Volkswagen Driver Fights His Passat in Agonising Nurburgring Near Crash

Unlike most incident of this kind, though, the one seen here doesn't involve a spicy machine, as we're dealing with an old incarnation of the Volkswagen Passat Variant.

Yes, this is a front-wheel-drive car, but, once on the grass, as is the case here, the rear end of the thing easily goes loose. And this is where the interesting part of the action starts, as the driver wrestles to regain control of the car.

While an untrained eye might expect this to be a hardly controlled left-to-right piece of agony, the man behind the wheel of the Volkswagen displays the kind of sliding-applied braking we rarely get to see with amateur drivers - this is usually a left foot braking delicacy.

Pay attention to the brake light of the station wagon and you'll notice the guy inside the car is using a performance driving technique that involves applying the brakes to accelerate the sideways tendencies of a vehicle.

Let's say that your car slides to the right - you countersteer and, just as the rear end starts going to the left, you apply a bit of braking pressure to accelerate the comeback movement, while also killing some of the car's speed in the process.

In theory, this kind of maneuver is simple, but, in the real world, you'll need a lot of practice to master - this is the kind of maneuver that's best avoided by novices, as it can send the vehicle fully sideways if not timed correctly.

Thanks to all the manhandling, the VW driver manages to complete the maneuver with his Passat in one piece.

And if this stunt still seems to plebeian for your Ring tastes, we'll remind you that the past weekend also saw one of the world's six McLaren P1 LMs hitting the ring - here's the story in case you missed it.