Your favourite motoring experience
Discussion
Having just watched some excellent Davide Cironi reviews of Italian cars on YouTube I was reminded of a business trip to Italy in summer 1994.
The potential client we were going to visit was Bugatti in Campogalliano, just to the north of Modena.
Well, to be strictly correct, the owner of Bugatti was a man called Romano Artioli, who also owned Lotus at the time, and on the basis that he owned the Suzuki car import rights in Italy we had gone there to see if we could help his company AutExpo hedge their JPY/ITL currency risk.
The meeting took place at the aforementioned Bugatti factory, although facility/laboratory would have been a better description.
We were shown around by the Finance Director, a man named Renzo Magnabosco.
To say that you could have eaten off the floor in the 'assembly area' would have been an understatement.
The place was absolutely spotless and there were many cars in various stages of assembly, EB110s and Supersports as well.
We were taken outside and there was an EB112 'mule car' packed with data collecting equipment, but otherwise basically complete and looking like a production car. It was burgundy red in colour on the outside.
It was a fairly large 4 door, 4/5 seater and not a thing of beauty. Think of it as a Panamera 15 years before Porsche even thought of it, although it was more 7-series sized. Like the Panamera it looked horrid from the rear. Worse in fact. Like looking at you mother in law's backside.....
We were introduced to the test driver. Dressed in Levis and shades and looking not dissimilar to Nelson Piquet, he looked so cool. What a job to have.
The factory had the benefit of a 'track' that went round its perimeter. Perhaps only one and a half lanes wide it had a mix of slow and fast corners and a decent enough bit of straight.
So next they wheeled out Artioli's own EB110 Supersport, a 4WD rocket with 604 BHP. Pretty impressive today, but unheard on in those days.
The test driver invited me into the passenger seat (sadly!) and we did up the proper racing belts that it had.
The interior, whilst interesting, was a bit more Lancia 8.32 as in in felt a little awkward and didn't really gel with the outside look. Classic Italian I guess.
The test driver was pure Italian. No English, but I speak Italian which I think got me another few laps!
We took to the track and he wasn't hanging around.
My car at the time was a Lancia Thema 16V SE Turbo with about 175 BHP which I thought was pretty fast.
This experience was mind-blowing.
The acceleration was ballistic, the sound magnificent and all the time this very cool driver just talking like we were having a sandwich!
And then he braked, I don't know, from 140+ mph for a 90 degree left-hander at, what felt like, about 50 metres.
We were just about to go to heaven but by God did it slow down, Absolutely awesome.
I guess that's the difference between a supercar driven by a pro and people like me thinking we're a bit handy in something slightly warmed up.
I think we did about 5 or 6 laps (he refused to go fast until the water temp gauge had moved) and to say that it was something that I will never forget would be an understatement.
I thanked the driver and left the car speechless as I had never had a ride like that. Never have done since.....
I've been in a car with Tiff Needel (who is superb) and many other racing drivers but none will ever live up to the Bugatti experience.
Something I will treasure forever.
I met Artioli later in the day and as I spoke Italian was 'allowed' to speak to him over lunch. Nice chap.
We never did business with his Suzuki importer but a day I will never forget.....
Priceless.....
The potential client we were going to visit was Bugatti in Campogalliano, just to the north of Modena.
Well, to be strictly correct, the owner of Bugatti was a man called Romano Artioli, who also owned Lotus at the time, and on the basis that he owned the Suzuki car import rights in Italy we had gone there to see if we could help his company AutExpo hedge their JPY/ITL currency risk.
The meeting took place at the aforementioned Bugatti factory, although facility/laboratory would have been a better description.
We were shown around by the Finance Director, a man named Renzo Magnabosco.
To say that you could have eaten off the floor in the 'assembly area' would have been an understatement.
The place was absolutely spotless and there were many cars in various stages of assembly, EB110s and Supersports as well.
We were taken outside and there was an EB112 'mule car' packed with data collecting equipment, but otherwise basically complete and looking like a production car. It was burgundy red in colour on the outside.
It was a fairly large 4 door, 4/5 seater and not a thing of beauty. Think of it as a Panamera 15 years before Porsche even thought of it, although it was more 7-series sized. Like the Panamera it looked horrid from the rear. Worse in fact. Like looking at you mother in law's backside.....
