Mallory Park track time.
#2
05-11-2017, 02:11 AM
The morning after.....
We arrived at Mallory with an excellent weather forecast of 17 DegC but it turned out far better than that, the car showed 22 degrees. A slight breeze and perfect track conditions. However I was a bit let down by the way the track was set up with chicanes using bollards to keep the speeds down. It looked more like a Sunday afternoon drive out in a Rover than a car and track experience. We both like to get a move on, my gf and I.
After signing in we looked at the special offers of the day. There was all sorts of cars, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Audi R8's, Bentley GT's, McLarens, Ariel Atom's etc
However having already paid £35 for all of the chosen cars insurance excess I was not going to pay that again to add another car for 1 or 2 laps.
We chose to have two laps of circuit familiarisation so she wouldn't lose time learning in her supercar laps. This was in a Skoda saloon/sedan.
So first car was the F-type S.
Yes you heard me right it was not the R. Ok I didn't want to make a fuss because using other models is in the agreement conditions.
It was a bright red convertible.
After 3 laps she came back to where I was sitting infield watching the cars on the track.
"That's sorted then, I want that one!!" She said.
She really did like that a lot in fact the F type was the topic of conversation for the rest of the day.
Her comparison to the AM was that it did not even have par with the Jaguar. It just didn't tick any boxes. She said the difference is considerable and the F type despite its lower power felt far more responsive and felt the pick up was instant and the AM didn't. In fairness to the AM the car was well used.
After signing in we looked at the special offers of the day. There was all sorts of cars, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Audi R8's, Bentley GT's, McLarens, Ariel Atom's etc
However having already paid £35 for all of the chosen cars insurance excess I was not going to pay that again to add another car for 1 or 2 laps.
We chose to have two laps of circuit familiarisation so she wouldn't lose time learning in her supercar laps. This was in a Skoda saloon/sedan.
So first car was the F-type S.
Yes you heard me right it was not the R. Ok I didn't want to make a fuss because using other models is in the agreement conditions.
It was a bright red convertible.
After 3 laps she came back to where I was sitting infield watching the cars on the track.
"That's sorted then, I want that one!!" She said.
She really did like that a lot in fact the F type was the topic of conversation for the rest of the day.
Her comparison to the AM was that it did not even have par with the Jaguar. It just didn't tick any boxes. She said the difference is considerable and the F type despite its lower power felt far more responsive and felt the pick up was instant and the AM didn't. In fairness to the AM the car was well used.
Last edited by Busa; 05-11-2017 at 06:34 AM.
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Mulmur (05-11-2017)
#3
05-11-2017, 07:19 AM
I ran out of time earlier to finish the post.
My gf's view of the F-type was that the interior finish was superb, everything looked right and she loved the quality black leather and dash materials.
She explained at length how the gear change was operated and how good the paddle shifts were. The car is very comfortable although not on par with the comfort of our S type. But she said she could happily drive that car all day. The other pro drivers had expressed similar opinions about the interior and comfort. Most of all she was surprised by the instant pick up on the throttle ! The car was very responsive to every slight change of control and track conditions. She did know the type S has lower power output than the AM V8 but she said it was only slightly noticeable.
Her opinion and apparently also in the opinion of some of the other pro drivers was they preferred the Jaguar becasue of its comfort and that it would perform extremely well as a daily car while not many of the rest on their fleet would.
So that was a nice surprise how much she loved the F-type.
But my gf was/still is a wild child and this is why I love her:
During the briefing session that all drivers must have before going out the track, a member of staff said they could upgrade anyone's fast car demo laps in the big VXR V8 sedan to 2 laps as a passenger in the Ariel Atom.
I didn't know about this until she reappeared grinning from ear to ear.
Then she told me about the Ariel Atom which she had changed her fast laps for this. Got to love her, she has her own mind and loves to play with petrol machines. If anyone doesn't know about the Ariel Atom then where have you been?
It doesn't have bodywork, or doors, or a windscreen of any worth or luxuries like that.
Its an out and out track car and she chose it.
I mean these cars are insanely fast on the track !!
They had 3 in use for most of he day and when they pulled in all I could smell was cooked brakes. They were hanging it !!!
So although like me she got bust to hell in a bad bike smash on her Duke 916 years ago, it didn't crush her spirit.
