RE: Updated Lotus Driving Academy launched

RE: Updated Lotus Driving Academy launched

Wednesday 26th July 2017

Updated Lotus Driving Academy launched

Exige Sport 350 and Elise Sport 220 now available to drive around Hethel



The Lotus Driving Academy is not a new idea, the initiative having been launched in 2009 following a decade of driving training at Hethel. Since then the Academies have spread over Europe and the world, offering customers a taste of the Lotus range - and some proper tuition - for a few hundred quid.

Elise there to kick you off...
Elise there to kick you off...
Now the Hethel Driving Academy has been refreshed and updated with new models, the Elise Sport 220 and the Exige Sport 350 now available. In the current climate of Lotus model launches they aren't all that new, but they should provide both circuit novices and more seasoned track tearaways with a challenge.

The Driving Academy Days start at £119 for the 'Scare Yourself Sensible' experience, which sounds a bit like a teenage safe sex initiative, through Bronze, Silver and Gold licence days. The Gold day is £899, and required to obtain a Lotus Licence. Lotus says the days will challenge "even the most ardent serial track day enthusiast", teaching techniques like heel and toe and power oversteer while also offering a personal evaluation at the end of the day. And then a passenger lap, to prove how distinctly average you really are...

... hopefully you're onto this in no time!
... hopefully you're onto this in no time!
Jean-Marc Gales said of the news: "Only with the Lotus Driving Academy will you get an unbeatable experience on a challenging track in some of the best giant slaying sports cars you can drive." Nothing more to it, right?

More details can be found on the Lotus Driving Academy website, with prices and booking there too. Take it from us, the track is quite good fun...

Author
Discussion

GranCab

Original Poster:

2,902 posts

145 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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And as from 1st September 2017 they will have available an Exige Sport 375 and an Elise Sport 225 ......

Leggy

1,018 posts

221 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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We did the Evora 400 experience last year which was good fun. Glad to see they reinstated this.

Crouchydc

82 posts

116 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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I did the bronze about 18 months ago. great fun and I will be booking the next 2 levels for next year.

AshD

216 posts

248 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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I attended the very first instance of the Driver Training Day back in 1999 - was featured in The Lotus in house magazine at the time. Instructed by Alistair McQueen, Gavan Kershaw and Matt Becker - never forget the day - and got awarded for the 'Braking Challenge' with Alistair ending up feeling very sick being a passenger (believe it or not). A treasured memory.

SpudLink

5,671 posts

191 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
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I did this ('Silver') a couple of years ago, with Martin Donnely as the instructor for the day. The highlight was being given a few passenger laps at the end of the day. He’s a great character, but mad as a box of frogs.

SHIFTY

888 posts

235 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
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I still have my "Winner The Track Challenge 2000" plaque, it was a great day out.

Just done the Porsche experience day (well 2 hours) good but no where near as good as what the Lotus day was..

Nicodema

259 posts

217 months

Sunday 30th July 2017
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Ooooh. That looks like a RHD 350. Excellent! IIRC the old V6s they used were LHD