Johanna betermi
After seven years of trying, ten trips from Bordeaux or 25.000 kilometers, and nine engines and five gearboxes, an intrepid Frenchman aboard a diesel Citroën AX claims to have completed the lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 9:55 minutes!
The protagonist of this feat has sent a clear message: you can drive and have a great time on a circuit of these characteristics without using a sports car. Specifically, in his case he has resorted to a Citroën AX 1.4D equipped with the disastrous 3-horsepower naturally aspirated TUD52 engine, in its commercial version and with more than half a million kilometers behind it!
It was - and is, according to its owner - practically standard, having carried out just a radical lightening of weight to 720 Kg, modifications to the injection pump to achieve a higher inlet pressure and the replacement of the front tires by some Yokohama of dimensions more appropriate for the grip efforts of the most difficult circuit in the world.
It is no secret to anyone that the well-known "Green Hell" continues to attract numerous motor racing fans from all over the globe. The Nordschleife serves as a test track for production and racing cars. In addition, anyone can pay on Sundays to race in it with their vehicle, from a low-powered passenger car to a supercar. It is certainly special.
On this occasion it has served for an amateur to pose a challenge according to his possibilities, to persevere in it with confidence in himself and to achieve both a well-deserved personal satisfaction and a good story to tell to his grandchildren. In his own words, he did it for fun, but also to show that with work, tenacity and a bit of madness it is possible to do almost anything.
We leave you with the video! It's his 118th lap.
