BMW-Sauber puts an F1 car on the Nurburgring

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Don Vito Corleone

Don Vito Corleone

Elite
Feb 10, 2000
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Link and video here.

Once upon a time, fragile little grand prix cars raced on circuits that had no huge run-off areas, no enormous corporate hospitality suites, and lots of blind corners. Then the 70s happened.. Drivers like Jim Clark had already died at the wheel of their racecars and three time former champion Jackie Stewart was pushing to improve safety in all forms of racing, particularly Formula One. In August of 1976, defending champ Niki Lauda had a near-fatal accident at the Nurburgring in Germany. The Green Hell, as the 14 mile long track was called, would never again experience the shriek of a modern Formula One car. Until yesterday, that is.

The Nordshleife (North Loop) would be relegated to lower classes of racing, while a new, modern, antiseptic Sudschleife would play host to the European Grand Prix in the nineties and into the twenty-first century. On April 28, BMW Motorsport held a special event at the 'Ring and brought out several race cars including an M3 GTR and and one of last years F1 cars. BMW-Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld did three laps in the F1.06 which was stock aside from having the ground clearance maximized to survive the bumpy surface of the old course. He managed a best lap of 8:34 and a top speed of 275 km/h on the long straight.
Click to expand...

I guess Nick wasn't really pushing, but you'd think he could have done better than 8:34. Still pretty damned cool though.
 
S

Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,197
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Originally posted by: sindows
He was told to slow down for press picture purposes. That time is not even close to what a F1 car can do at 100%.
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Yeah, some of the high end sports cars (street legal ones) can get under eight miniutes, right?
 
overst33r

overst33r

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
5,761
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Originally posted by: Strk
Originally posted by: sindows
He was told to slow down for press picture purposes. That time is not even close to what a F1 car can do at 100%.
Click to expand...

Yeah, some of the high end sports cars (street legal ones) can get under eight miniutes, right?
Click to expand...

According to Wiki:


# 6:55 - Radical SR8, 360 PS/650 kg, Michael Vergers (28 Sep 2005)
# 7:12 - Radical SR3 Turbo, 320 PS/500 kg (test drive 07/03)
# 7:14 - Donkervoort D8 RS, 398 PS/760 kg, Michael Düchting (sport auto 11/05)
# 7:15 - Edo Porsche 996 GT2 RS, 542 PS/1284 kg, dePatrick Simon (sport auto 09/05)
# 7:18 - Donkervoort D8 RS, 370 PS/670 kg, Michael Düchting (sport auto 12/04)
# 7:28 - Porsche Carrera GT, 612 PS/1475 kg, Walter Röhrl, (Autobild 07/04)
# 7.32 - Porsche Carrera GT (Sport Auto Trophy, driven by Horst von Saurma)
# 7.32 - Gemballa Porsche GTR 600 PS/1432 kg (Gemballa)
# 7:33 - Pagani Zonda F, 602 PS/1230 kg (sport auto 05/06)
# 7:34 - Koenigsegg CCR, 806 PS/1418 kg, Horst von Saurma (sport auto), Oct 17-18 2005
# 7:40 - Bugatti Veyron 16.4, 1001 PS/1980 kg (Wheels magazine Australia, 12/05)
# 7:40 - Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Klaus Ludwig (AutoBild 07/04)
# 7:41 - Manthey Porsche GT3 M410, 413 PS/1320 kg (160.868 km/h) (Autobild 07/04)
# 7:42 - Porsche 997 GT3, 415 PS/1440 kg, Walter Röhrl (Automobil 05/06)
# 7:42 - Ford GT, 550 PS/1521 kg (as indicated by Octane magazine, 11/05)
# 7:43 - Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06, 512 PS/1419 kg, Jan Magnussen, 2005/06/23 (news release, pictures)
# 7:43 - Lamborghini Murcielago (Autocar magazine 02)
# 7:44 - Pagani Zonda S 550 PS/1280 kg (sport auto 02/05)
# 7:46 - Porsche 996 GT2, 462 PS/1450 kg (sport auto 06/01)
# 7:47 - Porsche 996 GT3 RS (sport tyres)[citation needed]
# 7:47 - Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 E-gear (sport tyres) (sport auto 01/07)
# 7:48 - Porsche 997 GT3, 415 PS/1440 kg (sport auto 07/06)
# 7:50 - Westfield Megabusa, 180 PS/440 kg[citation needed]
# 7:50 - Lamborghini Murcielago, (sport auto 06/02)
# 7:50 - BMW M3 E46 CSL, 360 PS/1421 kg (sport auto 08/03)
# 7:50 - BMW X5 E53 LM, McLaren F1-engine 750 bhp, Hans-Joachim Stuck (EVO magazine 08/2005)
# 7:52 - Porsche 996 GT3 (381 hp)[citation needed]
# 7:52 - Lamborghini Gallardo[citation needed]
# 7:53 - Chevrolet Corvette C5 z06
# 7:54 - Nissan Skyline GT-R R34[citation needed]
# 7:55 - Caterham R500 Superlight, 233 PS/460 kg, Robert Nearn (EVO magazine 07/2000)
# 7:55 - Ferrari F430 F1, 490 PS/1493 kg (sport auto 01/06)
# 7:56 - Honda NSX-R (NA2), 280 PS/31kgm/1270 kg, (Best MOTORing 08/02)
# 7:56 - Porsche 996 Turbo (sport auto 06/00)
# 7:56 - Ferrari 360 stradale (sport tyres) (sport auto 02/04)
# 7:57 - Lotec Porsche 993 Turbo (600 hp, racing suspension)[citation needed]
# 7:59 - Porsche 997 Carrera S, PASM setting ?Performance?, Walter Röhrl, (WHEELS 06/04)
# 7:59 - Nissan Skyline GT-R R33, Dirk Schoymans, unknown modifications (Autocar magazine 1997)
# 7:59 - Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z51,405 PS/1481 kg, driver Dave Hill (manufacturer claim)
# 7:59 - Subaru Impreza Sti Spec-C (Prototype), 280 PS/1370 kg (Subaru News 2004 [1])


It would be very difficult for even an F1 driver to push an F1 car to its limits on the 'ring. If it were done, I'd expect the time to be in the lower 6 mins range.
 
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