When her turn came she was stood at the front and she is 5 foot tall on a good day. She climbed in over the huge trellis side frame of the Atom and buckled herself in with 5 point harness because you need em. She had to wear a crash helmet too which is fine she's used to it.
But as soon as the pro driver got in and fired it up, he put in gear with the conventional gearshift level and he nailed it !!!! He did not hold back and she had two laps both of which he lapped the entire field.
I know speed well and he gave it the full on pedal to the metal.
I could see the car most of the way round in the infield but I could hear its loud screaming engine. The gearbox was screaming too !
She said that when she expected him to be braking for the chicanes he was actually accelerating and slamming it through sideways.
Eventually she climbed out of the car and she was breathless and staggering and laughing.
She was high as a kite with adrenalin (Its a biker thing too).
There is fast and fast. He was very fast.
The engine was a 2 litre Honda V6.
We had a fantastic day and it was great to see Mallory again becasue we have been regulars there for years and becasue it came so close to being closed down by the local nimby's. Pretty cool to be on the track instead of spectating.
Our last days driving together was at the UK's Millbrook proving ground when we spent the whole day in new XKR's and XK8s doing some crazy things on the speed oval, the alpine circuit, the high speed circuit and the skid pan and classic Jaguars. She can drive ! OK.
Next !
Hope you enjoy.
The consensus is the F-Type is best.
My gf's view of the F-type was that the interior finish was superb, everything looked right and she loved the quality black leather and dash materials.
She explained at length how the gear change was operated and how good the paddle shifts were. The car is very comfortable although not on par with the comfort of our S type. But she said she could happily drive that car all day. The other pro drivers had expressed similar opinions about the interior and comfort. Most of all she was surprised by the instant pick up on the throttle ! The car was very responsive to every slight change of control and track conditions. She did know the type S has lower power output than the AM V8 but she said it was only slightly noticeable.
Her opinion and apparently also in the opinion of some of the other pro drivers was they preferred the Jaguar becasue of its comfort and that it would perform extremely well as a daily car while not many of the rest on their fleet would.
So that was a nice surprise how much she loved the F-type.
But my gf was/still is a wild child and this is why I love her:
During the briefing session that all drivers must have before going out the track, a member of staff said they could upgrade anyone's fast car demo laps in the big VXR V8 sedan to 2 laps as a passenger in the Ariel Atom.
I didn't know about this until she reappeared grinning from ear to ear.
Then she told me about the Ariel Atom which she had changed her fast laps for this. Got to love her, she has her own mind and loves to play with petrol machines. If anyone doesn't know about the Ariel Atom then where have you been?
It doesn't have bodywork, or doors, or a windscreen of any worth or luxuries like that.
Its an out and out track car and she chose it.I mean these cars are insanely fast on the track !!
They had 3 in use for most of he day and when they pulled in all I could smell was cooked brakes. They were hanging it !!!
So although like me she got bust to hell in a bad bike smash on her Duke 916 years ago, it didn't crush her spirit.
When her turn came she was stood at the front and she is 5 foot tall on a good day. She climbed in over the huge trellis side frame of the Atom and buckled herself in with 5 point harness because you need em. She had to wear a crash helmet too which is fine she's used to it.
But as soon as the pro driver got in and fired it up, he put in gear with the conventional gearshift level and he nailed it !!!! He did not hold back and she had two laps both of which he lapped the entire field.
I know speed well and he gave it the full on pedal to the metal.
I could see the car most of the way round in the infield but I could hear its loud screaming engine. The gearbox was screaming too !
She said that when she expected him to be braking for the chicanes he was actually accelerating and slamming it through sideways.
Eventually she climbed out of the car and she was breathless and staggering and laughing.
She was high as a kite with adrenalin (Its a biker thing too).
There is fast and fast. He was very fast.
The engine was a 2 litre Honda V6.
We had a fantastic day and it was great to see Mallory again becasue we have been regulars there for years and becasue it came so close to being closed down by the local nimby's. Pretty cool to be on the track instead of spectating.
Our last days driving together was at the UK's Millbrook proving ground when we spent the whole day in new XKR's and XK8s doing some crazy things on the speed oval, the alpine circuit, the high speed circuit and the skid pan and classic Jaguars. She can drive ! OK.
Next !
Hope you enjoy.
The consensus is the F-Type is best.
#5
05-11-2017, 09:01 AM
Veteran Member
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Busa (05-12-2017)
