Why you are no longer allowed on the Nürburgring with your company bus

The Nordschleife of the Nürburgring is weird. Officially, it is a toll road on which (almost) everyone can drive for a fee. That’s why you see so many videos of vans, coaches and mobile homes on YouTube. But that should change.

The tourist rides have started again. For 30 to 35 euros (depending on the day) you can take a lap around the Nordschleife in your car or motorbike. Previously, the rules were quite lax. If your vehicle could go faster than 60 km/h, that was fine.

Nürburgring regulations renewed

However, the regulations have recently been updated. A vehicle must now reach a minimum speed of 130 km/h in order to be allowed to drive into the Green Hell. Bad luck for owners of some classics.

Well, you might think: my van or camper can easily reach 130 km/h, I’m baked. Um, no… because the new regulations also stipulate that a vehicle must have “the dynamic qualities of a passenger car”.

What that means? Well, that’s clearly stated in parentheses. Pick-ups, vans and RVs are no longer allowed. In addition, a loaded vehicle must not weigh more than 3500 kilos. Too bad for the GMC Hummer EV.

Photo or video recordings not allowed

By the way, a lot is overlooked on the Nordschleife. Because officially it is not allowed to time your lap. Which of course just happens.

It is also not permitted to take photos or video recordings of your performance at the Ring. Would youtubers like Shmee150 have asked for permission to do this? Certainly not all.

Drifting through the curve is also not allowed

Oh, and you can’t drift, by the way. Which doesn’t seem to be very tightly controlled, given all the videos on YouTube of BMWs crawling around corners like crabs.

You are not insured on the Nordschleife

If you want to do a lap on the Nordschleife, remember that you are not insured in this case. Because although the Ring is officially a toll road, insurers know better.