Tell us about when you were nearly a driving god
Discussion
DickyC said:
Today I drove eastbound along the A38 towards Exeter in my Audi A4 1.8T Quattro. The climb up the hill towards the racecourse is a long and winding road flagged at 50mph max. It could have been made for the Audi Quattro. I know from experience the Quattro and I can go up there at 80. Normally my fellow road users prevent a clean run. But this morning I had a clear shot at it, the slower cars were tidily in the left lane agog at my abilities as I passed.
It's just that following me closely up the hill was an elderly Transit van.
That must have been late morning then as someone else trying the same thing ended up on their roof at 6.30am. It's actually a 70 limit up there but the first bend is flagged at 50 as that's the one that can catch people out. It's just that following me closely up the hill was an elderly Transit van.
17 years old, driving away from Kingston on a mildly moist day in my beast of a 1.0 Fiat Uno, I entered this corner with a touch more exuberance than usual...
Here
It was always good for a bit of lift-off oversteer but on that particular day it ended up more fishtail than drift... Scared my mate and the driver of the oncoming car.
Fortunately this didn't stop us carrying on to the level crossing by Hampton Court to do a few jumps as planned.
Why is it so expensive to insure 17 year old chaps again?
Here
It was always good for a bit of lift-off oversteer but on that particular day it ended up more fishtail than drift... Scared my mate and the driver of the oncoming car.
Fortunately this didn't stop us carrying on to the level crossing by Hampton Court to do a few jumps as planned.
Why is it so expensive to insure 17 year old chaps again?
kuro said:
That must have been late morning then as someone else trying the same thing ended up on their roof at 6.30am. It's actually a 70 limit up there but the first bend is flagged at 50 as that's the one that can catch people out.
It was getting on for lunchtime now I think about it. Interesting psychology by the authorities to flag the first bend at 50 without reducing the overall speed limit. A lot of folk do go up there at 50.Here's another Almost Divine story I posted off topic on another thread yesterday.
Ten or so years ago I proudly took my RS2 to an Audi track day at Castle Combe, gleeful in the knowledge I would have one of the faster cars there. In the paddock was an NSU Prinz in race trim. To my eternal shame I was snooty about it. Why would anyone bother, I wondered. On one session we were in the same group. Honestly, he came past me like I was tied to a tree. And then he disappeared. And then he lapped me. And I wasn't hanging about; I was doing my Flat-Through-Eau-Rouge-But-At-Castle-Combe thing. Okay the NSU was hotted-up and lightened but deep down it was still an NSU Prinz with the engine out the back. To drive it like that must have needed extraordinary ability and experience. I had to come to terms with the knowledge that if I'd been let loose with it I'd have demolished the scrutineer's bay.
Somewhere in the new forest a few years ago in my Z4M, blasted past a Defender slowing me up, or so I thought. Got to some form of large cross roads by a pub full of bikers & bikes enjoying the sun.
2 lanes at the traffic lights & they came up into the outside lane. I smiled inwardly to myself, and whilst my start wasn’t the fastest, the sound of a V8 Defender with I’m assuming some form of forced induction and the sight of their disappearing rear numberplate is one that haunts me, was just so quick off the line!
2 lanes at the traffic lights & they came up into the outside lane. I smiled inwardly to myself, and whilst my start wasn’t the fastest, the sound of a V8 Defender with I’m assuming some form of forced induction and the sight of their disappearing rear numberplate is one that haunts me, was just so quick off the line!
Riding my Triumph Speed Triple 1050 on the German autobahn.
It's not the normal habitat for an unfaired bike with a bag strapped to the back and it was pretty windy so I was limited to around 135mph due to large amounts of buffeting. At one point I was riding alongside my mate on his Ducati 996 and feeling pretty good about blasting along at nearly double the UK national speed limit.
We were passing quite a bit of traffic as the Germans seem to generally drive at around 100mph on the unlimited sections. But there was one yellow car, a bit in the distance that we weren't catching.
