Last Christmas (so before I bought the GS), someone gave me one of those supercar experience vouchers. I'd driven a Gallardo on an airfield before, but this was for 3 cars at Brands hatch. And the choice of cars was pretty tasty, so when I phoned to book my slot, I obviously bought another voucher to add 3 more cars…
Yesterday was the big day. I didn't have huge expectations – how much can you learn from 3 laps of a smooth track with a cautious instructor next to you? But actually it was quite an illuminating couple of hours. It was a bit like speed dating for supercars – you didn't experience the cars enough to justify spending the cash it would take to buy one. But there was information to be gleaned. So here were my impressions of the cars, in the order I drove them:
997 Turbo: FAAAST! But a bit boring. Very powerful, grippy, etc. but I felt removed from everything.
Ferrari 430. Oh dear. I used to be a Lambo man (or boy to be more precise – it was in my teens that my Diablo lust peaked) however more recently I've decided that Ferraris are the superior, less flashy, more precise driving tools. But I got in and I think my brain said: “the engine is derived from your car's, the ‘box is the same, you know this one.†So I just ignored the instructor and did my own thing and he got very ****** off. And I didn't really get much from the 430 – I think with a car that's light and sharp and revvy, you're going to need to push it on track for anything to happen. But I do get a nagging sense that I'm actually not a Ferrari man, which leads me onto the…
Gallardo LP-560 spider. Lambos are a bit, well… vulgar. And the Gallardo seems to be a more expensive M3 in that it frequently falls into the “wrong†hands. Anyway, I got in, put my foot down and WAAAAAAAAH! Bloody ****, what a sound. Mechanical, angry, metallic. A bit like a baby ogre screaming through a giant trumpet. So this car taught me something about myself. I'm an engine man, above all else. I also think I prefer more old-school, weighty dynamics too. I want a Gallardo spider. In a bright colour. And some gold trainers.
Nissan GTR. Three laps isn't much to form an impression. But the GTR didn't even need one. I loved it. Put your foot down and it bloody goes. It stops and corners too. In fact it has similar ingredients to the 997 Turbo – torquey, powerful engine, 4wd – but the character is completely different. You feel what's happening underneath you. It's like some bloke you've never met before, but he gives you a firm handshake, tells you a dirty joke and twenty minutes later you're doing Jägerbombs. Boisterous is how I'd describe it. It appeals to the hooligan in me. A part of me's glad I didn't buy one instead of the GS, because I'd probably be dead now. But another part of me is saying it would be a good way to go… Ridiculous value at £40k second hand.
McLaren 12C. I expected this to be the main event. But even though the instructor got confused and let me do a couple of extra laps, I didn't get close to scratching the surface. Or even scratching the surface of the surface, if that makes sense. It's actually the car I'm thinking about most the next day though – I want to try it again and get it on the road. It is ridiculously capable. It felt so stable and planted at 100mph+ on the straights and braked so easily for Paddock Hill bend. Tons of grip, everything just rock solid. It felt very heavy and yet responded like something very light. The word that keeps popping into my head is “seriousâ€. In the short time I had, it didn't excite me, but I suspect if you gradually worked up to its limits you would have a sensational experience. To be continued…
Audi R8 V10. These cars are one of my Autotrader browsing favourites. Performance similar to McLarens, 458s, Gallardos etc. but starting at £55k for the basic V10 and £70k for the Plus. Being a Maserati owner and therefore a man interested in aesthetics (i.e. a bit of a tart), the one weakness of these cars is the looks. But actually, they are like the GS in that they can look a bit stumpy in photos, but in the metal you get a better sense of how low and wide they are. Interior is boring though… Anyway, this was another not scratching the surface experience. But I had a brilliant instructor this time and strung together some great laps. A very well-balanced, capable car. It would probably inspire the confidence to push very ******* the road. Engine note not as aggressive as the Gallardo though. Perhaps with an aftermarket exhaust…
So that's 6 supercars. What about the 7th? Well, obviously I had to drive the GS home! Did it feel like an anti-climax? No! The car is beautiful. It sounds great. The interior is a nice place to be. It has plenty of pace for the road, although I suppose with something like the McLaren you could actually get into crazy speeds knowing you could jump on the brakes or lean on the huge reserves of grip to get you out of trouble. I do quite like the fact that the GS's limits are lower and that it has a kind of old-school, physical quality to it – that seems to be the type of car that suits me. I think the only thing it's lacking is low down torque but then the compensation for that is top end fireworks. Drop it down a cog or two and you can roar past any dawdlers; keep it on the boil along a twisty road and it provides a pretty frenzied experience. The brakes can be upgraded. And of course the 4.7 engine conversion is often in my thoughts…(cue MAF telling me it's a daft idea).
