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Not keen on using my car on the track
- Thread starter Simon 3.2M
- Start date
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!
Track day insurance doesn’t exist in Australia, so I cross my fingers instead!
Ed Doe said: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
ph001 said:
:lol: 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 8)
Strange attitude in my eyes. Track driving I appreciate is not for everyone, but to dismiss it without trying it is a bit mad.mr wilks said:
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
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!
mr wilks said:Simon 3.2M said:
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 knowthis year we decided not to do the France trip as we all agreed the speeds over previous 4 years had reached crazy
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.....
Beedub said:
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 [youtube]wytkErBGEuE[/youtube]
TomK said:Beedub said:
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
[youtube]wytkErBGEuE[/youtube]
TomK said:Strange attitude in my eyes. Track driving I appreciate is not for everyone, but to dismiss it without trying it is a bit mad.mr wilks said:
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
I quite agree with you, but my original point I think stands, I don't understand why someone with a "high performance" car wouldn't want to at least just try it on a track. Hey-ho.mr wilks said: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
I'm going to get planning a road trip anyhow, you've piqued my interest again
Ferry to santander an onwards seems like a good one I've been mulling for a while.TomK said:I quite agree with you, but my original point I think stands, I don't understand why someone with a "high performance" car wouldn't want to at least just try it on a track. Hey-ho.mr wilks said: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
I'm going to get planning a road trip anyhow, you've piqued my interest again
Ive been taking fast cars to Normandy almost 20years & i think its those drives that allowed me to " cut loose " & explore each ones capabilities & not crave a track environment to exploit them
I would deliberately choose the ferry that docked at 4am on a Tuesday in June to explore the 330d , 996 , Scirocco R , 645ci , V6 TTs ,ZMs , 35is etc on some of the best autoroutes knowing the plod didn't surface until at least 7am
id like to think i was a safe driver & wouldn't risk myself injuring others but unless you have driven there its hard to convey the surfaces , long distance vision of the roads , lack of other road users & until recently the total lack of any speed enforcement .
This change in police policy the last 18 months along with a sense that when we were out as a group we were pushing things a little too hard & after discussion with the others that's why we haven't gone over this year , if we were a group of reckless idiots i doubt we would have stopped going until there was a incident :?
mr wilks said: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
So sack the trackday idea & get a roadtrip planned , you will see a different side to your car
I have to agree with all of the above. Its a thoroughly good way to learn your car and spend some time with like minded people.
However...
Scenery ? I dont remember much Scenery. I was concentrating far too hard on the car in front and the road to notice any scenery :rofl:mr wilks said:
Many good points raised in the various posts and I now enjoy the track as a safe environment to drive quickly without breaking the law. I also enjoy spirited safe driving on road trips here in NZ.for different reasons.Number5 said:mr wilks said: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
So sack the trackday idea & get a roadtrip planned , you will see a different side to your car
I have to agree with all of the above. Its a thoroughly good way to learn your car and spend some time with like minded people.
However...
Scenery ? I dont remember much Scenery. I was concentrating far too hard on the car in front and the road to notice any scenery :rofl:mr wilks said:
My Introduction to the track was through car clubs. and “driver training” programmes using either ex police advanced driving instructor’s, race series drivers and / or factory test drivers accredited by BMW or Porsche in my case.
The point was to provide a safe environment to understand the dynamics of car control, what can go wrong, how to control your car when it does and the best way to try and get out of trouble using braking tests, slaloms, car positioning and how your specific vehicle will behave under emergency circumstances. Understeer, oversteer, correct driving position etc. All these lessons gave me a great understanding of coping with the unexpected when driving on the road.
I went on to more serious track stuff, still have my national Motorsport licence and enjoy going to the track to blow out the cobwebs of myself and the car, we both feel better for it. Equally, I enjoy the monthly day out over the twisties with like minded enthusiasts.
Either way it’s all fun but the grounding of the track programmes made road driving more enjoyable and safer for me. Room for both.
