I have been (tentatively) informed by my dealer that the deferable ProdriveLive event at Warwick, can be done using RX8s supplied by Mazda. If this is correct, then full marks to Mazda as this will certainly allow me to be a bit more adventurous on the day.

AnilS.

 

The Mazda mag I got through the post most definately states "Owners of the Mazda RX-8 use their own car for the day.."

Hope you're right though!!

 

AnilS's dealer does seem more on the ball than other dealers so it may be right. Although I've been told that it will be in our own cars and if it is in our cars then I think the normal £500 fee is extortionate.

Lets hope you are right AnilS

 

What fee?

It is a free day !

 

He mean that's how much it allegedly costs if you were paying.

 

Exactly.

 

For a whole day, including tuition, £500 isnt that far from the mark.

 

I guess it depends if it is a whole day with lots of one on one tuition, or sitting about and only a few laps here and there....

 

If we do have to use our own cars for this - does anyone know what the insurance position is? I'm sure some of you have lots of experience of track days etc. judging by some of the exotica you drive.

 

Depends on your policy.

Mazda dont insure you for the day.

Your policy may, or may not cover you. Too grey an area. Most dont now.

If you ring them up they'll um and ar, prolly give you 2 different answers 2 calls.

Try ringing, and speak to someone senior, and stress its driver training, not racing or tracking, and its even supplied gratis from the manufacturer. Get a yes in writing.

Track day cover for the day is around £100ish I think.

 

Thanks Rob. I will defiantly be armed with a piece of paper to say I'm covered regardless of how many phone calls it takes.

 

I also ask the question, as this was originally for the first 1000 buyers but now it appears its not. Does this mean that the actual dates available to take up this option will be open ended.

Will there or is there a "closing" date for ordering the

Will this be a go along whenever you like (hoping you have booked in advance) or is it going to be specifically certain days when the "instructors" are available because i cant see this being a profitable exercise.

 

As far as I know it's for all customers.

Not sure it will be worth £500

and there is NO way an instructor is going to razz my car on the track, road or anywhere. Well maybe if they pay me £500


Id be expecting to use their cars.

It could be that mazda will donate so many RX8s to them to use for training. Bit of a free advert for them?

BMW did a similar thing with brand hatch leisure.

 

personally i think we can take pretty much things with a pinch of salt these days. Milestones/specifications etc change daily almost. I do believe there is a track day but if its in our cars or theres remains in doubt. There is enuff doubt to leave this one wide open until the day comes itself or we hear officially "in stone" one way or the other. Personally i cant see how they can use Mazda's cars because of the time frame that people can undertake this. If this is open to all customers new or old then this will be extended almost to Summer of 2004 by the time all cars arrive on these shores. To that end i cant see how they will allow a number of cars to "sit" waiting for customers to turn up and use it. Far more likely to be our own.


What they might do which i see is a more or a PR exercise is to use the cars doing the rounds via dealerships to be at the warwickshire site for a period of time to make available to the first/second bunch of pre-orders as a goodwill gesture. Of course how long that period of time will be remains to be seen.

Maybe im way of the mark but it would be handy

 

Yep, no set details so cant say.

Best way to learn how to handle a car and its limits is to go past its limits. I'd rather that not be done in my car.

Still having problems with the £500 figure tho.

Race driving schools charge a lot less for a full day.

Anyone up for a blast in my kart around my local car park the next time it rains? £5 for ten laps

 

The pro-drive session will be on "track, road & skid pan" the day is to teach you how to drive the car, your car, not to see how you can blister your tyres.

Your car you tell instructor if he seems a bit "reckless".

If you don't want to risk the track then call pro-drive & they will arrange for someone to come to you. Can't say fairer than that! It is free after all remember.

If you want to have a day buning rubber & trying a few donuts pay £500 & do it in somebody elses car.

 

"If you want to have a day buning rubber & trying a few donuts pay £500 & do it in somebody elses car."


So, for £500 that's what I'd expect. But I guess it will be "tame". Hope I'm pleasantly surprised.

I'm not into killing tyres. Much more into getting the tail all the way out

 

A few years back i had a session at Milbrook proving ground - the test facility owned by by GM i believe. Now it was corporate entertaining so I didnt pay, however I asked the cost - £500 per person to do it myself.

Day covered:
Go-karting
Off road driving in a land rover
Slalom in a golf
Skid pan in an Audi quattro
Mountain pass driving in a 911 carrera 4
Being driven around a handling circuit in an Audi S8 by the late Roger Clark MBE
Being driven around the banked circuit at 170mph in a 911
Flying a Robinson R22 helicoptor

You CAN get a lot for £500.

 

Just found this:

http://www.greatexperiencedays.co.uk...reza%20Evo%207

£425 with a car thrown in for free!

 

I'd still rather have cheaper accessories and no pro-drive day ! !

I would happily give mine up for say 3 half price accessories ! (which would still probably give an ENORMOUS % profit)

 

£500 for that sort of day is fairly run of the mill. Originally I thought that it would be better in a Mazda car rather than your own, but after having had a test drive I think that it is essential to learn the capabilities of the car and to learn how to drive it safely.

So as far as I am concerned, whether its down there or they send somebody to my place, using my own car isn't a problem. As an earlier post said, - the idea isn't to burn off the tyres or roll it, but to learn to drive it properly.

If you want to roll you car or blow the engine then feel free to do it in your own time.

 

CW007, maybe they will use the press launch cars. Incidentially, driving up the M6 on saturday (northbound), between Junction 9 and 10, I spotted a car transporter with 5, yes 5, silver RX8s heading southbound!!!!!!!! I nearly crashed the Focus.


AnilS.

 

Anil,

Are you sure that you didn't fall asleep at the wheel? - Sounds to me like a drug induced haze, - surely (I'll stop calling you that) they were dummy shells around a box of the 'free' pictures!

 

The day should be superb, I am looking forward to getting the car on the skidpan to check out how the car handle's in extreme conditions. It's got to be better to make the trip to Prodrive as they have got all the facilities to show you what the car can do and how to drive the car fast and safely.

Did a similar event in my TT 2 years ago at Oulton Park using their TT's (sponsored by Audi). They did not allow us to go higher than 4th gear and we had to go around the track at a a leisurley pace, you even had to indicate to overtake! So little chance of tyre wear!

It was still well worth it as we all had a racing instructor in the car showing us how to drive around the track properly and when to brake etc.

However, at the end of the training session the instructors took over the car and showed us how fast they could go round the circuit and there was plenty of tyre wear going on.

In summary.... Don't let the instructors drive your car!!!!!

 

Crabacle, maybe I want the car so much that I was was imaging what I saw, but no there was (and always is, if anyone has used this stretch of motorway) alot of traffic slowing this down, north and southbound, so I got a good look. Unless I mistook them for 5 Pumas.:D

Not a chance.


AnilS.