We were introduced to the test driver. Dressed in Levis and shades and looking not dissimilar to Nelson Piquet, he looked so cool. What a job to have.
The factory had the benefit of a 'track' that went round its perimeter. Perhaps only one and a half lanes wide it had a mix of slow and fast corners and a decent enough bit of straight.
So next they wheeled out Artioli's own EB110 Supersport, a 4WD rocket with 604 BHP. Pretty impressive today, but unheard on in those days.
The test driver invited me into the passenger seat (sadly!) and we did up the proper racing belts that it had.
The interior, whilst interesting, was a bit more Lancia 8.32 as in in felt a little awkward and didn't really gel with the outside look. Classic Italian I guess.
The test driver was pure Italian. No English, but I speak Italian which I think got me another few laps!
We took to the track and he wasn't hanging around.
My car at the time was a Lancia Thema 16V SE Turbo with about 175 BHP which I thought was pretty fast.
This experience was mind-blowing.
The acceleration was ballistic, the sound magnificent and all the time this very cool driver just talking like we were having a sandwich!
And then he braked, I don't know, from 140+ mph for a 90 degree left-hander at, what felt like, about 50 metres.
We were just about to go to heaven but by God did it slow down, Absolutely awesome.
I guess that's the difference between a supercar driven by a pro and people like me thinking we're a bit handy in something slightly warmed up.
I think we did about 5 or 6 laps (he refused to go fast until the water temp gauge had moved) and to say that it was something that I will never forget would be an understatement.
I thanked the driver and left the car speechless as I had never had a ride like that. Never have done since.....
I've been in a car with Tiff Needel (who is superb) and many other racing drivers but none will ever live up to the Bugatti experience.
Something I will treasure forever.
I met Artioli later in the day and as I spoke Italian was 'allowed' to speak to him over lunch. Nice chap.
We never did business with his Suzuki importer but a day I will never forget.....
Priceless.....
Sadly nothing as impressive as yours OP but there are several that will stay with me forever.
Probably the earliest motoring memory that I have was waiting outside a petrol station for my dad, I was probably 5 or 6. I remember hearing an interesting car approaching at full beans then a magnificent red f40 comes screaming past the petrol station let's of the throttle and goes down through the gearbox making an ungodly sound of popping, crackling and banging. Doesn't sound impressive when writing it down but it brought tears of joy to me at the time and even remembering it now gives me shivers.
Another was returning to my mums car in a multistorey car park (probably 7 or 8) and hearing an incredible sounding car revving and making all the right noises. As we are driving out of the car park I see that it is a metallic purple lamborghini diablo with both doors up. An enormous black man who looked like Mr T stood with it, complete with gold rings, earrings and chains who was clearly making the most of the acoustics. Just incredible to see and enjoy.
One of the other memories that is burnt into my brain was seeing the silk cut jaguar ascend the hill at the goodwood FOS the first year I went. Just felt like I was witnessing a legend.
I blame events like these for my irrational love of cars that will probably ensure that I stay poor.
Probably the earliest motoring memory that I have was waiting outside a petrol station for my dad, I was probably 5 or 6. I remember hearing an interesting car approaching at full beans then a magnificent red f40 comes screaming past the petrol station let's of the throttle and goes down through the gearbox making an ungodly sound of popping, crackling and banging. Doesn't sound impressive when writing it down but it brought tears of joy to me at the time and even remembering it now gives me shivers.
Another was returning to my mums car in a multistorey car park (probably 7 or 8) and hearing an incredible sounding car revving and making all the right noises. As we are driving out of the car park I see that it is a metallic purple lamborghini diablo with both doors up. An enormous black man who looked like Mr T stood with it, complete with gold rings, earrings and chains who was clearly making the most of the acoustics. Just incredible to see and enjoy.
One of the other memories that is burnt into my brain was seeing the silk cut jaguar ascend the hill at the goodwood FOS the first year I went. Just felt like I was witnessing a legend.
I blame events like these for my irrational love of cars that will probably ensure that I stay poor.
Has to be the day I spend pottling around in a Fiat 500 Popular, the very basic model.
