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Performance Car Driving
(London)
In
Brief "When
it comes to cars, it takes a lot to beat Vision Motorsport"
Review
Vision
Motorsport is well equipped to offer the very best adventure
experiences and their performance car and Ferrari days are no
exception. We
arrived at Upper Heyford Airfield and followed the signs directing us
towards the performance cars. The airfield is an excellent
venue for
the event, the sheer size of it is staggering. As we wound our way
around the perimeter road we passed a TV crew filming a popular TV
series about cars. After more than a mile, we finally glimpsed
the cars we'd be driving... a Ferrari 348 and 355, a Lotus Elise, Audi RS4,
Subaru Impreza WRX, Porsche 996 and Dax Rush. A small queue of drivers
had spectators had already begun to form at the entrance to the
event. After a short time we were collected by a steward and
directed to a large mobile office where we signed in. The
event began with a 20 minute presentation, which introduced the
content of the day. We were also given tips for handling the
vehicles and how to get the most out of them. The drivers were
then split into groups of five and led to the first experience,
which in our case was the Lotus Elise. Our instructor
explained how the car behaved and what to expect and then it was
time to jump in and take the controls. The
Elise was the smallest of the cars, however it was significantly
less heavy and therefore delivered a good power to weight ratio. The
first drivers of each group headed out of the pit lane and onto the
runway and began the fast acceleration along the straight. The
Elise was extremely fast, achieving 0-60 in just over 5
seconds. The ride was very hard and could be likened to a
go-kart. The assigned portion of the run way was long enough
to entertain a top speed of over 100 MPH, before reducing speed and
circling the cones at the far end. Despite comprising of only
two long straights and two corners, the circuit is plenty large
enough to fully appreciate the driving experience. Having
driven and watched each of the other four drivers, it was on to the
second experience. In this instance a surprise session in an
old Astra, to master the art of J-turns and hand-brake-turns.
This was great fun, especially the J-turns, which involved reversing
at speed from a standing position, then turning the wheel rapidly so
the car span 180 degrees to face the opposite direction. The
next session was in the Ferrari 355, which is every bit as enjoyable
as you'd imagine. The biggest surprise was the gated gearbox,
which required very precise movement of the gear stick to avoid
skipping gears. The Ferrari was bright red, with a leather
interior and felt like a rich mans car, rather than a racing
car. 0-60 was dealt with in under 5 seconds and a top speed of
well over 100 mph was easily achievable. Strangely it felt
more appropriate to drive the Ferrari leisurely and savour the
experience, rather than thrash it. The
fourth car was Porsche, which won the prize for engineering
hands-down. The gear changes were notable faster and the car delivered
the best racing feel. Among
the other cars we drove that day included the Audi RS4, which is
worth a special mention, simply because of its incredible
acceleration and wonderful exhaust note. The day was ended
with a individual drive in a Dax Rush - a similar car to the
Caterham 7. All
in all, this experience was to the standard of other events organised by
Vision Motorsport. The staff are friendly and facilities
excellent. Your money goes a long way with Vision Motorsport
and they recognise the need to deliver every aspect of a lifetime
experience. Highly recommended. Booking
information
Please visit www.visionmotorsport.co.uk
or call 08707504100 for more information, including costs and booking information.
The cost varies depending on the vehicle and duration chosen. |
