The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a 20.8 km (12.9-mile) track in Germany's Eifel region with 73 corners and about 300 meters of elevation change. On a simulator it is the ultimate memory test: corners come blind over crests, the surface changes constantly, and a mistake far from the finish costs you the lap. Expect your first laps to be about learning the track, not setting a time.
The track in numbers
According to the Nürburgring's official site, the Nordschleife opened in 1927 and is 20.8 km long, with 73 corners, about 300 meters of elevation difference, gradients of up to 18% climbing to Hohe Acht and slopes of up to 11% at Fuchsröhre. The site calls it the longest permanent race track in the world. Porsche gives the precise length as 20.832 km and the elevation difference as 307.7 meters. The lap record, 5:19.55, was set in 2018 by Timo Bernhard in the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo.
Why it is called the Green Hell
Jackie Stewart coined the name in August 1968, talking with Graham Hill ahead of the German Grand Prix, as Porsche recounts. The track runs through dense forest, closely lined with trees, fences and guardrails.
Sections to know
The official site names Flugplatz, Fuchsröhre, Karussell, Brünnchen, Hohe Acht and Döttinger Höhe among the track's famous sections. Three to watch for:
- Fuchsröhre: downhill, with slopes of up to 11%.
- Karussell: turn 13, a banked concrete corner after a run of high-speed sections, which Porsche singles out for its tricky surface transitions.
- Hohe Acht: the climb, with gradients of up to 18%.
The Nordschleife in simulators
The Nordschleife is one of the most widely recreated tracks in sim racing. iRacing announced in 2014 that it would add the 20.8 km Nordschleife, the 5.15 km Grand Prix circuit and a combined layout to its catalog of laser-scanned tracks. The Assetto Corsa EVO Steam page lists the Nordschleife among its laser-scanned circuits. Laser scanning captures the real surface, so bumps and cambers appear where they are on the real road. Our article on how laser-scanned tracks are made explains the process.
How to approach it
Porsche's experts give advice that applies in a simulator too:
- Respect it. Never lose respect for the track.
- Build up gradually. Work toward the limit lap by lap, not on lap one.
- Adapt. Conditions change around the lap, so react to what the car tells you.
Practically: learn it in sections, pick a car you are comfortable in, and treat a clean lap as a win.
The real thing, and the simulator alternative
The public can drive the real Nordschleife in a road-legal car or on a motorcycle during official Touristenfahrten (tourist drive) sessions, according to Porsche. The simulator lets you learn the corners first, with no risk to a car or to yourself.
At your event
Because even the fastest lap ever takes over five minutes, the Nordschleife works best as a showcase or a single-lap challenge for keen drivers. Shorter circuits suit fast-moving time trials. Simulator experiences work at corporate events, private parties, brand activations and trade shows. SimsForHire delivers to hotels, event venues, offices and private homes, and we set up, staff and tear down. Our fleet is 10 full-motion rigs built on SIGMA Integrale 2DOF/3DOF motion platforms, which use electric actuators. Full-motion rigs are $2,750 per rig per day, with a $2,000 event minimum — all plus tax and insurance. Delivery is free within 50 miles of Miami; farther out, we quote the delivery fee on request. If a specific track matters to you, mention it when you inquire. Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com, or start a booking. We reply within 24 hours.