This was posted over in the Northern California section, but I'm sure you guys would be interested in this as well. There is a company called World Class Driving that, for $795, will let you drive an F430, Gallardo, Bentley CGT, DB9, Ford GT, and a C6 Z06. According to their website they'll be in Illinois between mid-June and July. http://www.wcdriving.com
Thanks for that heads-up. Just sent them my data. If the US tour comes through Chicago I'll book that F430!
I'm pretty sure you get to drive all the cars for a max of 40 minutes each. Still would be a fun day for those who haven't driven them or is looking to purchase a toy.
Thought about it for a few seconds maybe,then realized I would be forced to drive at 35 mph, max 55 following another sucker in front,no sudden manouvers,no revving,no fun at all. Pass....
Out of curiousity, why would you think that? I drove a GranSport up at road America and I got way past 55, and I wouldn't have thought I would've been able to.
You were on the Track ,at event organized by Maserati. This one is a private,commercial enterprise,on public roads only and they will not allow any "hard" use of their expensive cars. Also,I suspect the whole thing would have to be scripted according to their insurance provider.
Even if it were like that, I'd still do it. I've been to other events where officially you follow a slow going leader. Reality is, that these guys want to have some fun too and all of a sudden the slow going leader is picking up the pace.
Sorry, that could've been a little misleading. I was actually on the public roads around the track with a person hired by Maserati (I believe just an employee of RA) to go along with us to make sure we didn't do anything crazy . But, he let us test the limits a little bit.
Rick and I are having more fun than it should be allowed. Just drove the F430 and the Gallardo. Way cool. Pictures to follow. Also got a chance to chat with Didier Theys who used to drive the SP333 to endurance victories. He's one of the instructors here. Fun!
Today and tomorrow and they'll be back in July, I believe 25th. It is a great experience and really amazing to get a feel for these different cars. You get a total different sense and appreciation for these cars once you've tested them. Let's just say I won't bash a P car again. Ever. Weather is just fantastic, the route is good. So far my comments: - Lambo Gallardo: the most exotic - Ferrari 430: the most race inspired - Porsche Carrera: really, really liked it, which might have had a lot to do with it being no paddle shifter - Maserati something: a ladies car - Bentley: for the Grey Poupon crowd, not for me - Vette C6: loved the HUD, that's about all the positive I can think of => my dream car from this list: F430 with a stick shift One thing I never thought I'd say: Paddle shift is not for me. I love its F1 racing heritage, but gee is it klunky. And for the life of me I don't understand why they don't put the paddles on the steering wheel, but on the column: In turns you're always a hand short for the next shift.
It's kind of ironic that they feel if a driver can shift while turning he may lose control of the car. Yet there's no problem selling a high-performance street car to any Joe off the street provided the cheque clears. Just so long as he can't turn and shift at the same time!
I could only think of that as the only explanation, although it is a dumb one. We weren't racing, but I had a few turns where I needed an up or downshift in the corner, but couldn't reach the paddle. To add insult to injury I thought the Ferrari paddles were not where my fingers were trying to find them. I could only reach them with the tips of two fingers. The paddles in the other cars (Lambo, Maser, Bentley) were a lot more ergonomic. And the worst was the jerkiness of the Ferrari shifter. We were bouncing back and forth as the car was shifting up or down. It was embarassing. I didn't expect that from Ferrari. I'm sure with some training that would get better over time, but as I said: I'll stay with regular stick, thank you very much.
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