Not keen on using my car on the track

[BMWZ4MC]

Practice horses are for fannies - put your big boy pants on and take the M on track you big jessie!

[Vanne]

Yeah, I agree completely, not keen on using my car on the track

[BMWZ4MC]

Yeah, I agree completely, not keen on using my car on the track

Me too

[mr wilks]

I had a spare 20 mins at lunch away from the desk that feels like the event horizon of a black and it got me thing. I’d love to be able to really drive my car hard as only an M likes however, I would never in a million years take it on a track, I have neither the skill or funds to do it. Out of interest have any of you guys tv ought the same and considered a “cheap” 2.5 or 3.0 to thrash about and learn to drive properly in?

A decent well planned roadtrip 4/5 days will lay to rest any track desires , there are many places you can get out & really use these cars to their & your best without going 130mph on a long straight .
I was out in the Dales + Pennines recently for 3 days with 8/9 other M / 35is cars , we have done many similar drives around Northern France , all enjoy a spirited drive , none of the owners have any desire to visit a track to see what their cars can do , they already know this year we decided not to do the France trip as we all agreed the speeds over previous 4 years had reached crazy ( far better roads , zero traffic through vast forests its impossible not to push on imagine the Nurburgring being 80 - 100 miles & having it to yourself ) but talking to all after the "slower" roads of the north of England all agreed the pleasure of pushing the cars to their best can be enjoyed at 50-70mph when the terrain is more challenging .
So sack the trackday idea & get a roadtrip planned , you will see a different side to your car

[Argenta]

One single frisky acceleration on a cold engine puts more strain on it than a trackday on a warm engine, something to remember.
Otherwise its just tires & brakes, which you renew once finished.

[ph001]

Or get insurance for 85quid a day? Then your excess is all you pay for which equates to a significant chunk less than buying and preparing a 1000 mx5 or rx8!!!

errr.... have you actually seen how much the excess typically is on these policies!

I agree that practice horses are for fannies fannies though.

Thing is, I quite like fannies.

[BMWZ4MC]

When I was regularly taking my ///M on the track in the UK, £100 would buy insurance for the day (up to an agreed value for a total loss) with a £1000 excess. With those rates, I always insured my zed and never my Westfield.
Track day insurance doesn’t exist in Australia, so I cross my fingers instead!

[andyf1140]

Shameless sharing of my last trackday in the 3.0si coupe - bloody loved that thing! (ignore my mate and I shouting bobbins, we both got quite excited )

https://youtu.be/55xgJWBDTDM

Also although Goodwood is generally an expensive day out, and also sessioned so less actual time on track compared to open pit, it is very well Marshalled and generally quite quiet - you can see how little real traffic there is.... In my personal experience well worth the extra cash to build confidence for a first time out...

I have PTSD with Goodwood, helfd the record there for a while for the best barrel roll on a single venue stage rally back in early 90's

[Ed Doe]

errr.... have you actually seen how much the excess typically is on these policies!

I agree that practice horses are for fannies fannies though.

Thing is, I quite like fannies.

yes I have - as I've said, the excess is typically £750-£1k. My point being you can drive your car insured on circuit and in the extremely unlikely event that the worst happens its cost you less than you could buy a decent mx5/rx7 for - particularly once you factor in tax insurance and basic maintenance to ensure it will work well enough on track!

Either way op obviously your choice - but for me absolutely nothing beats the hit of being on track where you can really lean on the car and let it properly rip - it's utterly addictive

[TomK]

none of the owners have any desire to visit a track to see what their cars can do

Strange attitude in my eyes. Track driving I appreciate is not for everyone, but to dismiss it without trying it is a bit mad.
Like saying "well we've got beer so why would we want to try wine?" There's a time and a place for both
You really most likely won't suddenly crash or destroy your car as soon as you drive on a track, and personally I'm far more worried about getting involved in someone else's accident on most public highways

[Ed Doe]

What Tom said! I've seen far worse and more careless and dangerous driving on the roads than on circuit where everyone's at maximum concentration and there for the same reason! As I said originally as long as you pick your trackday organiser carefully to avoid oversubscribed days or days where racecars are doing testing you really will have a very relaxed and enjoyable day!

