Skip to main content

Nürburgring May Have Found Savior in Russian Billionaire

The Nürburgring is one of Europe’s longest running circuits and possibly its most famous. Despite that, it has long suffered financial difficulties. Just last year the German F1 Grand Prix was canceled due to those difficulties.

Now, though, there are hopes of a stable future for the track, thanks to a Russian pharmaceutical tycoon.

Forbes Russia reports that, thanks to a recent purchase of shares, Viktor Kharitonin now owns 99% of the track, with the remaining 1% going to Getspeed, a performance company near the track. Kharitonin already owned 80% of the motorsports complex, and reportedly purchased the remaining 19% for roughly $43M.

The investment should make the track more financially stable, and Khartonin has already expressed his desire to reopen talks with F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone to bring the Grand Prix back.

The track has long been used by automakers to test their fastest cars. Its combination of tight corners, long sweepers, and enormous straights make it an attractive place to test fast road cars, like the Golf GTI Clubsport S.

Its fame also makes it popular with enthusiasts. VW, in fact, will be inviting GTI owners to the circuit later this year to celebrate the car’s 40th anniversary.

The track is as famous as it dangerous, though. In the past it was called the “green hell” and as recently as last year a spectator was killed at a race. It’s being reported that with the deal, safety improvements will consequently be a top priority.

 

The post Nürburgring May Have Found Savior in Russian Billionaire appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1WtuurJ
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Watch: The Stig Drives (nearly) Seven Generations of Golf GTI

With Volkswagen announcing “major” updates to the Golf, it seems an appropriate time to look back on what we’ve had so far. And who better to guide us through the rich history of the most popular European car ever made than Ben Collins, the former Stig? Some say he’s never met a GTI he doesn’t love, and that he can’t grow any of his own facial hair. All we know is … Ben Collins is actually a pretty solid presenter. Working his way through seven generations of the GTI (skipping over the Mk6) Collins tells us a little bit about each one and matches each mark to its corresponding facial hair craze. The Mk1 GTI for instance, is light and quick, but can lose traction under hard acceleration (in heavy rain). Despite that, Collins calls the Mk1 a “pure gem.” The Mk4, meanwhile, is a powerful return to form after the perhaps too sensible Mk3. Collins ends in the only way he could, with the Mk7, which accelerates faster than a Lamborghini Countach and is all kinds of wonderful. Watch, ...

Watch: The Story of the Ads that Made VW Big in America

The ads for the original Beetle are almost as famous and well-loved as the Beetle itself. Looking back now it’s easy to forget, though, just how easily things could have wrong. A new short from Dial M Films tracks the history of those early Volkswagen ads that sold America on the people’s car. The story, of course, begins with the visionary agency that made the ads: Doyle Dane Bernach (DDB). As a popular agency for Jewish products, no agency was more aware of the implications of Volkswagen, and no one, it seems, was more skeptical of the brand than DDB. “Remember Those Great Volkswagen Ads?” from Dial M Films on Vimeo . William Bernbach, though, was adament that the firm take the client, probably as a way of attracting other lucrative automotive clients. Saddled with a client that he didn’t want, art director Helmut Krone says in the film that he originally came up with ads that were all wrong. Krone tried to do what other manufacturers did and was intent on selling the Beetle ...

Watch: The Zerouno Cruis’n USA

ItalDesign is drumming up excitement for its new supercar based around the same 5.2-liter Audi V10 that powers the R8. Naturally, it hit the road for a cruise around California last week to celebrate Monterey Car Week. There isn’t much in the way of V10 noise—which is a real shame given the sound it makes—but you do at least get a good look at the car inside and out in this video. With a body made entirely of carbon fiber and designed to be as aerodynamic and light as possible, ItalDesign figures that it will be good for a 0-60 time of just 3.2 seconds. “We put it our best skills into the production of the first car,” said Massimo Bovi, head of pre-series production, when the Zerouno was first unveiled in Geneva earlier this year. “Using some of the finest productions methods and engaging our high-skilled workers.” The car features clever aero tricks gleaned from single-seat racing, like a y-duct up front to improve downforce and turn-in. Available in a number of trim levels, the...