Best 'Supercar' Experience
Discussion
I've been looking to do a supercar style experience for my 18th Birthday somewhere in the South and was wondering if anybody has any recommendations. I've heard good things about 6th gear (run by a PHer) but sadly they only date they have locally at Cadwell clashes with my A level exams. The Longcross track in Surrey is also not too far but the speed restriction on parts of the track due to the small run off's put me off choosing it.
One thing that has caught my eye is a Cayman experience at Thruxton. Not exactly a supercar but you get a lot more time in the car for your money (11 laps including a couple by the instructor vs 5 in total for other experiences in the R8/F430) and spending more time getting used a slightly less expensive car might mean I'd be able to drive the car quicker once I've done a few laps.
http://www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/experiences/porsch...
Anyway I'd like to see if anybody has an alternative (I'd be interested to know if 6th gear will get a later date at Cadwell too!) fitting the below criteria:
-Price: <£200 <£150 if possible.
-Not too far (<70 miles from Southampton)
-I would prefer a track driving experience and a sports/supercar will be more than exciting enough for somebody used to an 80bhp Fiesta!
-I'd prefer somewhere where the instructors give you some freedom and are not overly fussy about you driving quickly. (I'm not a very experienced driver and while I will be careful but in the end of the day paying all that money to drive a nice car and then being told to 'only use 4th' or 'not exceed 5000rpm' would make the experience a bit of a waste)
-I'd prefer a fairly wide open track, which I guess correlates with my previous point.
One thing that has caught my eye is a Cayman experience at Thruxton. Not exactly a supercar but you get a lot more time in the car for your money (11 laps including a couple by the instructor vs 5 in total for other experiences in the R8/F430) and spending more time getting used a slightly less expensive car might mean I'd be able to drive the car quicker once I've done a few laps.
http://www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/experiences/porsch...
Anyway I'd like to see if anybody has an alternative (I'd be interested to know if 6th gear will get a later date at Cadwell too!) fitting the below criteria:
-Price: <£200 <£150 if possible.
-Not too far (<70 miles from Southampton)
-I would prefer a track driving experience and a sports/supercar will be more than exciting enough for somebody used to an 80bhp Fiesta!
-I'd prefer somewhere where the instructors give you some freedom and are not overly fussy about you driving quickly. (I'm not a very experienced driver and while I will be careful but in the end of the day paying all that money to drive a nice car and then being told to 'only use 4th' or 'not exceed 5000rpm' would make the experience a bit of a waste)
-I'd prefer a fairly wide open track, which I guess correlates with my previous point.
6th Gear Experiences are a great bunch of guys. I've been to them several times now (they have several locations around the country) and it's always a well run setup!
And if you get the chance, don't be swayed by just the big super cars - try and get in an Atom. It's a sensory overload that you'll not soon forget
And if you get the chance, don't be swayed by just the big super cars - try and get in an Atom. It's a sensory overload that you'll not soon forget
Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands do some good driving experiences. Start at £79 for 30 mins in one of a variety of AMGs and sky is the limit price wise. Instructors don't push you that far and the track is very narrow so not all that quick but the skid circle is a hoot.
I drove the C63 and loved it; will definitely go again.
I've heard the single seater experience at Silverstone is very good as well.
I drove the C63 and loved it; will definitely go again.
I've heard the single seater experience at Silverstone is very good as well.
Thank you for all of the swift replies, keep 'em coming! :tup: Has anybody used 'Drift Limits'? They have an experience with 1 demo lap, then 3 in a stripped out E46 M3 and finally 6 laps in an Atom for £179. The 'track' they use is on Bovingdon Airfield and I can imagine an Atom being hilarious fun to drive if a little terrifying... 
In my experience most driving days are speed restricted in one way or another, usually for safety reasons.
The Mercedes World AMG experiences are definitely recommended. Get yourself an hour in the cars and then you can have a good look around the other stuff too. Time/money well spent.
The Mercedes World AMG experiences are definitely recommended. Get yourself an hour in the cars and then you can have a good look around the other stuff too. Time/money well spent.
A few of us recently did one similar to this at thruxton, seems to also be on a special offer at £145:
http://www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/experiences/racing...
