Is the Car Limits Course Brutal on the Car??

[assadahmed]

I booked a Car Limits day with Andrew Walsh a while back when I still had my ex academy Caterham. By chance a really nice Caterham came up for sale and it will be with me before the course day.

A few folks have commented that the course can be quite hard on the car. Now tyre wear I don't mind but will the bodywork suffer in terms of stone chips? I wouldn't really the car to suffer in this way and am likely to get some paint protection film but on before hand.

Just wondered if anyone out there has done one of this courses and what their experience was in relation to stone chips?

Edited by assadahmed on Saturday 4th April 17:35

[Benbay001]

Brutal on the car is refering to the suspension, engine and other mechanicals. Not stone chips.

[Toltec]

I have never noticed stone chips after a day there, remember you will not be closely following another car. It should not be any worse than normal driving.

It can give the brakes, tyres and wheel bearings a workout, but more so on a normal road car, Caterhams are built for this sort of driving.

You do not have to drive the car any harder than you want to, it is not a competition. If anything you want to back off just enough so you can feel and think about what you and the car are doing.

[assadahmed]

Thanks for the posts. Based on this and the posts from the Caterham page, I am going to go ahead with my booking next week.

As said, I can always back of and take it easy when need be.

[Davidonly]

I did a handling course on a low friction circuit plus track time. (Pro Drive proving ground). The course was brilliant and I need to go back and build upon what i learned). The sliding done on a wet polymer 'road' was supposed to stop risk of tyre damage or drivetrain stress. I was very unlucky and during a spin my (brand new PSS) front clipped a raised grate (part of the water spray recirc system).

Fortunately the minor cuts were all in the tread so tyre survived. So risk yes but in my case I think all justified and contained...

[waremark]

Andy Walsh recommends you to set your tyre pressures extremely high in order to minimise tyre wear. Even in a heavy car you do not use too much tyre, let alone a light Caterham.

[assadahmed]

waremark said:

Andy Walsh recommends you to set your tyre pressures extremely high in order to minimise tyre wear. Even in a heavy car you do not use too much tyre, let alone a light Caterham.

Yes thanks for that I will be taking my electronic pump to use when I get there.