Vroom

[kevin_standlee]

Ganked from danjite: Fascinating first-person account of learning to drive a Formula One race car.

Pity this experience isn't available as something you can buy, but the cars are too valuable to be able to set a reasonable price on it. Not that I would want to risk it, but possibly we could've clubed together to buy it for debgeisler.

Comments

0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds!

[dinogrl.livejournal.com]

Well, there is always the Ariel Atom. They have race days located throughout the US. If you pay them enough money, they'll let you drive one. They call it the "Ariel Atom Experience". I call it too rich for my pocketbook. But I can dream!
It's a supercharged civic, but don't be fooled.
I think that is as close to formula as you can get. I have been drooling for one since it came to the US, and they will have a race day in Buttonwillow soon.
Here is a Jeremy Clarkston piece on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWoo82zNUA
Here is their website, and yes you can sign up for email updates. Sigh. Whimper.
http://www.arielatom.com/?gclid=CM7e-6fXw40CFR1LYQodWXy1Hg

[nojay.livejournal.com]

Why would Deb want to drive something as slow and clumsy as an F1 car when she's got that estate car of hers? Foolish boy.

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

I'd love to try an F1 car but there's no way I could fit in the cockpit (most F1 drivers are quite small when you see them in real life) ... but they do have a couple of two-seater F1-style cars that they drive people around in (driver in front, passenger immediately behind) which are pretty darn close (but you don't get to play with the buttons, the brake balance etc.)

An engine lasts for up to two races and costs between 100,000 and a million pounds to build (never mind the design costs) and contains several thousand pieces (can't remember if they said 3,000 or 6,000 last weekend when they were talking about it) the tyres last for about 20 laps (so under 100 miles) and cost LOADS ... so to have a proper track day outing in an F1 car would cost ... er ... nope, can't even guess!

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Thank you -- both for the link and the kind thought. :-) I did an F1 sim once...and decided I'd be much better off in street cars that can be convinced to go 150 mph than in a race car.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Oh, the estate car will do 150...with a load of groceries (more, if I chip it). But even my torque-monster can't compare with an F1 car. And the *sound*!