The cayman was a bit tame to be honest, quite a few cars on track/not much overtaking/instructor watching! (and they are quiet and refined so you don't feel the speed)
Single seaters were much more of an experience IMO (especially if you haven't driven one before), it was p1ssing down which helped ;-)
http://www.thruxtonracing.co.uk/experiences/racing...
The cayman was a bit tame to be honest, quite a few cars on track/not much overtaking/instructor watching! (and they are quiet and refined so you don't feel the speed)
Single seaters were much more of an experience IMO (especially if you haven't driven one before), it was p1ssing down which helped ;-)
Edited by danp on Monday 28th April 20:10
I have considered MB world, although I have been there a couple of times before so aside from the fairly short driving session I wouldn't be doing anything new.
As for the restrictions I'm not fussed about there being some, as it is mostly inexperienced drivers in some very fast cars but I don't want to end up at a place where they are too restrictive, as it defeats the point of doing a supercar experience in the first place.
As for the restrictions I'm not fussed about there being some, as it is mostly inexperienced drivers in some very fast cars but I don't want to end up at a place where they are too restrictive, as it defeats the point of doing a supercar experience in the first place.
Chicane-UK said:
6th Gear Experiences are a great bunch of guys. I've been to them several times now (they have several locations around the country) and it's always a well run setup!
And if you get the chance, don't be swayed by just the big super cars - try and get in an Atom. It's a sensory overload that you'll not soon forget
Agree, I went to 6th gear as well and chose an Atom over any SUpercar.And if you get the chance, don't be swayed by just the big super cars - try and get in an Atom. It's a sensory overload that you'll not soon forget
1) I overtook 'Supercars'
2) I hit over 100mph at one point (video confirmation)
3) It's hard to think that a Supercar would have given me more fun.
TheFinners said:
Thank you for all of the swift replies, keep 'em coming! :tup: Has anybody used 'Drift Limits'? They have an experience with 1 demo lap, then 3 in a stripped out E46 M3 and finally 6 laps in an Atom for £179. The 'track' they use is on Bovingdon Airfield and I can imagine an Atom being hilarious fun to drive if a little terrifying...
I did a full day with drift limits 2 years ago when they first started, they only had MX5's back then but was really good fun, been thinking of going back now they have an M3. The Atom is definite, I'd imagine its easier to drive (at least at fairly modest speeds) than most supercars and the acceleration must feel a lot quicker than almost all of them! I am gutted that I am unable to use 6th gear (unless they get another later Cadwell date) as the feedback for them on here is excellent.
At the moment the Drift Limits course for £179 is looking most likely which will give me the following:
1 demo/instructor lap in their stripped out M3, then 3 laps of me driving the M3 to get used to the track followed by 6 laps in the mighty Atom!
At the moment the Drift Limits course for £179 is looking most likely which will give me the following:
1 demo/instructor lap in their stripped out M3, then 3 laps of me driving the M3 to get used to the track followed by 6 laps in the mighty Atom!
TheFinners said:
The Atom is definite, I'd imagine its easier to drive (at least at fairly modest speeds) than most supercars and the acceleration must feel a lot quicker than almost all of them! I am gutted that I am unable to use 6th gear (unless they get another later Cadwell date) as the feedback for them on here is excellent.
At the moment the Drift Limits course for £179 is looking most likely which will give me the following:
1 demo/instructor lap in their stripped out M3, then 3 laps of me driving the M3 to get used to the track followed by 6 laps in the mighty Atom!
Depends on the supercar I guess. Some things are intimidating, and large (e.g. Murcielago) whereas some are quite easy to drive (e.g. Audi R8). The Atom is not exactly difficult to drive but it's quite uncompromising - the sensation of speed is unbelievable so it takes some courage to give it as much stick as the instructor wants you to, and the ride is exceptionally firm so you feel EVERYTHING. Plus with it being so low slung you can't see down the track all that well. I can't imagine what it must be like to use on the road.. but I'd certainly love to try At the moment the Drift Limits course for £179 is looking most likely which will give me the following:
1 demo/instructor lap in their stripped out M3, then 3 laps of me driving the M3 to get used to the track followed by 6 laps in the mighty Atom!
danp said:
Is cadwell park < 70 miles from southampton?
That's what I was thinking, Cadwell Park is in Lincolnshire, to get there from Southampton you'd need to drive past at least Silverstone, Rockingham, Donington and Mallory Park!Would Castle Combe be another circuit worth looking at?
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