It should already be well understood about the danger and risks of driving on a track. In a sea of indemnity forms and “legal-ese” style sentences, it can be sometime forgotten that driving a car (in fact at any time, not just on a circuit) carries both financial and personal risk!

What can be a bit confusing from time to time, is: what happens if the worst happens? At RSR we do our best to make sure nothing bad happens. We want our clients safe, happy, and wanting to come back again and again. We always give a safety briefing to each and every one of our clients. This makes sure they understand the rules and regulation of the days, and gives you an idea of what to expect. We also ensure everybody wears a helmet on track. There is no excuse for not wearing a helmet. If the worst happens, we want to make sure everything has been done to keep you safe.

In reality, there is no such thing as a dangerous track, only dangerous drivers. Any corner, no matter how sharp, off camber, or low grip, can be taken at an appropriate speed. Getting to know the appropriate speed takes two things: knowledge; and a bit of patience and humility while learning (i.e. take it easy for a while – driving well below your maximum).

For the most part, normal car road insurance does not cover accidents while on a race track. This means, that any damage you do to the car, you would have to pay to repair. Destroy the whole car? Then you’re minus a car, my friend!
Of course, track day insurance can cover for accidents like this, and these sorts of insurances are still available on our cars. There’s also list of insurers we can recommend at the bottom of this article.

In short: you pay for any damage that you have done to the car, just like you would if it were your own.

However, in the case of a large amount of damage, then we also have a maximum amount that you would be liable for. This maximum amount varies per car, to which we refer to as “the excess” (Also known as a deductible in other countries).

The level of the insurance excess does vary per car, and is usually around half to two-thirds the replacement value of the car – meaning you don’t have to pay for the whole thing! For example, in purchase price alone (see more about this below!) a Honda Civic Type R is around 42.000€, however, our excess on the car is 25.000€.

Something to note is that a real world “actual” replacement value isn’t just the purchase price of the car. So while you may be able to purchase a car for one amount, you would also need to add on top items such as:

• Import costs
• Extra track parts, like upgraded brakes, pads, tires, cages etc.
• Registration costs
• Running-in costs
• Certification costs (e.g. right hand drive cars or for specialised track parts)
• Localisation parts costs (e.g. right hand drive cars)
• Time for sourcing / visiting cars
• Transportation of the car
• And so on…

(Please note that these amount may be subject to change, as cars are added and removed from our fleet! For the latest update, alway consult your RSR contact person and your rental terms and conditions.)

On the track (Including Nürburgring Touristenfahrten):

• VW UP! GTI: 10.000€
• Ford Fiesta ST: 10.000€
• Renault Clio RS220 Trophy: 15.000€
• VW Golf GTI: 17.000€
• Hyundai i30N: 20.000€
• Renault Megane IV R.S.: 25.000€
• Honda Civic Type R: 25.000€
• VW Golf R: 25.000€
• Ford Focus RS: 35.000€
• Renault Megane Race Car: 35.000€
• BMW M240i: 35.000€
• BMW M3 E92: 35.000€
• BMW M2: 50.000€
• BMW M3 F80: 50.000€
• BMW M4: 50.000€
• Porsche Cayman S 718: 50.000€
• Porsche Cayman GTS 981: 50.000€
• Porsche Cayman GT4: 75.000€
• Nissan GT-R: 75.000€
• Porsche GT3 991: 100.000€
• Porsche GT3 RS 991: 150.000€

Public Roads (Road Tours):

• Porsche GT3 991: €12500
• Porsche GT3 RS 991: €12500
• Nissan GT-R: €12500
• Ferrari F12berlinetta: €20000
• All others in RSR Fleet: €5000

The Nürburgring is infamous amongst insurance companies, and as mentioned in the ‘driving your own car on track’ scenario above – usually there is no insurance at all. This also applies to companies, not just individuals, and we need to protect our significant investment (our cars) to ensure that we can continue offering our services to our customers.

Just think – how would you feel about letting someone you didn’t know drive your own pride and joy?

So when it comes to an accident, and under our basic excess structure, it’s always better to be liable for only part of the value of the car, and not the whole thing!

Keep in mind that while €50,000+ can seem like a high price, this is your worst case scenario – i.e. this is what you’re responsible for if the car is a complete write off.

A fully written off car is very, very unusual, and you only pay for the damage you actually cause.

So in most cases, the above excess level do not apply. We’re not going to charge you €20,000 when you only do €1000 of damage!
However, at the end of the day, you are responsible for how you drive the car. When you are in control, you need to be responsible with your speed and cornering, keeping your wits about you, and seeing what is going on. If you don’t know where you’re going, then drive a bit slower, just like you would on a public road!

For the majority of accident cases, there is no third party involved. Usually, it’s the driver getting ahead of themselves, and “running out of talent”. The other people on track, no matter how idiotic, for most of the time can be avoided by driving defensively, taking no risks, being predictable, and just letting them go on past.

