mark44
Active Member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2016
- Messages
- 248
- Car
- C63 Estate Edition 507
After a fantastic, but eye-wateringly expensive trackday at Siverstone in the C63 earlier this year, I briefly entertained the idea of buying a cheap track car to thrash.
As always when you start investigating these things, man-maths dictated an ever increasing budget justified by the mantra "if you are going to do it properly...", it seemed logical to get a 'proper' track-car.
One thing led to another and I found myself firmly in the Radical camp, looking at used entry level SR1's and the like. This quickly spiraled into lusting after SR3s and finally the awesome SR8!
When crunching the numbers after the initial purchase cost, I just couldn't justify the overheads of ownership.
Enter - Puremotion.
It just so happened a 25% red-letter day discount on ALL driving experiences coincided with looking at an SR3 day with them. I had a brief exchange with Helen ended up booking the same experience, albeit for a lot less money, using the red letter discount.
I have nothing but praise for the Promotion team. Thoroughly professional, very organized - ensuring everyone had a completely brilliant day.
In case you are not familiar with this type of day (as I wasn't) - its a country mile from a typical airfield 'experience' day where I have found you get scant time in not very fast cars on a non-specialized track with indifferent instructors not allowing you to push the car or yourself. This was none of that and everything you could wish for in a track day.
Lots of time in a phenomenally fast car, on the best track in the UK with a racing driver pushing you faster than you thought possible. What a rush!
Promotion supply everything you need to just turn up and drive - Full suit, helmet gloves etc, mechanical support team, well planned 'seat-time' and genuinely helpful instruction. The first time out, was a 'hot-lap' passenger ride with the racing driver, who blew my mind with the cornering and late braking capabilities of the radical. It was good because I realized the limits of the car were so much higher than my own capabilities. Don't be intimidated, it's a really easy car to drive - as long as you don't go slow!
I've included a short video clip of me on my 3rd time in the drivers seat. You get an idea of just how much faster the SR3 is than pretty much anything out there. It's the grip and braking that got me. Just awesome.
It seems expensive, but relative to the cost - and more importantly grief - of running and maintaining your own track car - let alone your daily driver - I think its actually really good value for money. If you are thinking of doing one - don't hesitate! Just do it!As far as this petrolhead is concerned I cant think of getting more automotive excitement per pound!
I'll be booking again as soon as the spring dates are released!
Side Note:
After doing the first trackday in the C63, I read an excellent book on trackdays:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Track...ce+and+trackday+techniques&tag=amazon0e9db-21
While I had a great day, I found just about EVERYTHING I did on my first day in the AMG was completely wrong! It's 100% worth reading some theory before going on the track!
As always when you start investigating these things, man-maths dictated an ever increasing budget justified by the mantra "if you are going to do it properly...", it seemed logical to get a 'proper' track-car.
One thing led to another and I found myself firmly in the Radical camp, looking at used entry level SR1's and the like. This quickly spiraled into lusting after SR3s and finally the awesome SR8!
When crunching the numbers after the initial purchase cost, I just couldn't justify the overheads of ownership.
Enter - Puremotion.
It just so happened a 25% red-letter day discount on ALL driving experiences coincided with looking at an SR3 day with them. I had a brief exchange with Helen ended up booking the same experience, albeit for a lot less money, using the red letter discount.
I have nothing but praise for the Promotion team. Thoroughly professional, very organized - ensuring everyone had a completely brilliant day.
In case you are not familiar with this type of day (as I wasn't) - its a country mile from a typical airfield 'experience' day where I have found you get scant time in not very fast cars on a non-specialized track with indifferent instructors not allowing you to push the car or yourself. This was none of that and everything you could wish for in a track day.
Lots of time in a phenomenally fast car, on the best track in the UK with a racing driver pushing you faster than you thought possible. What a rush!
Promotion supply everything you need to just turn up and drive - Full suit, helmet gloves etc, mechanical support team, well planned 'seat-time' and genuinely helpful instruction. The first time out, was a 'hot-lap' passenger ride with the racing driver, who blew my mind with the cornering and late braking capabilities of the radical. It was good because I realized the limits of the car were so much higher than my own capabilities. Don't be intimidated, it's a really easy car to drive - as long as you don't go slow!
I've included a short video clip of me on my 3rd time in the drivers seat. You get an idea of just how much faster the SR3 is than pretty much anything out there. It's the grip and braking that got me. Just awesome.
It seems expensive, but relative to the cost - and more importantly grief - of running and maintaining your own track car - let alone your daily driver - I think its actually really good value for money. If you are thinking of doing one - don't hesitate! Just do it!As far as this petrolhead is concerned I cant think of getting more automotive excitement per pound!
I'll be booking again as soon as the spring dates are released!
Side Note:
After doing the first trackday in the C63, I read an excellent book on trackdays:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Track...ce+and+trackday+techniques&tag=amazon0e9db-21
While I had a great day, I found just about EVERYTHING I did on my first day in the AMG was completely wrong! It's 100% worth reading some theory before going on the track!
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