Despite being a lifelong car enthusiast and a full-time automotive journalist for over a decade, it wasn’t until this summer that I finally made it to the Nurburgring. A combination of never really trying super hard to get out there and not being in the right place at the right time when an automaker extended an invitation meant I always heard from people what an incredible experience it was, yet I always remained a bit skeptical.
I finally made it a point to visit earlier this year, so during an extended work/personal stay in Europe this summer, I squeezed in a weekend at gearhead mecca—and while I very likely chose the wrong dates, it was nothing short of mind-blowing. I was able to drive a variety of cars over the course of two days, but before I set out to explore all 13 miles of the Nurburgring Nordschleife on my own, I did a ride-along to get the lay of the land.
While tagging along with Genesis in France for its Hypercar debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it came up that the Korean automaker offered a Ring Taxi service at the Ring. They kindly offered me a ride if I happened to be in the area, so after working out the logistics, I found myself getting into the passenger seat of a G70 sedan not quite knowing what to expect. The downsides? It was a Saturday, so it was absolutely packed. Also, it was 102 degrees ambient temperature. On the tarmac, it was upwards of 107.
Was this going to be a chill lap? Was it going to be all-out? Who was the driver? What were his credentials? Is the car modified? Should I talk to the driver or keep my mouth shut? I didn’t really have much of a chance to think or inquire about the possible answers to those questions when the boom gate arm was already lifting and, without saying a word, my driver was making it clear that he was in a big hurry.
Within seconds of entering the track at the Döttinger Höhe straight, we were doing about 135 mph, and he showed no signs of slowing down despite a couple of corners coming up. It wasn’t until we reached the tight corners before and after the official start-finish line that I truly understood how much business this guy meant. He was an older, very fit man with a white beard and looked straight out of one of those “Sexy Santa” Christmas cards. He was wearing some sort of yellow-tinted driving glasses, and his movements were extremely precise and smooth. He clearly knew what he was doing.
Our chariot was the Genesis G70 3.3 Sport Prestige RWD, meaning it was equipped with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 that, together with the optional variable exhaust, makes 368 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque. It can do 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 167 mph. More importantly at that very moment, however, were the G70’s 13.8-inch, ventilated Brembo brakes, because we were definitely going to need them.
Out of nowhere, and while doing a casual 150 mph through the Kotenborn section, he suddenly asked: “First time?” I answered, “Yes, I’ve only driven the track on video games before.” He laughed and said, “In real life you can’t hit reset,” and just continued driving absolutely flat out.
The car felt absolutely on fire, though not literally. However, with the extreme heat, the hot and dirty air of the traffic around us, and the engine being pushed to its limits, the A/C was definitely struggling. And so was I. I didn’t reach the point of almost throwing up, but I didn’t feel great at times while being shoved from side to side repeatedly. Luckily, those Genesis folks are smart and put sick baggies in each door pocket.
I felt a combination of joy and disappointment when the lap was finally over, as it meant I could regain my composure, roll my window down, and let some fresh air into the cabin, only to realize the outside air was hot and steamy. I also found out that my driver has been racing at the Nurburgring (including the annual 24-hour endurance race there) for about 15 years and has thousands and thousands of laps under his belt. On a day like that Saturday, when the Ring Taxi service is fully booked, he’ll do about 35 to 40 laps that day alone. No wonder he knew every inch of that place!
I’ve ridden shotgun with the likes of Max Verstappen, Tom Kristensen, Ben Collins (The Stig), Jordan Taylor, Timo Bernhard, and many others behind the wheel, and I’d easily rank this experience as one of the most exhilarating—for sure.
Here comes the kicker: the nice little USB drive that Genesis gave me with onboard footage of my lap turned out to be faulty, and I didn’t realize this until I got home. So, sadly, I don’t have that footage to drop in here and show you my experience. I just have the couple of clips I shot with my iPhone, which you can see in the Instagram embeds above. Either way, that’s okay, because if there’s an abundance of something on YouTube, it’s ‘Ring lap videos.
Later that day and the next day, I got to drive a Polo GTI around the Nordschleife, and later on, a fully prepped Mini JCW race car. They were both awesome, but the Mini was an absolute blast. I really hate to throw out the word “pilgrimage” out there, but going to the Nurburgring really is exactly that for car enthusiasts.
If you haven’t experienced it yourself, you should really try to. And if you’re interested in the Genesis Ring Taxi, you can click here for more details.
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