160mph, 170, 180, 185 (at least I think so, I’m off the clock now) but I’ve run out of road. Brembos earn their pay as the anchors are hauled at close to triple the UK speed limit. On-off application is the only way, otherwise you can kiss the pads goodbye in a mass of smoke. Damn, I think, I’ve overshot the vantage point. Regardless, I stop on the hard shoulder of the near deserted autobahn and wait. Then it comes. First the noise, the approach of a hurricane coupled with the spark of twin xenon’s in the distance, but I don’t get the chance to contemplate the calm before the storm, for Guy has just gone past me at over 200mph in his 672bhp R34 Skyline. My car shifts an inch towards the autobahn, his car drags turbulence up and over my car as he passes mere feet from me whilst he apexes a near straight corner. Then it’s the blur of his twin red tail lights as he disappears into the distance. Then Glen goes past at over 160MPH. He’s taking it easy. I hammer my new Apexi Power FC equipped R34 into chase as I try to catch up with the rest of the crew. At over 150MPH, you cover ground pretty fast indeed. When I do come across both of them on the hard shoulder, Guy’s braking from 200mph+ has turned his brakes into molten lava. It’s a most humorous sight as he sits with smoke pouring from his wheels.

Not all memories are made of instances like this, but it’s close. I have experienced the best roads of my life in Germany. Mountain passes, roads embedded into timeless valleys, tree lined lanes amongst vineyards and most memorably, the autobahn. Speed cameras aren’t rare, but they reside in areas that deserve them, such as schools, busy intersections etc. The freedom to drive is ever passionate and the roads welcoming. Germany is bred on limitless motorways, it’s inevitable that their population lunch at over 100mph and this liberation shines in the people. A proud nation, rightly so too. Responsible for one of the strongest economies in the world, Germany has amassed a brilliance of engineering excellence, from it’s automotive institutions to it’s world class architecture. Wind generators of titanic scale decorate the landscape in a demonstration of technical know-how amongst a backdrop of beauty that would rival a Canadian forest. Over the crest, though, one is staggered to see a castle built into the side of a mountain.

But the main reason for our visit was the 24h Nurburgring race featuring the last ever attempt of glory of the Falken Racing Team Nissan Skyline. Arriving en masse to the ‘Ring on a commercial day like this in 6 Skylines is an experience to behold. With only 3 Skylines in Germany, the GTR is a truly rare sight. When 6 of them arrive in a gleaming array of Bayside Blue and HKS Hypers, then the Germans do nothing but drop their frankfurters and wail ‘oh mein gut!’. The messiahs had arrived.

After finding a nice parking area in the press car park (courtesy of some blagging by yours truly), we eventually realise that we aren’t the only special cars in town. A vast array of cars both litter the car park and also please the crowds by performing drive by’s. Dodge Vipers, Ferraris, 996 Turbos, etc. etc. I was even privileged to see a new Audi RS6, a new addition to my wish list.

The Falken team were only able to place one car out of the three on the grid, reason unknown. It was very impressive watching the cars at the end of the pitstraight brake from 180mph to 20 into the hairpin. But as exciting as the daytime racing was, it paled into insignificance when we returned late at 2.00am to watch the night driving. With only their headlights and memory to guide them, the skills that were being demonstrated by the drivers were staggering. If you’ve never watched a night race then I recommend you do so immediately, it was one of the highlights of the weekend for me. A very respectable 5th place earned and a higher position lost out basically due to a 30 minute pitstop with brake problems.

After a photoshoot with GTR magazine of Japan, we were witness to a certain Midnight Purple R34 development car with 600bhp. Me thinks a little company is out there to break the ring record.

Verdict: Motoring Nirvana.