non boaty but what the heck, it's Christmas - advice needed, especially from Henry!

[oGaryo]

#1 son (Jamie) has organised a combined supercar and offroad driving experience at Kenilworth as my christmas present. Well chuffed

Choice of cars include:

Aston Martin DB9
Aston Martin V8
Porsche 997
Ferrari 360
Ferrari 355
Lamborghini Gallardo
Audi R8
Nissan GTR
+ offroad type stuff

decisions decisions.. please help me make one

 

[Whitelighter]

For me it would be the newest/fastest.

The Guillardo.

Both the 355 and 360 are agricultural and carp. A 430 would be a different proposition.

 

[volvopaul]

#1 son (Jamie) has organised a combined supercar and offroad driving experience at Kenilworth as my christmas present. Well chuffed

Choice of cars include:

Aston Martin DB9
Aston Martin V8
Porsche 997
Ferrari 360
Ferrari 355
Lamborghini Gallardo
Audi R8
Nissan GTR
+ offroad type stuff

decisions decisions.. please help me make one

I'd choose cars ive never had the chance to drive (yet) .

Lamborghini

Either Ferrari

Not bothered about farmyard stuff( spent too many years that side)

 

[rafiki_]

Gary, it really depends on your driving experience. If you are not a regular supercar driver, my opinion would be to give the Nissan GTR a go. It is a fantastic performance car, and relatively easy to drive fast. I had a drive a MIRA with a GTR a few months ago. Brilliant fun. Of the Astons, the Vantage is the better drive on a test track, the db9 will feel a bit stodgy.
Of the mid engined cars, the R8 is probably the best of the bunch on a test track. Fen End does not have the best track surface, so you might be driving round the potholes in the Ferrari/Lambo's

Whatever you drive, I'm sure you'll have a great day. We could always meet for a post drive pint afterwards, as you re in my neck of the woods

 

[Whopper]

#1 son (Jamie) has organised a combined supercar and offroad driving experience at Kenilworth as my christmas present. Well chuffed

Choice of cars include:

Aston Martin DB9
Aston Martin V8
Porsche 997
Ferrari 360
Ferrari 355
Lamborghini Gallardo
Audi R8
Nissan GTR
+ offroad type stuff

decisions decisions.. please help me make one

From what I've been told the GTR will blow your mind! Well worth a shot! 997 could be anything. If it was a GT3 or GT3 RS I would try that! If its a more standard Carerra probably not. Definitely not the DB9, nice but a GT car so not too special to drive.

My Choice: GTR, 360 and Galardo.

 

[crazy4557]

What you want out of a day like this is to drive a car that will give you you a pure adrenaline rush and make you think 'xxxx me this is a quick car'. Don't worry too much about the outright handling as you are less likely to get close to the limits of most of these. Go for outright power and acceleration and the best from that choice is the GTR ( a bit clinical) or maybe the Lamborghini (loads of character). All IMHO.

 

[ralf2]

You need a run in a Escort rs 2000 ,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.FIRST....pay yourself,then try the rest,come back and compare then

 

[henryf]

You aren't going to be driving on the limit so don't worry about choosing a car on the basis of performance. I would give the Nissan a miss on the basis it flatters a bad driver but is as dull as ditchwater.

The Porsche would be fun but if you're anything like me you'll already have loads of them hanging around the garage.

The 360 is quite an interesting car if you're driving a race car on a race track. Doesn't give much notice when you're in the near room to death and easy compared to a race Porsche in that Michael Schumacher's feet pop out and deal with the pedals every time you change gear.

The Lambo is a very tempting choice on the basis you'll never own one, who wants the bills and everyone thinks you're sad because when you own a Lambo there is some law that says you have to park in hotel's no parking zones, disabled spaces & so on. Look at me everyone I've got a Lamborghini but no genitals or personality.

The 355, good in it's day but time has moved on and there's better stuff on the list.

Aston Martin. If you were touring for the weekend a fun choice. Rock up at some country house hotel and convince yourself you're nobility. Oh, pass on the V8 cause they're horrid.

Audi. Did you say you were using it to go to work? No, didn't think so. Why is that on the list? Audi A3 but better looking. If they are going to let you switch the traction control off and hang the back end out then have a go because it's very well balanced but to normal for a quick experience.

Lambo because you'll never get another chance. Porsche because it is the car all others are judged by.

Henry

 

[rafiki_]

You aren't going to be driving on the limit so don't worry about choosing a car on the basis of performance. I would give the Nissan a miss on the basis it flatters a bad driver but is as dull as ditchwater.

The Porsche would be fun but if you're anything like me you'll already have loads of them hanging around the garage.

The 360 is quite an interesting car if you're driving a race car on a race track. Doesn't give much notice when you're in the near room to death and easy compared to a race Porsche in that Michael Schumacher's feet pop out and deal with the pedals every time you change gear.

