I Want the Ring Back

I'm officially over the Nurburgring.

Honestly, I'm tired of reading about it, I'm tired of hearing about which car is the fastest around it, and I'm tired of every car maker using it to buy sports car legitimacy. 

The 'Ring used to be a place of wonder and fear.  Jackie Stewart called it the "Green Hell."  Niki Lauda nearly died there.  Countless others actually have.  Today, "tuned at the Nurburgring" is the catchphrase that rolls out of car makers' marketing departments across the world.

Cadillac was there tuning the CTS.  Ferrari set a record there with the 599XX.  What, isn't Fiorano good enough anymore?  Acura was even there with the MDX, which is an SUV.  The Nurburgring-tuned suspension ought to come in handy on the way to the grocery store or to soccer practice.  Nissan tuned the Maxima's suspension at the 'Ring, too.

And that's what makes me mad.  Does the average owner of an MDX or Maxima really care about the 'Ring?  Do you think they could find it on a map?  I would imagine the answer would be a resounding no.  People buy an MDX because they want the space an SUV provides, not for driving excitement.  When was the last time the average owner of an MDX got up early and said "I think I'll take my MDX on a spirited run through the twisties.  You know, test that Nurburgring suspension"?  My guess would be never.

You see, the 'Ring belong to those of us interested in cars (and bikes).  It's not the place where car makers can go to buy credibility.  It's the place where all the things that make a great driver - skill, determination, bravery, concentration- need to come together in order to survive.  It shouldn't be the place where a manufacturer throws a pro driver in their car and then has the marketing department post the lap time to satiate all the fan boys and Internet bench racers.  It strips the circuit of its history and wonder.  Hearing people not interested in cars talk about the Nurburgring is like hearing your friend talk about spending the night with your ex-girlfriend.   

Today, the 'Ring isn't the place that was dropped from the Grand Prix circuit because too many drivers were crashing and dying.  It's now merely the place where the Nissan GTR is faster than the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Ho-hum.