Opinion: despite the cliches, the Nürburgring is the greatest show on Earth

The Nürburgring is such a cliche, isn't it? An incredible place but completely hijacked by marketing departments and YouTubers hellbent on showing off their insane skills, even if it means driving like, well, a complete and utter knob.

The promised land has become a bit of a cesspit and there’s even the well subscribed theory that it’s ruining the dynamics of sports cars as manufacturers chase lap times that sound impressive but are wholly irrelevant in the real world. Essentially cars get stiffer, prize ever more grip and aero performance, but rather forget that fun on the road is inversely proportionate to track suitability.

But it’s always wise to question perceived wisdom. Especially if that perception is by a group of unknown people on the internet. So, to experience Nürburgring 2025, I recently attended a track day run by UK-based organisation Destination Nürburgring.

Things started badly. I arrived at the circuit the night before and what used to be a pretty sleepy surrounding area had become a zoo. There were supercar spotters with cameras everywhere. Badly modified cars that looked more ‘stance’ than Schwedenkreuz were parked haphazardly on the main drag past the heavily branded ‘boulevard’ and overall I had the feeling that I’d stumbled into a 1990s cruise rather than a pilgrimage for true enthusiasts.

But the next 24 hours or so flipped that feeling on its head. The track day was well run and the attendees ranged from fascinated first timers to people with a cripplingly expensive ’Ring habit. You know all those insanely expensive Porsche GT3 RSes that are famously flipped or kept wrapped in cotton wool? It turns out that most of them are at the Ring. But they were happily sharing track time with MX-5s, a heap of V8-powered BMW M3s, a Dodge Viper, a couple of Noble M400s and plenty of hot hatches.

There were influencers. There were crashes. But mostly, there was a deeply shared passion for a place that probably shouldn’t exist in our risk averse world and an unspoken understanding that you can’t tame this place. Accidents are inevitable, but those stakes add to the experience and are taken on with eyes open.

The track itself? Words can’t do the place justice. Part of the reason for me going was to accompany Sir Chris Hoy. Everyone knows he’s a legend but not everyone realises his love for cars. Chris has raced at Le Mans, scours configurators and classifieds like the rest of us and, frankly absurdly, hadn’t been to the ’Ring. So we put it right.

“I’ve been told about this place so many times,” he said to me after a couple of hours of experiencing the Nordschleife. “And I’d just sort of roll my eyes. I just couldn’t believe it could be that good. But it’s better. Better than they even said. I can’t believe I waited this long. What an idiot.”

Despite the cliches and the ‘driving gods’ online showing exactly how not to behave, the ’Ring is special. As Sir Chris found out, there are two types of people in this world: those who’ve been to the Nürburgring and those who haven’t. Make sure you’re on the right side of this divide. It’s the greatest show on Earth.