30th Birthday - track session or car hire?

[filmidget]

My 30th birthday is coming up...

My fiancee was going to, very generously, surprise me with a 'special' car-related pressie, but has bottled it when trying to decide which one.

Her ideas both involved a Ferarri - either 2 hour session on a track, or a days hire. She was hoping I would prefer the days hire 'cos then she could get to drive it (cheeky mare).

Now, a Ferrari is not really my dream car (some may gasp at this point), and a 2 hour session, with probably some ridiculous rev limit, doesn't really appeal.

The car for a day sounds OK, but expect there will be a mileage limit, and looks like I will have to share outandstampsfoot: though would be far more attractive if suggested a different ie TVR

My preference would be for something involving track time (>2hr), but I don't really have a roadworthy car suitable for a trackday. So either go for something structured at a track lasting a day, or hire a trackday-type-car for an airfield trackday.

Any ideas? What has anybody tried? any recommendations?

And, yes, I feel like I am being a bit ungrateful not just thanking her for what she was thinking of, BUT she did ask me

Cheers, Phil

[Gargamel]

www.bookatrack.com

they have a caterham superlight for hire - surprisingly reasonable .

plus organise outstanding td's

[GreenV8S]

My 30th birthday is coming up...

My fiancee was going to, very generously, surprise me with a 'special' car-related pressie, but has bottled it when trying to decide which one.

Depending on how generous she is feeling, and what time of year you're thinking about doing this (winter not the ideal time of year), think about the Topcats Tuscan Racer experience. You'll get enough track time to be completely knackered by the end of the day, Charlotte doesn't just allow you to go fast, she positively encourages you to explore the limits of the car (with dual controls in case things get too hectic) and all in all it's a brilliant day out. They have a website at www.topcatsracing.com or something like that. There was an article on Pistonheads about it recently to give you a feel for it.

Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)

[gsxrblue]

For my 30th a couple of years ago my better half hired me a Caterham for 24hours. It was from Otley up near Leeds so we headed all over the yorkshire dales and over to Cumbria. Absolutly fantastic. It did have a rev limiter on and there was a mileage limit but the speedo was easy to disconnect().
All in all a top weekend

[northernboy]

I don't know what kind of budget you are working to, but if it's the actual driving experience that you want, then the Palmer day, at BEdford autodrome is hard to beat. You'll actually get to properly thrash some vey fast machinery, which most places don't let you do. It's about 500 pounds for the day, so not hugely cheap, but reasonably good value I think.

[incorrigible]

I recently went on the Rally school at Brands and the Single seater "Race experience" Parmar Audis (buy one for £150 get the second for £50)

Single seaters, what a load of bollocks, 4k rev limit (and you could just feel it begin to come on cam too) poor marshalling, told to slow down through every corner...
Mind you, three of us thought it was shit and everyone else loved it

Rally school, fg brilliant, car bouncing off rev limiter, spun it countless times, understeer oversteer, handbrake, repeat

Or you could hire a Rarri or Tiv and go for a nice lunch, not a lot wrong with that either