Supercar Experience at North Weald. Disappointing
Discussion
Just had a Supercar experience at North Weald. Bought as a birthday present. I assumed there would be some sort of track to go around, but it turned out to be a large concrete car park, with some sort of oval circuit, chicanes marked out with cones on each 'straight'. Not chance at all to experience anything really. Disappointed.
They're not all crap. I've been on several super car experiences with 6th Gear Experiences and always walked away extremely happy with more than enough opportunity to give it full throttle several times a lap and good coaching / encouragement from the instructors.
This north weald one sounds pants though.
This north weald one sounds pants though.
I've been on two of those days, one at a disused airfield where you could only drive in a straight line and not exceed 4k rpm in a Ferrari, and one on a small circuit where you were in and out of the car before you could really start to enjoy it (Lamborghini, company mentioned above.)
Both days were all about screwing as much cash out of you as possible for photos, damage waivers and extra laps etc. so I won't be doing any more.
Both days were all about screwing as much cash out of you as possible for photos, damage waivers and extra laps etc. so I won't be doing any more.
I did one in the US on a short track. The only restriction was to put the Lamborghini into e-gear. My issue was other slow people on the track because it was so short and tight. But I was able to really put my foot down a few times each lap. I joked about the open gate on one part of the track and the 20 year old Russian in the car with me made it clear that he had a gun for that.
Bloody good fun though and I enjoyed it more than the NAS Car experience I had done previously.
Bloody good fun though and I enjoyed it more than the NAS Car experience I had done previously.
Did a rally day in a Puma in a field somewhere in Oxfordshire. That was amazing. Did an experience day from a choice of cars ( chose a Ferrari 360 that had a paddle shift), also somewhere in Oxfordshire but this time on an airfield. The layout wasn't too bad. The rev limit was 4 or 5k, can't remember, and the braking points were very conservative, but the instructor was happy to let me get squeaky tyres around the corners, he even visibly flinched on one lap as I flicked it through the coned chicane but still he was happy to let me get on with it and encouraged me. It was over too quickly and to be honest I was underwhelmed by the 360 which was just too easy to drive, at least at the limited pace I could get it to. I was hoping it would be more intimidating, I guess I like my supercars old school. But the venue and organisation were fine.
I also did one of the Evo competition days at Bedford Autodrome, that must have been way back in 2003? I didn't make it into the single seater round. I didn't really get on with the caterhams there, which felt very soft and oversteery, but I am sure it was a better experience for those who made it through.
Did a Formula Ford day at Midvaal in South Africa too, and that was by a million miles the best driving experience I have had. That must be over twenty years ago now though.
Basically I think these things are better value if you go for a common car in an exciting place, where you will probably get to enjoy lots of laps flat out, rather than a supercar that the organisers can't really afford to bend so you get limited time and are only allowed access to a small part of the car's performance.
So I'd personally recommend a rally day. which in a FWD car is still lots of sideways fun, or a drift day, or a day at a decent circuit or airfield in a single seater or Elise or something, where it's about the performance and handling rather than about the car.
I also did one of the Evo competition days at Bedford Autodrome, that must have been way back in 2003? I didn't make it into the single seater round. I didn't really get on with the caterhams there, which felt very soft and oversteery, but I am sure it was a better experience for those who made it through.
Did a Formula Ford day at Midvaal in South Africa too, and that was by a million miles the best driving experience I have had. That must be over twenty years ago now though.
Basically I think these things are better value if you go for a common car in an exciting place, where you will probably get to enjoy lots of laps flat out, rather than a supercar that the organisers can't really afford to bend so you get limited time and are only allowed access to a small part of the car's performance.
So I'd personally recommend a rally day. which in a FWD car is still lots of sideways fun, or a drift day, or a day at a decent circuit or airfield in a single seater or Elise or something, where it's about the performance and handling rather than about the car.
Edited by kiseca on Sunday 7th September 14:00
The 6th Gear experience i did back in june in Surrey, was amazing.
Encouraged to drive flat out through the forest racetrack. Favorite car was the Ferrari 458 italia . i also drove an Aston Martin Vanquish (probably most underwhelming car of the day)
an R8 ( very impressed)
An Atom ( mad)
Lamborghini Murcielago (animal)
Porsche 911 turbo 997(staggeringly accomplished)
Expensive day out £6-700 but worth it, especially with in-car video and photos.
Encouraged to drive flat out through the forest racetrack. Favorite car was the Ferrari 458 italia . i also drove an Aston Martin Vanquish (probably most underwhelming car of the day)
an R8 ( very impressed)
An Atom ( mad)
Lamborghini Murcielago (animal)
Porsche 911 turbo 997(staggeringly accomplished)
Expensive day out £6-700 but worth it, especially with in-car video and photos.
I reckon best smiles per pound is an off-road experience day. Done a couple of these and they never felt overly sanitised, really felt you were taking a machine a decent way to to its limits. These supercar days sound pants, as by all accounts modern supercars are very easy and rather dull to drive at "normal" speeds.
I did a Drift Limits Experience which was at the typical abandoned airfield, although they had marked out and tarmacked a fairly decent (if quite short) circuit. Only restriction was gears which was a bit of a pain (3rd in the 'warm up' stripped out Impreza and 4th in the supercharged Atom) although there was only really one tight corner where you really needed a lower gear. Having said that the instructors were pretty good letting you push the cars a fair amount (one guy managed to spin the Atom on a fast bend!) and also in teaching the correct technique for each corner. Unless you have had a significant amount of experience on a track I would say they are a very enjoyable experience. And my god that Atom was quick...
I've done the car limits day at north Weald. On that one you drive your own car and get to learn its limits in a clean and safe environment. The guy who runs the car limits days is the same one as the owner of the super car experience days.
