Great article on Jalopnik.

http://ca.jalopnik.com/5763127/driving-a-video-game-porsche-on-the-nurburgring-versus-the-real-thing

The challenge: Would I be willing to learn to drive the famous Nürburgring using nothing more than an Xbox, then fly to Germany, pick up a $100,000 Porsche and take it to that most treacherous race circuit in real life to try and match my virtual lap times? My reaction was unprintable.

This is the stuff automotive dreams are made of.

That's just incredible.
The link they have to the original article includes video of his best lap.

http://autos.sympatico.ca/features/7905/xbox-vs-reality-driving-the-worlds-most-dangerous-track/10

Good article... and great that he did point out the biggest problem between virtual and real was the height elevation changes and the rough patches in the track... I wonder if it could ever bee accurately modeled in a video game. I'd like to see iRacing scan the track but probably to big and too long of time to do.

Jeremy Clarkson did something similar with Gran Turismo 4 using a Nissan Skyline around Laguna Seca. Didn't come anywhere near his xbox time in the real car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olWCXfwTvhI

Another classic and a favorite of mine, for sure

I would not try it based on an Xbox.

Weren't they thinking of implementing an optional view system in iRacing, kind of gyroscopic so you could sense the banking of the track? Banking angles are another thing that you kind of miss out on in a game since you can't feel it. Might not be elevation, but would still be an improvement. There was an example video somewhere of it.
Watching Grand Prix with the camera system they created to film the racing in that movie is really incredible, might be a good way to transmit banking to the player.

I believe Clarkson was in an NSX.

Interesting stuff, and another reminder why sims are fast becoming valuable training tools for the real world. They are not perfect but can save many hours and money learning the basics on a real track.

The gyroscopic cam idea is interesting - one of the things that never comes across in sims is the elevation changes, as for the track surface - it can be done, you only have to drive the carousel in Com8's supurb rFactor version of the circuit to rattle out your virtual fillings

Great article, that is a dream for many of us fans of this track, I hope to be able to combine a trip to the track with a family vacation in Europe someday.

It would be interesting to hear him try it on GT5, others with real world track experience on the Nordschleife have said GT5 simulated the elevations and bumps really well and only missed on making the Karusel as bumpy as it is in real life, of course GT5 doesn't have the Porsche Carrera and Forza does.

Here it is in Grand Prix, on the high bank at several places during the video:
<<SPOILERS if you haven't seen the movie>>