So-called mini-Nürburgrings are often posted all over the internet, but rarely are they as convincing as this; the new Porsche Experience Centre, located just outside Tokyo.
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At 9427km away, it’s a long way from Nürburg, but the “Carousel Corner” bears more than a passing resemblance to our own Caracciola Karussell. Unfortunately for Japanese ‘Ring fans, this metre-for-metre recreation of the Nordschleife’s most memorable corner is just part of a 2.1km track, not 20.8kms.
Oddly enough, it appears from the videos and photos that students and customers of the PEC Tokyo will be driving this particular Karussell the wrong way around. You can watch for yourself here:
It was only in 2019 that the third part of the Toyota Shimoyama test track was announced as a ‘Mini-Nürburgring’, but even after some extensive research*, I failed to turn up anything more scenic than this, which is a screenshot from the 2020 Lexus IS video here. It’s a lovely looking track, but only the elevation and scenery can draw Nordschleife comparisons.
And neither of these so-called “Nürburgrings” will feature giant graffiti phalluses. So what’s the point, really?
*research in 2021 just means I Googled it. Sorry
A tip of the hat to One Lap Heroes, whose instagram post here reminded me that this should be finished. On another side-note, the OEM driving experiences have really upped their games over the last decade, and Porsche are killing it.
