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Before driving, the group of 25 people attending got coaching from a team of 4 professional driver instructors. After that we all got one drive around the course in each model. In two of the cars one of the driver instructors (these are professional race car drivers) go along in the passenger seat to coach you. This is in the Audi (because it is unique and a bit of a handful) and in the 528isport (because they want you to get more out of that car's capabilities). This has given me a taste for taking more driver training once I do get my new ride.
The course is designed to compare the cars in stressful situations, not to see how fast you can go, so they are fussy about the speeds, but it was fast enough to get my adrenaline going (I got a disciplinary talking-to after I got carried away and tried to blast the Lexus through the torque-test corner, oops). They are trying to be as fair as possible, so all the cars have exactly the same tires mounted (Pirelli P6000, which none of them come with as standard equipmen) and they ask you to not compare to the Sport equipped 528 because that wasn't comparable to the others and was just there for 'demonstration' purposes.
The skidpad was especially cool as it is designed to show off a car's traction and stability control systems. It is a small slalom course on a special plastic mat about 100 feet long that they sprinkle water onto. It might as well have been sheer ice, that's how slippery it is. So with the BMW, the best way through the course was to put your foot all the way to the floor and just steer!! I couldn't believe it, that actually works (don't try this without DSC)! In the skidpad, I completely spun out in the lexus, the volvo was pretty good (the only front wheel drive), the E320 was same as the 528, and the Audi was a complete write off (I spun that one too). That Audi has no traction or stability control at all, just the Quattro drive. It launches well on the slick stuff, but once you are going sideways you are toast.
The rest of the course was twisties and braking. Guess which car I liked the best (hint: which bulletin board is this?). But I gotta admit, the E320 felt pretty solid too. The lexus had a great interior, but felt soft in the twisties. The volvo was a complete waste of time for a variety of reasons, and the Jag was quite pleasant (lighter feel than the others), but not quite as good as my favorite. The worst thing about the jag was just that the front window pillar was right in my face, or so it seems.
If you get a chance to go to an event like this, it is well worth it (it's free, after all!). The organization is excellent, they pay for the tire rubber, and you get a free key fob when you leave. The only negative I could offer is that it all goes by so fast that you suffer from information overload. Good fun though.
harvey2
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