Lotus's 'Scare yourself sensible' experience
Discussion
I did the driver training about a year ago, which ended with a couple of passenger laps with the instructor (Martin Donnely), as does the 'scare yourself' experience. It wasn't particularly scary (although i was a bit concerned when i thought he was going to crash at the chicane at on the back straight!), but it was a real eye opener as to how crap i had been throughout the day!
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
Book yourself in with Andrew Walsh www.carlimits.com and scare yourself sensible in your own car, all day for £170. :thumbsup:
Driving time was minimal although it was good fun to blast round hethel in the little time we had. I had Al Mcqueen as my instructor/driver and the speed him and that aussie lunatic hyla breeze went round the track in was amazing. Good introduction into what the car can do and if you are nervous about jumping straight onto a track/airfield in your car (which is fair enough) i would recommend it as a 'soft' introduction.
Mrs may get a bit bored as there is not much to do in the lotus sport building apart from drink coffee -the only consolation is that depending on the size of the group you will prob be up there for a while as well (albeit on the balcony watching the cars)
A factory tour was included when i went which is well worth a visit.
Would echo the comments about doing a first lotus day - you will learn a shed-load more there about your car for a similar amount of money
Mrs may get a bit bored as there is not much to do in the lotus sport building apart from drink coffee -the only consolation is that depending on the size of the group you will prob be up there for a while as well (albeit on the balcony watching the cars)
A factory tour was included when i went which is well worth a visit.
Would echo the comments about doing a first lotus day - you will learn a shed-load more there about your car for a similar amount of money
Yeah, done it twice now and its really cracking good fun, even if the actual behind wheel is limited. It really shows what these cars can do when REALLY taken to the limits. To be honest, VERY few poeple take the Elise to the limits on the road cos most of the time, the roads don't let us. But my god, it does open your eyes.
The only VERY skight downfall is that you won't know what flavour Elise you care going to get either. Second time I went I wanted to drive the 111R as I had driven one on road before and thought it was special!!! So wanted to give it the beans properly. But they also had a 111S and a standard Elise there too. So you could get anything....
No Exiges there though, which is a shame.........
And I had my pax ride with Hyla Breese on both times (he actually remembered me!) and hey really can drive. Sideways, accuracy and sheer raw speed..............he's a bit good and can't even get a professinal drive!!!
And spectators can stand on a balcony close to the track. So you can go inside or out, weather dependant.
Just go and enjoy it. Is really very good. Just wish I could afford more time behind the wheel........
The only VERY skight downfall is that you won't know what flavour Elise you care going to get either. Second time I went I wanted to drive the 111R as I had driven one on road before and thought it was special!!! So wanted to give it the beans properly. But they also had a 111S and a standard Elise there too. So you could get anything....
No Exiges there though, which is a shame.........
And I had my pax ride with Hyla Breese on both times (he actually remembered me!) and hey really can drive. Sideways, accuracy and sheer raw speed..............he's a bit good and can't even get a professinal drive!!!
And spectators can stand on a balcony close to the track. So you can go inside or out, weather dependant.
Just go and enjoy it. Is really very good. Just wish I could afford more time behind the wheel........
Thanks for the responses! I can't bloody wait!!! Less than 2 weeks to go!
Lotus phoned me to let me know that the 111s has been kicked and that I'll be driving a 111r on the day. Part of me thinks 'cool, raw power and revvy revvy goodness' but the other part of me thinks 'but when I get my Elise, it's going to be a Type 72 or 111S so I'd rather drive one of those!'.
Oh well, can't get everything perfect! Bring on the 20th.
S
PS, it's a damned shame they don't allow photography equipment. I hope they offer 'pro' photographs of the experience, or even one of you just standing next to the car with your instructor.
Lotus phoned me to let me know that the 111s has been kicked and that I'll be driving a 111r on the day. Part of me thinks 'cool, raw power and revvy revvy goodness' but the other part of me thinks 'but when I get my Elise, it's going to be a Type 72 or 111S so I'd rather drive one of those!'.
Oh well, can't get everything perfect! Bring on the 20th.
S
PS, it's a damned shame they don't allow photography equipment. I hope they offer 'pro' photographs of the experience, or even one of you just standing next to the car with your instructor.
[
PS, it's a damned shame they don't allow photography equipment. I hope they offer 'pro' photographs of the experience, or even one of you just standing next to the car with your instructor.[/quote]
Don't worry, they take photo's throughout the day which you can buy as a CD which is sent on in the post :thumbsup:
PS, it's a damned shame they don't allow photography equipment. I hope they offer 'pro' photographs of the experience, or even one of you just standing next to the car with your instructor.[/quote]
Don't worry, they take photo's throughout the day which you can buy as a CD which is sent on in the post :thumbsup:
w00000t w0000000000000000000000000000000000000000t!!!!
Just got back! WOWWWWW!!!!! I can honestly say that my first drive in an Elise exceeded all of my expectations.
