Supercar experience or lotus exige experience
Discussion
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.
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.
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 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.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.
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
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.
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.
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....?
Never meet your heroes....?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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
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.
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.
I'm in deepest somerset so miles away, thanks for the offer though.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
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?
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.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 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.
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.
I'm in deepest somerset so miles away, thanks for the offer though.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
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?
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.
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
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
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