My better half was kind enough to setup a day for me to have a go in a few supercars yesterday.
Having driven a lot of different types of cars, but nothing in the really big league, have to say that I was rather excited.
Overall, an "interesting" day, but I'll explain why shortly.
Here's the lineup:
Not F40 league, but all the same definitely not the usual stuff you can try in a dealership. Thumbs up so far.
So, we get our briefing along with a comment of "go drive them hard". Looking promising, at least until we get to the track.
The "track" is actually a runway from a disused airfield. So there are two straights, each with a chicane part way through and a hairpin bend at the end. Hardly Brands Hatch. I drove Brands on a VXR event, ace place.
I started off in the Ferrari. Frankly I've no real idea how it really goes, only got it into 4th before the hairpin, and through the hairpins, we were "instructed" to use third. Third translated to around 2000rpm, at which point it feels like an Evo400 off boost, i.e. bugger all happens.
What also surprised me were the brake boards, which we so far back that I didn't realise they were really for us, at least until the first instructor told me.
So, onto the Lambo, and here's where it went really wrong.
The instructor puts a question to me of "what do you think so far". So I asked a question about the brake boards and ask whether he wants me to take them seriously as the first instructor had stated that they were setup for "a wide variety of driving skills". Clearly he didn't like that and in a really condesending tone gives me the line of "go drive how you like, lets see." One lap in and he stops me on track with a statement of "I've never seen such a bunch of mistakes from a driver". Post this, he takes me round once more and kicks me out of the car. So don't ask me a lot about the Lambo, can't tell you that much about it. It did feel that it had a lot more to give, but then they'd also added a rev limiter at 5500rpm, nice.
The the organiser promptly gives me some stick too.
One of the things he had a moan about was me running in too deep at the hairpins. For my own interest, I checked this out post the Lambo. Easy answer once I'd done so. They'd put blue "turn in" cones next to the track, which I'd actually been using, assuming they were correct. I watched some of their "pro" drivers who were giving hot laps in a few cars. Absolutely none of them turned in at the cones, they were all a good few metres before that. Sure enough, tried turning in earlier in the next cars and things were fine.
So basically, I was running in too deep because I was doing what I'd been told to do. I mentioned it to him post my last drive, and he still tried to defend their positioning, stating that it was because of the drivetrain layouts of the cars being different.
Post our chat, he decides that maybe he'll let me out in the Aston, though still threatens to kick me out.
Have to say, that the Aston was great:
The next instructor were cool. Intriguing how I got comments like "excellent lines and use of power". Maybe the Lambo instructor was having a PMT day.
The Aston really did sound ace, and whilst it didn't have the brakes or the outright grunt of the Lambo, I personally found it more involving.
Last up was the 911. Bit underwhelming on the inside when compared, and frankly not that well from what I could see. Was hard to find second, and the brakes were definitely on the way to being cooked by the end of my few laps. As 911s are renowned for having ace brakes, I think their car needs servicing.
So overall the cars were well worth the effort, apart from the rev limited Lambo and the naffed out brakes on the 911. I would happily recommend anyone drives these cars.
Unfortunately I simply can't recommend DriveMe. The track simply wasn't one, the cars weren't as well turned out as they should be, and some of their staff clearly have something to learn about customer service.
BTW, if Driveme do read this forum, I have photos of your drivers ignoring your "recommended" cones.
Having driven a lot of different types of cars, but nothing in the really big league, have to say that I was rather excited.
Overall, an "interesting" day, but I'll explain why shortly.
Here's the lineup:
Not F40 league, but all the same definitely not the usual stuff you can try in a dealership. Thumbs up so far.
So, we get our briefing along with a comment of "go drive them hard". Looking promising, at least until we get to the track.
The "track" is actually a runway from a disused airfield. So there are two straights, each with a chicane part way through and a hairpin bend at the end. Hardly Brands Hatch. I drove Brands on a VXR event, ace place.
I started off in the Ferrari. Frankly I've no real idea how it really goes, only got it into 4th before the hairpin, and through the hairpins, we were "instructed" to use third. Third translated to around 2000rpm, at which point it feels like an Evo400 off boost, i.e. bugger all happens.
What also surprised me were the brake boards, which we so far back that I didn't realise they were really for us, at least until the first instructor told me.
So, onto the Lambo, and here's where it went really wrong.
The instructor puts a question to me of "what do you think so far". So I asked a question about the brake boards and ask whether he wants me to take them seriously as the first instructor had stated that they were setup for "a wide variety of driving skills". Clearly he didn't like that and in a really condesending tone gives me the line of "go drive how you like, lets see." One lap in and he stops me on track with a statement of "I've never seen such a bunch of mistakes from a driver". Post this, he takes me round once more and kicks me out of the car. So don't ask me a lot about the Lambo, can't tell you that much about it. It did feel that it had a lot more to give, but then they'd also added a rev limiter at 5500rpm, nice.
The the organiser promptly gives me some stick too.
One of the things he had a moan about was me running in too deep at the hairpins. For my own interest, I checked this out post the Lambo. Easy answer once I'd done so. They'd put blue "turn in" cones next to the track, which I'd actually been using, assuming they were correct. I watched some of their "pro" drivers who were giving hot laps in a few cars. Absolutely none of them turned in at the cones, they were all a good few metres before that. Sure enough, tried turning in earlier in the next cars and things were fine.
So basically, I was running in too deep because I was doing what I'd been told to do. I mentioned it to him post my last drive, and he still tried to defend their positioning, stating that it was because of the drivetrain layouts of the cars being different.
Post our chat, he decides that maybe he'll let me out in the Aston, though still threatens to kick me out.
Have to say, that the Aston was great:
The next instructor were cool. Intriguing how I got comments like "excellent lines and use of power". Maybe the Lambo instructor was having a PMT day.
The Aston really did sound ace, and whilst it didn't have the brakes or the outright grunt of the Lambo, I personally found it more involving.
Last up was the 911. Bit underwhelming on the inside when compared, and frankly not that well from what I could see. Was hard to find second, and the brakes were definitely on the way to being cooked by the end of my few laps. As 911s are renowned for having ace brakes, I think their car needs servicing.
So overall the cars were well worth the effort, apart from the rev limited Lambo and the naffed out brakes on the 911. I would happily recommend anyone drives these cars.
Unfortunately I simply can't recommend DriveMe. The track simply wasn't one, the cars weren't as well turned out as they should be, and some of their staff clearly have something to learn about customer service.
BTW, if Driveme do read this forum, I have photos of your drivers ignoring your "recommended" cones.
Last edited:
