I did one of those driving experience days recently as a birthday gift from my sister (I'd bought her one prior to this - she actually got to drive a GT3 before me, and she's not even into cars
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Anyway I had 4 car choices, 2 laps in each, at Mallory Park circuit. As the track is only short I decided to double up on my last car and have 4 laps. There were quite a few cars to choose from, but a lot of them you had to pay to upgrade to, which I cba.
SO first up was the GTR, I figured it'd be ideal to start with just to get a feel for the circuit. There were about 50 people driving that day, and the cars were coming in and out of the 'pit' area quite frequently so I timed it as best I could to not be held up behind someone slow..
Thoughts: Quick car. Almost deceptively quick, as it feels quite large, spacious, comfortable. Acceleration was effortless, plenty of torque, gearbox was very fast and smooth. Didn't really go into the corners quick enough to get a detailed impression of the handling, but there was zero drama. Turn-in for the chicane was good, brakes were strong. Running / servicing costs aside I can see why this would make an excellent daily.
Second, Audi R8 V10 Spyder. I'm not necessarily a big Audi fan, but I wanted at least one convertible as the weather was fabulous. It was this or a yellow Ferrari California. The Cali doesn't do much for me, honestly. (Not me in the photo)...
Thoughts: Now this was fun. The ideal car really, for a track like this. The contrast against the GTR was immediately apparent - this feels much more like a 'supercar' to drive. Much lower to the floor, smaller cabin, heavier steering and controls, shorter front end. Very much like a go kart compared to your average car. In terms of speed, it's hard to place it. I didn't look at the speedo on track, I was just driving to the conditions and following the instructors comments when required. It probably 'felt' quicker due to the driving position, roof off etc. Louder, made a great sound I must say. Yeah, for an Audi, I enjoyed it, very fun around a smaller circuit, tickled the senses more than the GTR. Only criticism - the gearbox was awful. Every car on track was an auto, but the Audi 'box was sluggish and jerky compared to the instant GTR one. Flat-upshifts (which I was told to do) were rough, and downshifts were slower to respond. My only real gripe with the car, though.
Lastly, my 'realistic' dream car, if you will. A Porsche 911 (991 C2S). Saved this for last once I'd got used to the lines of the track and some people had left after already having their spots...
2 years ago, my dad drove a 996 Turbo around here; 1 year ago my sister drove a 997 GT3 around here. So this was the first 911 I've driven despite it being my dream car for a decade+
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Thoughts: I went into this with some preconceived opinions, and they pretty much came true. What a fantastic car to drive. Evidently not as fast as the previous two, but something about it felt more lively and eager.. I've been in and around these cars many times so I was familiar with the cabin etc. This example was a C2S with PDK and the lovely Sport steering wheel. While a manual would've been fun, I honestly can't fault the PDK box. It's phenomenal. This car was so much fun, I probably pushed it harder than the previous 2 cars as I was familiar with the track layout, corner speeds and gears, and we had some free space to use more of the track width. At the top of the track there's a 2nd gear hairpin and chicane, which I gave it some stick around and genuinely felt that signature 911 'arse squat' as it gripped around the corner and accelerated out towards the straight. Although more of a 'sports car' than 'supercar', this was the most fun and definitely lived up to expectations. So, a very fun day - great weather, great cars, nice girls
So, who wants to lend me £30k?
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