Supercar experience or lotus exige experience

Supercar experience or lotus exige experience

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egor110

Original Poster:

16,817 posts

202 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
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I was given a experience gift voucher which has to be used by dec.

I could do a 5 supercar experience at long marston/upper heyford , 3 miles per car so 15 miles total driving.

Or i could do the lotus exige experience at silverstone or the aston vs ferrari experience at silverstone, both of those would be 17 miles total.

Any pointers? my initial thought is do the lotus so i get loads of time in the 1 car but on the other hands with the 5 supercar i could opt to take the same 2 cars out so 9 miles in a ferrari and 6 miles in a lambo.



Frimley111R

15,533 posts

233 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
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Lotus Exige definitely. I did an Elise experience and a supercar experience a few years ago. The supercars are nice because you can say "I've driven a xxxxx." but the Lotus is a car that doesn't intimidate, it feels brilliantly quick and alive and you can thrash one, but you can't thrash a supercar simply because they're too fast.

eracing2011

43 posts

123 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
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My experience with driving experiences is that independently of your capability to trash or not a Ferrari, they will not let you.
In fairness within the laps you have, you don't have enough time to build the confidence up of your instructor...
I would go for the Exige experience.

egor110

Original Poster:

16,817 posts

202 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
quotequote all
eracing2011 said:
My experience with driving experiences is that independently of your capability to trash or not a Ferrari, they will not let you.
In fairness within the laps you have, you don't have enough time to build the confidence up of your instructor...
I would go for the Exige experience.
I understand they hold you back in the supercars but i'm quite reserved driving so not really a problem.

If it was my money i'd do a trackday but i have this voucher and can't cash it.

Another option is a half day/3 hour rally experience.

At the moment i'm heading to the exige just because 17 miles in the same car i'm guessing the instructor is going to push me a bit more.

Edited by egor110 on Tuesday 4th November 17:13

blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

231 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
quotequote all
Unless you drive supercars anyway, I would definitely do the supercar day. The actual distance travelled is pretty irrelevant believe it or not.
I did one when I was younger that was 4 supercars plus an Exige. The Exige was more fun but it wasn't special in the same way that the supercars were. Driving a supercar like a Lamborghini is a huge experience and assault on the senses and if you haven't don't it before you'll get much more out of it than driving semi-competently in an Exige.
For someone of limited driving ability/experience - the Exige is a purer driving experience but it doesn't have a fraction of the whole event that driving a supercar achieves.

Robert Elise

956 posts

144 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
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a lot of supercars are quite underwhelming over a few laps. I'd take the Exige and GFI. It's driving on circuit that you'll enjoy as much as the car, and the Exige is in its element. For a supercar i'd save up and take one for a day's hire on road, take time to learn how it drives. Aston's sound lovely, but they're heavy pigs on track. I haven't driven an N124 to be fair.
Never meet your heroes....?

Frimley111R

15,533 posts

233 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
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Having driven 911s, a 355, and few others on track I found them simply Ok. The only supercars that 'wowed' me was the Esprit V8 and Viper but I still have 10 times the enjoyment from the Elises. it really depends what you want, just don't expect to get up to much in the supercars, it'll just be a nice little drive.

blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

231 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
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Frimley111R said:
Having driven 911s, a 355, and few others on track I found them simply Ok. The only supercars that 'wowed' me was the Esprit V8 and Viper but I still have 10 times the enjoyment from the Elises. it really depends what you want, just don't expect to get up to much in the supercars, it'll just be a nice little drive.
It depends solely on how old the OP is and how much experience he's had of driving nice cars.
When I did one I was 22 and had not driven any quick cars and the overall supercar experience far exceeded the driving experience of the Exige because, whilst it was noticeably more fun to drive, it lacked any of the exciting drama of the others. I wasn't a good enough driver for driving experience to supersede car experience.
I know full well if I did it now, though, that I would enjoy the Lotus a lot more.

egor110

Original Poster:

16,817 posts

202 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
quotequote all
blindswelledrat said:
Frimley111R said:
Having driven 911s, a 355, and few others on track I found them simply Ok. The only supercars that 'wowed' me was the Esprit V8 and Viper but I still have 10 times the enjoyment from the Elises. it really depends what you want, just don't expect to get up to much in the supercars, it'll just be a nice little drive.
It depends solely on how old the OP is and how much experience he's had of driving nice cars.
When I did one I was 22 and had not driven any quick cars and the overall supercar experience far exceeded the driving experience of the Exige because, whilst it was noticeably more fun to drive, it lacked any of the exciting drama of the others. I wasn't a good enough driver for driving experience to supersede car experience.
I know full well if I did it now, though, that I would enjoy the Lotus a lot more.
I'm 40 and haven't driven anything fast except my twin turbo subaru.

Think i'm going to do the lotus as i'll get more laps in the same car so hopefully the instructor will push me more, plus it's at a proper track not a airfield with cones.

C1RVY

2,329 posts

262 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
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On the few I've done, I found the supercars to be a little baggy & rather poor examples.

