The Nordschleife as a rally stage?

Reversed direction, too, while they're at it. And they're saying us Germans are lacking a sense of humour.

The rally in question (Köln-Ahrweiler) has been around for quite some time and is one of the big amateur rallyes in Germany.

In a rather quick Mini - well, with Honda power and AWD, but it's a classic Mini. Ish.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WqRwXJXzviE

Counted three Audi quattros get overtaken, too.

Passing on the outside of the Karussell... trying to hook the banking but not quite doing it and skittering away...

Excellent!

The passenger looked comfortable out on the road, but, as soon as they entered the ring she buckled her helmet a little tighter and had a very worried look on her face.

I realize the Germans had a since of humor because BMW cooling systems exist.

Did I see steam from the front of the car when they ended the stage?

In reply to Type Q:

Yup. I was assuming that was rolling out of the brakes. I am an optimist a lot of times.

WTF; first the Mini driver was very smooth and seemed to be inch perfect, that's no way to drive a rally car. Then he starts passing Audis like they are tired old NSUs but around minute 6 was the final indignation. He comes up on a car right after barrier chicane and it's a Datsun 1200, sure it has way less power but what was that Datsun driver doing? Thats no way to drive a 1200, the car looked completely planted and secure, if you want any speed out of a 1200 it should be skating around wildly.........jeez where do they find these people.

OK seriously initially it looks like the Mini is cruising then when he blew past the 1200 it became obvious he was hustling along at a good clip.

Tom

Very nice. Awesome drive!!

In reply to Tom1200:

Vintage rally cars are usually driven by people without nearly the skill as those who originally wielded them, at far less than max effort because not balling up the car is a high priority.

And dem Audis weren't exactly known for being forgiving - the drivers of the time said that even the LWB cars were driven "square" - go, slow, turn, go again. (And if they had the rally gearsets installed, top speed was probably around 100-110mph! Mid-4s final drive and no overdrive, how hard do you want to spin the engine?)

Well like all good club racer idiots I drive mine like a fiend, not balling the car up is a high priority for me as well but perhaps the only thing more lacking than horsepower is maturity level of the driver.

As for the Audi I have driven a 450 HP Quatro on a road course , while they are physical I find 70s 911 Turbos to be more physical and needing more attention.

Bear in mind that the rally spec ur-quattros had a lot more turbo (K27 and huge hotsides), a lot less compression (6:1 range) and they had no center differentials. And nobody had any real experience with making AWD cars handle yet, and Audi wasn't really keen on breaking new ground as long as they were winning. And when they stopped winning, they thought adding power and reducing wheelbase were the ticket.

1. He may have Nad's of steel, but she's got ovaries of depleted uranium and a cast iron stomach to sit through that. I'd be barfing, soiling myself and trying to escape while suddenly finding religion all at the same time if I was in the co-driver seat.
2. At 5:55 after a little bobble at the artificial chicane and just before catching the Datsun, he looks over at her and pats her on the knee while not looking at the road!
3. The ring looks a whole lot more dangerous going backwards with all those safety car opening pointing at you with nothing to protect you if you hit the end of the Armco.
4. That cage doesn't have any kind of roof diagonal!