The entire day was brilliant and was much better than I originally thought it would be. When I arrived, the sun was shining and the clouds looked as if they were on their way out. By the time I stepped up for my 20 minutes it was absolutely bucketing down!!!! This only made things more interesting and made me fall in love with the car even more. The thing refused to lose its firm footing on the tarmac! I know everyone on here warns new owners to take extra care in the wet but I think you'd have to be driving very recklessly on the public roads to lose it around a bend (IMHO). I was absolutely amazed at how the instructor kept directing me to give it a bit more power, even when I felt that if I were to apply any more we would spin!
The passenger ride was the real highlight of the day though. After the track having had a thoroughly good soaking from the heavens, my instructor (Ivan) took me out in what can only be described as one of the best experiences in my life. I had a smile on my face which stretched from ear to ear. The track was soaking wet but he was flinging the car around it like it was on rails. We were constantly powersliding and braking hard but the car felt so stable in all of this even with standing water everywhere.
The factory tour was a real education. It was so nice to see how the Elise & Europa come together from their beginnings as an aluminium chassis, which two people can quite easily lift, to the finished car, glistening in the diffused sunlight outside the factory waiting for its lucky new owner.
Mentioning the Europa........ I didn't like the look of it one bit when I saw the pictures here on PH. For all of you that feel the same..... SEE ONE IN THE FLESH! Every person that was on the tour who said they didn't like the look of it from the pictures changed their mind once they were up-close-and-personal with it. It is a very, very good looking car and is not actually that much bigger than an Elise. I don't think the pictures give you any sense of scale and, as another person on the tour said, the Europa and Elise are not the most photogenic of cars but once you see them in the flesh it's a totally different experience.
So, all in all a lovely day with the lovely people at Lotus. I will be back for the driver training course early next year when I seek out and purchase my 111s! :-)
Stu
Just got back! WOWWWWW!!!!! I can honestly say that my first drive in an Elise exceeded all of my expectations.
The entire day was brilliant and was much better than I originally thought it would be. When I arrived, the sun was shining and the clouds looked as if they were on their way out. By the time I stepped up for my 20 minutes it was absolutely bucketing down!!!! This only made things more interesting and made me fall in love with the car even more. The thing refused to lose its firm footing on the tarmac! I know everyone on here warns new owners to take extra care in the wet but I think you'd have to be driving very recklessly on the public roads to lose it around a bend (IMHO). I was absolutely amazed at how the instructor kept directing me to give it a bit more power, even when I felt that if I were to apply any more we would spin!
The passenger ride was the real highlight of the day though. After the track having had a thoroughly good soaking from the heavens, my instructor (Ivan) took me out in what can only be described as one of the best experiences in my life. I had a smile on my face which stretched from ear to ear. The track was soaking wet but he was flinging the car around it like it was on rails. We were constantly powersliding and braking hard but the car felt so stable in all of this even with standing water everywhere.
The factory tour was a real education. It was so nice to see how the Elise & Europa come together from their beginnings as an aluminium chassis, which two people can quite easily lift, to the finished car, glistening in the diffused sunlight outside the factory waiting for its lucky new owner.
Mentioning the Europa........ I didn't like the look of it one bit when I saw the pictures here on PH. For all of you that feel the same..... SEE ONE IN THE FLESH! Every person that was on the tour who said they didn't like the look of it from the pictures changed their mind once they were up-close-and-personal with it. It is a very, very good looking car and is not actually that much bigger than an Elise. I don't think the pictures give you any sense of scale and, as another person on the tour said, the Europa and Elise are not the most photogenic of cars but once you see them in the flesh it's a totally different experience.
So, all in all a lovely day with the lovely people at Lotus. I will be back for the driver training course early next year when I seek out and purchase my 111s! :-)
Stu
Hi there
the group I was with did the morning session.
I assume you were in one of the cars waiting at the gate as we left.
Agree entirely with your views. Brilliant day out.
I had Danny as my instructor in the yellow elise. Boy do those guys know how to chuck those cars around.
You certainly realise how slow you drive when they show you what they can do.
All the people in our group came off the track smiling .
great day.
the group I was with did the morning session.
I assume you were in one of the cars waiting at the gate as we left.
Agree entirely with your views. Brilliant day out.
I had Danny as my instructor in the yellow elise. Boy do those guys know how to chuck those cars around.
You certainly realise how slow you drive when they show you what they can do.
All the people in our group came off the track smiling .
great day.
sramdeen said:
I know everyone on here warns new owners to take extra care in the wet but I think you'd have to be driving very recklessly on the public roads to lose it around a bend (IMHO). :
In the real world there is irregular tarmac and morons dropping diesel and oil on the bends where you need grip. Different kettle of fish to a well groomed, perfectly maintained test track with loads of really safe run off. Its dangerous out there in the wet.
gooby said:
I know everyone on here warns new owners to take extra care in the wet but I think you'd have to be driving very recklessly on the public roads to lose it around a bend (IMHO). :
In the real world there is irregular tarmac and morons dropping diesel and oil on the bends where you need grip. Different kettle of fish to a well groomed, perfectly maintained test track with loads of really safe run off. Its dangerous out there in the wet.
Very true mr Goobs. I didn't really think too much before posting that comment. I was just totally astounded with the grip!
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