PH 2013: Most memorable drives
Team PH relives 2013's most memorable drives - what was yours?
Here we do just that, recalling some of our most memorable drives of the last 12 months. And if it goes to show anything it doesn't matter whether you're driving a supercar, a ratty old Shed or a hot-hatch - if the moment is right it's about more than how much power your car has or how much it cost. It's about the smile it puts on your face.
Here are ours. The floor is open to share yours...
Off the back of a year's medical licence suspension any drive was going to be memorable and something to celebrate. The Aston V12 Vantage S launch in Palm Springs stands out for the incredible roads and joyful fury of the way the car attacked them and my final drive in the 997 GT3 was also pretty special. Even if the weather was somewhat less appealing.
For all that exotica though my most memorable drive this year was in a £1,200 car with 100hp (ish), 185-section eco tyres, stupid orange wheels and a loud exhaust. My car.
As any sensible man would, I celebrated my return to the wheel by immediately booking a track day at Goodwood and heading down in my little Eunos. And Goodwood was, appropriately, glorious. The mental cobwebs were blown out in the first few laps, the Mazda seemingly as giddy and excited to be out on track as I was and if not actually fast it felt and sounded it. The perfect 'get back on that horse' moment - I loved every second. The drive back from the track across Sussex with my one-year-old beside me on his first roof-down drive in the late summer sunshine was pretty special too. One of those days at the wheel to bottle and remember.
The Lamborghini Aventador Roadster may be a flawed supercar, but there can be no doubting its theatre. I joined the Lamborghini Grande Giro, also a 50th anniversary celebration event, on the leg from Milan to Rome. A V12 Lambo through the Italian countryside may be pretty predictable fodder for this sort of thing, but on this occasion it wasn't the car I was driving that made the moment so memorable, but instead the car that I was chasing.
For a 20-mile stretch on the run up to an isolated airstrip where we'd be stopping for lunch, I found myself following a red Countach. The driver was clearly pedalling a bit, but the Aventador was at a canter to keep pace. I could have slipped past given a 100-metre straight, but I instead sat back behind it just to enjoy the incredible sound; all 12-cylinder roar under power and volley fire crackle on the overrun. For 15 minutes or so the Countach had me spellbound and I completely forgot that I was actually driving one of the most exciting new cars on sale.
There are two here, one on road and another on track. The latter was the Toyota Sprint at Blyton. As a first competitive track experience in a GT86, the day was just mega. Car and circuit were both ideal for a novice, and the desire to continue all day bettering your last time is addictive. Luckily I've got chance to do some more next year...
The most memorable drive of this year on the road has to be our hot hatch triple test. The cars were all brilliant in their own way, the roads were superb and it didn't rain at all. Dan was plotting the route as we went, and the roads just got better and better. It really was a dream combination of everything, and secured the Golf GTI a special place in my heart too.
So there are ours. Let's hear yours! The floor is open...
2 trips to Goodwood in my MX5 are also huge highlights. Such a great circuit although maybe a little quick for the old Eunos to really shine.
Bring on 2014 and many more excellent days peddling cars.
And then back down through Cumbria and the Dales again. Two really fantastic runs - great year for driving, although I doubt the poor bushes and shock absorbers agree
The glorious sunny day in August when my Dad and I hammered my s2000 around the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, alongside 3 Ferraris, 2 McLarens, and a host of other stunningly beautiful cars, until the tyres were nothing but melted, blistered, ruined strips of rubber was the best day of my driving life, and probably one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done.
Track racing has brought me and my Dad back together and allowed us to bond over a mutual hobby and repaired a lot of the damage I had done to our relationship. Here's to fast cars and f
k anyone who says otherwise! Happy 2014!!!1. Dented the bonnet when a builders bag inflated as we ran over it on the motorway (I think some grit inside must have done the damage).
2. Cracked the windscreen on the same motorway from a stone (or something similarly sized being kicked up).
3. The heatshield on the exhaust coming loose and rattling around!
That was an expensive weekend!
Or
A couple of weekends ago having a great drive down to Goodwood via Petworth in my new car and having the chance to truly stretch it's legs!
I've never been a big Ferrari fan but I have never experienced such speed, grip and noise. The circuit consists of several decent straights where you could get some speed up. The days events had been kept under wraps so I had no expectations of what to expect which made the day even more memorable. The engine wail was intoxicating. Down the longest straight I remember whooping like a kid.
In fact as a direct result I got myself the closest noisiest and quickest toy I could afford - an Elise SC with stage 3 exhaust. Only had it a couple of months so not had many opportunities to take it out yet so looking forward to a dry spell!
, getting over 160mph on an empty stretch of A-ro.... er I mean private runway, but by far the best was going around Iceland. Scenery was just extraordinary and seemed to change every 10 mins along with the weather and the Kia Sportage was a surprisingly capable car off road. Managed to drive into a ditch gawking at the surroundings but didn't leave any visible scratches (silver car
)
Hoping to take it to the Ring in '14 once the weather gets better wit my brother - test the new brakes and suspension out!
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