now own it! That's what I wanted to say, but now these are all empty words. Oh well, a man can dream.

11

one day ill make the pilgrimage to the holy ground

12

Wildcardfox  Aren't you guys building an exact replica somewhere in the Nevada desert? With all the elevations and corners exactly the same... One big difference though, it will always stay dry (not a good thing for some enthusiasts)

13

Yah, http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1074010_nurburgring-race-track-may-get-las-vegas-twin
But it's still in the planning phase. Lets see if it gets approved. Shruggs. Would be cool. I'm west coast, so almost all of our tracks are dry because they are all in the desert. The enthusiasts are used to that though, and we make do.

14
a_fire_inside2k1

yup, on list of things to do this year. Green Hell here i come!

15

Thank GOD.

16

Thank GOD.

Author17

boost me till i burst  Yeah, I'd be very dubious about doing it on a bike. Do they do bike-only track days? If so, that would be a great option...

Author18

Wildcardfox  I can't even begin to imagine how much it would cost to build something like that - surely it's not viable? There's 1000 foot of elevation change at the 'Ring - that's some serious landscaping! : o

19

Who knows? It is Vegas that we are talking about here. Most likely won't be exact, but will have the same corners. Who knows. They've built crazier things in that city. Would be a hell of an attraction. The after SEMA party would be HUGE!

20

I'm relieved.

21

I'm glad it's in the hands of ze Germans. At least it will be taken care of!
Just buys me more time to save up some money for a camera and a ticket to there!

22

Be careful, from 2015 the Ring will become a real race track (now is considered public road), so if you crash your car, the insurance company won't pay your damage!

23

Csihany  They already won't pay your damage if you crash on the 'Ring.  There are very specific clauses in the insurance policies in Europe which exclude coverage on "de-restricted toll roads"

24

Thank god!!! I heard about it possibly going away and was pissed because I have not yet had the chance to go there!! And well it's legendary it can't be shut down

25

I'm not very enthusiastic about this. :/

'Automotive firm' and 'German' may sound good at first but they still want (and need!) to do business at least to pay their loans off. Which - coincidently - is mainly financed by the Deutsche Bank. A bank not really known for their consideration of public opinions or anybodies well-fare. Ultimately, as long debated and argumented for by the 'Save the Ring'-initiative, the 'Ring should have gotten into public hand and therefore being relieved from being profitable. That would've been best for the 'Ring, especially the whole area and the people that work there. 

Some sort of donation by all the big manufacturers which already use the place for testing and marketing would've been a great gesture. But yet again you cannot count on something like that to happen in todays business environment.

In the end Capricorn may preserve the Green Hell for what it means for us enthusiasts but i fear this year might be one of the last times i can travel there without big pockets. I recommend this to all of you: 

Get out and ride it. The greatest rollercoaster ever built.

26

jawakush  Do it quick! This year is saved. No one can guarantee for those to come ...

27

I am the only one who thinks that the price was really low? 100 million euro's? I think only from the advertising it will make that amount in 2 years. You have Formula 1, all the big names with all the sports cars from the entire world have garages there, you have all year round thousands of privateers paying tolls.....and not forget 22 km of the best track in the world with a really big forest and at a good part of a small mountain in your property. With 10 million euro you can make a small karting track with 1200 m of track, stands for 200 people and garages for 40 karts. That's it. My guess is that Nurburgring worth at least 500 millions or even more.

28

greenroadster  I think if anyone thought the price was to low they had about 2 years to snap it up.

29

pbussey Csihany It is not de-restricted. Technically, you're not allowed to go over 100km/h on the Nordschleife as on any public road outside of settlements in Germany.

30

Got to do a GT3 Porsche there was amazing let's just have some some fun place is incredible

31

greenroadster  Considering how long it took to sell the Ring, I would imagine maintenance and property taxes alone would make this thing barely profitable. The fact it sold to 'enthusiasts' and not business-minded individuals suggests it offered poor returns as an investment.

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