As the Autobahns are just motorways and thus pretty dull after the initial speed thing wears off I was looking at the back of the car that we were speed matching and trying to work out what it was, it looked familiar but really out of place.
Then it clicked, and I shouted (to myself) 'it's a f
king Yaris!'
I turned to look at my mate who had obviously just made the same connection and was shaking his head. Then as I looked forward again a Honda Jazz pulled out and accelerated past the Yaris and away.
So to sum up, I got outrun by a Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz while on a 130bhp motorbike.
It's not the normal habitat for an unfaired bike with a bag strapped to the back and it was pretty windy so I was limited to around 135mph due to large amounts of buffeting. At one point I was riding alongside my mate on his Ducati 996 and feeling pretty good about blasting along at nearly double the UK national speed limit.
We were passing quite a bit of traffic as the Germans seem to generally drive at around 100mph on the unlimited sections. But there was one yellow car, a bit in the distance that we weren't catching.
As the Autobahns are just motorways and thus pretty dull after the initial speed thing wears off I was looking at the back of the car that we were speed matching and trying to work out what it was, it looked familiar but really out of place.
Then it clicked, and I shouted (to myself) 'it's a f
king Yaris!'I turned to look at my mate who had obviously just made the same connection and was shaking his head. Then as I looked forward again a Honda Jazz pulled out and accelerated past the Yaris and away.
So to sum up, I got outrun by a Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz while on a 130bhp motorbike.
Oh this will be fun, I was in my new-to-me Skyline fully believing all would be swept before my by the technological gifted machine... then just before I turned onto one of my favourite roads a G-reg Sierra with rubber 2-level spoiler/bumpers and various shades of faded black pulled in just before me, my heart sank I'm going to be held up by this loser-mobile.
What followed was a master class - by the Sierra driver - of knowing your car inside and out as they proceeded to fk off into the distance leaving me somewhat deflated that my bravery in the corners couldn't match the prowess of the badge on the back of my car!!
I returned several times hoping for a rematch to see if, with my greater understanding of my car (yeah that's it), I could at least keep the car length gaps between us down but they never appeared again...
What followed was a master class - by the Sierra driver - of knowing your car inside and out as they proceeded to f
k off into the distance leaving me somewhat deflated that my bravery in the corners couldn't match the prowess of the badge on the back of my car!!I returned several times hoping for a rematch to see if, with my greater understanding of my car (yeah that's it), I could at least keep the car length gaps between us down but they never appeared again...
Held up behind some behatted Nissan Micra driver on the way to work, They were going left at the roundabout, I was going right, so I took the chance to ease my frustration and get my leg down a bit.
As the roundabout was wet, this turned into the greatest controlled drift of my driving career, before I saw a 6 month old Bentley approach the roundabout, start to go and then stop himself, about 5 feet beyond the white line as I came past. There would normally be plenty of room but I was at about 30 degrees to the normal direction of travel and I managed to get myself past with about 6 inches clearance. I maintain to this day that had I tried to stop the drift I would have cocked it up and planted my MX5 squarely into the drivers door.
It was a stupid thing to do but I'm secretly very proud.
As the roundabout was wet, this turned into the greatest controlled drift of my driving career, before I saw a 6 month old Bentley approach the roundabout, start to go and then stop himself, about 5 feet beyond the white line as I came past. There would normally be plenty of room but I was at about 30 degrees to the normal direction of travel and I managed to get myself past with about 6 inches clearance. I maintain to this day that had I tried to stop the drift I would have cocked it up and planted my MX5 squarely into the drivers door.
It was a stupid thing to do but I'm secretly very proud.
Years ago I drove my CRX 1.6 up Broadway hill on the way to Cirencester.
I redlined it through the gears until I got to the top but didn't back off, and the car went into a 4-wheel drift into the turn at the top, under complete control by your's truly and powered into the sunset.
