The only thing about the day that was slightly negative was the waiting. There is a lot of waiting. But I had my comfy trainers on, the sun was shining, and there where lots of supercars blasting round. Some of the "scenery" wasn't too bad either
The day was hosted at Dunsfold Aerodrome, the top gear track and also the place where I think Frankie and others did the wheelie school.. Arrival was really easy and it wasn't long before I was lined up waiting for my first car.
1 - Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. The looks are typical lambo, and just sitting in the car makes you feel special. The car I had was a special edition and was boasting about 550bhp, the sound that makes when you turn the key is insane. Blasting out on the track the car feels like a proper sports car, the acceleration is amazing and the volume from the exhaust is like a helicopter hovering over the back of the car. The only thing against the car was the front felt slightly heavy when turning in.
2 - Ferrari 360 - This was a slightly older car, but still a Ferrari through and through.. The sound was quite different and the car was easier to drive than the lambo. It was a bit of a strange feeling driving, I had expected the italian passion to show through but the car felt very precise.
3 - Nissan GTR - Very few people where heading to this queue, but it was one of the cars I was really looking forward to. I wasn't disappointed.. Jumped into the car and it was the only one to have the air con running, it was a bit of relief as it was getting a bit warm by then. Following a briefing it was back out on track. The GTR is the only car there with the dual clutch system, that makes the car dangerous. You basically plant your foot into the 550bhp bi-turbo engine and let it rip, never moving your foot from the peddle as you shift. There is no hesitation at all from the gearbox as the next cog in either direction is engaged. Apparently I managed to break 100mph on one of the short straights
4- Ariel Atom - Another car I was really looking forward to. I haven't driven a manual car for nearly 3 years now, so was a little out of practice. The other problem for me was the really close ratio 6 speed box was quite hard to master. The car it's self was insanely fast, I just couldn't get to grips with it.
5 - Audi R8 - After the harshness of the Atom the luxury and comfort of the R8 was welcomed. The first annoyance of this car was the paddle shift being mounted on the wheel, so the bloody things move and you end up hitting the windscreen wipers
This is a nice quick car thats very easy to drive, you'd be happy pootling to the shops or crusing down a motorway but after the other cars it felt a little bland.I've got a few photos on my phone which I'll try and sort out tomorrow.. I'd love to have another go at either the lambo or the gtr at some point in my life..
