Ferrari 360 Experience Day - Elvington, York
- Thread starter Blackhawk47
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![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
[TW]Fox;19767793 said:I dont think you'll get anywhere complaining - that is exactly what these experiences are about and its well known unfortunately. We'd have happily told you in advance
I wouldn't say so, mine was nothing like that, much more 'free' and encouraging, they weren't afraid to let you drive the cars. Some are worse than others and I would say this is one of the less decent options on the evidence of that video.
Soldato
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- 8 Dec 2002
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- North Yorkshire
I work near Elvington and they fill up round the back where I work , trust me they don't limit themselves when they are taking them back to ELvington via the back roads!
That white lamb you have in the background of your pics saw that thing getting ragged to death. Sounded immense
That white lamb you have in the background of your pics saw that thing getting ragged to death. Sounded immense
I did a couple at the Prodrive circuit in Warwickshire a couple of years ago with another company, once in a DB9 Volante and again in a Gallardo Spyder. The instructors there were a lot more liberal but were still cautious when needed. I'll see if I can upload the video of the Gallardo run, it was pretty funny in parts 
It was 50 quid, but they try and sting you for all the extras, including the damage waiver which is optional. You're not going to be testing the car enough to spin out and crash it anyway.
It was 50 quid, but they try and sting you for all the extras, including the damage waiver which is optional. You're not going to be testing the car enough to spin out and crash it anyway.
[TW]Fox;19767793 said:I dont think you'll get anywhere complaining - that is exactly what these experiences are about and its well known unfortunately. We'd have happily told you in advance
They're not all the same. Everyman Racing/Driversdreamdays were the organisers of the one I went on. As I said above - no dual controls, no rev limit, just a guy shouting power power power brake etc.
I'd definately complain if I was the OP, though you're right nothing will likely come of it. You at least have the video as ample evidence of how worthless that 'experience' was!
Youtube it and **** off the company!
I did the same on Saturday at Rockingham (was a present from my mum)
It was crap, they treat you like 17yr old drivers, don't let you drive the car properly and despite having the longest briefing ever which included 'You won't learn the racing lines in 3 laps'. I then had an 'instructor' who sat there and was hyper critical of my lines, even holding the wheel at some points to make sure I was using the whole track - Not that there was any need as I wasn't going fast enough. He wouldnt even let me adjust the wing mirrors so I had no idea what was going on behind me (he had the rear view mirror!).
I then went to get my certificate and noticed the feedback forms, I decided to do this and ended up writing 2 pages of feedback - this obviously caught there attention as I was sat there for so long. The head instructor read the feedback, understood my issue and offered me another go.
Second time was much better, got to drive the car properly and was making decent progress. Car felt great, bit rattly and interior heavily worn but it did have 85k miles on the clock. Engine sounded awesome and the brakes felt strong (if a little noisy), the gearbox was disappointing though, too slow changing gear. Anyway that session was much better - I guess once they know your previous experience they are a little more relaxed about the random person sat next to them.
In comparison
Last month I drove a C63 AMG at Mercedes World, the instructor just sat there for many laps of the small circuit without complaining, my two work colleagues had to get out as they felt sick. I ended up stopped due to brake fade.
Then the BMW driver training you just get given an M3 with another person and told to follow the lead car whilst you go straight out onto the F1 circuit.
If you are really into your cars I wouldn't bother with these half arsed days, the Jonathan Palmer day Gibbo mentioned sounds much better VFM. (£100 for 3 laps is ridiculous). I think my drive there at 7am on empty roads was as fun - although I think I got caught speeding
It was crap, they treat you like 17yr old drivers, don't let you drive the car properly and despite having the longest briefing ever which included 'You won't learn the racing lines in 3 laps'. I then had an 'instructor' who sat there and was hyper critical of my lines, even holding the wheel at some points to make sure I was using the whole track - Not that there was any need as I wasn't going fast enough. He wouldnt even let me adjust the wing mirrors so I had no idea what was going on behind me (he had the rear view mirror!).
I then went to get my certificate and noticed the feedback forms, I decided to do this and ended up writing 2 pages of feedback - this obviously caught there attention as I was sat there for so long. The head instructor read the feedback, understood my issue and offered me another go.
Second time was much better, got to drive the car properly and was making decent progress. Car felt great, bit rattly and interior heavily worn but it did have 85k miles on the clock. Engine sounded awesome and the brakes felt strong (if a little noisy), the gearbox was disappointing though, too slow changing gear. Anyway that session was much better - I guess once they know your previous experience they are a little more relaxed about the random person sat next to them.
In comparison
Last month I drove a C63 AMG at Mercedes World, the instructor just sat there for many laps of the small circuit without complaining, my two work colleagues had to get out as they felt sick. I ended up stopped due to brake fade.