Over lunch he was telling us in detail about the cost/ setup of the cars and how his margins are ever squeezed by the experience voucher set up's.
When he started he was retaining 100% of the fee. I think he was saying, with the power of groupon, Virgin RLD and the likehe is now down to 60% of the fee. Some of that gets passed on to the customer but most of it is margin for the voucher crowd. His costs are the same (or higher with rising fuel costs), so the result is a more restrictive day, to try and save wear on the very expensive to maintain cars.
When I asked him why he didn't stay with direct sale and promote the quality of the experience he said he was rapidly losing customers as in the recession people didn't want to pay RRP anymore!
Over lunch he was telling us in detail about the cost/ setup of the cars and how his margins are ever squeezed by the experience voucher set up's.
When he started he was retaining 100% of the fee. I think he was saying, with the power of groupon, Virgin RLD and the likehe is now down to 60% of the fee. Some of that gets passed on to the customer but most of it is margin for the voucher crowd. His costs are the same (or higher with rising fuel costs), so the result is a more restrictive day, to try and save wear on the very expensive to maintain cars.
When I asked him why he didn't stay with direct sale and promote the quality of the experience he said he was rapidly losing customers as in the recession people didn't want to pay RRP anymore!
I have done a couple at three Sisters in Wigan and its been pretty good, they let you properly open the cars up and give good pointers and feedback, came out feeling ten feet tall after the last one, instructor said he was pretty impressed, may just have been glad to have survived.
Worst part is a track full of people who have never driven anything remotely quick and are driving round like Hooks from Police Academy and getting in the way,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYt73GnpXX8
Oh do f
k off, I have the fleeting use of a supercar and I intend to batter it senseless, MOVE DAMN IT !
Judging by the car parks, it isn't anyone generally that has anything tasty that does these, always Supermins and Scenics, coming from 300 bhp, a jump to 400 isn't that daunting, you just enjoy the extra, must be alarming when you are used to a Fiesta.
Worst part is a track full of people who have never driven anything remotely quick and are driving round like Hooks from Police Academy and getting in the way,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYt73GnpXX8
Oh do f
k off, I have the fleeting use of a supercar and I intend to batter it senseless, MOVE DAMN IT !Judging by the car parks, it isn't anyone generally that has anything tasty that does these, always Supermins and Scenics, coming from 300 bhp, a jump to 400 isn't that daunting, you just enjoy the extra, must be alarming when you are used to a Fiesta.
I was given a voucher for a rally experience day at a place opposite Silverstone and it was utter utter bobbins. Years & years ago I did a rally car experience day at Brands Hatch driving an Escort Cosworth & it was amazing!!
I'm hoping my experience day on 27th September with Mr. T Needell is good though!
I'm hoping my experience day on 27th September with Mr. T Needell is good though!
I know a guy who instructs at the North Weald days, he boasts he gets £200 a day and extra if he up sells extra laps or video of your drive.
In his words " the customers are muppets and there for the taking, most have never driven anything more powerful than a ford focus, it does not take much to please them".
He also instructs at a rally school nr to Saffron Walden, says much the same about there.
I certainly won't be giving them any of my hard earned after speaking to him.
In his words " the customers are muppets and there for the taking, most have never driven anything more powerful than a ford focus, it does not take much to please them".
He also instructs at a rally school nr to Saffron Walden, says much the same about there.
I certainly won't be giving them any of my hard earned after speaking to him.
robinessex said:
Just had a Supercar experience at North Weald. Bought as a birthday present. I assumed there would be some sort of track to go around, but it turned out to be a large concrete car park, with some sort of oval circuit, chicanes marked out with cones on each 'straight'. Not chance at all to experience anything really. Disappointed.
I feel your pain, I bought one of these via Groupcon at North Weald for an employee and myself a couple of years ago.The whole thing was an utter embarrasment and waste of money,and as for the alleged original full prices shown on their website the less said the better.I got the owner away from the other customers and told him what I thought,and it appeared several others would be doing the same.His excuse/answer was that Groupcon effectively told him what prices to put on his website to give the impression of a big discount via the voucher.Strangely he wouldn't/couldn't tell me exactly how many he had ever sold at the full advertised price.Someone also mentioned the rally place at Saffron Walden,and yes thats a similar experience to the above,with the additional pleasure of two of the rudest customer serving people I've ever met behind the desk, hopelessly out of their depth coping with a crowd of people.After an hour I'd had enough and went home.
These voucher schemes don't win these businesses any fans at all.
More expensive, but actually in reality far far better value are the PorscheDrive experiences at the purpose built circuit at Silverstone and the holy grail of them all, Palmersport day.
Edited by sjc on Sunday 7th September 20:14
kiseca said:
Did a rally day in a Puma in a field somewhere in Oxfordshire. That was amazing.
I've been to the same place, an all round fantastic (half) day.I've done a supercar experience at Elvington near York and I think it's the same company that runs this rally day - Everyman Racing. They don't rein you in unless you're being a complete idiot.
xRIEx said:
I've been to the same place, an all round fantastic (half) day.
I've done a supercar experience at Elvington near York and I think it's the same company that runs this rally day - Everyman Racing. They don't rein you in unless you're being a complete idiot.
I did an experience day with Everyman Racing.I've done a supercar experience at Elvington near York and I think it's the same company that runs this rally day - Everyman Racing. They don't rein you in unless you're being a complete idiot.
They let you drive how you want, and overall it was fun.
Just seemed like poor VFM. £100 for 9 laps of a short track.
Id rather add another £100 and do a full TD in my own car.
Having since done a proper track day, i dont think i could ever do an experience again.
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