No one was there to see me...
I redlined it through the gears until I got to the top but didn't back off, and the car went into a 4-wheel drift into the turn at the top, under complete control by your's truly and powered into the sunset.
No one was there to see me...
A few years back I was in my E46 328i and a Fiat Panda 100hp came steaming up behind me so I dropped it a cog and pulled away from it on the straight. Then some corners came up, which I thought would make the Panda completely disappear.
Oh no, this thing wouldn't leave my bumper.
192bhp vs 100bhp and I couldn't lose it.
Oh no, this thing wouldn't leave my bumper.
192bhp vs 100bhp and I couldn't lose it.
This summer, I went to macdonalds down the A414 with some work collegues. 4-up in my honda civic sport.
Well, I had been banging on about heel-toe for a few days and one challenged me to demonstrate it.
Que perfect heel-toe downshift from third to 2nd while braking for a roundabout.
Quit while I was ahead, wasnt going to get lucky a second time.
Well, I had been banging on about heel-toe for a few days and one challenged me to demonstrate it.
Que perfect heel-toe downshift from third to 2nd while braking for a roundabout.
Quit while I was ahead, wasnt going to get lucky a second time.
donkmeister said:
17 years old, driving away from Kingston on a mildly moist day in my beast of a 1.0 Fiat Uno, I entered this corner with a touch more exuberance than usual...
Here
It was always good for a bit of lift-off oversteer but on that particular day it ended up more fishtail than drift... Scared my mate and the driver of the oncoming car.
Fortunately this didn't stop us carrying on to the level crossing by Hampton Court to do a few jumps as planned.
Why is it so expensive to insure 17 year old chaps again?
I know that corner! I once spun up my rear wheel coming out of it on my old suzuki SV650s motorcycle on a rainy day. I did save it (of course, that's wha this thread is about, no way am I admiting it was luck on my side), but I scared myself. Here
It was always good for a bit of lift-off oversteer but on that particular day it ended up more fishtail than drift... Scared my mate and the driver of the oncoming car.
Fortunately this didn't stop us carrying on to the level crossing by Hampton Court to do a few jumps as planned.
Why is it so expensive to insure 17 year old chaps again?
Working on the farm taking the meal out to the heifers and dry cows on an a Honda Fourtrax 350 quad. With the feeding all done I had an empty quad and an empty country road at my disposal. There were rumbles of thunder and dark clouds in the sky so I thought I would get back to the yard sharpish. After shutting the gate I executed a perfect drift out of the laneway and shot up through the gears to top speed (this is strangely exhilirating even though it is only 30-35 mph.)
As I reached the turn off for the farm lane, it started to pour down. The lightening flashed and the thunder roared above the asmatic wheeze of the engine as I wrung every last one of those 350cc's out of my trusty steed. I tweaked the handlebars and lent into the turn to take another sweeping drift in the wide lane entrance. This is where it all went wrong. Similtaniously I realised i was going too fast and the road was too wet for me to take the corner.
I slid across the road at a 45 degree angle. The quad hit the grass verge side on and catapulted me quite an impressive distance into a blackthorn hedge. I very unceromoniously extracted myself from the hedge, righted the quad and tootled up the lane with a very red face. That hole in the hadge mocked me for months to come!
As I reached the turn off for the farm lane, it started to pour down. The lightening flashed and the thunder roared above the asmatic wheeze of the engine as I wrung every last one of those 350cc's out of my trusty steed. I tweaked the handlebars and lent into the turn to take another sweeping drift in the wide lane entrance. This is where it all went wrong. Similtaniously I realised i was going too fast and the road was too wet for me to take the corner.
I slid across the road at a 45 degree angle. The quad hit the grass verge side on and catapulted me quite an impressive distance into a blackthorn hedge. I very unceromoniously extracted myself from the hedge, righted the quad and tootled up the lane with a very red face. That hole in the hadge mocked me for months to come!
