Nürburgring Hit and Run – Is it even possible?

Nürburgring Hit and Run – 3200 maxed out km in a "patinated" 996 by name "Sot"

There are trips you plan for a long time, and then there are trips that mostly feel like you look at each other, nod and drive away. A month and a half ago, my friend Petter and I did exactly the latter. We got into my almost 30-year-old Porsche 996 in Stockholm and drove south. The goal was the Nürburgring. Not with a support car, not with a trailer, not with much margin. 

Just the car, the road and a plan that was as simple as it was a little crazy: just over 1,600 kilometers down, one lap of the ring with Misha for his YouTube channel, and then the same distance back home.

Not just any Porsche

This isn't just any 996 either. It was my first Porsche. The car also has a special place in Bidders Highway history, as it was the first car ever sold on the platform. That's what happens sometimes when you start something new. No one else is immediately vying to be first, so you have to start with your own. I sold the car, had a lot of other much nicer cars in between, missed it more than I expected, and when it reappeared I bought it back about a year ago.

Since then I've had time to make it more my own again. New interior, some better modifications, fine tuning. But basically it's the same car that many of you have already seen in the newsletter and that some of you remember from the original auction which you can find HERE.

It's not perfect. Far from it, actually. The condition is quite worn, which is probably a kind way of putting it. But where it counts, it's strong, and in the days before departure I also received invaluable help from Kosse at RevTech Nordics in Stockholm to get the car in good enough condition to actually complete the challenge. 

That also says a lot about the whole project. This wasn't a car that was rolled out of the garage after six months of over-restoration and three laps around the block. It was more of an honest attempt to prepare an old, fairly heavily used 996 as best as possible, and then simply trust the car. We managed to get most of it in order. It's just a shame that the engine mounts were delayed and never arrived before we were supposed to leave. You'll understand why when you watch the video.

The question we asked ourselves: Is this really doable?

That's also what I like about this whole trip. It wasn't arranged. No polished content exercise. No car that just rolls out when the weather forecast, the light and the logistics are exactly right. Just my old faithful servant and a question that felt worth getting an answer to: Is it possible to drive a car like this from Stockholm to the Nürburgring, give it what it can handle where it belongs, and then drive all the way home again? 

The answer came faster than expected. Yes, without the slightest hesitation. The car didn't put a single foot wrong. It stormed all the way down through Europe, kept high speeds on the autobahn for hour after hour and then took on The Green Hell in exactly the way you hope a really good enthusiast car will. Without drama, without surprises, or yes a little wobbly if you ask Misha, and without feeling like a fragile project that could start protesting at any moment. Quite the opposite.

On the autobahn we were steadily north of 250 km/h for several hours. It sounds harsh, especially in a car that's almost 30 years old. But the 996 only ate up miles. And when we finally arrived, we weren't sitting there like two blown-out idiots with tinnitus and bad decisions in our luggage. We'd just had a really good day in a really good car. 

Once at the ring, the next highlight awaited. Misha took the wheel, did his thing and gave the car a proper thumbs up. Perhaps the nicest comment of all was that he thought the car cost about twice as much as it actually did. That says a lot, I think.

996: The ugly duckling - or is it really?

The 996 is still a model that some people like to talk down. Many view it as the least attractive 911 generation. I disagree—especially when you consider what you actually get. The driving feel is there. The character is there. The brand needs no introduction. And in terms of price, it’s still hard to find much else that delivers the same sports car experience for the money. At least for a while longer... 

Especially in a car like this one, where the focus was never on looking perfect in a parking lot. It’s meant to feel alive. A bit raw. A bit mechanical. Sharp in its response and precise in everything it does. The original auction listing described it quite accurately as a 996 with a serious track-day focus—featuring Öhlins Road & Track suspension, a half-cage, and GT3 bucket seats—yet one that remains fully usable on the road. That specific combination is likely the main reason the trip turned out so well. It has enough motorsport DNA to feel special, yet retains enough of a road car’s nature to handle daily life. And, evidently, a 3,200-kilometer round trip to the Nürburgring. 

Of course, there is also something deeply satisfying about an older, slightly battle-scarred 996 heading to the Ring, being driven by a local hero, and coming away with its honor completely intact. No fanfare. No posturing. Just proof that older enthusiast cars still have far more to offer than many people realize.

Get out and drive

Many of us love enthusiast cars in theory. Fewer people use them as much as we actually want to. It’s easy to put off driving them until “the right day”, “the right weekend” or “later when everything is finished”. But cars like these are best used. They should be warm. They should be able to do work. They should be able to take you somewhere where the journey itself is the whole point. For me, this trip was a very clear confirmation of exactly that. A car I already liked even more when I got home. 

There’s a lot to be said about the market, value and which models are undervalued or misunderstood. But sometimes it’s enough that a car just does the job so well that you get out of it and think: yes, that’s why you’re in it. 

And as I write this, the same 996 is parked outside the office. I brought it here this morning. That’s exactly how I want enthusiast cars to be used. 

Get out and drive now! See you!

Jacob Odqvist, VD Bidders Highway

Watch the full clip from Misha's run with Sot below. What do you think? Leave a comment!