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Drivers of expensive cars : what do they do for a living ? ! ?


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I said track the car, I didn't say race it.

 

I can't say that I've ever spun off the ring road, hit 110 legally on a straight on the ring road, missed the breaking point for a corner and gone straight over the s bend, or had a racing instructor coach me for three laps...

 

I didn't find it boring at all, in case you were missing the point. Absolutely nothing like driving on the road.

 

So the other cars were they faster or slower than an Elise? What will an Elise do flat out?

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So the other cars were they faster or slower than an Elise? What will an Elise do flat out?
Redundant question, in the context of a track day. It's what it will still do in the corners :D

 

But from first hand experience (racing a Dutch-plated one on a Belgian motorway some years back...oooh-aaah Justin :twisted::hihi:), around 130 mph with a small aerodynamics handicap (small trunk on a rear luggage rack). And yes, being a Dutch car, it was metallic orange - I kid you not :D

 

Bigger lungs, but shorter legs, than the 1.8 MX-5: the guy would drop in 4th at 90 (after the 5 series or E class stuck in the overtaking shoulder would finally shift over; 2-lane motorway), I just didn't dare, so he'd open 200 to 300 yards up...then I'd catch him, and eventually pass him (end of speedo on MX-5 is 140, was touching that, so probably 130-odd real).

Edited by L00b
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Redundant question, in the context of a track day. It's what it will still do in the corners :D

 

But from first hand experience (racing a Dutch-plated one on a Belgian motorway some years back...oooh-aaah Justin :twisted::hihi:), around 130 mph with a small aerodynamics handicap (small trunk on a rear luggage rack). And yes, being a Dutch car, it was metallic orange - I kid you not :D

 

Bigger lungs, but shorter legs, than the 1.8 MX-5: the guy would drop in 4th at 90 (after the 5 series or E class stuck in the overtaking shoulder would finally shift over; 2-lane motorway), I just didn't dare, so he'd open 200 to 300 yards up...then I'd catch him, and eventually pass him (end of speedo on MX-5 is 140, was touching that, so probably 130-odd real).

 

Technically my car is faster than an MX5, faster acceleration and faster top speed, but I get owned on most track days by them. A lot might well be down to my lack of skill mind you! :hihi:

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So, service and 2 tyres has cost £750, and despite my grand claims about reliability, the rear coil springs need replacing :-( Bad design, they rust at the bottom, they were only replaced 4 years ago which was only 20k miles.

 

---------- Post added 17-12-2015 at 15:59 ----------

 

So the other cars were they faster or slower than an Elise? What will an Elise do flat out?

 

They had a racing exige on the track. It was like a little rocket. Would suddenly appear in the rear view, touch the indicator to acknowledge you'd seen it, and bam, it was gone again.

Some slower ones as well, mx-5's. I even managed to overtake another Elise by the end of the session after the coaching from the race driver.

No idea what the top speed is, there wasn't a long enough straight to top out.

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I said track the car, I didn't say race it.

 

I can't say that I've ever spun off the ring road, hit 110 legally on a straight on the ring road, missed the breaking point for a corner and gone straight over the s bend, or had a racing instructor coach me for three laps...

 

I didn't find it boring at all, in case you were missing the point. Absolutely nothing like driving on the road.

 

You've got to be careful and choose the right track day though. Avoiding off-peak, cheap deals where no racing and overtaking rules are ignored by the newbies. Most track day organisers make you sign a waiver which state that you are liable for damage to your own car (regardless of fault). Track day insurance is also expensive depending on the value of your car.

 

Wouldn't want to risk it in mine.

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Technically my car is faster than an MX5, faster acceleration and faster top speed, but I get owned on most track days by them. A lot might well be down to my lack of skill mind you! :hihi:

 

Ooh don't tell Justin Smith that, he'll put it down to fact you have two 'X' chromosomes.

 

What car is it sgtkate? The MX-5's could have had some mods (supercharger, weight reduction etc.)

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You've got to be careful and choose the right track day though. Avoiding off-peak, cheap deals where no racing and overtaking rules are ignored by the newbies. Most track day organisers make you sign a waiver which state that you are liable for damage to your own car (regardless of fault). Track day insurance is also expensive depending on the value of your car.

 

Wouldn't want to risk it in mine.

 

THe one I went to was arranged by the lotus owners club. Most of them had done it many times, I was probably the one newbie there.

And I got driven round (terrifyingly) by the owner for a few laps, before we started to take it in turns, giving the car a few mins to cool down each time after about 5 laps.

 

They'd said I was welcome to track my car with them (Z4M), but I didn't get the insurance sorted in time.

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THe one I went to was arranged by the lotus owners club. Most of them had done it many times, I was probably the one newbie there.

And I got driven round (terrifyingly) by the owner for a few laps, before we started to take it in turns, giving the car a few mins to cool down each time after about 5 laps.

 

They'd said I was welcome to track my car with them (Z4M), but I didn't get the insurance sorted in time.

 

Lovely car Cyclone, great chassis and that engine is a peach.

 

I have an M135i, wouldn't track it due to the reasons listed. A guy on the owner's forum was on a track day recently when an car overtook in a braking zone, on a none over-taking track day, in the wet, and crashed into and wrote off this guy's 328i track car. Broken ribs and all.

 

I wouldn't risk the Z4M due to the other idiots, whose actions are outside of your control. :o

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