Aston driving day - which one to go for?

[skoff]

Hi Guys,

I have also posted this in GG, but would like more of a car perspective from those of you who know these cars well... I have been given an Aston Experience for Christmas by my wife and could do with some help deciding which option to go for

I have a choice of one of a few location / car / provider combinations:

Prestwold Hall Leicestershire / Everyman Racing / AMV8 or DB9

Nuneaton Warwickshire / Everyman Racing / AMV8 or DB9

Kenilworth Warwickshire / 6th Gear Experiences / AMV8 or Vanquish (though fewer laps as the circuit is longer)

Elvington Yorkshire / Vision Motorsport / Vantage

Elvington Yorkshire / Everyman Motor Racing / Vantage

Oxfordshire / Vision Motorsport / Vantage

Towcester Northamptonshire / Silverstone / not sure which car here but I think it's the Vantage

Do any of you have any words of wisdom about which might be the most fun? I must admit I am leaning towards the Vanquish for no other reason than it seems to be the rarer of the cars on offer and the one I am less likely to get a drive of in the real world. However I could be swayed in any direction...

Thanks!

[Camel]

Vanquish - but then I'm biased Nothing quite like the noise under full bore acceleration!
Do they let you use all the revs though??

[V8LM]

Vanquish too. But according to the web site, 6th Gear are now using the DBS (second best, behind the Vq).

[bogie]

Id go on venue too - some are hard concrete airfields like Elvington, others are proper race circuits like Silverstone ...personally I think the race circuit may be better

[skoff]

Camel said:

Vanquish - but then I'm biased Nothing quite like the noise under full bore acceleration!
Do they let you use all the revs though??

I guess they will be limited, but that's probably true for all the cars... I think it will be a case of last lap and give it the beans - they can black flag all they want then ;-)


I think it's got to be a V12... I'm going to end up wanting to own one aren't I?

[Camel]

skoff said:

I think it will be a case of last lap and give it the beans - they can black flag all they want then ;-)


I think it's got to be a V12... I'm going to end up wanting to own one aren't I?

[AstonZagato]

There is an Aston Martin Performance Drive Course too. Expensive but you get a full day and drive it on pretty much everything at MIRA - Alpine course, short handling course, banked circle (hands off at 100mph!), skid pan.

[skoff]

AstonZagato said:

There is an Aston Martin Performance Drive Course too. Expensive but you get a full day and drive it on pretty much everything at MIRA - Alpine course, short handling course, banked circle (hands off at 100mph!), skid pan.

That sounds great, but my wife has already bought me a voucher. Still if all goes well my birthday is coming up in a couple of months

So far I think my priority is whichever gets me into a V12 Aston as I already have a V8 Cerb in the garage (not quite an Aston I grant you but closer to a V8 Aston than a V12 in terms of soundtrack), and second priority is to pick an option that is held on a track.

Does anybody know if the Prodrive test track in Kenilworth is any good? I guess there is a strong Aston link there due to the Prodrive Le Mans racers? this could be the best of both worlds...

[RichB]

skoff said:

AstonZagato said:

There is an Aston Martin Performance Drive Course too. Expensive but you get a full day and drive it on pretty much everything at MIRA - Alpine course, short handling course, banked circle (hands off at 100mph!), skid pan.

I think my priority is whichever gets me into a V12 Aston as I already have a V8 Cerb in the garage...

I did a day at Mira with a V8 Vantage where we did all that stuff. On the 1 x Mile Straight the young driver assigned to me commented that, unlike some others, I seemed totally comfortable accelerating the Vantage hard up the straight through the gears and was a little deflated when I commented that that was because the acceleration of the Vantage wasn't as hair raising as that of my Griff 500 Mind you, when we did the Alpine course I had 3 or 4 laps driving it badly so I asked him to demonstrate how it should be done! The chap obviously knew the circuit and could really drive the nuts of the Aston and I have never been so impressed with the high speed handing of a car. The car was plummeting down hills into 90 deg+ turns at speeds I would have thought impossible! Purpose of the story? Well, going from a Cerb into an Aston you won't be struck by the outright performance so I would suggest selecting a circuit with undulations and drops (like Brands) rather than an airfield which by definition tend to be big flat open spaces... I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself whatever you do

[SLacKer]

AstonZagato said:

There is an Aston Martin Performance Drive Course too. Expensive but you get a full day and drive it on pretty much everything at MIRA - Alpine course, short handling course, banked circle (hands off at 100mph!), skid pan.

Who is that with ????

[AMD1]

SLacKer said:

AstonZagato said:

There is an Aston Martin Performance Drive Course too. Expensive but you get a full day and drive it on pretty much everything at MIRA - Alpine course, short handling course, banked circle (hands off at 100mph!), skid pan.

Who is that with ????

http://www.trackdays.astonmartin.com/

[williamp]

Yu might also want to rememebr that the vanquish is no longer in production, so its getting older, and might be retired sometime soon.... The others are still in production and will be around for some time yet (next year, for example).

All three cars are very different, and you'd need to drive all three to truly "get" them. But from that list, I'd chose the vanq.

I have driven then DB9 at prestwold and it was a great experience, very well organised ansd the car was fabulous. And I overtook a Gallardo, Ferrari and a Maserati. Great fun

Oh, and you can also drive a DB6 at (I think) Mallory with everyman.

[:J:]

AMD1 said:

SLacKer said:

AstonZagato said:

There is an Aston Martin Performance Drive Course too. Expensive but you get a full day and drive it on pretty much everything at MIRA - Alpine course, short handling course, banked circle (hands off at 100mph!), skid pan.

Who is that with ????

http://www.trackdays.astonmartin.com/

The day at Millbrook (never heard it called MIRA ?) is the P.D.C. (Performance Driving Course). On Track is the specific track days they are running and although you do not need an Aston as such, it costs a fair penny to rent one from them, a top day out though.

The thing that is coming and is also mentioned on the website that looks like a great bit of fun are the 'On Ice' days they are going to be running

As for the original question, and what with having driven all 3 cars on track myself, I would go for the Vanquish as I found it the most enjoyable.

Fair enough the other 2 may well fair better as track cars, but I did enjoy the Vanquish (I was interested in enjoying the drive, not trying to set a new lap record).

However, if as mentioned, the DBS is available, I would grab that one hands down

Edited to say : The reason I have never heard of Millbrook being called MIRA is that they are 2 different places. I would recommend not going to MIRA though, as the P.D.C. is run at Millbrook

Edited by :J: on Tuesday 6th January 16:49

[RichB]

:J: said:

Edited to say : The reason I have never heard of Millbrook being called MIRA is that they are 2 different places.

Indeed - Millbrook in Bedfordshire was where I went not MIRA which is Nuneaton...

[AstonZagato]

Woops. Millbrook. I've been there for the course too...

[SLacKer]

AMD1 said:

SLacKer said:

AstonZagato said:

There is an Aston Martin Performance Drive Course too. Expensive but you get a full day and drive it on pretty much everything at MIRA - Alpine course, short handling course, banked circle (hands off at 100mph!), skid pan.

Who is that with ????

http://www.trackdays.astonmartin.com/

Thanks for that. I will get it for her when I have got an AM.