For my 40th we went to Verona for the weekend, in December. Saturday we went to see Hellas play (Albinoleffe, Hellas won). Sunday we hired the Fiat and went for a little drive. To Maranello. A look at the Ferrari Factory was followed by brunch at the Cavallino, then on to the museum via Fiorano.
The best single moment of the trip was alone in the F1 car room of the museum. I could physically feel the history weiging down on me and I have to admit I was a bit emotional.
From Ferrari we went to Lamborghini and Pagani.
Simply unforgettable. Which is good because the laptop with the photos on it was stolen a couple of months later and I hadn't backed up. Still, good reason to go again for my 50th.
For my 40th we went to Verona for the weekend, in December. Saturday we went to see Hellas play (Albinoleffe, Hellas won). Sunday we hired the Fiat and went for a little drive. To Maranello. A look at the Ferrari Factory was followed by brunch at the Cavallino, then on to the museum via Fiorano.
The best single moment of the trip was alone in the F1 car room of the museum. I could physically feel the history weiging down on me and I have to admit I was a bit emotional.
From Ferrari we went to Lamborghini and Pagani.
Simply unforgettable. Which is good because the laptop with the photos on it was stolen a couple of months later and I hadn't backed up. Still, good reason to go again for my 50th.
Driving: a Caterham R500 round Donington Park (my fave circuit).
Exhibition: Getting up close and personal with F1 cars driven by Senna etc at Murray's exhibition last November
Pics >>> http://stevecarter.com/x/x.htm
Exhibition: Getting up close and personal with F1 cars driven by Senna etc at Murray's exhibition last November
Pics >>> http://stevecarter.com/x/x.htm
Nothing as grand as OP but here's a few moments that stick out.
Doing 145 in my first Impreza, I've been faster but this was scarier
Driving out of my skin in a legacy to make the last ferry of the day in the shetlands.
But my personal favourite was driving my mx6 to a driving experience day, the road I was supposed to take was closed due to an accident so I went a different way and let the sat nav do its thing. I drove along one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, on my left idealistic rural setting complete with a smattering of stone cottages and green, on my right an absolutely mirror flat huge lake that span for miles.
The mx6 was perfect here, sunny day, sunroof open not another car in sight cruising along admiring the scenery. To top it off I needed fuel, so I stopped at this local petrol station with one pump and the guy gets out his little cabin and starts filling the car for me! This was 2003, then he topped up my screenwash too! it's the first and only time I've had service at a petrol station.
And then I went and drove a murcielago which was great, but the drive there was better.
Sadly I don't actually know where it was!
Doing 145 in my first Impreza, I've been faster but this was scarier
Driving out of my skin in a legacy to make the last ferry of the day in the shetlands.
But my personal favourite was driving my mx6 to a driving experience day, the road I was supposed to take was closed due to an accident so I went a different way and let the sat nav do its thing. I drove along one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, on my left idealistic rural setting complete with a smattering of stone cottages and green, on my right an absolutely mirror flat huge lake that span for miles.
The mx6 was perfect here, sunny day, sunroof open not another car in sight cruising along admiring the scenery. To top it off I needed fuel, so I stopped at this local petrol station with one pump and the guy gets out his little cabin and starts filling the car for me! This was 2003, then he topped up my screenwash too! it's the first and only time I've had service at a petrol station.
And then I went and drove a murcielago which was great, but the drive there was better.
Sadly I don't actually know where it was!
Driving my Mx5 in the snow. So much fun, I went out straight after work and didn't come home until after midnight 
My mum and dad's friends took me to the Festival of Speed the first year it ran.
We got lost and ended up at the top of the hill. The marshal let us stay and I got to sit in all the cars and meet all the drivers. I was only 12 and thought I'd died and gone to heaven!
It was only years later I realised how lucky I'd been
My first drive after passing my test. I walked about 6 miles to where my Girlfriend had the car at work, whilst she phoned the insurance company to give them the good (?!) News.
It's was a Peugeot 106D which i then drove from Durrington to Clackett lane services for a coffee. Because I could!
Oh and taking my petrol head, car mad nephew to a PH meet. The look on his face before we had even parked up was superb!
