I wanna... Supercar Experience day

Wings_of_Ambition

Hello all,

Mum's 60th coming up next month, and she mentioned once that she'd be interested in driving a supercar. Anyone know of any good value companies offering these experience days, but where she'll actually get a chance to get her hands on the wheel and get the pedal to the metal!?

Cheers

Wings

Nile

Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

I’ve moved your thread from the ‘I wanna’ board to the ‘Motoring’ board, where it is better suited.

Regards

Nile

Ebe_Scrooge

www.redletterdays.co.uk and www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk are a couple of well-known companies that do this sort of thing. There are dozens of others as well, if you search for "experience days" or similar you'll find plenty. The 2 I've mentioned are just 2 that have been established for some time, and I've used them both with no problems.

The big thing with the driving experiences is how long you get actually driving. Check the details carefully - different packages will give you very different amounts of time, anything from a few laps to a full day or half-day. Obviously the cost varies considerably as well.

whatmichaelsays

I've done a couple at Silverstone before and was happy with the amount of 'car time', although there is undoubtedly a lot of theory and waiting around with anything like this.

Found the instructors at Silverstone to be very good as well.

Hoof_Hearted

Some of these are very poor. I went on this one (read reviews):
Everyman Racing

Waste of money and they blackmail you into taking out extra insurance on the day. Whatever you book, try to read up some reviews first.

They put so many chicanes in the tracks, it's hard to get above 50. You will probably go faster getting to the track.

Netwizard

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

Some of these are very poor. I went on this one (read reviews):
Everyman Racing

Waste of money and they blackmail you into taking out extra insurance on the day. Whatever you book, try to read up some reviews first.

They put so many chicanes in the tracks, it's hard to get above 50. You will probably go faster getting to the track.

I was just about to post this. Most of them are VERY poor value, especially the cheaper ones.

There is a "track" round here that do experience "days". What people dont know is that it is an abandoned, uneven runway, with a course laid out in cones.

They restrict the revs and speed at which you can drive, and you get about 5 mins in the car for £60. A total rip off.

Silverstone and proper track days should be ok. The best one you can get is the Palmersport day. Its VERY expensive but you do get what you pay for, its amazing.

Be VERY wary of the cheap track days, they are very poor.

wba31

Netwizard wrote: »

I was just about to post this. Most of them are VERY poor value, especially the cheaper ones.

There is a "track" round here that do experience "days". What people dont know is that it is an abandoned, uneven runway, with a course laid out in cones.

They restrict the revs and speed at which you can drive, and you get about 5 mins in the car for £60. A total rip off.

Silverstone and proper track days should be ok. The best one you can get is the Palmersport day. Its VERY expensive but you do get what you pay for, its amazing.

Be VERY wary of the cheap track days, they are very poor.

not sure where "round here" is but i took my Father in Law to one near stafford, and they were clearly more interested in getting as many people, in, round the runway, and out again, as opposed to creating an experience.

The cars were parked behind a fence away from spectators, so the normal photo of the driver behind the wheel was not allowed. the "circuit" was an old runway, and my father in law got 6 laps. For the first 3 laps he was told not to push it over 70mph...

Ive heard good things about Silverstone and one near Loughborough, but after witness this, avoid anything near Stafford.

this is the place my father in law went to...

http://www.driveme.co.uk/driving-experiences-at-stafford.html

Netwizard

wba31 wrote: »

not sure where "round here" is but i took my Father in Law to one near stafford, and they were clearly more interested in getting as many people, in, round the runway, and out again, as opposed to creating an experience.

The cars were parked behind a fence away from spectators, so the normal photo of the driver behind the wheel was not allowed. the "circuit" was an old runway, and my father in law got 6 laps. For the first 3 laps he was told not to push it over 70mph...

Ive heard good things about Silverstone and one near Loughborough, but after witness this, avoid anything near Stafford.

this is the place my father in law went to...

http://www.driveme.co.uk/driving-experiences-at-stafford.html

And that is the one i'm on about strangely enough! Its about 2 miles from me. Biggest ripoff going. I've sat there some days and watched these poor people being ripped off. felt very sorry for them

RegWorts

[QUOTE=Ebe_Scrooge;65339131]www.redletterdays.co.uk and www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk are a couple of well-known companies that do this sort of thing. There are dozens of others as well, if you search for "experience days" or similar you'll find plenty. The 2 I've mentioned are just 2 that have been established for some time, and I've used them both with no problems.
.[/QUOTE]

Not strictly true as redletterdays went into administration around 10 years ago and quite a few customers lost their money and day out at the time
see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Letter_Days

It looks as though it was bought by a couple of the TV "Dragon's Den" panellists so presumably is now back on a sound footing..

I bought a "redletter" day out , racing at Donington Park for my son's 18th birthday about 20 years ago and he had a brilliant time

InsideInsurance

As others have said, be very careful with what you buy and from where as they are certainly not all equal.

A friend was bought one by his g/friend and so he drove there in his own Audi R8 v10 only to find that the only "supercar" they had there was an Audi R8 v8 plus a couple of basic Subaru and Lotus. He'd have been better off driving his own car round the track than any of theirs.

wellused

I've booked the Aston Martin experience at Silverstone it's about £100 but then they wan't to sell you insurance against damaging the car for £20 and £10 for having to cancel due to illness or missing the appointment etc. You get 30 minutes briefing and a total of 9 laps around 17.5 miles. Other cars are available.