Sunday 13th July 2014 at 2pm – the date and time for Lee’s 40th driving bash at the old aerodrome at Sherburn in Elmut – Nissan Skyline GTR and Ariel Atom – and Simon was invited along to play…..
We checked in an hour early as per the request and sat and watched….
Aston Vantage, Aston DB9, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and Coupe, Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari 355, Ferrari 360, Nissan Skyline GTR, Vauxhall Monaro VRX, McLaren MP12-4C and the Ariel Atom were the hardware on offer…
Lee and Simon were concerned that either the folks didn’t allow the drivers to give it the beans OR the actual drivers were mainly pussies 🙁
We soon found out as we boarded the GTR first, with Lee in first to open the taps – and BOY did he 🙂 He thinks he touched 160 down the back straight !!!!! Simon only managed a little over 145 on the same straight so he is clearly added to the “pussies” section of the day 🙁 The GTR was an awesome piece of machinery that got itself wound up nicely VERY quickly – certainly a tool that would be very dangerous in the wrong hands on the roads….
Simon’s immediate thought was that the DB9 was the odd one out in many ways – it is a grand tourer, not a balls out track car – however it was strangely more popular than the GTR – just wierd….
Then onto the Atom – HOLY HELL – what a machine – 6 speed manual vs. the paddle shift 6 of the GTR and once you let rip on the right pedal, a swift gear change or 4 became violently needed. Christ this is a car that SHIFTS and then doesn’t really need speed to be lowered to make it round the corners – by way of an example, there was a corner that the GTR took in 3rd under moderate throttle that the Atom took in 5th with the pedal to the floor !!!!
We finished the day off with a nice meal with a cold beer (or two) at Pizza Express 🙂
What a day and what fun – if you ever get the opportunity to test either of these beasts out on a track, DO IT – you will not be disappointed.
