The days when you could drive through Europe flat out are long gone. France might have the world's best highways, but its cheese-eating law enforcers are all too happy to present foreign intruders with a speeding ticket. With this in mind, we tickle the VIII through France and Belgium at an only slightly illegal 100 mph.
Fuel consumption is another reason for our modest speed. The EVO VIII sups like an alcoholic in a brewery and it does so from a pathetic 12.1-gallon tank. Its range is a little more than 200 miles, which means a stop every two hours. Never has the parable of the tortoise and the hare been more amply demonstrated.
We're still reflecting on this when the fuel needle dips toward the red, with a filling station still God knows where. We dive off the highway and descend upon a town on the Belgian/German border. The local garages operate an automated credit card system after 7 p.m., but it won't accept our "foreign" Visa cards. We're facing a night in the EVO when a local with a large dog agrees to take our euros for the use of his credit card.
Our destination is the greatest race track the world has ever known-Germany's Nrburgring, which is located in the Eiffel Mountains of northwest Cologne. Originally 17.6 miles long, the 'Ring, as it's known, was actually designed as a test facility for Germany's dominant motor industry, but it would become an international showcase for the country's engineering might and a venue for racing.
The first race on June 19, 1927 was duly won by German legend Rudolf Caracciola in a MercedesBenz. For the next five decades, the 'Ring would be immortalized by such names as Nuvolari, Fangio, Moss, Clark and Stewart. But doubts about the track's safety in the 1970s were confirmed during the 1976 Grand Prix, when Ferrari factory driver Nikki Lauda nearly lost his life in a fiery accident. The track described by Jackie Stewart as "the Green Hell" has never hosted another Grand Prix.
Over the last 30 years, the original track, known as the Nordschleife, or Northern Loop, has returned to its original role as a manufacturer test center. Jaguar recently built a vast facility near the main entrance and scarcely a sports car is launched that hasn't been tested at the 'Ring. Indeed, so-called 'Ring times-the fastest lap recorded by a manufacturer during development work-have entered the petrolhead vernacular alongside bhp and lb-ft.
After the demise of the Nordschleife as a competitive circuit (only a handful of races are now held on the old circuit each year), the organizers also introduced public days. For just 14 euros ($16.13) per lap, you're allowed to lap the 'Ring as fast as you dare in whatever vehicle you wish.
No shit.
We ordered up a UK-spec EVO VIII FQ 300 for the task. As its name suggests, the FQ 300 has been tuned to 301 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. It also introduces such niceties as HID headlamps, front foglights and a carbon-fiber rear wing. It sells for 28,995 ($47,483) alongside the standard VIII, which costs 26,995 ($44,208). UK cars, by the way, also conform to the Japanese specification and therefore benefit from a sixth gear.
From London to the 'Ring should take little more than eight hours, door to door, but the vagaries of the European motorway network can add hours to the trip. As we crawl out of London in the custard-yellow VIII and head south towards the sea, we're sure we chose the right car for the job. The Lancer's tiny MOMO wheel, the jiggle of its track-inspired suspension, and the dissecting of its rear view mirror by that giant wing are constant reminders the EVO is something special.
The Channel tunnel, by contrast, is far from enthralling. Anyone expecting some sort of blue lagoon experience is kidding themselves. You drive your car onto a dowdy, plastic-lined carriage and sit there while a locomotive whisks you to France in 25 minutes. It's not exactly an experience, but it's quick and hassle-free.
After four gas stops and thankfully no run-ins with the gestapos, we bunk in a small guesthouse a mile from the track, which, like everything in this region, is a shrine to motorsport. Our bedrooms are littered with pictures of Porsche 962s and, appropriately enough, reek of diesel. At least we're here.
Next morning after croissants, we make our way to the main entrance, which is composed of two car parks and a control hut. Tickets for a lap are bought from a machine that looks like it has been pinched from a toll booth on the Jersey Turnpike. The ticket is then inserted into a control box, a barrier rises and you're off.
The circuit is now 13 miles long and has 73 different corners. We've never been around the 'Ring before, so we're somewhat apprehensive. Learning it is not the work of a moment, as even Fangio found out. "I tried to learn the track section by section," said the five-time world champion. "But when I concentrated on one of them, I forgot about the rest."
Our first lap should therefore best be described as exploratory, and we're beginning to think the 300-hp EVO is the wrong car for a 'Ring virgin. Not only is it monumentally rapid, but it's also extremely conspicuous. Being overtaken by a well-driven and 'Ring-wise Toyota Carina is quite ego damaging.
One of the most extraordinary features of the track is the gradient. Over the course of the lap, it rises and falls by almost 1,000 feet. This results in a number of blind crests that must be learned and then taken on trust. It's also important to remember this is a high-speed circuit. Stefan Bellof holds the outright lap record, which he set in 1983 at the wheel of a Porsche 956. He completed a lap in an extraordinary 6 minutes 11.13 seconds at an average speed of 125.6 mph. The current road car lap record is a no less spectacular 7 minutes, 32 seconds (103.1 mph) set in a 650-bhp Gembala Porsche 911 Turbo.
The fastest lap officially recorded by an EVO VII at the 'Ring is 8:24. We'll be lucky to break 10 minutes today, but even on this public day, our speed rarely dips below 100 mph through the faster sections and we exceed 140 mph on the run back to the start line. By the third or fourth lap, we're feeling more confident and start to exploit the EVO's potential. Mitsubishi's test engineers were regularly spotted at the 'Ring during its development process, so it's no surprise it feels terrific.
