When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Unfortunately, not my day to drive! I bought my mate Simon back in January a driving day for his 30th birthday. This was 4 laps in both an Audi R8 and a Lamborghini Gallardo at Prestwold Hall, Leceistershire. He booked it for the end of May hoping the weather would have a chance of been at least dry! The day before we went it pissed it down all day but yesterday actually turned out to be really nice which made the whole day more enjoyable. I went down with him to spectate and take some pics.
They allocate you a time when you book your day and we had to be there at 11.00a for an allocated time of 11.30. Basically you get a 20 min track briefing (which i didnt sit in for) and then he got 3 sighting laps in an Alpina D3 in which oen of the instructors takes 3 people out, at a pretty steady rate, and explains the corners and braking points etc.
After that, you basically get in a queue for either car and wait your turn. Simon was waiting to join the R8 queue when the green Gallardo came free so he jumped in that first. We'd already noticed that out of the 3 Gallardos on offer, the lime green one was an 08 model and was noticably louder than the others up the straight. I asked but couldn't find out why!
I took a few snaps and some video footage of his Gallardo drive and Simon also bought the DVD for this drive. This is a dash mounted camera and face cam inset into the main pic. When he returned from his 4 laps of the approx 3 mile circuit, he was suitably impressed! He said the acceleration was awesome. He drives an Alpina B3 and said it was just phenominal! It certainly sounded it coming out the chicaine and heading up the straight. Only downside was it was just getting into how the car and track felt when his 4 laps were up and the instructor was constantly telling his about braking, turning in and getting back on the power. He also said it was quite hard to hear him with the helmet on.
After a short break he jumped in a Silver R8. He gave it some revs at standstill before setting off and what a noise! Not quite as nice sound down the straight but from outside it looked like it was coming through the chicaine carrying more speed. When he came back in, he was grinning even more! Simon said that the instructor let him drive it quicker than the Lambo and said he was allowed through corners faster. He also said the R8 was nicer to drive than the Lambo if a little slower. The Lambos pedals are very offset and he thought the R8 was a better driving position.
Since the sun was shining and i was feeling very jealous of him, i booked 2 passenger laps in the Radical SR3. All i can say is.. rapid! Cornering speed is awesome, we took some of the corner flat out (when the other cars were slowing!) and the guy driving ingnored all the BRAKE markers! He was a racing driver though so he seemed to know what he was doing! It cost
My brother and I treated Dad to a "Supercar Experience" with them a few years ago and ended up booking ourselves on it too. We got 4 laps each in a Viper, Noble M12, Diablo, Jag XKR and Exige.
Their track at Prestwold Hall is pretty good, and the instructors were a lot better than some other places in that they didn't try to limit the revs or force you to brake well before corners to limit speeds.
The Viper was actually a lot better than I thought it would be - I had assumed it would be fast along the straights but a bit of a whale around the corners. In the event, it handled pretty well.
The Diablo was touted as the big attraction of the day but, for all three of me, my brother and my dad, the highlight by quite some way was actually the Noble. Probably because it was rather more accessible and much easier to drive quickly over the 4 laps rather than the Diablo, which struck me as the kind of car you would need to work hard at getting to know before you could drive it quickly and competently.
05-30-2008, 03:23 AM
Everyman Driving Experience...
He said the acceleration was awesome. He drives an Alpina B3 and said it was just phenominal! It certainly sounded it coming out the chicaine and heading up the straight. Only downside was it was just getting into how the car and track felt when his 4 laps were up and the instructor was constantly telling his about braking, turning in and getting back on the power. He also said it was quite hard to hear him with the helmet on. 
Simon said that the instructor let him drive it quicker than the Lambo and said he was allowed through corners faster. He also said the R8 was nicer to drive than the Lambo if a little slower. The Lambos pedals are very offset and he thought the R8 was a better driving position. 
He was a racing driver though so he seemed to know what he was doing! It cost
