Those unfamiliar with the McLaren 620R should know just this – we are dealing with the most powerful iteration of the British automaker’s Sports Series to date. Those unfamiliar with Christian Gebhardt and his love of the ‘Ring could be given an equally brief explanation – he is an endurance expert with a couple of wins at the ADAC Zurich 24 hours of Nürburgring, back in 2016 and 2018.
Endurance, this is exactly what’s needed to make a career out of driving professionally on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, labeled as one (if not the) most demanding racing circuits in the world. And because Gebhardt doubles as the expert test driver for German magazine “sport auto” (kind of like Top Gear’s Stig, without the face-hiding bravado) he usually gets to play with some of the best toys in the business.
Case in point, he recently hooked up with sport auto multimedia editor Jonas Greiner for a casual conversation (in German, of course) onboard the McLaren 620R British street-legal racing bomb. You might remember that such a model comes with the limited series asterisk, so they borrowed the stealthy black unit from Green Hell joyride experts Apex Nurburg.
Wondering what’s up with one of just 350 examples of the McLaren 620R series casually hooking up with a company that supplies accommodation and rental cars?! Well, this is not your ordinary type of hotel dwelling – as the Apex is located within the actual boundaries of the Nordschleife. Also, they have a different kind of rental fleet – one made out of sport cars (from a VW Polo GTI to a BMW M4 Coupe) that have been specifically prepared for laps around the infamous circuit.
More importantly, there’s also the Apex Taxi, the official licensed service for those who believe the ‘Ring is best experienced when there’s an expert at the helm – and a car to match the skills. That’s where the McLaren 620R fits in, alongside a Schirmer M3 GT and a Porsche GT2RS MR. Naturally, the British machine is the most expensive, at €399 ($450) per lap.
Those eager to see a full Nurburgring Nordschleife lap with Gebhardt at the wheel might be a little disappointed, as the video is more about a first drive impression around the iconic racetrack. Before the end we still get a few beauty shots on the Green Hell as part of the photo session, as well as a few hard-throttle accelerations that give ample echo in the woods...
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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