I guess I will be driving a 458 Italia in a few weeks

[Atty]

My girlfriend got me the exotic driving experience for christmas. She got my a gift card with enough for the R8 V10 package because a friend of mine had done the same and I told her I really wanted to do it.

I was sitting here scheduling it and realized that the R8 isn't available after this month, apparently they are taking it on tour. First world problems?

So I decided I would pay an extra $170 and drive a 458 Italia.

As it stands now I will be driving 8 laps around their 1 mile track (http://www.exoticdriving.com/uploads/track/image/1.png) on February 3rd. The package is only for 6 but her annual pass gets us a free 2 lap upgrade.

I'm super excited, I hope they let me drive the red one and not the black one they have . Anyone ever done this before? Hopefully they let me record myself driving, though I suppose since its disney I have to pay handsomely for that.

 

[jagec]

They'll sell you the footage. It's expensive, but probably worth it.
Your GF can record from the spectator area, but don't expect Top Gear quality camera angles.

 

[Skurge]

Lucky guy,

The closest to exotics we have here is the one 997 Turbo S and the 458 Italia Spyder in the entire country.

 

[brainhulk]

Practice your Scandinavian Flick and your coutersteering reaction time and feel.

That should make for some epic pics

 

[Atty]

I'm sure I'll be able to get very relevant practice in my GTI. Somehow I don't think a FWD car with 260hp and 0-60 in just under 6 seconds with match a RWD mid engined V8 car with 560hp and 0-100 in just over 6 seconds.

I do need to figure out how to use launch control in the Ferrari.

 

[RichUK]

I drove a 458 last year. See my thread re: my 458 driving experience: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2264500

Awesome car.

 

[Atty]

Just a quick update as I drove the car earlier today.

There is nothing like being told to floor a Ferrari 458 on an oval track (track was half oval, half infield course). At 80mph on the exit of the ovals harsher corner to 135, then you hit the braking zone and you mash the brake pedal and 125 feet later you are at 45mph for a tight right hand turn. The sound, the overrun, THE FEELING! It took hours for the feeling to subside. I got right into my GTI and it felt clumsy and slow.

The company provided me with an in car video of myself driving and one from the nose of the car as well. It also gives me all my real time telemetry and my lap break down. Going over it later. Truly an amazing experience.

 

[SyndromeOCZ]

May I ask how much it costed for an adventure like this? Thanks

 

[Atty]

Girlfriend got it for me as a christmas gift. Six laps cost $419+ tax. I paid my $36 waiver though. I got a two lap upgrade for free though as she is a Disney annual pass holder.

E: Originally she got me $250 for the R8 V10. That car was on tour so we paid the difference for the 458.

It was incredibly well done. Professional photographs taken and interior video and exterior video with full track telemetry provided. A print out is given to you afterwords with all your times and relevant information. They give you 30 minutes of driving technique and your first lap is instructional. The instructor gives you a hint when to shift and throttle and you have markers for braking zones and full throttle areas. You can drive however you want though, some people slow, and some people much faster. I did what they considered a good time of 1:04. Anything around a minute is considered very good apparently.

 

[angminas]

Is there any place in the states that does this with an F355? That's the car I really want to drive.

 

[Arkaign]

Is there any place in the states that does this with an F355? That's the car I really want to drive.

Why would you do that when the F458 is better in every imaginable way? Nostalgia?

 

[MixMasterTang]

Was the track longer than 1 mile as stated in the OP? 1:04 is slower than 60mph on average.

 

[Atty]

It was about 1 mile. The problem is that in the center bit you have to stay in second and be careful with throttle application as to not spin the car around like some of the idiots who go out there for lap time records.

 

[Baked]

For a 1 mile track, I would drive at 10 MPH to make the experience last.

 

[thereds]

Did your girlfriend sit with you? Or does someone from the facility sit with you?

 

[Atty]

For a 1 mile track, I would drive at 10 MPH to make the experience last.

The first person out in the Aston Martin did that.

The entire thing was worth it for 8 chances to floor a 458 Italia. Though, when a Lamborghini is racing up behind you on a track, that is pretty cool too.

Did your girlfriend sit with you? Or does someone from the facility sit with you?

No, girlfriend had a observation deck to stand on to watch me race. They have an instructor that gives you a hint when to shift and tells you when to back off. Around the oval bend if you go over 80 you drift towards the wall. You can obviously go faster than that on the upper edge of the wall but they don't want you to, obviously most of us don't have the skill to hold 100+mph right against a wall on a oval track. They also help you line up your apexes. They have cones set up and the course is easy. Turn away from orange cones as they are at your side mirror and drive right past/as close to the yellow ones.

It is really awesome. I am looking into the BMW driving experience, the Audi, and the VIR Ariel Atom experience. Too much fun.

I am potentially the happiest man ever in this photo. Also, disregard this is a pictures of the photo they gave me. Ain't no one got time for scanning.

E: Incase you've ever wondered how much interior space is in a Ferrari 458 - my left foot is up like that because there was absolutely no room for it in the car. It was either edged next to the brake and firewall or up like that. There was a lot of car where in most cars there is footwell. I'm thankful for that though, I'm sure the brake and suspension that was eating up the footwell space was the reason why I am still alive.

 

[Imported]

Sounds like an awesome time. I'd do the track laps over the cruises offered by any of the exotic car places any day.

I've only done the Audi one (twice actually) at Sears Point driving S4s, TTSs and R8s. Had a blast and got me back into autocrossing/HPDEs.