UK cars, unlike those sold in America, benefit from Super AYC (Active Yaw Control) and an Active Center Differential. The former transfers the torque between the rear wheels, helping to counter understeer, while the latter distributes the torque front to rear, pulling the car out of corners. If you concentrate, it's possible to feel these systems in action.
The EVO is one of the best-balanced cars on Earth. In the dry, the tires utter a telltale chirrup when the limits of adhesion are neared, but the diffs and a determined right foot quickly dispel the understeer. The brakes are also superb. Not once in more than 40 miles of continuous track work do we worry about fade.
As our speed builds, the other traffic becomes more of a problem. The disparity in the cars, from a tuned Porsche 911 GT3 to a Volkswagen van, is matched only by the disparity in the driving standards. Some drivers display decent circuit craft, others are clearly incompetent. The bikers are also a menace. Quick on the straights but slow and eccentric in the corners, they have a tendency to throw themselves into the scenery. Several bikers die on public days each year.
On our third lap, we're given firsthand experience of how quickly accidents can happen. Approaching a quick right-hander, we're slowed by the sight of a middle-aged man clutching a helmet and waving frantically. Rounding the bend we're fortunate to avoid the mangled wreck of a BMW Z3, which has plowed headlong into the barriers. When such incidents occur, it can take minutes for the rescue services to arrive.
At the following corner, we learn the cause. The 'Ring is located in the Eiffel Mountains, which creates a bizarre microclimate. A freak cloud burst had exploded on a couple of corners and it was only the onset of oversteer at around 80 mph that alerted us to the problem. We gather it up but it's a salutary reminder of the perils of this unique track.
Back in the pits, we're greeted by three middle-aged British bikers, who, like us, are 'Ring virgins. "Can we," they ask gingerly, "join you for a lap so we can get a feel for the track?" It seems rude to refuse. Various grunts of encouragement are made as we traverse Bergwerk-where Lauda had his awful accident-and round the banked Karussell corner.
"We approve of your driving," says Bob from the passenger seat as we return to the pits. "And we should know, we're driving test examiners." He scarcely finishes the sentence when the back door is flung open and his colleague scrambles away to be sick in a hedge. Brilliant.
Incidents like these enhance the appeal of the 'Ring. Even on public days, sizeable crowds turn up to watch and many people spend the day wandering around the paddock, swapping anecdotes. One German chap we meet has just taken delivery of an EVO VII and is adamant that the VIII doesn't exist. Only when introduced to our yellow peril does he alter his opinion.
As we fill up the EVO for the nth time-we manage five laps per tank-and begin our journey back toward the Channel, we reflect on the day. To drive the Nrburgring is to dice with history. It's, on any rational level, an act of lunacy and yet it, like the finest liquor, has an intoxicating quality that tempts you back for more. That the public days continue in their current, unrestricted form is the eighth wonder of the modern world.
It's midnight by the time we reach the Tunnel, but we're still grinning like hopeless addicts. The "Green Hell" has secured two more souls.
Ring TaxiArguably the most exciting way to experience the circuit is to take a ride in the BMW M5 Ringtaxis. One of the M5s is driven by Sabine Schmitz, who has lived by the 'Ring all her life and claims to have completed more than 12,000 laps.
Schmitz used to be a factory Touring Car driver for BMW and has twice won the Nrburgring 24 hour race, held on a combination of the Nordschleife and the adjacent Grand Prix circuit. She's also a restaurateur, a wine expert and fabulously sexy.
A ride in the taxi costs 130 euros ($152) for up to three people. To be driven by someone who's so effortlessly able and has such an intricate knowledge of the track is an extraordinary experience and well worth the financial outlay.
The taxis tend to be booked up weeks in advance, so it's worth ringing to check for availability. (+49 (0) 26 91/302-178).
Visiting the 'RingNumerous Web sites have been developed to cater to visitors of the 'Ring. By far the best English language site is at www.nrburgring.org.uk. This is run by enthusiasts and provides useful advice on how to get there, where to stay and what to do. It also provides a link to the official Nrburgring site at www.nuerburgring.de, which provides information on the 'Ring taxis and a list of the public days.
If you're visiting from the United States, the easiest way to 'do' the 'Ring is to hire a car in Germany and drive to the circuit. Officially, the Nordschleife is a public road, so you should be insured, but make sure you read the small print -some German policies exclude the 'Ring by name. It's also worth making sure your travel insurance is up to scratch-German hospitals are efficient, but expensive. The site www.nrburgring.org.uk has details of hire car companies.
After arriving at the 'Ring, you'll need to buy lap tickets. These can be bought individually for 14 euros ($16.13), but the most cost-effective option is to buy a pack of six for 76 euros ($88.91). Either way, it's a cheap track day.
'Ring MuseumThe Ring Museum is certainly worth an hour of your time. Situated next to the entrance to the new Nrburgring (which hosts the European Grand Prix), it provides a history of the circuit. The exhibits include the Mercedes 190E 2.3-16, in which Ayrton Senna won an all-stars race in 1984, a Maserati 250F and Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F310B from 1997. Rather infuriatingly, though, all the displays are in German and there's no English guidebook.