Wanting to buy a driving experience for someone as a wedding gift. Anyone got any recommendations. He's pretty experienced so don't want anything too basic. Aiming for something with decent amount of actual driving time rather than just a few laps.
One of the MSV ones to suit your budget would be my recommendation. Choose the right track and cars and you can have a really good day out with quite a bit of driving time.
I got one as a gift. I enjoyed it but a waste of cash I thought. Cost £200, was a Ferrari day out. I got 2 laps of Donington. You really want one that gives you access to a handful of cars for about half a day, and that is not going to be cheap if you're looking at £100 a lap. Which by the time you factor in the cost of the cars and renting a premium track like Donington out for half a day, it's not surprising.
Rather than a 'drive exotica' type of day you might bet more value out of something like a 4x4 offload experience or a 'learn to drive a Caterham' or something where you're getting tuition.
An alternative maybe simply go to Hertz or something and rent a car for a day or two. My brothers done this a few times. He uses Hertz alot and has built up alot of points in their reward system and burns them up every now and again and rents a Lambo or something for the weekend.
Not sure of the exact cost but to hire a Lambo for a day might cost three or four hundred quid, which is chuffing expensive, but still alot better value than driving 2 laps of a track in a Ferrari for £200.
A Jonathan palmer day. Nothing else compares. Pricey though
Don't know if they still run them but I did a sort of treasure hunt day with Bespoke a few years back. Went around Beds and Bucks in a variety of cars, swapping cars at each checkpoint. Great fun. Ours had a mix of old and new cars, E Type, early 70s Aston, 80s Ferrari, TVR, Morgan, Elise. Different to a track day, great experience.
Everyone waves when you drive an E Type, everyone thinks you are a cock in a TVR!
caterham slalom day.
I did a half day driving single seaters (Formula Ford, I think) at Silverstone some years back. Also did them a couple of times during driving days, also at Silverstone where we're drove several different cars during the day.
The single seaters always seemed to be the most popular.
I've done a couple of corporate (paid by suppliers) days at Jonathan Palmers outfit it the past, bloody brilliant. No idea of cost, but it'd been a shedload - Karts, Caterhams, 911's, single seaters etc
A Jonathan palmer day. Nothing else compares. Pricey though
I have done quite a few different days and this is true. Simpler days paid personally, Palmer a work paid trip.
Ferrari Day .. yes nice to sit behind the wheel but more laps in a Cateram is far far better imho. Even more laps in a saloon car with a coach is worth more imo than a supercar. You are not going to get a supercar anywhere near the limit or be allowed to, it will be fast and unruffled whilst making a lovely noise. Is that worth paying for ?
£200 to hire a caterham for a day
Oh no. That's done it!
Tvr in their day were great id have loved that grumble sound and power under the bonnet folk could think all they want. I did a Knockhill legend package years ago restricted revs but still lots of sideways and a spin on dry tarmac.
The fact the circuit is great helps but not sure if id want to pay for what you got too much time in the classroom not enough driving. A decent kart venue much better fun if outdoors and a few mates that can drive
Thanks all for the suggestions. Palmer events look promising so will look into that more.
He's done Caterham hire in the past and plenty of go-karting but prob not so much 'Formula' driving. That treasure hunt in classic cars sounds interesting but couldn't find anything after a quick Google.
I booked my sons through Red Letter Days - I think the site gathers loads of companies so you get a good variety to choose from. Most tell you the duration too, which is useful.
Learn to drift day in an MX5. Much more driving time and great fun. I also had a great day at Phil Price Rally School, again more learning to drive than experiencing a car for 10 minutes.
Another vote for Jonathan Palmer. Very expensive but so well run, and having someone in the passanger seat pushing you to go faster than your brain tells you is sensible is just awesome
One of the blokes in my driving team does driving experience days at Castle Combe, Thruxton, Llandow and one other circuit. He used to race himself, as well as manage racing teams in the past, and his son is a Formula Ford champion as well, so it's in the family blood.
I'll ask him for details, as it's something I'd like to have a go at myself.
I believe they use Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Audi R8, and possibly some others as well.
Rally rally rally. IMHO and I've done a few the best smiles for miles by far. Speed isn't everything, looking out the side window when you get it right is!
A Jonathan palmer day. Nothing else compares. Pricey though
My brother did one of those, sounded fantastic - not just an experience, but also quality tuition.
I did a sixth gear experience which was OK but you only got a couple of laps in each car so just as you were getting the hang of it you changed cars. If you fancy a motorbike based experience Ron Hallam race school at Donnington is brilliant.
It's Ron Haslam at Donnington. Leon's dad.
It's Donington (one N).
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On a slightly different tack, apparently the Land Rover days are good.
Did a day in formula fords, it was great, road cars on the track aren't visceral as you'd wish.
CBT.
Rachel
I worked at Oulton Park a good few years ago on track days. You were taught race craft and limited on lap times ( I controlled the flags 😈 ) to ensure you followed the correct lines and not the ones that you thought the Scooby should take. I'd be looking for something like this.
I've done a bunch including a (self funded) palmersport day. The only thing that comes close are some of the manufacturer-run days (ie Porsche experience centre - I've heard good things about merc too), but the palmersport day was simply awesome. Think I paid around £800