UK driving experience for 17 yr NZ grandson?

[bobmalcs]

My son and family are coming over here (UK) from NZ during September. They will likely be on a route between Cambridge, Heathrow, and Torquay.
Grandson is 17 and is ready to take his Restricted Licence test in an automatic car and we have reasonable expectations that he will pass it.

To make a fun break for him we were considering something like a driving experience for him. I am not sure where to look or whether it is available for a 17 year old.

So any suggestions from the undoubtably knowlegable pistonheads are welcome.

Bob

[sherman]

Mercedes Benz World

[/thread]

[Lagom]

My 14-year-old did this the other weekend, he enjoyed it. They (& similar companies) do Porsche etc driving for teenagers. He also did a 30min 4x4 drive.

https://www.everymanracing.co.uk/product/60-minute...

Rather than going direct, we went via Buyagift as there are always 20-25% discount vouchers knocking about. Was about £45 for the hour.

https://www.buyagift.co.uk/driving-experiences/jun...

If you live down south then Mercedes Benz World is the gold standard.

Edited by Lagom on Tuesday 25th July 15:33

[bobmalcs]

Many thanks for the replies. As I live about 30-40 minutes drive from Mercedes Benz World that seems a good place to see what can be done.

regards,
Bob

[Cloudy147]

We’ve taken our daughter here a few times:

https://www.youngdriver.eu/

We’ve always gone manual but they do autos now too.

This also looks fun:
https://experience.landrover.co.uk/driving-experie...

[CraigyMc]

bobmalcs said:

Many thanks for the replies. As I live about 30-40 minutes drive from Mercedes Benz World that seems a good place to see what can be done.

regards,
Bob

They'll let him do the Youngdrive thing, but he won't be allowed on the main track with the fast stuff, you need a license for that.

If he's a sporty driver I'd put him in a dmax kart at daytona sandown park or daytona milton keynes.

[Ziplobb]

Thruxton
on the A303
been there with 14 yo son who drove a Cayman and 17 yo daughter who drove 458 , IIRC they ket her take it upto 125/130 mph on the straight

[Jader1973]

Given UK roads are policed by camera you could just give him the keys to your car!

In 2 weeks driving about the UK I saw 3 police cars on main roads - they were all on the A77 / M77.

[Lordbenny]

Rally driving experience Brands Hatch…..really fun day in Toyota GT86.

https://www.msvdrivinggifts.com/circuits/brands-ha...

[zippy3x]

Whatever you book, double check that a 17 year old is eligible.

We got my daughter an experience day when she was 16, and that was fine, got her one at 18 with a years experience, which was also fine.

However we got her one when she was 17 and had been driving less than a year. They wouldn't let her drive (needed a years driving experience).

May have been specific to the event, but I'd double check

[alscar]

In the karting theme , arrive and drive session at Buckmore Park circuit in Kent ?

[Dixy]

How about a skid pan, not only huge fun but also may get hi out of harms way in the future.
For the younger petrol heads this is far far more than anything else. https://under17-carclub.co.uk/

[Lordbenny]

Dixy said:

How about a skid pan, not only huge fun but also may get hi out of harms way in the future.
For the younger petrol heads this is far far more than anything else. https://under17-carclub.co.uk/

See…Mercedes Benz World!

[Lordbenny]

Dixy said:

How about a skid pan, not only huge fun but also may get hi out of harms way in the future.
For the younger petrol heads this is far far more than anything else. https://under17-carclub.co.uk/

See…Mercedes Benz World!

[CraigyMc]

Lordbenny said:

Dixy said:

How about a skid pan, not only huge fun but also may get hi out of harms way in the future.
For the younger petrol heads this is far far more than anything else. https://under17-carclub.co.uk/

See…Mercedes Benz World!

Mercedes Benz World said:

All Drivers must produce a full UK or international driving licence. This clause 24 does not apply to Drive Mercedes-Benz Driving Experiences and Passenger rides.

"Drive Mercedes-Benz" is their young driver (non license owner) stuff, which doesn't include the skidpan.

[donkmeister]

I got my nephew a Sixth Gear supercar experience for his 12th birthday, they actually let him give it a bootful once he had done a few laps (I was there and heard the barking exhaust and saw the enthusiastic instructor egging him on).

Of course, I felt bad because his driving history is only going downhill from Ferrari and Lamborghini