The race was introduced in 1970 as a substitute for the long-distance rally tradition that had included events such as the Marathon de la Route, which had been run on the Nordschleife from 1965 to 1971. The 24h Nürburgring was modeled after the Spa 24 Hours (itself dating to 1924) and shares the same broad philosophy: a mix of professional factory entries and amateur teams, united by the challenge of a long, fast, and unforgiving circuit.
The event is primarily aimed at amateur competitors, who fill the bulk of a starting grid that numbered up to 220 cars in some years, though it has also attracted factory teams from Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. Entry fees in 2010 stood at €7,508 per car, including an advance fuel payment. Starting in 2024, the field was capped at 150 cars.
The lap length has varied across the decades. The original Nordschleife measured 22.835 km. Extensions to the GP circuit briefly pushed total lap length to nearly 26 km in 2002–2003 after the Mercedes Arena was added; since 2005 a chicane has reduced the combined length to approximately 25.3 km.
Safety procedures differ significantly from other major endurance races. Safety cars are deployed only during red flag restarts. Double yellow flags impose a local 120 km/h speed limit, and a "code 60" flag limits speed to 60 km/h. Since 2015, all competitors must hold a valid DMSB Nordschleife permit and must have raced on the circuit in at least three events within the previous two calendar years.
The 2006 race, held in dry and sunny conditions, saw Manthey Racing win with a Porsche 996 GT3 R, covering a then-record 151 laps (3,832 km). The 2011 race set a new distance record of 156 laps, won by Manthey's Porsche 997 GT3 RSR. The 2014 race pushed the distance record further to 159 laps (4,035 km). The 2023 race established an even longer distance record of 162 laps while also delivering Ferrari's first-ever victory in the event, with the Frikadelli Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 taking the win.
The 2024 race set the record for the shortest distance covered in modern times — just 50 laps — due to prolonged rain and overnight fog. Similarly, the 2020 and 2021 races were interrupted for most of the night by adverse weather, with the 2021 event completing only 58 laps. The 2020 race was also postponed from its traditional May/June date to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Rowe Racing took victory in a BMW M6 GT3 — the first BMW win in the event in a decade.
Manthey Racing, the Porsche-associated privateer outfit, is the event's most successful team, winning multiple times across different eras. Porsche is the most successful manufacturer. The 2013 race saw the first Mercedes victory, taken by Team Black Falcon in a Mercedes-AMG GT3. Phoenix Racing in an Audi R8 LMS won in 2012 and 2014, while Audi Sport Team Land / Montaplast Land-Motorsport won the 2017 edition.
The 2001 race was marked by the death of driver Christian Peruzzi following a practice accident in an Alfa Romeo 147. Weather-related red flags have repeatedly defined the race's outcome in recent years. In 2016 an unusual hailstorm caused a string of crashes, forcing a red flag. The large speed differential between the fastest GT3 cars and the slowest production-class entries remains a persistent safety concern on a circuit with numerous blind crests and corners.
The Nürburgring 24 Hours holds a unique position in world motorsport as the largest-grid endurance race in terms of car count and the only major 24-hour event where amateurs genuinely compete alongside factory teams on the same lap. Its setting on the Nordschleife — long regarded as the world's most demanding road circuit — gives the race an atmosphere unmatched in GT racing. Starting in 2024 the event joined the Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar under the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring title.