One of the first rules of engaging in a Nurburgring Touristenfahrten (Tourist Days) events is that you have to be prepared for the worst case scenario. The Green Hell nickname of the German circuit exists for a reason, so those willing to go from Bridge to Gantry in maximum attack mode need to be prepared to meet the guardrail, for instance.
The freshest example of this comes from the public session that took place on Sunday, which saw the Ring claiming a Renault Clio.
Thanks to the piece of footage below, we can see the hatch entering the Arenberg bend at tremendous pace - this corner catches tons of drivers out (here's a painful Porsche 911 GT3 RS example), but we rarely get to see a car carrying this much speed into the twist.
As a result, the massive gravel trap on the exterior of the corner was powerless, with the French subcompact hitting the barrier at speed. The hefty momentum meant that the Clio got some air time and we suspect the damage sustained by the car is heftier than it might seem just by watching the clip of the accident.
And it appears that the driver of the Renault visited the YouTube comments section of the video, providing an explanation for the ridiculous entry speed of the vehicle.
"This happened to me yesterday. The brakes just gave up, total fading. Guess we learned a few things: upgrade your car properly; Nurburgring charges big time if anything happens," the commnenter claiming to be the driver said.
It seems neither the guy in the driver's seat, nor his passenger was injured in the crash. The two had a swift reaction, leaving the stranded car and going behind the barrier on the side of the track. And this should serve as a head-for-safety lesson for all Ring tourists out there.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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