Then the BMW driver training you just get given an M3 with another person and told to follow the lead car whilst you go straight out onto the F1 circuit.
If you are really into your cars I wouldn't bother with these half arsed days, the Jonathan Palmer day Gibbo mentioned sounds much better VFM. (£100 for 3 laps is ridiculous). I think my drive there at 7am on empty roads was as fun - although I think I got caught speeding
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I guess its just luck of the draw.
Though next time I might try the Focus RS they had as it looked way more fun!
It must be
I've heard first hand experiences from the complete opposite ends of the spectrum.
Theres no way of knowing till you get sat next to a nagging bint who you are going to go out with either
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You guys are going to get a good laugh out this because I was that bad.
Mate its a joke, she tells you off for ragging it then tells you to go faster when you hesitate out of the corners cause of her presence.
I would definitely drop them a line expressing your disappointment at the experience. Your video looks a hell of a lot different to the one they have advertised on their website!
Their so called “friendly” instructor may be a very good racing driver, but I don’t think she is a very good instructor at all.
Jack
Their so called “friendly” instructor may be a very good racing driver, but I don’t think she is a very good instructor at all.
Jack
Far from your biggest mistake. You now have evidence of why they should refund you.
It does seem very dependent on the instructor you get with these days. I've always been rather lucky as always been allowed to make full use of the car and they tend to just sit quiet or give pointers.
The worse for me was a VXR day, got into a Meriva and nailed it, got told to take it easy, LOL.
All the others were fine, even in the VXR8 I had full use of the gears and constantly had the loud pedal planted.
Most of them do sem to ask what car you own or previously experience and I've always mentioned the CSL, always seems to get well recieved so maybe that earns me some browny points with the instructors, LOL.
But JP day is the one, all they do is scream POWER POWER at you because its all timed and very competitive. Yes its very expensive at circa £800ish but its a FULL DAY and you get to drive:-
- Jaguar XKR's
- CUP Prepared Clio's
- 911 CUPS, pretty much a GT3
- Go-Karts
- Westfield/Caterhams
- Off-Roading course in Land Rovers
- JP2 2-Seater Radical style cars
- JP1 Single seaters with like 300ish BHP and weigh circa 500kg
90% of the day is on various parts of Bedford Autodrome, there is a salom, drifting, maneouve type course in the Westfields as well as the off-road course.
Basically the morning consist of the Jags, Clios, 911s and Westfields which you think is epic. THen the afternoon is the off-roading, 2 seaters and single seaters which absolutely blow your mind, feels like your head is getting ripped off in the corners due to the G-forces.
Soldato
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- Shakespeare’s County
I did the 360 thrill at Rockingham on Saturday.
Instructor : have you drove a car with paddles before.
Me: yeah quite a few Jaguars
Ins: great, which ones.
Me: XK-RS on Tuesday.
Ins: wow....brilliant car... How did you get in that
Me: i work there as a design engineer
Ins: Whitley? I work at Aston Martin in Gaydon.
Basically leads on to great few laps with a keen instructor happy to just offer hints to get the pace up. Its all about you and the instructor on these days, nothing to do with the car. It was that much of a sensE overload though that i dont think i got near to 8K.
Great car though, gearbox would only look fast changing compared to a Smart Roadster though!
Instructor : have you drove a car with paddles before.
Me: yeah quite a few Jaguars
Ins: great, which ones.
Me: XK-RS on Tuesday.
Ins: wow....brilliant car... How did you get in that
Me: i work there as a design engineer
Ins: Whitley? I work at Aston Martin in Gaydon.
Basically leads on to great few laps with a keen instructor happy to just offer hints to get the pace up. Its all about you and the instructor on these days, nothing to do with the car. It was that much of a sensE overload though that i dont think i got near to 8K.
Great car though, gearbox would only look fast changing compared to a Smart Roadster though!
Pulling into a garage, dismantling the gearbox and moving the cogs around by hand would look fast compared to the gear change in a Smart Roadster.
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Just works me up now I think about it. If someone wrote a killer email for me I'll fire it off and see what the response is/what becomes of it.
But right I don't think I can be bothered to waste any time and energy on it and agro.
Edit: I probably spent over £100 that day for this and that's not including the actual driving the car experience (which was £90 or so)
But right I don't think I can be bothered to waste any time and energy on it and agro.
Edit: I probably spent over £100 that day for this and that's not including the actual driving the car experience (which was £90 or so)
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- Joined
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- 11,117
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- West Yorkshire / Market Bosworth
Just watch this ****ing video with a nice Instrutor. I mean come on something isn't bloody right. Off to GD to get a Billy badass email created for me to send to head office!
We don't have the XKR's anymore. Been replaced with BMW M3 GTP's.
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