My mum and dad's friends took me to the Festival of Speed the first year it ran.
We got lost and ended up at the top of the hill. The marshal let us stay and I got to sit in all the cars and meet all the drivers. I was only 12 and thought I'd died and gone to heaven!
It was only years later I realised how lucky I'd been
My first drive after passing my test. I walked about 6 miles to where my Girlfriend had the car at work, whilst she phoned the insurance company to give them the good (?!) News.
It's was a Peugeot 106D which i then drove from Durrington to Clackett lane services for a coffee. Because I could!
Oh and taking my petrol head, car mad nephew to a PH meet. The look on his face before we had even parked up was superb!
Edited by Buff Mchugelarge on Sunday 25th February 07:43
God - so many . A trip to Imola for San Marino GP in my Uno Turbo - no autoroutes or autostrada but down a deserted Route Napoleon and across the Apennines?
A 520 mile nearly non stop drive in my R400 Seven to NW Coast of Scotland - I left at 6am , having only decided to go on the previous evening.. ?
Or maybe the first time I drove my Seven around Cadwell Park - adrenalin overload...
First time I saw a Formula 1 car in action - Jackie Stewart , sideways at Deer Leap in Tyrrell in April 1971 , or when I first heard a Flat 12 Ferrari 312 B a few months later? Or maybe watching 1000bhp + F1 cars at Brands in 86 , or Gp B rally cars in a forest the same year ? Or was it first sight of a Top Fueller at Santa Pod ? Or NASCAR at Charlotte ?
Actually, none of these compared to the sense of sheer elation I felt when I drove alone for the first time after passing test ....
A 520 mile nearly non stop drive in my R400 Seven to NW Coast of Scotland - I left at 6am , having only decided to go on the previous evening.. ?
Or maybe the first time I drove my Seven around Cadwell Park - adrenalin overload...
First time I saw a Formula 1 car in action - Jackie Stewart , sideways at Deer Leap in Tyrrell in April 1971 , or when I first heard a Flat 12 Ferrari 312 B a few months later? Or maybe watching 1000bhp + F1 cars at Brands in 86 , or Gp B rally cars in a forest the same year ? Or was it first sight of a Top Fueller at Santa Pod ? Or NASCAR at Charlotte ?
Actually, none of these compared to the sense of sheer elation I felt when I drove alone for the first time after passing test ....
My best experience sounds very mundane compared to previous posts. Drove to Scotland from Cornwall in a Morris Minor, maximum speed 60 ish, downhill with a following wind. This was in the late sixties. It took 12 hours to get to Edinburgh where we stopped for breakfast having driven overnight.
Our final destination was Applecross on the west coast and to get there you had to drive the steepest road in Great Britain, 5 -6 miles to the top of the mountains then the same down the other side with hundreds of hairpin bends, which had no safety barriers.
Had to get in first gear to negotiate these and with no synchro and a drop of hundreds of feet seemingly only inches away, this was scary to say the least.
The views were breathtaking though and Applecross was a picture perfect Scottish village with one pub and a small shop.
We pitched our tent near the sea and every morning for the 2 weeks we were there we would find milk, eggs and bacon left outside the tent. We never did find out who left them but it was a very welcome gesture.
Our final destination was Applecross on the west coast and to get there you had to drive the steepest road in Great Britain, 5 -6 miles to the top of the mountains then the same down the other side with hundreds of hairpin bends, which had no safety barriers.
Had to get in first gear to negotiate these and with no synchro and a drop of hundreds of feet seemingly only inches away, this was scary to say the least.
The views were breathtaking though and Applecross was a picture perfect Scottish village with one pub and a small shop.
We pitched our tent near the sea and every morning for the 2 weeks we were there we would find milk, eggs and bacon left outside the tent. We never did find out who left them but it was a very welcome gesture.
thatjagbloke said:
My best experience sounds very mundane compared to previous posts. Drove to Scotland from Cornwall in a Morris Minor, maximum speed 60 ish, downhill with a following wind. This was in the late sixties. It took 12 hours to get to Edinburgh where we stopped for breakfast having driven overnight.
Our final destination was Applecross on the west coast and to get there you had to drive the steepest road in Great Britain, 5 -6 miles to the top of the mountains then the same down the other side with hundreds of hairpin bends, which had no safety barriers.