I was heading south from Cheshire early one morning late last year. It had snowed the night before but from the moment I reached an A road they were clear and the M6 was clear of snow and getting busy like it does at 6am every day.
As we neared the entrance to the M6 Toll most of the cars were peeling left to continue on the M6 as they usually do, I progressed at motorway pace onto the Toll and upon reaching the crest of the bridge (where the M6 passes underneath) I was greeted by a vision in snow across all but the first lane. I can only guess that the Toll was not gritted the night before as the change was immediate.
I took my foot off the accelerator and coasted onto the snow at about 60, feeling the car start to slide left to right and knowing it could go at any point. I used to go out honing on snow as a yoof so I completely resisted the urge to brake or put anything but minor adjustments into the steering. I managed to hold on until the pace dropped and the slow weight of the car dug into the snow.
I like a spirited drive but I'm no driving god. I know that if I'd not messed around on snow over the years I'd have stamped the brakes and spun it so I felt very lucky. It is amazing how experience can kick in like that.
As we neared the entrance to the M6 Toll most of the cars were peeling left to continue on the M6 as they usually do, I progressed at motorway pace onto the Toll and upon reaching the crest of the bridge (where the M6 passes underneath) I was greeted by a vision in snow across all but the first lane. I can only guess that the Toll was not gritted the night before as the change was immediate.
I took my foot off the accelerator and coasted onto the snow at about 60, feeling the car start to slide left to right and knowing it could go at any point. I used to go out honing on snow as a yoof so I completely resisted the urge to brake or put anything but minor adjustments into the steering. I managed to hold on until the pace dropped and the slow weight of the car dug into the snow.
I like a spirited drive but I'm no driving god. I know that if I'd not messed around on snow over the years I'd have stamped the brakes and spun it so I felt very lucky. It is amazing how experience can kick in like that.
Many years ago, in an HA Viva, we were racing the dawn back from Aviemore to where we were camping outside Inverness. 3 up (one got lucky and stayed in Aviemore). Saw a long left hander, which tightened up as I went round it. All I could see on the other side of the road was a house roof down the slope. Hard brake, lots of slide and wheel twirling, and pulled straight still with lots of forward motion. All that happened was one of the passengers waking up and saying "you nearly missed that" As I recall, we did the 42 miles in 45 minutes (memory may have improved the figures 
). Did have one or two cold sweats about how far down the drop off went though.
). Did have one or two cold sweats about how far down the drop off went though.My first car was a Ford escort which suffered (rather enjoyably) from the worst lift off under steer imaginable. It was easy to perform, drive into a roundabout a little too fast, off the throttle and turn in to perform a graceful drift round before straightening up and exiting. One day I was stuck behind a double decker bus, the lane split in two as it joined the roundabout and the bus took the left lane to go straight on. Seeing my opportunity I floored it hoping to use the right lane to undertake it. Being a bit too enthusiastic I piled into the roundabout, let off the throttle and turned sharply first left and then right to get myself round. What followed from my point of view was a perfect view of the concrete barrier that made up the center of the roundabout as my car went round it at a close to 90 degree angle. I gave up on the second exit and drifted right round until I was facing the third. I can only imagine what it looked like to those on the bus. 
I am much more sensible and boring these days!
I am much more sensible and boring these days!
DickyC said:
Today I drove eastbound along the A38 towards Exeter in my Audi A4 1.8T Quattro. The climb up the hill towards the racecourse is a long and winding road flagged at 50mph max. It could have been made for the Audi Quattro. I know from experience the Quattro and I can go up there at 80. Normally my fellow road users prevent a clean run. But this morning I had a clear shot at it, the slower cars were tidily in the left lane agog at my abilities as I passed.
It's just that following me closely up the hill was an elderly Transit van.
A legendary piece of English dual carriageway. It's just that following me closely up the hill was an elderly Transit van.
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