Post by Martin on Aug 14, 2023 9:17:52 GMT
My eldest bought me a 'Head to Head' driving experience for my (big) Birthday last year and we went on Sunday. The package included 2 x laps in an M2 competition with an instructor driving, followed by 5 laps in an F430 and 5 laps in a current Vantage.
It was really well organised, always get a buzz driving into the centre of the circuit and it was based from the Silverstone Wing with a decent cafe, seating areas and access out onto the balcony above the pits. There weren't any restriction on the number of guests you could take plus they were allowed down into the pit garages / pit lane while your session was on. They use the International Circuit, so you get the Hamilton and Hanger straights plus Stowe and through Club corner, so some decent corners.
Two laps as a passenger in the M2. The first was very steady, with time take to really explain the lines and phases of each corner, the second was much quicker and focussed on (hard) braking. Always a bit difficult from the passenger seat and perhaps even more so when its being driven by a professional, but the M2 felt really nicely balanced and quicker than I expected.
First drive was in the F430. With it being a 10-15 year old car, I went into it thinking it was going to tick the 'driven a Ferrari on track' box but was looking forward to driving the Vantage more. The driving position wasn't ideal, but the main challenge was the thin throttle pedal and the space between it and the brake pedal, I had to roll my right foot over slightly and use my toes. The gearbox is pretty terrible, really slow and jerky changing up (although better changing down), but the steering/turn in/balance/braking all exceeded my expectations. After the first couple of corners, the instructor really started pushing me, which was great and every lap felt much quicker, he almost had to grab the wheel to make me go into the pits at the end of the last lap! I've got a set of photos on the same corner and you can see how much better it was each time. I passed another F430 at the end of my first lap, to the delight of my kids, then a Vantage on my 4th lap entering the Hanger straight.
Break for about 15mins, then into the Vantage. No issues with the pedal spacing, but the headroom was really tight, with the seat as low and far back as it would go my helmet was touching the roof. The instructor (can't remember his name, but fairly young and has raced in British GT/Porsche Supercup) gave a good insight into the differences between the two cars, then we were off. The gearbox was a huge improvement and you really noticed the extra torque but right from the start it felt a lot heavier with softer suspension. He pushed even harder than the first instructor and wanted me to use every last bit of each kerb, I felt my lines were better but I didn't enjoy it as much as the Ferrari. The biggest difference was under braking where it didn't feel as settled, there was much more dive and it really squirmed around. There was noticeable roll through the corners and you could feel it raise up at the front under power. I'm sure it would be a great car on the road and in isolation it was quick, but I was surprised at the difference.
The only criticism I have, but i do understand why they do it, it there was a soft limiter on both cars. It was set at 7,000 rpm in the Ferrari which has an 8,500rpm red line and only 5,000rpm in the Vantage, which has a 7,000rpm max. It hardly made them slow and I was up to an indicated 140mph on the Hanger straight, but it did feel like I was missing out a little.
Overall, it was a great experience!
A couple of pictures.....
You can see how soft the suspension is in this picture
It was really well organised, always get a buzz driving into the centre of the circuit and it was based from the Silverstone Wing with a decent cafe, seating areas and access out onto the balcony above the pits. There weren't any restriction on the number of guests you could take plus they were allowed down into the pit garages / pit lane while your session was on. They use the International Circuit, so you get the Hamilton and Hanger straights plus Stowe and through Club corner, so some decent corners.
Two laps as a passenger in the M2. The first was very steady, with time take to really explain the lines and phases of each corner, the second was much quicker and focussed on (hard) braking. Always a bit difficult from the passenger seat and perhaps even more so when its being driven by a professional, but the M2 felt really nicely balanced and quicker than I expected.
First drive was in the F430. With it being a 10-15 year old car, I went into it thinking it was going to tick the 'driven a Ferrari on track' box but was looking forward to driving the Vantage more. The driving position wasn't ideal, but the main challenge was the thin throttle pedal and the space between it and the brake pedal, I had to roll my right foot over slightly and use my toes. The gearbox is pretty terrible, really slow and jerky changing up (although better changing down), but the steering/turn in/balance/braking all exceeded my expectations. After the first couple of corners, the instructor really started pushing me, which was great and every lap felt much quicker, he almost had to grab the wheel to make me go into the pits at the end of the last lap! I've got a set of photos on the same corner and you can see how much better it was each time. I passed another F430 at the end of my first lap, to the delight of my kids, then a Vantage on my 4th lap entering the Hanger straight.
Break for about 15mins, then into the Vantage. No issues with the pedal spacing, but the headroom was really tight, with the seat as low and far back as it would go my helmet was touching the roof. The instructor (can't remember his name, but fairly young and has raced in British GT/Porsche Supercup) gave a good insight into the differences between the two cars, then we were off. The gearbox was a huge improvement and you really noticed the extra torque but right from the start it felt a lot heavier with softer suspension. He pushed even harder than the first instructor and wanted me to use every last bit of each kerb, I felt my lines were better but I didn't enjoy it as much as the Ferrari. The biggest difference was under braking where it didn't feel as settled, there was much more dive and it really squirmed around. There was noticeable roll through the corners and you could feel it raise up at the front under power. I'm sure it would be a great car on the road and in isolation it was quick, but I was surprised at the difference.
The only criticism I have, but i do understand why they do it, it there was a soft limiter on both cars. It was set at 7,000 rpm in the Ferrari which has an 8,500rpm red line and only 5,000rpm in the Vantage, which has a 7,000rpm max. It hardly made them slow and I was up to an indicated 140mph on the Hanger straight, but it did feel like I was missing out a little.
Overall, it was a great experience!
A couple of pictures.....
You can see how soft the suspension is in this picture
Weird way to drive a car in my book, but then I'm usually a bit too cautious. 