RE: 'Kinlochring': My Dream Drive
Discussion
Davey S2 said:
Understatement indeed!
What was it like on that same stretch of road? Too wide?
Given you chose the CS as the car of choice for that drive I assume it's the most fun but how does the GT3 compare? I assume all things being equal it would be marginally faster than the CS?
Im not very good at describing the difference between cars and how they drive but I think I can answer this>What was it like on that same stretch of road? Too wide?
Given you chose the CS as the car of choice for that drive I assume it's the most fun but how does the GT3 compare? I assume all things being equal it would be marginally faster than the CS?
The F50 delivers all its excitement from higher up in the rev range so you have to work very hard in low gears to get the equivalent of what say a Lotus Elise would get happily all day long on the road I suggest at low to mid revs. The size of the F50 was no issue whatsoever on the road is its pretty much full width all the way around and the road becomes very quiet in the late evening.
Although you see a 997.2 GT3 RS in the article my GT3 is a 997.2 GT3 Club Sport and the RS belongs to a close friend of mine who took it up for our yearly West Coast run. The RS which has the cup tyres where as my Club Sport hasn't and although I would say that both GT3's were excellent the front end of both the GT3's start to bob about a bit more than the mid engine of the Stradale which remains exceptionally stable throughout.
However, I could probably circumvent the Kinlochring significantly quicker in a GT3 than the Stradale due to the massive amounts of turn in grip and rear end grip/grunt. The noise wouldn't be early as good though :-)
Edited by nigelonich on Thursday 14th August 13:52
Nice story. Sadly we did not take this short detour on our travels up the west coast of Scotland earlier this year. Fortunately there are plenty of nice stretches of driving roads to be found - and the further north one goes, it seems, the quieter the roads.
Edit update: My memeory failed me because after writing this I looked up my road atlas to discover that we did in fact cover part the ring when travelling north. It had thick green lines along the B863, indicating a scenic route, so we diverted to have a look. Our progress was leisurely rather than brisk as we were enjoying the scenery.
Edit update: My memeory failed me because after writing this I looked up my road atlas to discover that we did in fact cover part the ring when travelling north. It had thick green lines along the B863, indicating a scenic route, so we diverted to have a look. Our progress was leisurely rather than brisk as we were enjoying the scenery.
Edited by oldtimer2 on Friday 15th August 14:40
The B863 Kinlochring (also known at times as Scotsburgring) is my Tuesday and Wednesday commute. I live in Fort William (soon to be a near neighbour of Nigel though when I move to Corran...), and work 1-2 days a week in Kinlochleven.
Sadly my vehicles are not to the same standard as his. My current weapon of choice is my road going 205. 3rd and 4th gears for the whole route. It has everything from off camber corners, compressions, a decent jump, some that tighten up, some that open up all wrapped in some of the best scenery there is. Beware the jump in anything that is nose heavy!
I agree with his preferred direction of travel and would highly recommend a stop off at Loch Leven Seafood after a couple of laps.
Sadly my vehicles are not to the same standard as his. My current weapon of choice is my road going 205. 3rd and 4th gears for the whole route. It has everything from off camber corners, compressions, a decent jump, some that tighten up, some that open up all wrapped in some of the best scenery there is. Beware the jump in anything that is nose heavy!
I agree with his preferred direction of travel and would highly recommend a stop off at Loch Leven Seafood after a couple of laps.
Good post! Jumped in to PH while thinking about a wee drive tonight while my wife is working and hey! This post was up.... Its a sign! I love the circuit - both directions, and the one further south around Loch Creran. Both of these combined with a run down the Oban road (especially the section of bends at Castle Stalker view) make for a great evening - well once the touroids have gone in for their dinner! Cracking car to do it in - I'm not that lucky - have often admired the metal in your drive on my way S from FW (where I live). Happy motoring!
Finally, a dream drive worth mentioning. The A82 has some of the most splendid views anywhere in the UK and having stayed in Onich on several occasions I can totally agree with the brilliant roads round that way, most of which are in fantastic condition too. Sadly I don't have a Ferrari to drive on them but even in my Superb I can appreciate how wonderful they are to drive at speed. On,y the occasional lumber truck swinging across your lane can ruin the melody of the sweeping roads.
I suspect I saw you in May. Nigel, bank holiday weekend, you'd come back anticlockwise in the GT3 and we saw you at the t junction in North Ballachulish turning left for Onich.
Funnily enough we'd just been passed by two Ferraris on the Gelncoe road ten minutes earlier.
Had you and some friends been out playing perchance?
Funnily enough we'd just been passed by two Ferraris on the Gelncoe road ten minutes earlier.
Had you and some friends been out playing perchance?
First time I did this road was in an aero screen westie in February on a solo f
k the world just drive tour of Scotland about 10 years ago. I still vividly remember cresting into a tree lined section to find ice, 888's don't work on ice... later that day I was driving up to the Kyle of localsh on the a87 when it started snowing. The snow just parted around the visor on the crash helmet giving a very trippy feel, although car was twitchy as fk. happy days
k the world just drive tour of Scotland about 10 years ago. I still vividly remember cresting into a tree lined section to find ice, 888's don't work on ice... later that day I was driving up to the Kyle of localsh on the a87 when it started snowing. The snow just parted around the visor on the crash helmet giving a very trippy feel, although car was twitchy as fk. happy daysI have so many memories of this road, its always quiet as most of the traffic sticks to the A82 and goes across the bridge at the top of the loch . The first time i had ever been to the Highlands was to go with my dad to the funeral of a distant relative who had lived in Kinlochleven - the burial took place at the graveyard at the loch side , I remember quite vividly the drive up through Glencoe on the way there being amazed by the scenery.
Years later when my mates began to buy 'decent' cars and remembering that road we took one of our first road trips along the Kinloch. I had also just bought my first ever digital camera and took it along.
and last year i went back as part of a tour of the highlands with my wife, this time taking along my 996 - couldn't resist stopping for a photo (now the wallpaper on my laptop!)
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happy days!
Years later when my mates began to buy 'decent' cars and remembering that road we took one of our first road trips along the Kinloch. I had also just bought my first ever digital camera and took it along.
and last year i went back as part of a tour of the highlands with my wife, this time taking along my 996 - couldn't resist stopping for a photo (now the wallpaper on my laptop!)
[/URL]happy days!
ScottMc91 said:
Years later when my mates began to buy 'decent' cars and remembering that road we took one of our first road trips along the Kinloch. I had also just bought my first ever digital camera and took it along.
When going to/from the Highlands on the A82 we never go over the bridge at Ballachulish. 
As Kinlochleven isn't on the way to anywhere else, the B863 is usually a tourist-free zone.
Had a quick look in your PH garage. Thought you might like this.
Mine is the white T-bar. I bought it 2 weeks before the trip and sold it 3 months later.
I made a profit on it which paid for all the fuel for the 2000 mile round trip. Result!
There were 18 of us doing a lap of the 'Scotsburgring' that year.
Much further north a PH mini convoy turned up while we were taking a break.
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