NEXT PROJECT: CASTLE LUTZ; GM builds a mini-Nordschleife.(Revs)

Byline: MAC MORRISON

** Situated in Germany's Eifel Mountains, the 14.1-mile, 170-plus turn Nurburgring Nordschleife (North Loop) hosted 20 Formula One races between 1951 and 1976. After Niki Lauda's Ferrari crashed and caught fire there in '76, F1 deemed the circuit too dangerous, but for years now it has served as the ultimate production car development course. The 'Ring's unparalleled combination of high-speed corners, severe braking zones and vertigo-inducing elevation changes offers engineers an extreme challenge on which to hone their products. Plus, the roads around Castle Nurburg are convenient for European carmakers, especially German ones like Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It is, however, decidedly less so for U.S. or Asian manufacturers. GM was among those that decided it was worth the trip, especially since the arrival of Bob Lutz as product development czar.

Since '97, GM made three to four Nurburgring trips per year, for two to three weeks per trip, says Frank Taverna, engineering group manager for General Motors' prestige, performance and luxury cars. Cadillac's CTS and CTS-V, Chevrolet's 2005 Corvette and Saturn's Ion Redline were among the cars tested on such trips. "Now, we'll probably cut down to two trips per year, two weeks per trip,'' Taverna says.

GM hasn't capped its commitment to performance or slashed the budget. Instead, it has brought a piece of Nordschleife home, to its Milford (Michigan) Proving Ground. At 3.6-miles in its longest configuration, GM's new $7 million Milford Road Course opened in December and combines what engineers deem Nurburgring's most useful features with those of several U.S. circuits. From the German track's banked Karussell to Virginia International Raceway's esses, the course (which the media dubbed "the Lutzitsring'') allows engineers to dial in cars for less money and in less time than before.

"The biggest advantage is having all these features added up at one track,'' ...