Amazing Adventures (Driving day thingy)

Maccy

Maccy

Maccy

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Got one of these for my 18th and had forgotten about it until now. It expires at the beginning of June so need to hurry up and book it.

However - I can't decide between two of the four options. All four options are -

  • Ferrari Experience
  • Racing Car Driving
  • Rally Driving
  • Off Road Drive

I think I've narrowed it down to the Ferrari experience and racing car driving. With the Ferrari experience I get -

How will you compare the Porsche 996, Subaru and Lotus Elise to the legendary Ferrari?
The adventure takes place at a former airfield - the perfect place to drive these Supercars. After a welcome on arrival, you will be split into groups which rotate around the following thrilling activities:
-Drive the Porsche 996 - release the power of this stunning looking Porsche with the GT3 body kit and a 3.6 litre engine.
- Experience the Subaru Impreza WRX. How about finding out what it is like to drive in a Subaru Impreza WRX rally car?
- Excel in the Lotus Elise, where size isn't everything! The Elise may be small, but with its lightweight construction it is big on performance.- Finally the Ferrari 355. Hold on tight as this mid-mounted 3.5 litre V8 engine will power the brave from 0-60mph in just 4.6 seconds, the prancing horse on the bonnet says it all, as you drive on the world's most famous Supercars.
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OR

From the moment you climb into a single-seater racing car, you are in for some unbelievable excitement. The starter waves his flag, you pump the accelerator, the engine roars and you're off. In a matter of seconds you're taking the corners and barrelling along!
The programme typically involves a welcome on arrival, followed by a briefing. Then it's time to take to the wheel for laps in a performance saloon, where your instructor will demonstrate circuit driving techniques, such as taking the correct line on a corner. Next you take the wheel yourself to practice what you have been taught. Then the real actions begins: you take a single seater racing car such as a Formula First, Formula Renault or Formula Ford around the racing circuit. With potential acceleration of 0-60 in less than 6 seconds, these cars are perfectly placed to introduce you to the thrills of racing.
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From the descriptions - they both sound great so I'm undecided which to do. It's important to note that the Ferrari experience lasts 2 hours with roughly 20 minutes driving time, whereas the Racing Car driving is 1-4 hours in total depending on the circuit and weather.

Perhaps a mod could make this a poll of the two?

Cheers for input :)
 
If the racing car one is on a real circuit, then definately that one! Driving on a track > driving on an airfield
 
You mentioned you got it for 18th bday. Are you sure you can take part in them as i've seen some for 21+ only. :( Hope its not your case.

I'd take the racing car driving.
 
I did a driving "experience" day recently which included a Lambo, 911, 360 and Vantage. Great cars, but that's when the good things stopped.
The track was 1/2 mile of an airfield using cones to create to shortish straights with low speed corners at each end. The organisers were frankly lousy. You were limited to which gears they wanted you to use (and a Ferrari at low revs really does have bugger all go), there were braking and turn in cones set at the wrong points and somehow one of their instructors thought I was "the worst driver he'd ever seen", whilst two others thought that I was very good, make what you want of that. Lastly, the 911 clearly had seen better days and the brakes were cooked on it by the time I drove it. If it's the same place near Stafford, avoid.

My personal opinion is go on a track using a real racing car. IMO road cars just aren't that great on a track, that's why they're called road cars. Go use something suitable and do it on a real race track.
 
bayo000 said:
You mentioned you got it for 18th bday. Are you sure you can take part in them as i've seen some for 21+ only. :( Hope its not your case.

I'd take the racing car driving.
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All are over 18, except the Ferrari which is 19 which licence held for 2 years, passed test on 29th March 2006 :)

Mr_Sukebe said:
If it's the same place near Stafford, avoid.
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The locations for Ferrari Experience are Oxfordshire, Elvington and Great Tew

For the Racing car driving there's loads - Donington, Angleysey, Knckhill, Pembrey, Thruxton, Everyman and Three Sisters. Then there's two others in Northamptonshire and one in West Sussex and one in Wiltshire.
 
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Do the race car one tbh. Ive never heard any thing good about the Ferrari one.
 
I'd take the racing car driving tbh, always wanted to go on one of those.
I got an offroad experience at knockhill a few years back, was a good laugh, quite impressive the terrain you could cross and the hills you could climb.
 
Maccy said:
All are over 18, except the Ferrari which is 19 which licence held for 2 years, passed test on 29th March 2006 :)



The locations for Ferrari Experience are Oxfordshire, Elvington and Great Tew

For the Racing car driving there's loads - Donington, Angleysey, Knckhill, Pembrey, Thruxton, Everyman and Three Sisters. Then there's two others in Northamptonshire and one in West Sussex and one in Wiltshire.
Click to expand...

Drivers Dream Days?

That's who I went through. The Ferrari I drove was a 98 model and wasn't in good condition. Hence why I prefered the brand new Evo.

If you are going through them then they aren't very good.
 
i did drivers dream days, the ferrari was haggerd, i was allowed to give it beans though.

dont take out extra insurance, its a trap!
 
Do the race car one.

'Ferrari Experience' kind of explains itself. You could spend all day as a passenger in a Ferrari and they've still fulfilled the experience bit.
 
These WH Smiths things are pretty basic I have been told (not done one myself) and are usually short and heavily controlled. I think 20 minutes driving time is pretty rubbish really, as most of this will be in the cheaper cars which are often (though not always) tired and past their best. Having said that you are getting it at no cost to you so can't really complain! :D

I think the single seaters will be even worse as they will be rev restricted, in other words slow, and will be around some cones and a few tyres more likey than not. Out of the 2 options I would go with the Ferrari Experience, but I think the rally driving might actually be the most fun. I did Phil Price Rally School with some friends a year or so back and though more expensive than these sort of things was fantastic fun, with LOADS of driving time in all sorts of cars from MK2 Escorts, Cosworths and WRX Group A cars. Rallying is great fun and I would choose that one if I were in your position as you might get more car time.

Have fun!
 
I did a red letter days "Single Seater" about 5 years ago and all I can say is that it was GREAT! The time you get in the cars is usually pretty pants as other comments have suggested but even so, the experience was so worth it. I was driving the Brands Hatch Indy circuit with 6 laps in an Audi TT with the instructor (I was 18 driving a 0.95 Litre Citreon AX, it felt fast at the time :P) which was followed up by 2 laps passenger ride as the instructor showed what the TT was capable of. Intense would be a very well chosen word there. I then followed that up with 10 laps in a Formula Audi single seater. They put a rev limiter on it to stop people going crazy but it still felt amazing. Consider the single seater "my recommendation"!

On another note I'm hoping it won't be long before I can give a true comparison, as my boss at work has told me that I will be going on a Super Car driving day at Rockingham some time soon. He wasn't sure the details, but needless to say I'm not fussy. Not a bad perk!
 
Single Seater i enjoyed the one i did at knockhill no one was in the car to nanny you , you just rag it.
 
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