If there is someone else involved, then we have different policies that cover the different situations: Public Road, Touristenfahrten and Trackdays. There is a similar excess-style setup to cover the damage to the other persons’ car.

Third Party:

• Public Roads – €5000 on the other car
• Nürburgring Touristenfahrten – €10000 on the other car
• Trackdays – DEPENDS ON THE TRACKDAY RULES. Generally, everyone is responsible for paying their own car – but this is not always the case!

When it comes to Public Roads and Touristenfahrten, sometimes it’s not apparent whose fault it is in a crash. Police reports can take weeks to come back. When there is a third party involved, and the fault is unsure, then we take the above amounts as a deposit. Anything unused is returned to you once fault is established or repairs are made.

Trackdays are a different story. The rules regarding third parties can vary, depending on the organiser of the event. Generally, there are no public road rules in effect. This means that if any damage is done to another car, they have to pay for their own car. Vice versa, this means that if someone crashes into you, then you are responsible for paying the amount of damage to the car you were driving – even if it’s not your fault. This is why you especially need to have your wits about you around other cars on trackdays. However, some organisers have special rules about overtaking, such as it only being allowed on straight sections of the track, or overtaking by invitation only. If there is a mix up and an accident occurs between two cars, then it’s possibly that fault (or a percentage thereof) may be assigned to one party.

First and foremost let us be very clear: We do not make money out of repairing our cars. And in fact, each of our crash estimates are created through an industry standard program, using industry standard prices. This is presented to you and we take the time to go through each and every item, to ensure that everything is understood.

A quick note on our estimates: they are just that – an “estimate”. Because generally we will not know the final cost of the repair until after it’s been completed, and we need to provide some sort of idea of cost at the time of the crash, our mechanics create a crash estimate. Sometimes these prices can be higher that the final cost, to account for parts that are unable to be determined as damaged until the car is part way through the repair process.

Once the final repair is completed, then we can provide a final cost breakdown, and any difference (either way) can be sorted out.

A healthy amount of nerves is good – but of course we still want you to go out there, and enjoy some of the best tracks in the world, with us!

Firstly – You can always drive carefully, within your limits, and drive defensively around other cars on the circuit. Watch what is going on around you at all times – but also concentrate on what you’re doing!

Secondly – Hire one of our experienced driving instructors to help you around the track. It’s great to have a second pair of eyes out there, and they can help you with part of the circuit you’re not familiar with and also keep your driving levels in check!

Thirdly – Hire a car that is within your means. A fast, super expensive car is a nice thing to hire on one of our road tours. But on the track, it means everything approaches quicker than you expect, and if something goes wrong, then you’re normally going faster. When you are very experienced on the circuit, then a faster car can be more rewarding to drive. But when you’re just starting out, it’s always better to work your way up through the levels of car. The morale of the story – don’t drive outside your means!

Fourthly – If the standard excess level is too high, then either consider dropping down a class of car (You’ll generally have just as much fun, with less worry in the back of your mind. Alternatively, you can organise extra track insurance. This is where, for an additional premium another company will cover you for our excess amounts. Find out more below about third party insurers.

At the end of the day, we want all clients to be happy and satisfied with their rental experience. The info above is designed to demystify some of the processes on the side people don’t usually like to talk about – e.g. what happens if it all goes wrong.

You’re doing something inherently risky, that also carries a financial burden – make no mistake about it!
However, the biggest determining factor of risk is your own attitude. Having a responsible attitude is key to having fun, and keeping safe while out on the circuit!

If you have any questions regarding anything, then feel free to contact a friendly member of RSR Staff – we can answer any specific questions you may have.

Please note – Prices and amounts were correct at time of writing. Please ask us for the latest details on the particular car you are interested in renting.

You can reduce your risk while driving the ‘Ring! Do you want to drive the ‘Ring but the excess amount in case of a crash makes you a bit nervous? Don’t worry, RSR has the solution! The RSR Excess Buy-Down Program allows you to reduce your excess on selected cars by more than the half!

We strongly recommend that you consider this reduction while driving on-track at the Nürburgring. With this you are better protected, and your total cost if the worst happens is drastically reduced, so you can drive more relaxed, thus focusing on the track and on having fun!

It is available for the following cars with the described rates:

While doing your booking just ask our staff to add the Excess Buy-Down Program to your package! The first lap with an instructor on the passenger sit is mandatory (€50). Terms and conditions apply, so please contact RSR for more information.

RSR Partner OpenTrack offers third party track insurance options exclusive to RSR Customers. With additional track insurance you are protected and your total cost of risk is known. The best part is this can also be purchased on the day of driving, even at the RSR office!

During the RSR check-in process, you will be required to choose how you’d like to handle insurance for the day. Consider the two options below so that you will be prepared when you check-in:

In both instances, before you leave the facility, you MUST pay RSR the amount you are responsible for:

(Please note pricing may be subject to change without notice.)

For more information and to purchase coverage, click on the link below!