Discussion
Taught myself a whole lot about driving the cerbera today on track at bedford autodrome.
I cant recommend highly enough that a cerbera owner take their car out on a track, preferably like bedford autodrome with huge safe runoffs.
I say this because I firmly believe that the lessons learnt today on track may well save me having a horrific accident.
1. I understand far better how far you can push acceleration out of a corner before things can get hairy.
2. turning the wheel while braking hard can be (very) bad as the back end lightens - get all your braking done in a straight line!
3. gained an appreciation for just how far it can and will slide and skid if you make a high speed mistake. On a public road the mistakes I made on track today could easily have been fatal. Thank you to bedford's extra wide run-offs!
Please, if you haven't already, take your cerb to a safe track and learn its limits, I've heard lots of stories about respecting the power of the cerb and that caution is needed etc, but there's really no substitute for getting it out there and learning for yourself in a safe environment what your, and the car's limits are.
I think it's definitely going to make me a safer road driver, and think it would do the same for others.
I didnt book up in enough time for some professional tuition, I would have liked to hear their pointers/opinion/praise/criticism etc of my driving and of the car itself
Cheers! have fun
I cant recommend highly enough that a cerbera owner take their car out on a track, preferably like bedford autodrome with huge safe runoffs.
I say this because I firmly believe that the lessons learnt today on track may well save me having a horrific accident.
1. I understand far better how far you can push acceleration out of a corner before things can get hairy.
2. turning the wheel while braking hard can be (very) bad as the back end lightens - get all your braking done in a straight line!
3. gained an appreciation for just how far it can and will slide and skid if you make a high speed mistake. On a public road the mistakes I made on track today could easily have been fatal. Thank you to bedford's extra wide run-offs!
Please, if you haven't already, take your cerb to a safe track and learn its limits, I've heard lots of stories about respecting the power of the cerb and that caution is needed etc, but there's really no substitute for getting it out there and learning for yourself in a safe environment what your, and the car's limits are.
I think it's definitely going to make me a safer road driver, and think it would do the same for others.
I didnt book up in enough time for some professional tuition, I would have liked to hear their pointers/opinion/praise/criticism etc of my driving and of the car itself
Cheers! have fun
Edited by AlVal on Saturday 24th November 16:28
Gazzab said:
AlVal said:
2. turning the wheel while braking hard can be (very) bad as the back end lightens - get all your braking done in a straight line!
Good points but how can anyone really anyone want to brake whilst turning in a cerb (on purpose).Which circuit did you do Alan?
When I took mine it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. Handled very predictably (until the limit). My mate drove it and said the same thing.
ro_butler said:
Trail braking. You need to do it at Bedford for the chicane just after the hairpin by the pits (on the West circuit or GT circuit).
Personally I found it easier to control a slide while trail-braking in the Cerb than braking in a straight line and then turning in.Best of both worlds in terms of training: Carlimits (Andy Walsh) has a 1:1 tuition day at Bedford Autodrome coming up soon -- 8th December, IIRC. Only 40 quid more than the North Weald day.
Told you Al!!! (in the trackdays forum) - get some tuition, it'll suprise you even further... im still buzzing from my croft experience in March - as soon as im slightly more financially secure I'll be booking another trackday!! I really cant understand how people own these things without taking them on track?
longbow said:
One step up is a driver tuition day - booked in at Car Limits with Andy Walsh on the 5th Dec. Can't wait. Never drifted the Cerb yet, should be fun!
Hi Longbow! I have been planning to book up on this for a while (with a couple of other Cerb folk), but by the time we'd tied a date down, it was full, so no joy yet!I hope you have a fab time, would love to know how you find it. I did meet Andy in a bar in Rouen (friend of a friend), he seems a good guy, which will make all the difference too I reckon!
Enjoy! Look forward to report!
Thanks Nicky I remember you saying you wanted to do something along the lines of a driver day at FT..... in the end I pressured some colleagues who are into 'cars' to go along, so we are going as a group. My boss is taking his 996 Carrera, another guy is taking his Elise 111S and another his Scooby STi so we have quite a diverse group of cars going. I've also got someone to come and film all the action so might get some good youtube action!
Apparently from what I gather Andy pushes you over the limits initially to allow you to experience loss of control from different manoeuvers and then builds you up from there. Either way I expect to get it sideways more than once!
Will let you know how it goes though!
I remember you saying you wanted to do something along the lines of a driver day at FT..... in the end I pressured some colleagues who are into 'cars' to go along, so we are going as a group. My boss is taking his 996 Carrera, another guy is taking his Elise 111S and another his Scooby STi so we have quite a diverse group of cars going. I've also got someone to come and film all the action so might get some good youtube action!Apparently from what I gather Andy pushes you over the limits initially to allow you to experience loss of control from different manoeuvers and then builds you up from there. Either way I expect to get it sideways more than once!
Will let you know how it goes though!
That'll be a great day - did the same thing in my Chimaera earlier this year, with a 993, S2000, and a Noble M12. You'll learn so much about the car, and (more importantly) about how good you are. We ended up doing about 75 miles on track, and spinning a dozen times each 
It's a solid 6-7 hours driving, so top value.
I'll be back there in the Cerb once it has a working clutch/new suspension
Look forward to the vids!
It's a solid 6-7 hours driving, so top value. I'll be back there in the Cerb once it has a working clutch/new suspension
Look forward to the vids!
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