This is me on Tuesday morning, having just enjoyed a fabulous session (thanks, Phil) of screaming, bonkers, foot-to-the-floor mayhem driving the awesome new Lotus Exige S around the test track (actually, it was more like hanging on for dear life while whooping ecstatically).
The Exige S is a 350BHP supercharged racing monster that weighs less than I do and is more fun to drive round a racetrack than anything I have done in fifty-four years. Yes, ANYTHING.
First up, we got a safety and track talk from our racing driver and instructor, John (and coffee and bickies). Then, one at a time, we headed out on to the race track with John in the passenger seat (I got to go first, yay) and he taught us the lines, the apex of each corner, the braking points and where to floor the pedal and rip your face off with the acceleration.
"Brake, Brake, Brake! Down into second. Stay to the left … Now hard right. Over the kerb and FULL THROTTLE!"
Yee and a hefty dollop of Haw!
The car is simply beyond amazing. Come off the top hairpin in second and floor it through the esses and the thing just keeps on accelerating like a maniac until at last John tells you to change up to third at over seven thousand revs (and what feels like seven thousand miles per hour). Woohoo! The supercharger means the torque is there at all speeds, with no annoying lag like you get with a turbo. The upshot being that you floor the pedal and scream with joy as the thing instantly leaps into hyperspace … and keeps on accelerating at an unbelievable rate! It is a seriously nutjob experience.
I have no idea how fast I was going each lap at the end of the long straight because taking my eyes off the rapidly approaching braking point to look at the speedo would have been suicidal.
Suffice to say it was faster than I've ever been in a car, by a long, long way.
And then I did it again. And again.
So … that's the rest of my life ruined. I now know I've wasted fifty four years not racing cars and I now know I must spend the rest of my life doing it again and again and again.
Fucking awesome!
11 comments:
So glad you both enjoyed yourselves,and also thanks for not telling me which day it was going to be until you had both got back! ha ha
Just a commonsense precaution.
So ... this is the reason you've been bellyaching about getting some reasonable spring weather - you've been anticipating your mad hatter drive in a Lotus! Yay! That sounds like so much wonderful, exhilarating FUN! I am so glad you enjoyed it and Phil is a great finder of Christmas presents to have made it possible.
I'm so glad you got to do this, David. How fun! But how scary!! Plus, how thin you are!
Yup, you guessed right, Speedway. No good going racing in the snow.
And yes, little brothers have their uses. Yay, Phil.
I thought it would be scary, too, Robyn, but WOOHOO! Not a bit of it. A car like that on the racetrack makes you feel totally safe and in control, no matter what mayhem you try.
And yes, I'm now having to save up for a complete new set of clothes as my old stuff is too baggy and my trousers fall down like a clown without a tight belt.
Fun, wasn't it?
John told me you gave it "the beans".
Hell, yes!
Not sure about beans, but stomping the pedal flat to the floor and keeping it there while your head explodes with pleasure is somewhat addictive.
Well, now. I know about screaming with pleasure, but did you laugh at the end, also with pleasure?
Absolutely.
Sounds like an over-the-top, awesome ride! Worth every second! Can see your grin, even at a distance....
Over the top and awesome it certainly was, Ms.M. Addictive, too. Now I can't wait to do it again.
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