Had to get in first gear to negotiate these and with no synchro and a drop of hundreds of feet seemingly only inches away, this was scary to say the least.
The views were breathtaking though and Applecross was a picture perfect Scottish village with one pub and a small shop.
We pitched our tent near the sea and every morning for the 2 weeks we were there we would find milk, eggs and bacon left outside the tent. We never did find out who left them but it was a very welcome gesture.
Here's that road today:Our final destination was Applecross on the west coast and to get there you had to drive the steepest road in Great Britain, 5 -6 miles to the top of the mountains then the same down the other side with hundreds of hairpin bends, which had no safety barriers.
Had to get in first gear to negotiate these and with no synchro and a drop of hundreds of feet seemingly only inches away, this was scary to say the least.
The views were breathtaking though and Applecross was a picture perfect Scottish village with one pub and a small shop.
We pitched our tent near the sea and every morning for the 2 weeks we were there we would find milk, eggs and bacon left outside the tent. We never did find out who left them but it was a very welcome gesture.
(And there's still only one pub and one shop)
Sounds silly this one.
Flew into Edinburgh, got a 1.8i Automatic Cavalier from Europcar. I was hoping for a clear run up the A9 to Aviemore only to be confronted by a close convoy of 9 HGVs following each other. I dithered for a while and saw a really long straight and went for it. It was a s
t my pants, screaming moment and I just thought " Don't you pull out you bds, don't you pull out you bds!" Luckily I had enough power from the wheezy engine/gearbox to make that overtake. It just felt epic at the time.
Flew into Edinburgh, got a 1.8i Automatic Cavalier from Europcar. I was hoping for a clear run up the A9 to Aviemore only to be confronted by a close convoy of 9 HGVs following each other. I dithered for a while and saw a really long straight and went for it. It was a s
t my pants, screaming moment and I just thought " Don't you pull out you bds, don't you pull out you bds!" Luckily I had enough power from the wheezy engine/gearbox to make that overtake. It just felt epic at the time.A number of laps of Monza shotgun in a Porsche Carrera GT.
Driving the Dolomites in January....easily the best place to drive a car IMO.
Bobbio to Rapelllo in Italy....incredible road.
A lap of the Red Bull ring in 6 inches of snow
Being driven round Silverstone by Bruno Senna
Driving overnight to Slovenia, 7 countries in one night!
Driving to Bratislava overnight avoiding Germany....over 1200 Miles in a night!
Over 20 laps of the Hungaroring in a Golf tdi!
Any weekend in my Westfield....I never fails to put a mahoosive smile on my face.
Driving the Dolomites in January....easily the best place to drive a car IMO.
Bobbio to Rapelllo in Italy....incredible road.
A lap of the Red Bull ring in 6 inches of snow
Being driven round Silverstone by Bruno Senna
Driving overnight to Slovenia, 7 countries in one night!
Driving to Bratislava overnight avoiding Germany....over 1200 Miles in a night!
Over 20 laps of the Hungaroring in a Golf tdi!
Any weekend in my Westfield....I never fails to put a mahoosive smile on my face.
As a passenger in a R34 GTR being put through it's paces by Penny Mallory for Ch4's "Driven" (Top Gear rip off) during a lunchtime filming break.
They'd come to RAF Wittering on a Saturday to use the runway and interview a few pilots and, whilst a few of the lads had been given the go ahead to drive the 911 Carrera 4S, R34 GTR and Jag XK8 the show had brought, I was still too hung over to drive so instead Penny took a few of us out for pax rides and they were utterly phenomenal and instantly cemented the GTR as my favourite ever car!
They'd come to RAF Wittering on a Saturday to use the runway and interview a few pilots and, whilst a few of the lads had been given the go ahead to drive the 911 Carrera 4S, R34 GTR and Jag XK8 the show had brought, I was still too hung over to drive so instead Penny took a few of us out for pax rides and they were utterly phenomenal and instantly cemented the GTR as my favourite ever car!
Regis classic tour 2000.
Suggested by my partner's sister and her partner Howard Lapsley, ex RAC steward. They were in one of his P5Bs and us in his Moggie 1000 convertible. Along with all sorts of classic metal.
