Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

I think the guy is called Malcolm, its a good place to go for racewear not sure about other stuff

It's also trés close to dammit towers.

Handy as fuck

Monday 9th of July there is a track day at Bedford Autodrome for £159, and for a further £399 you can get a dedicated instructor for the day: http://www.msvtrackdays.com/car/products/track-and-race-academy/

Any reason for me not to do this?

they might have dirty shoes on?

I always carry a passenger-laminator.

Awesome job mate!

Why do bike helmets cost more than a couple of hundred quid?

But on a bike your helmet protects you from elements, lightweight materials to increase comfort at speed, aerodynamics come into play etc.

I guess I'm struggling to think what extra you'd want when you're sitting in a car already protected from the elements with heating controls. But then again people race in open-topped cars so those things may come into play.

I am, yes. It's probably too large - but I'd be happy to pop over to your den of iniquity if you're happy to bring the helmet in?

Can do. I'll be swinging by the Inquitous Den next Monday in the Superfastwankerbarge on my way back from Belgium/Isen so I could drop it off then. I suspect it'll be too big for you, but it's slightly too small for me - which is why it's barely used - so you never know.

Can I be another vote for Brands Indy? It's the greatest 1.2miles of tarmac in the land and not difficult to learn at all.

It's got to be the closest track to me, I wonder if BRM has a season ticket too it that I could borrow?

I believe my Australian accent is quite convincing, a hat and a pair of sunglasses and no one would be able to tell us apart.

Can do. I'll be swinging by the Inquitous Den next Monday in the Superfastwankerbarge on my way back from Belgium/Isen so I could drop it off then. I suspect it'll be too big for you, but it's slightly too small for me - which is why it's barely used - so you never know.

Bonza, I'll pop over next week. Will work on head-swelling exercises in the interim.

**locates large mirror**

Every corner of the track is a beaut and it flows so well. Paddock hill is the most dramatic corner in the country, druids is a fast hairpin that you can brake desperately late for with the steep uphill approach. Graham Hill got neutered a bit but is still fun. Surtees is fast, blind entry left that's easy to get into too hot and the whole Clearways complex, a magic, multiple apex right. I've never driven round it in a car but I bet it's just as fun as on a bike.

£399 for an instructor for a day is punchy but will be well worth it! At the OpenTrack days you get a 30 min session for free, so that much for all day seems expensive but you'll definitely get a lot of benefit from it.

Brands is amazing, it's honestly one of my favourites, but it doesn't have huge run off, however it's hard to get it that wrong there unless you royally fuck up Paddock. We've all heard the story of me dropping 2 wheels into the gravel at Druids and getting stuck because I was braking later and later each lap until I panicked and just didn't turn the wheel. Red flag, which is usually a big off at Brands, everyone craning necks to see what's happened. I'm barely off the track, beached in the gravel. I felt embarrassed.

My point is it's not generally classed as a "beginner" track but that doesn't mean you can't have a good time there. I do recall one day where a novice on his first trackday in his MK3 MR2 put it into the gravel on the outside of Paddock 3 times! They asked him to chill out after that.

£399 for an instructor for a day is punchy but will be well worth it! At the OpenTrack days you get a 30 min session for free, so that much for all day seems expensive but you'll definitely get a lot of benefit from it.

I though that sounded pretty good from a £hour perspective, clearly I'm out of touch with what driving instructors cost!

Wednesday 11th of July is an open-pitlane event at Brands.

druids is a fast hairpin that you can brake desperately late for with the steep uphill approach

The entry to Druids was where I managed to crash into the armco on the left hand side of the track with the right hand side of the car, hard enough to bend an Escort RS2000 axle by 5 degrees. I've also been introduced to the tyre wall on the entry to Paddock, although to be fair I had some assistance on that one, and he didn't make the corner either.

I have an Abarth 500, remapped to c. 180bhp. You are right, they are great fun and addictive. However, I'm considering a Cooper S, but worried I'll be bored. Think needs Jcw map and pro exhaust.

There's an MX5 organised trackday at Llandow on the last weekend of June (30th), and 2 spaces have come available if anyone is interested. Currently only about 50% MX5s, quite a few R53 Minis signed up so all cars welcome, but it's a small and tight track so probably not best for big saloons or bigger. Only £113 and there's a "run" in the Brecon Beacons the day after, but not mandatory. If you're interested I have a spare room in an AirBnB for Friday and Saturday night, about 20 mins from the track.

If you know of anyone that might be interested, please forward it on.

The only corner I ever met scenery at Brands was Clearways, where I high sided big enough to clear the track before I landed. It was ouch.

I might come, pending getting a suitable lid

I think 25 days is enough time to get a lid!

Finally got the e28 on the road, drives like an 80's dream..

It's a new record Chris! Just hope it's used for what it was designed for

http://www.evo.co.uk/ferrari/21325/ferrari-250-gto-sells-for-a-record-breaking-52million