For pure 'fun', the Lotus would get it for me biggrin

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
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I did the Exige experience at Silverstone a few years back and it was great.

egor110

Original Poster:

16,817 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
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Thanks for all the advice, i've booked 17 laps in the exige for nov 16th.

1 last question as i'm up there i'm going to do 3 laps in either the nissan gtr or the ferrari f430, whhic would you pick?

QBee

20,903 posts

143 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
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Both are very quick. Plump for whichever you prefer.

Then go do a track day with a friend to share the cost. Book-a-track.com do a complete track day for the two of you for about £800 I think. Sounds a lot, but they supply a Caterham R300, an instructor, as many laps as you want - like about 3 hours each - they pay for all the fuel, tyres, mechanical stuff. You just turn up and drive.

To put it in perspective, my TVR is similar in speed to a BAT Caterham. It costs me say £150 to book my track day, £150-200 for fuel, £50 for tyres, then there's wear and tear and servicing on the car, and it has cost me thousands to buy the car and thousands to prep it for the track (bigger brakes, adjustable suspension, baffled sump, roll cage, harnesses, track wheels and tyres, racing oil and brake fluid, insurance etc). And I generally manage 2-3 hours on track in the day. Both me and the car need regular breaks.

james_gt3rs

4,816 posts

190 months

Friday 7th November 2014
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I did the Exige at Thruxton when I was 18. It was good as I was allowed to push the car a bit (got it unintentionally sideways at one point!). But a proper trackday in your own car is much better, you get a lot more seat time! I'd say the experience day is good for your first time on track, but pointless otherwise...

Porkie

2,378 posts

240 months

Friday 7th November 2014
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Do a half day at Palmersport. Totally on another PLANET to these 'experience' days.

www.palmersport.com

I've got an F430 and an ExigeS if you are local to Essex... that way you can spend the money on a real adrenaline rush and a proper experience at Bedford.

Done the day 25 times now... its staggeringly good fun and value.

Edited by Porkie on Friday 7th November 10:34

QBee

20,903 posts

143 months

Friday 7th November 2014
quotequote all
A half day is all you need - most people on full day track days are going home by 4pm, many earlier than that. After a full day at Bedford last year I had to stop three times on the way home.....I was falling asleep at the wheel! Sheer exhaustion after the early start to get to the track for 8am, plus 185 miles driven 9-10/10ths on track.

egor110

Original Poster:

16,817 posts

202 months

Friday 7th November 2014
quotequote all
Porkie said:
Do a half day at Palmersport. Totally on another PLANET to these 'experience' days.

www.palmersport.com

I've got an F430 and an ExigeS if you are local to Essex... that way you can spend the money on a real adrenaline rush and a proper experience at Bedford.

Done the day 25 times now... its staggeringly good fun and value.

Edited by Porkie on Friday 7th November 10:34
I'm in deepest somerset so miles away, thanks for the offer though.

Palmersport are well out of my price range.

Once winters out the way i think i might pick up a cheap puma or mx5 to track?

Jonny_

4,108 posts

206 months

Friday 7th November 2014
quotequote all
egor110 said:
I'm 40 and haven't driven anything fast except my twin turbo subaru.

Think i'm going to do the lotus as i'll get more laps in the same car so hopefully the instructor will push me more, plus it's at a proper track not a airfield with cones.
I'd say this is wise.

I did the 6th Gear Supercar Experience today at Elvington. Four laps in a Ferrari F430. Certainly worth doing (despite it absolutely pissing it down!) but I'd barely got a feel for the car before the drive was over.

Porkie

2,378 posts

240 months

Saturday 8th November 2014
quotequote all
egor110 said:
Porkie said:
Do a half day at Palmersport. Totally on another PLANET to these 'experience' days.

www.palmersport.com

I've got an F430 and an ExigeS if you are local to Essex... that way you can spend the money on a real adrenaline rush and a proper experience at Bedford.

Done the day 25 times now... its staggeringly good fun and value.

Edited by Porkie on Friday 7th November 10:34
I'm in deepest somerset so miles away, thanks for the offer though.

Palmersport are well out of my price range.

Once winters out the way i think i might pick up a cheap puma or mx5 to track?
both fab choices. I'd go for the MX5 myself or a clio over the puma.

Palmersport half day is like 400 odd... outrageous value for money and really so so so much better than what you are about to spend 200ish on?

I do LOTS of trackdays. email me if you wanna join on one.

egor110

Original Poster:

16,817 posts

202 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice chaps, just got back from silverstone and had a great time.

Drove up from somerset in the grand cherokee barge, and wasn't glad to see silverstone covered in fog.

1st few track sessions were cancelled but they planned on running our time slot so watched the video of braking points etc then drove to the inside of stowe where the cars were.

The old lotus exige is quite basic and rattly but managed 10 laps with no spins (unlike the chap who spun twice in a gtr)
the instructors comments were i was driving smooth almost too smooth , as i was braking gently too early so carrying good speed around the corners but could of got up to a bit more speed on the straights.

Think my quickest into stowe was just above 100 and quickest into abey was high 80's, favourite bit of track was the abbey section that takes you into hanger straight , stowe scared the st out of me as the instructor kept trying to get me faster into it,

Need to flog the jeep now and buy something trackable wink