Driving Experience Days

[Nemo Sum]

I'd like to buy some sort of driving experience of driving cars fast around a track as I know he'd enjoy it. The trouble is I have no idea what is and isn't good/worthwhile, how much to expect to pay, etc.

Would any of the more experienced pher's be able to point me in the right direction at all? The only thing that I think I've determined is that most of the "supercar" based ones look a bit crap tbh but I could be wrong!

I'm all ears to suggestions. Cheers

[vixen1700]

My wife got me the Palmersport M3 day a couple of years back.

Pretty decent afternoon, you get to really put your foot down and they encourage that.

http://ww2.palmersport.com/bmw-m3-gtp.aspx

Realised I'm pretty crap at driving round a race-track, mind.

[cay]

Palmersport if you are willing to spend that much ( around £900 for a full day - they also do half days ).

It's a lot of money but you get to really push the cars and have loads of driving time, much better than £200 for 3 laps ( rev limited ) in a Ferrari!

I haven't been yet ( going next year ) but friends / forum members who have been seem to rave about it.

[Jabbah]

I did the super car day a few years ago and it was a bit of a let down. For the day I had it was three sessions; 3 laps in a Ferrari and Lamborghini and 3 passenger laps in an Evo with 2 other punters. By 3 laps they meant out lap, "hot" lap, in lap. And if you spun it was session over. It was torrential rain as well so had to tip toe around the corners.

I've done the Palmer tuition day using my own car which was much better, and some of the open wheel race car days look good also.

[andy-xr]

I did Everyman course last year. It was alright, a bit short on time in the car but you could extend it out for an extra £something.

We just fancied bashing a few cars up the hill to see how quick they'd go. The GT-R was probably the most mind bending out of that, a 911, a Lambo and an Atom. The Atom probably would have been quicker but we had it in 5th or 6th most of the time so it was barely blowing. It was cold and a bit damp so I'm not sure whether that played a part or they were just taking it extra careful

The track at Prestwold is fairly simple, nothing's going to challenge you with it. There are a LOT of kids there though, or there was when we went.

For a couple of hours and £100 it was alright. For something more involved I'd probably buy a cheap small hatchback, strip it out and take it on a trackway instead

[Nemo Sum]

Thank you. The Palmer Sport experiences actually look and sound amazing...however, I wouldn't be able to afford that currently although admittedly they look like exactly what he'd like

I'll definitely look past most of the super car based ones based on what you said Jabbah as I have a feeling the "excitement" is meant to come more from sitting in the car itself than actually driving it.

I'll look into the everyman experiences also, thanks for the suggestions and reviews so far.

[vixen1700]

Nemo Sum said:

Thank you. The Palmer Sport experiences actually look and sound amazing...however, I wouldn't be able to afford that currently although admittedly they look like exactly what he'd like

Pretty sure the afternoon in the M3 was around the £90 mark.

[Nigel_O]

I've done two "experience days" recently

First was a cheapie birthday present - three laps around Bruntingthorpe in an Atom - instructor told me to leave it in 5th gear and bked me when I didn't. He also bked me for locking up an inside wheel on a couple of occasions, saying "you're going too fast" - when I got out, I checked the tyres - budget Nexens..

Second was a full day at PalmerSport, paid for by my boss as a reward for hitting targets. I've read many reviews of PalmerSport days, but none of them really manage to convey just how bloody brilliant they are. Everything, from the staff, the location, the catering, the tuition and of course the cars is just off-the-scale brilliant. Instructors are patient and knowledgeable and quick to establish the driver's capabilities. I'd like to think I'm fairly handy behind the wheel and I found that the instructors rapidly allowed me to push very hard, to the point where we span the LMP (three times), Caterham (twice) and Atom (once)

Yes, its very expensive, but when you take into account the track time and the fact you're encouraged to drive as hard as you like, its actually great value for money

I'll be making very sure that I hit targets next year....

[RB Will]

I would say it boils down to what he is used to, what he drives and how?

I know a couple of blokes that have done lesser days like at Castle Combe and Thruxton. They have bloody loved it but neither of them are "drivers" one has a Merc van and the other a diesel Pug 206 so just doing something in a Ferrari etc is amazing to them even if its just pottering about.

