My right foot is to the floor on the accelerator in the canary yellow Lamborghini LP560 I'm driving. The trees around the Longcross alpine track go whizzing past. "Now close your eyes," my instructor, sitting to my left, tells me. I laugh nervously. "Seriously, close your eyes," he says again. It's a spur-of-the-moment reaction, so with total trust in the expert beside me, I do as I'm told, as the supercar bounds over the hill in the road, flipping my stomach.
We both burst out laughing. I'm at the 2.2-mile track, which is just outside London, in the leafy suburbs, driving with the UK's largest supercar driving experience company 6th Gear Experience. There are plenty of cars from which to choose. On offer is a range of Aston Martins, Audis R8s, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches, including the 997 Turbo and 911.
Thrill-seekers can also experience the rush of their life, with a passenger ride in a Radical SR3 Supersport race car driven by an expert instructor. The vehicle is capable of reaching speeds of almost 170mph, and boasts 300BHP. My three laps in the purring Lamborghini LP560 are coming to a close. The car is incredibly responsive, reacting to the slightest touch on the accelerator. It drives smoothly, but sharp around the corners. I feel as though I'm just getting to grips with how to handle it when my time's up.
But not for long. Next, I'm taking out a cherry-red Ferrari. As before, when I get into the car, my instructor gives me a briefing about how the vehicle handles, how to change gears using the paddle control, and when to brake. He tells me not to worry about looking in my mirrors; he’ll do all of that. I just need to drive. I don't need telling twice. We whiz around the track, and I'm much more confident, remembering what twists and turns to expect and when.
I control the vehicle around chicanes, learning how to control the braking without losing too much speed. "How fast am I going?" I ask my instructor, not wanting to look down and take my eyes off the track. "We're going more than 100mph," he replies, matter-of-fact. Far too soon, my three laps are over. It's been thrilling, and I'm up for more adrenaline-fuelled fun, so I opt to have one more lap of the track with an expert driver.
I get into the passenger seat of a blue Focus RS 300 HP next to British Touring Car Championship racing driver, Tom Onslow-Cole, and then we're off. I don't say anything for the first minute; my heart is in my mouth as we hurtle towards the chicanes I'd earlier slowed down for. Skidding and sliding slightly, Onslow-Cole expertly nudges the vehicle through gaps not much wider than the car. It feels as though he doesn't take his foot off the gas for the entire ride.
It’s impressive stuff, his skill shines through as he showing how it should be done. For supercar driving days with 6th Gear Experience, visit 6thgearamerica.com and BuyaGift.co.uk.
