The Nürburgring is easily the most famous race circuit in the world, the one where almost all performance car manufacturers test their cars. However, it’s also one of the most difficult and most dangerous. It’s a circuit that can be incredibly intimidating if you aren’t familiar with it and most car enthusiasts, and even car journalists, aren’t. So Joe Achilles recently took a trip with Michelin, to the ‘Ring, to spend a couple of days lapping BMWs around the F1 circuit to conquer his fear.
If you’re wondering why he might be afraid of the Nürburgring, it isn’t called the “Green Hell” for nothing. The ‘Ring isn’t just incredibly long and filled with countless corners that need memorizing, many of those corners are tricky. There are elevation changes, off-camber corners, and areas where a runoff means an unexpected meeting with a tree. The ‘Ring is a circuit where mistakes are amplified because of the forest-lined surroundings. There aren’t as many safe runoffs or F1-style gravel traps to slow you down as there are on other circuits. If you make a mistake on most parts of the track, you’re into the barriers and then into the woods.
In this video, Achilles had the chance to drive both the BMW M440i and M4 Competition Coupe. Obviously, the latter was far superior to the former, as it’s a proper M car and not just a slightly warmed version of the 4 Series Coupe. However, with that added power and performance comes higher speed and, on the ‘Ring that can be intimidating. Thankfully for Achilles, as an owner of an M3 Competition, he was pretty familiar with the car.
What’s also impressive is just how capable the M4 Coupe is right out of the box. Even on a circuit as tricky as the ‘Ring, the BMW M4 just grips, sticks, and goes on track. It’s a formidable track weapon even with mods. So it’s actually a great companion when you’re trying to tackle your fear of one of the most difficult circuits in the world.