So in conclusion:
- LP-560s sound ******* ace
- If I make enough money I might one day get caught doing 180mph on a B road in a 12C
- GTRs are cool cars
- I love my GS
Yesterday was the big day. I didn't have huge expectations – how much can you learn from 3 laps of a smooth track with a cautious instructor next to you? But actually it was quite an illuminating couple of hours. It was a bit like speed dating for supercars – you didn't experience the cars enough to justify spending the cash it would take to buy one. But there was information to be gleaned. So here were my impressions of the cars, in the order I drove them:
997 Turbo: FAAAST! But a bit boring. Very powerful, grippy, etc. but I felt removed from everything.
Ferrari 430. Oh dear. I used to be a Lambo man (or boy to be more precise – it was in my teens that my Diablo lust peaked) however more recently I've decided that Ferraris are the superior, less flashy, more precise driving tools. But I got in and I think my brain said: “the engine is derived from your car's, the ‘box is the same, you know this one.†So I just ignored the instructor and did my own thing and he got very ****** off. And I didn't really get much from the 430 – I think with a car that's light and sharp and revvy, you're going to need to push it on track for anything to happen. But I do get a nagging sense that I'm actually not a Ferrari man, which leads me onto the…
Gallardo LP-560 spider. Lambos are a bit, well… vulgar. And the Gallardo seems to be a more expensive M3 in that it frequently falls into the “wrong†hands. Anyway, I got in, put my foot down and WAAAAAAAAH! Bloody ****, what a sound. Mechanical, angry, metallic. A bit like a baby ogre screaming through a giant trumpet. So this car taught me something about myself. I'm an engine man, above all else. I also think I prefer more old-school, weighty dynamics too. I want a Gallardo spider. In a bright colour. And some gold trainers.
Nissan GTR. Three laps isn't much to form an impression. But the GTR didn't even need one. I loved it. Put your foot down and it bloody goes. It stops and corners too. In fact it has similar ingredients to the 997 Turbo – torquey, powerful engine, 4wd – but the character is completely different. You feel what's happening underneath you. It's like some bloke you've never met before, but he gives you a firm handshake, tells you a dirty joke and twenty minutes later you're doing Jägerbombs. Boisterous is how I'd describe it. It appeals to the hooligan in me. A part of me's glad I didn't buy one instead of the GS, because I'd probably be dead now. But another part of me is saying it would be a good way to go… Ridiculous value at £40k second hand.
McLaren 12C. I expected this to be the main event. But even though the instructor got confused and let me do a couple of extra laps, I didn't get close to scratching the surface. Or even scratching the surface of the surface, if that makes sense. It's actually the car I'm thinking about most the next day though – I want to try it again and get it on the road. It is ridiculously capable. It felt so stable and planted at 100mph+ on the straights and braked so easily for Paddock Hill bend. Tons of grip, everything just rock solid. It felt very heavy and yet responded like something very light. The word that keeps popping into my head is “seriousâ€. In the short time I had, it didn't excite me, but I suspect if you gradually worked up to its limits you would have a sensational experience. To be continued…
Audi R8 V10. These cars are one of my Autotrader browsing favourites. Performance similar to McLarens, 458s, Gallardos etc. but starting at £55k for the basic V10 and £70k for the Plus. Being a Maserati owner and therefore a man interested in aesthetics (i.e. a bit of a tart), the one weakness of these cars is the looks. But actually, they are like the GS in that they can look a bit stumpy in photos, but in the metal you get a better sense of how low and wide they are. Interior is boring though… Anyway, this was another not scratching the surface experience. But I had a brilliant instructor this time and strung together some great laps. A very well-balanced, capable car. It would probably inspire the confidence to push very ******* the road. Engine note not as aggressive as the Gallardo though. Perhaps with an aftermarket exhaust…
So that's 6 supercars. What about the 7th? Well, obviously I had to drive the GS home! Did it feel like an anti-climax? No! The car is beautiful. It sounds great. The interior is a nice place to be. It has plenty of pace for the road, although I suppose with something like the McLaren you could actually get into crazy speeds knowing you could jump on the brakes or lean on the huge reserves of grip to get you out of trouble. I do quite like the fact that the GS's limits are lower and that it has a kind of old-school, physical quality to it – that seems to be the type of car that suits me. I think the only thing it's lacking is low down torque but then the compensation for that is top end fireworks. Drop it down a cog or two and you can roar past any dawdlers; keep it on the boil along a twisty road and it provides a pretty frenzied experience. The brakes can be upgraded. And of course the 4.7 engine conversion is often in my thoughts…(cue MAF telling me it's a daft idea).
So in conclusion:
- LP-560s sound ******* ace
- If I make enough money I might one day get caught doing 180mph on a B road in a 12C
- GTRs are cool cars
- I love my GS
