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#BBBD2016 and 40 years of GTI
The first love? Do not forget. The first time? Don't forget either.
My first love on four wheels was a Volkswagen Golf GTI, year of construction 1979, 1.6 liter displacement and 110 hp. My first time on the racetrack on Bilster Berg? Just as emotional. Because the demanding race track in the Teutoburg Forest offers a unique environment. However, both are a bit ago and it was a special pleasure for me when Jens Stratmann announced the second # BBBD2016. The Bilster Berg Blogger Day 2016. This time together with Volkswagen, because this year they have 40 years of the GOLF GTI (GTI premiere 1975 at the IAA, first delivery 1976!) on the program. So the most important points came together: My first love and the great Bilster Berg race track.
40 years of GTI - a driving experience
My first car, the One Golf GTI, had 110 hp, and with a curb weight of well under 900 kg, that was enough to have a lot of fun. At that time, the GTI founded a completely new vehicle class. “Hot Hatches” – compact cars with steam. The story of the VW Golf GTI also tells of passionate engineers who had more gasoline in their blood than respect for the board and then simply built an injection engine from the Audi subsidiary into the “Type 17”. The result? A 3.7, short compact car that easily ran at 180 km/h and caused “astonished” faces on the highway back then. At the beginning of the 80s it was a real hot topic.
At that time, Bilster Berg was still an ammunition depot. 40 years after the GTI debut, however, the former British ammunition depot also became a completely different kind of depot.
From ammunition depot to driving fun depot
The route, designed by star architect Hermann Tilke, is 4.2 km long and is embedded in the hilly landscape between the Teuteburg Forest and the Egge Mountains. It is certainly reminiscent of the Nordschleife, is demanding and the “Mousetrap” section in particular requires pinched butt cheeks.
The special thing about the Bilster Berg race track is the basic idea behind it. A kind of “automotive country club” for people who really enjoy cars and, above all, driving a car in a sporty way. Since the beginning of the year the BILSTER MOUNTAIN However, the tactics changed a little and wants to open up to the automotive industry. Because hardly any other place is as suitable for presenting new automobiles, driving fast laps and holding fantastic events on the subject of “cars” as this race track, which opened in 2013. In addition to the challenging race track, there are large open and dynamic areas and even an off-road course. The ideal racing and test track. However, there will be no automobile races at Bilster Berg.
Hot hatch tradition and future, bloggers and the Bilster mountain
The Bilster Berg Blogger Day 2016 was marked by the Volkswagen Experience, which arrived at Bilster Berg with a horde of powerful hot hatches. From the 180 hp Volkswagen Polo to the Clubsport Golf GTI, the great-great-great-great-grandson of my first love. The checkered seat covers are still there and under the hood a four-cylinder heart still beats, but now with turbocharging and thanks to the boost function, up to 290 hp.
Together with the experienced instructors from the VW Driving Experience, the blogger colleagues explored the Bilster Mountain in search of the ideal line. As an “old fart,” it was my responsibility to moderate the video Jens planned. However, the faces of my blogger colleagues, which were often flooded with “happiness hormones”, showed me: “It would have been better if I had gone along for the ride instead of just talking”.
Before the VIDEO goes online, here are the impressions of the 2. Bilster Berg Blogger Days 2016:
A more authentic event? Hardly feasible.
The support from the VW Driving Experience and its experienced instructors, including the current record holder for the fastest FWD vehicle (series) on the Nordschleife, Benjamin Leuchter, optimally prepared the bloggers and YouTubers for the drive on the racetrack. The Bilster Berg is demanding and with a compact sports car with up to 300 hp, a fast lap is above all one thing: a matter of practice. However, the VW Driving Experience instructors are trained in dealing with racing novices and so at the end of the day there were mainly “happy faces” and no wrinkled metal.
Will there also be a “Bilster Berg Blogger Day” in 2017? I am very sure … !
[divider] [/divider]More about #bbbd2016?
With pleasure: http://www.nenalisi.de/news/bilster-berg-bloggerday-2016