Best organised tours ever according to them. By the ladies of Bogner Regis Motor Club for charity, originally for a bet!
One day's lunch was in a Bluebell railway train. We were first on and bagged a pullman compartment for us four.
A couple of laps round Goodwood. In a Moggie 1000!
A weekend's driving with a very good route book (technical term?), treasure hunt which we won at the first attempt (Villeneuve's nuts from his BAR F1 car prize still in my playroom), good petrolhead company etc.
Suggested by my partner's sister and her partner Howard Lapsley, ex RAC steward. They were in one of his P5Bs and us in his Moggie 1000 convertible. Along with all sorts of classic metal.
Best organised tours ever according to them. By the ladies of Bogner Regis Motor Club for charity, originally for a bet!
One day's lunch was in a Bluebell railway train. We were first on and bagged a pullman compartment for us four.
A couple of laps round Goodwood. In a Moggie 1000!
A weekend's driving with a very good route book (technical term?), treasure hunt which we won at the first attempt (Villeneuve's nuts from his BAR F1 car prize still in my playroom), good petrolhead company etc.
Imprezza Sti V7 many years ago. Muddy back roads and rain helped turn a cross Pennine dash at midnight turn into an epiphany as I managed to slide round corners rally style with a flick of the wheel and emulate my hero at the time, an outstanding talent named Colin McRae. I was him! Well I felt like it anyway. You can stick your gorgeous fast exotica, give me a bad weather drive any day!
You can stick your gorgeous fast exotica, give me a bad weather drive any day!My most memorable (and formative) motoring experience was on my seventh birthday. Coming home from school I came round a corner into our road to see as usual the entire road clear of parked cars (this was the 70s after all) apart from a single low, wide 'spaceship'. Painted gold. Getting closer I could see it was parked outside our house! I could see over the top of it - a first for me and it had the longest name badge. L - a - m... Lamborghini!
Turns out my long 'lost' uncle ('lost' as he regularly had to leave the country to hide from people he owed money to or from their wives and girlfriends) had borrowed the Lambo from a friend to take me out for a drive for my birthday. Which he duly did, although that part is a bit of a blur now.
Not sure which model it was (I wasn't taking notes) but as it would have been early 1974 and I remember it having a more angular than curvy rear that narrows it to a couple of things - Espada, Jarama, maybe Urraco.
Still my best birthday treat.
I assume his friend got the car back...
Turns out my long 'lost' uncle ('lost' as he regularly had to leave the country to hide from people he owed money to or from their wives and girlfriends) had borrowed the Lambo from a friend to take me out for a drive for my birthday. Which he duly did, although that part is a bit of a blur now.
Not sure which model it was (I wasn't taking notes) but as it would have been early 1974 and I remember it having a more angular than curvy rear that narrows it to a couple of things - Espada, Jarama, maybe Urraco.
Still my best birthday treat.
I assume his friend got the car back...
2500 miles around europe in a Mazda MX5, No one moment tops any of the others but the blast down to Lake Como from Switzerland was a good highlight to be honest. As well as following a local up into the hills above Monaco in his Dacia Sandero, he knew the roads so well that it was hard to keep up! Great fun.
I have a couple -
One was taking the Avantime (with family) to France one summer. Driving along very quiet roads through little villages was fantastic. More so in "Big Air" mode! They were really rare, even in France. One chap came up to me, telling me he used to work on the project
Another was about 10 years ago in a long wheelbase Renault Master van - yes really! It was a drive from Carlisle, delivering to Hawick and up to Edinburgh. Lovely late autumn sunshine, with a van full of furniture. The Carlisle - Hawick road is fab; would like to do the route in the car one day.
One was taking the Avantime (with family) to France one summer. Driving along very quiet roads through little villages was fantastic. More so in "Big Air" mode! They were really rare, even in France. One chap came up to me, telling me he used to work on the project
Another was about 10 years ago in a long wheelbase Renault Master van - yes really! It was a drive from Carlisle, delivering to Hawick and up to Edinburgh. Lovely late autumn sunshine, with a van full of furniture. The Carlisle - Hawick road is fab; would like to do the route in the car one day.
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