[Beedub]

I had a spare 20 mins at lunch away from the desk that feels like the event horizon of a black and it got me thing. I’d love to be able to really drive my car hard as only an M likes however, I would never in a million years take it on a track, I have neither the skill or funds to do it. Out of interest have any of you guys tv ought the same and considered a “cheap” 2.5 or 3.0 to thrash about and learn to drive properly in?

A decent well planned roadtrip 4/5 days will lay to rest any track desires , there are many places you can get out & really use these cars to their & your best without going 130mph on a long straight .
I was out in the Dales + Pennines recently for 3 days with 8/9 other M / 35is cars , we have done many similar drives around Northern France , all enjoy a spirited drive , none of the owners have any desire to visit a track to see what their cars can do , they already know this year we decided not to do the France trip as we all agreed the speeds over previous 4 years had reached crazy ( far better roads , zero traffic through vast forests its impossible not to push on imagine the Nurburgring being 80 - 100 miles & having it to yourself ) but talking to all after the "slower" roads of the north of England all agreed the pleasure of pushing the cars to their best can be enjoyed at 50-70mph when the terrain is more challenging .
So sack the trackday idea & get a roadtrip planned , you will see a different side to your car

hes right ...... this year did a mix of both and i have to say.... The above option provided some serious smile moments and probably some of the most fun ive had with my car in over a decade of ownership.....

[mmm-five]

errr.... have you actually seen how much the excess typically is on these policies!

Depends on who you insure with (e.g. road insurer with TD add-on, or TD only cover).

For mine, I can get 4 days of cover at the Nurburgring (touristenfahtren) for about £200, or about £250 with the £1500 excess covered too.

[TomK]

hes right ...... this year did a mix of both and i have to say.... The above option provided some serious smile moments and probably some of the most fun ive had with my car in over a decade of ownership.....

I think there isn't really a right or wrong, just that to not try something because you think there's no need is I'd say short sighted at best.
I love a road trip and probably enjoy let's say the journey to and from anglesey I've made a few times as much as the track day itself.
Sadly for a lot of us, those good driving conditions are just very rare to come across on most of our clogged uk roads.
Track driving is an easy legal/relatively safe way of driving a car like this to it's real potential, and if someone was to say to me that they chose and are able to push to this limit on the road then they're either a) a total c###t or b) walter rohl or some hot shoe, so fair play I guess or c:) have never driven on a track so don't really understand the difference. I'd hedge a bet on the answer to that. Either way, give us a heads up and I'll make a note not to come anywhere near, ta

[mr wilks]

hes right ...... this year did a mix of both and i have to say.... The above option provided some serious smile moments and probably some of the most fun ive had with my car in over a decade of ownership.....

I think there isn't really a right or wrong, just that to not try something because you think there's no need is I'd say short sighted at best.
I love a road trip and probably enjoy let's say the journey to and from anglesey I've made a few times as much as the track day itself.
Sadly for a lot of us, those good driving conditions are just very rare to come across on most of our clogged uk roads.
Track driving is an easy legal/relatively safe fix way of driving a car like this to it's real potential, and if you say that you chose and are able to push to this limit on the road you're either a) a total c###t or b) walter rohl or some hot shoe, so fair play to you Either way, give us a heads up and I'll make a note not to come anywhere near, ta:D

none of the owners have any desire to visit a track to see what their cars can do

Strange attitude in my eyes. Track driving I appreciate is not for everyone, but to dismiss it without trying it is a bit mad.
Like saying "well we've got beer so why would we want to try wine?" There's a time and a place for both
You really most likely won't suddenly crash or destroy your car as soon as you drive on a track, and personally I'm far more worried about getting involved in someone else's accident on most public highways

Its not that strange , just doesn't appeal to me & from the response / discussions with the others clearly doesn't appeal to 8 or 9 other owners either
I don't get the buzz of chasing the same tarmac lap after lap ( most likely shared with others who you have no idea on skill level) when i can head off for 3 - 4 hours & enjoy the different scenery & landscape .
Horses for courses i guess , it surprises me not more owners plan weekends away touring different places , chugging around the Cotswolds on a Sunday afternoon aint gonna push the boundaries