Myself and my car mates have all been used to fast cars and using our own on track days for years so when given one of these days we have all found them utterly crap as its the drive rather than the badge that impresses us so get no joy from driving a Ferrari slower than we can drive our own or at least not being allowed to explore the limits of these cars we are paying for.

Palmer days being the exception as they do encourage speed.

[Dr G]

6th gear experience well regarded and run by a PHer

[Nemo Sum]

vixen1700 said:

Pretty sure the afternoon in the M3 was around the £90 mark.

I can only seem to find prices starting at the £500 mark on their site!

My dad is like myself in that neither of us are drivers, he's not going to require a car that only the combined ghosts of Senna and McRae would be able to extract every ounce of performance out of however, that being said I know that doing 70 in a Ferrari in 4th through some cones won't cut it as I may as well just give him the key to my car and turn the traction control off for him in a car park once its wet.

He'd enjoy driving a quickish car closer to his/its limits rather than a supercar well within its capabilities.

[vixen1700]

Nemo Sum said:

I can only seem to find prices starting at the £500 mark on their site!

Yeah, that's all I can see too.

It must have only been 3 years back at the very most I went to Bedford and drove the M3, maybe they've raised the bar and only offer the full and half days now.

[spats]

I've done a few experience days myself. nothing like the Palmer ones though, too expensive even if they are supposedly amazing.

Ive done a few VXR track days (not even sure id they still do them) but you get a free reign to go in any vxr, from Corsa to VXR8 and they ran hot laps as well, plus used to have paul swift driving a astra on 2 wheels. all really good fun.

Ive done a lambo drive, which I found very limited, told what gear to stick to, no real fun sadly. I wouldn't recommend them!

Thirdly is single seater days. Ive done one at brands and Silverstone and both delivered the most driving thrills for the money spent. well worth it imoa.

[Rick101]

Palmer Sport discount on till Christmas Eve

Half-Day voucher – Usually £545 inc VAT, reduced to £490.50 inc VAT
Standard Voucher for our full day programme – Usually £959 inc VAT, reduced to £863.10 inc VAT

[mrtwisty]

Nemo Sum said:

I'll look into the everyman experiences also...

If you go with Everyman (they are priced very competitively - check Groupon) go for tbe single seater experience - much better than the others imho.

For a start you are in the car on your own, so have more say in things. The instructor leads you in another car, but will go basically as fast as you want if you keep pushing.

I think they give you more freedom because they are so much cheaper to run than the exotics they have, but the singles are actually much more rewarding and visceral.

[Steve H]

You can do M4s or M4s/single seaters at Brands or Oulton with MSV for abut £200 I think. I haven't worked on the one at Brands but the Oulton one is done very well (I would imagine you would find similar at Brands) and at least you are on a proper track and not just an airfield.

[88racing]

Have only done a few of these things. First was a half day in an Exige at Thruxton to learn the circuit - very worthwhile. I went down there again for a half day of over grip limit training in a Toyota GT86 on their skid pad - again very worthwhile. But the best was 8 laps with Supercar Drive Days driving the owner's Lambo Gallardo Super Trofeo race car at Mallory. Absolutely fantastic!

Chris.

Edited by 88racing on Wednesday 23 December 12:25

[Big E 118]

Here's the M4 day at MSV circuits, £169.00 for a morning or afternoon

http://www.msvdrivinggifts.com/experience/m4-maste...

I did one of these a number of years ago and I got one for my son a few months back. Decent amount of track time and the instructors will ask you what you want from the experience, if you just want a cruise round fine but if you want to actually learn something they'll help you push your limits.

The full Palmersport day is excellent but different price bracket.

[EagleMoto4-2]

I did a track day at Prestwold with Everyman Racing a couple of years ago, in a Mclaren MP4 and Ferrari 458 supercar. Far from being told to stay in one gear I was allowed to push the cars, use all gears and generally have some fun with the them. If I messed up the entry to a corner the instructor just pointed out where I had gone wrong. Speeds in excess of 100mph were easily reached. The track isn't long though so the laps can be over quite quickly. The only thing they do ask is to keep it below 60mph when going past the pit entry and exit. I thoroughly enjoyed it.