The Lambo is a very tempting choice on the basis you'll never own one, who wants the bills and everyone thinks you're sad because when you own a Lambo there is some law that says you have to park in hotel's no parking zones, disabled spaces & so on. Look at me everyone I've got a Lamborghini but no genitals or personality.

The 355, good in it's day but time has moved on and there's better stuff on the list.

Aston Martin. If you were touring for the weekend a fun choice. Rock up at some country house hotel and convince yourself you're nobility. Oh, pass on the V8 cause they're horrid.

Audi. Did you say you were using it to go to work? No, didn't think so. Why is that on the list? Audi A3 but better looking. If they are going to let you switch the traction control off and hang the back end out then have a go because it's very well balanced but to normal for a quick experience.

Lambo because you'll never get another chance. Porsche because it is the car all others are judged by.

Henry

Henry, I might be wrong, but Kenilworth to me says the Prodrive Track at Fen End, used to be the Girling brakes dev centre. It is used for track days and driver training, so Gary will have to opportunity to drive at the limit. Therefore the best choice for him is one he can do this with. That is why the Nissan and R8 are reasonable choices. They are good to drive at the limit, and yes, a bit flattering. You are used to driving a Porker on the track at the limit, not everybody has that experience. If the choice were only to drive on the road,then go for something with the greatest wow factor, in which case the Lambo is the best choice IMHO.

 

[henryf]

Henry, I might be wrong, but Kenilworth to me says the Prodrive Track at Fen End, used to be the Girling brakes dev centre. It is used for track days and driver training, so Gary will have to opportunity to drive at the limit. Therefore the best choice for him is one he can do this with. That is why the Nissan and R8 are reasonable choices. They are good to drive at the limit, and yes, a bit flattering. You are used to driving a Porker on the track at the limit, not everybody has that experience. If the choice were only to drive on the road,then go for something with the greatest wow factor, in which case the Lambo is the best choice IMHO.

But they won't sling someone out and have them drive on the limit. Gary wouldn't do that anyway, he's more sense. I suspect you won't be spending 8 hours one on one perfecting lap times, it's a taster. So forget fastest man on the day, go for the experience and drive something totally different to the daily shooting brake.

Henry

 

[Firefly625]

if its use and abuse....lambo every time...

...if its going shopping to waitrose, Nissan, R8 or 911

 

[volvopaul]

You need a run in a Escort rs 2000 ,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.FIRST....pay yourself,then try the rest,come back and compare then

I can certainly vouch for that, if I still had my grp4 escort bda it would worth as much as my boat!

You can't have much more fun than in the forests going sideways!

 

[chuds]

The Aston Martin all day long, not the fastest car out there but for style and beauty it's the winner by a long way!

 

[petem]

For me it would be....

Aston Martin DB9
Ferrari 360
Lamborghini Gallardo

 

[SteveE]

Having not done one at that track difficult to say, but if it is anything like a Jonathan Palmer Race Day go for the R8 or the Nissan. Stay way from the Porsche or Lambo cars that flatter to deceive.

Have a great day out, track days are a lot of fun.

 

[petem]

Depends if you want to drive icons or great handling cars. I'd pick the former.

 

[Whopper]

Another consideration for me would be whether or not the 355 is manual. Mainly because in all likelihood I will never get the chance to drive a manual Ferrari in the true sense.

I will bow down to Henry Fs better motoring and racing knowledge than mine but I think he may be writting the 355 off. Bear In mind the 911 is likely a 997C2s. The 355 performance on paper is largely the same and I would imagine that the 355 is probably the better experience.

 

[henryf]

Another consideration for me would be whether or not the 355 is manual. Mainly because in all likelihood I will never get the chance to drive a manual Ferrari in the true sense.

I will bow down to Henry Fs better motoring and racing knowledge than mine but I think he may be writting the 355 off. Bear In mind the 911 is likely a 997C2s. The 355 performance on paper is largely the same and I would imagine that the 355 is probably the better experience.

The 355 is getting on a bit now so there will be big differences car to car. A 997 C2S, even more so a standard C2 is actually quite rewarding to drive. Being normally aspirated they encourage momentum through the corner and allow throttle steering. Lift of a bit to bring the car into the apex, accelerate to widen the arc.

As has been said already I think this is about driving the icon which makes you feel squidgy inside.

Henry

 

[oGaryo]

thanks for all the advice guys. Yep, not out to kill myself having never driven anything faster than an Alpha 156 I'll give it a good go though as I don't hang around when going from A to B but do recognise this is a whole different league. Like the analogy H, already squidgy on this outside so would be neat to feel the same on the inside

Still not sure which one to go for mind you

 

[Firefly625]

t
Still not sure which one to go for mind you

...do you know what Gary, you can have a real hoot on a closed circuit driving an old Nissan Micra.... so any on that list will give you a great day out. But take on some of the advice given and chose what turns you on and it will be a day to remember.