For clarity I absolutely agree that a road trip is a fantastic experience in the car. Bit imo it's not comparing apples with apples - a trackday is a totally different experience to a road trip.
The point I, and a few others had made is its a wonderful experience to take the car on track and explore the limits of performance in relative safety, and to me at least it seems a shame not to have at least tried it having bought a sports car in the first place. You will have a great experience doing a road trip in the car but if you're driving the same way as you would on a track I refer you to Tom's post, and would add you're clearly therefore not enjoying the
drive for the scenery at that point!
I love a good road trip but if we can drag it back on topic - I still maintain that on a cost basis alone buying a cheap second car as a track car doesn't financially stack up, and seems a massive shame to be buying a slower/different car to the M, to then drive it in a scenario (on track) in which really the M would excel and provide so much enjoyment.
Heyho, I feel I've said my piece, Simon best of luck with your further musings on the subject, if you ever wanted to feel what an M is like on track my you're always welcome to passenger in mine on a track day! Genuinely if you do fancy it drop me a pm and I'll let you know when I get some days booked for next year.
The point I, and a few others had made is its a wonderful experience to take the car on track and explore the limits of performance in relative safety, and to me at least it seems a shame not to have at least tried it having bought a sports car in the first place. You will have a great experience doing a road trip in the car but if you're driving the same way as you would on a track I refer you to Tom's post, and would add you're clearly therefore not enjoying the
drive for the scenery at that point!
I love a good road trip but if we can drag it back on topic - I still maintain that on a cost basis alone buying a cheap second car as a track car doesn't financially stack up, and seems a massive shame to be buying a slower/different car to the M, to then drive it in a scenario (on track) in which really the M would excel and provide so much enjoyment.
Heyho, I feel I've said my piece, Simon best of luck with your further musings on the subject, if you ever wanted to feel what an M is like on track my you're always welcome to passenger in mine on a track day! Genuinely if you do fancy it drop me a pm and I'll let you know when I get some days booked for next year.
Haggisman said:
Indeed i totally get why folks love tracking their cars & ive never expressed any questions why that should be .
I'm in Lancs , lots of great roads around me but id guess the closest track would be at least 3 hrs ?
Soon turns into a big day out or big weekend & at the end of it would i have enjoyed it more than a trek across the North Yorks moors & a nice hotel in Whitby with Mrs W ? Doubt it
Its not that i wouldn't be totally blown away on a track with a decent car , i would most likely be hooked but then a whole new motoring void opens up before me & i'l be honest , i don't have the time or inclination
i have zero desire to buy a Mx5 or similar toy of any guise just to see how it went round a track ( i once had a Miata import for a month or so ) & taking my 997 or a 981 on a trackday to "enjoy what it can do " is just not going to happen , 3 days in the Cairngorms over Glenshee then yes my hands up in the air TomK said:
For the reasons above , if there was a track half hour up the road ive no doubt long ago id have pooled resources with my lad & been there every opportunity ragging around a modified Mk5Gti Golf
Its like the "ring" , so many see it as motoring mecca yet the St Sever forest in Normandy is bigger , nobody there & ive driven it so many times at max that i don't need to see if a track would be faster or slower :? ive already reached the point on so many drives when i get home & the garage door goes down until its next outing i'm 100% satisfied .
Three Sisters circuit is in lancs
Anglesey is less than 2hours away and nestled in some of the greatest driving roads in the UK.
Donington is just over 2h away.
Mallory is about 2h away.
My point still stands - all very interesting that you prefer road trips but not relevant to the OPs question regarding whether to buy a cheap track car or take the M on track
Anglesey is less than 2hours away and nestled in some of the greatest driving roads in the UK.
Donington is just over 2h away.
Mallory is about 2h away.
My point still stands - all very interesting that you prefer road trips but not relevant to the OPs question regarding whether to buy a cheap track car or take the M on track