Mystery at the ’Ring

What the hell is an obscure concept car doing testing on the Nordschliefe?

08 May 2008

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Veritas RS3

Strange and mysterious things happen in that little corner of the Adenau Forest they call the Nurburgring. Few stranger than the events of last week, though, when a mystery silver bullet-shaped car appeared on the Nurburgring webcam.

This, naturally, piqued the interest of the TG office, prompting much Googling and hypothesising for a couple of days until the car reappeared, more clearly this time, and revealed itself to be a Veritas RS3.

A what? The RS3 was a 2001 concept built around a six-litre V12 borrowed from BMW - a 670bhp unit in a car weighing just under a ton. Veritas was a small German race car manufacturer formed in the 1940s that went bust in 1952, but the name was revived for the boat-like, definitely-a-bit-phallic RS3.

None of which really explains why the RS3 has returned after a seven year absence. Close squinting reveals it to look damn close to the 2001 car - shown in the bottom photo - but with the addition of a bonnet scoop and longer, stretched-back headlights. Still cool though, eh?

One intrepid 'Ring enthusiast even managed to grab a quick video of the RS3 waiting to hit the Nordschliefe:

Feeling just a little bit jealous of the driver? Us too. Imagine what secrets lie behind that visor. Let the sleuthing begin.

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