Note: For the videos below, you need the latest version of QuickTime.
Ok, so if you buy an RX-8 in the UK, you get a free trackday type thing. I went on mine not long ago, and it’s awesome. You do 5 things:
Road driving. Sounds boring, but was amazing - you go out for a couple of hours with an advanced driving instructor. Mine was also a traffic cop! You get taught all sorts of cool stuff, like how to balance the car properly though corners, how to negotiate roundabouts, etc, smoothly and quickly. Amazing stuff.
Track driving. A different instructor then takes you round a high-speed race track, teaching you racing lines, etc.
ABS. Simple exercises showing you how ABS works, emergency stopping from 80+ mph, etc.
Adverse handling. Imagine the twistiest, bumpiest road you can imagine. Then imagine tearing around it as fast as you possibly can. Absolutely the most fun I’ve ever had in a car:
First video is of me driving, taken from the back seat. You can hear my instructor telling me what to do, etc. Sorry that it’s shaky - the course was very, very bumpy.
Video here. (15.9Mb - Right click + download)
Second video is an in-car lap of my instructor driving, taken from the passenger seat:
Video here. (17.2Mb - Right click + download)
Third is a shot from the outside of me driving around on it. Doesn’t seem that fast watching this!
Video here. (11.4Mb - Right click + download)
- Finally, skid pan! Whoo! First with DSC on, then off. Span it out several times.
Video here. (12.5Mb - Right click + download)
An awesome day indeed.