Exotic Car Hire

Just to add a comment here, I recently was in the UK and had the opportunity to do a Formula 1 driving experience... It’s run by this place:

http://www.racing-school.co.uk/index.asp

I did the full blooded F1 experience and it included drives in (in increasing order of fun – with one exception)

-          Mini Cooper S. Bunch of laps – mainly just to have the instructor sit with you and show you the braking points etc
-          Aston Martin Vantage – Actually a pile of s*&t. Really didn’t like it... Wallowy, quiet, soft brakes. Not a lot of fun. Very uninvolving – probably a very good tourer.
-          Ferrari 360 – This was awesome. Total ball of fun. Sharp, quick, sounded fantastic.

Then assuming you haven’t been a muppet you get to get into the single seaters.

-          Formula Ford. 1600cc single seater with no wings. It’s much faster than the F360 with much better brakes. I had driven these a few times before so I just had a nice long play learning how far I could push things before the back decided it got too light.

-          Formula 3 – First car with wings I had drive. Unfortunately by this stage it was raining and even worse, the F3 was incredibly cramped. My knees were pressed together and the seat was digging into my hips. I had to wait for 10 minutes strapped in, in the rain, with an umbrella over me before I got out on track. I nearly bailed as I was feeling sick and claustrophobic. Once I got on track though it was all good... It was quicker than the FF, but since I was now driving in the wet, I couldn’t push as hard, plus it understeered really badly so I never got much confidence. This ultimately wasn’t a lot of fun and I would have traded it for more laps in the FF.

Finally, after a long break, it was my turn in the F1. A 1996 Forti Corse – so not the quickest, even in it’s day, but still 600+HP and about 500kg. This was awesome. The cockpit was spacious, so no pinching or claustrophobia. The first couple of laps I took it very gently, just marvelling at the engine noise and acceleration on the straights. I then pushed on a little and managed to get it sideways in front of all the instructors... Through as much luck as good management I brought it back straight and kept increasing speed and commitment. After 5 laps or so I was at 100% throttle out of the corners, even on the wet track, but the acceleration is nothing like as impressive as the braking.

I braked later into every corner, every lap. Three laps from the end, I deliberately started over-riding my instincts and braked well past what I was sure (and had been told) were the safe braking points... I still pulled up way too early for turn in. For the last couple of laps I kept going deeper and it kept pulling up, in the wet, with no drama or lockups. By the last lap I was so late braking into each corner that part of me was sure I was going to throw it at the scenery and miss the turn in. However every time it pulled up early. Even at the end, I never found the braking limits and this was in a very average F1 car, in the wet.

What’s the point of this?

If it’s a bucket list, and you want to drive an awesome / stupidly expensive car... Consider doing something like I did. You get to drive some cars you’ve never driven before and will probably never be able to afford, and you get to experience speed and braking simply beyond anything available in NZ.

It wasn’t cheap. All up the experience cost me about $3000, but this was all inclusive of insurance (didn’t include flights though!) and the organisation was fantastic.

I don’t regret a single cent of it.

Oh, a few minutes after my F1 drive, the weather closed in ... Torrential hail and thunder/lightning... I got very lucky with the timing. This photo is of the guy straight after me. He only got one lap before being called back in. (and had to go back the next day)

http://www.nzsnaps.com/Motorsport/Formula-1-Experience/12942997_xGrrV#948592990_6CBSN

Cheers - N

Funnycunny

Mighty Ape

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