6th Gear Experience + Ariel Atom
Discussion
Hi everyone.
Did the above experience today at the Prodrive track near Kenilworth.
Not sure if the owner of the Atom posts on here but he was a top guy who genuinely enjoyed seeing his car being driven so that you got the most out of it. Absolutely no problems with letting you red line the car as is often the case with many of these experience events.
If any one wants to try an Atom out and experience the savagery then I cannot recommend this place enough!! (Although im sure that many of you guys already know this)
I was actually taken back when he told me that no one who had driven the car on this day gave it full throttle. Just couldn't look where i was going and lookat the rev counter as it went so damn quick! I also did the Caterham which was equally brilliant (though in a different way) felt as though I was getting racing lessons.
Sorry to ramble on but I will never forget this one!
If anyone knows the owner of this car on the official Atom website then please hyperlink this over to there for me.
Roll on my next birthday!
6th gear experience. Recommended!!
Cheers
Did the above experience today at the Prodrive track near Kenilworth.
Not sure if the owner of the Atom posts on here but he was a top guy who genuinely enjoyed seeing his car being driven so that you got the most out of it. Absolutely no problems with letting you red line the car as is often the case with many of these experience events.
If any one wants to try an Atom out and experience the savagery then I cannot recommend this place enough!! (Although im sure that many of you guys already know this)
I was actually taken back when he told me that no one who had driven the car on this day gave it full throttle. Just couldn't look where i was going and lookat the rev counter as it went so damn quick! I also did the Caterham which was equally brilliant (though in a different way) felt as though I was getting racing lessons.
Sorry to ramble on but I will never forget this one!
If anyone knows the owner of this car on the official Atom website then please hyperlink this over to there for me.
Roll on my next birthday!
6th gear experience. Recommended!!
Cheers
Horster: thanks for your kind comments.
I was your instructor in the Caterham, and I do like to allow customers to push it much further than you would be allowed to in the supercars. The instructors in the Lambos & Ferraris etc understandably have to impose limits on how fast you drive such an expensive car. However I own & race the Caterham, its value is around 10% of that of the supercars, and because I know its limits, and how it reacts when they are exceeded, I am comfortable to let drivers approach these limits.
Provided the customer is sensible on the first lap, we like to give them race tuition over the rest of the session, getting them to brake later each lap, carry more speed thru the corners, and get on the gas much sooner on the exits of the bends, as well as getting them to drive on the correct racing line.
Ben drives the Atom that we both have under shared ownership, and although he hasnt raced, he still encourages the driver to push it towards its limits, albeit not as close as the Caterham. I'll pass your comments onto Ben, as he doesnt use Pistonheads or the Atom club.
6th Gear Experience is based on driver satisfaction rather than simply throughput of paying customers, so its nice to hear positive feedback, and I'll also pass your comments onto the organizers, so thanks again!
If anyone is intersted I have uploaded a few short race videos of the Caterham & also one of the Atom on Youtube, under the username mikesolan.
Mike Solan
I was your instructor in the Caterham, and I do like to allow customers to push it much further than you would be allowed to in the supercars. The instructors in the Lambos & Ferraris etc understandably have to impose limits on how fast you drive such an expensive car. However I own & race the Caterham, its value is around 10% of that of the supercars, and because I know its limits, and how it reacts when they are exceeded, I am comfortable to let drivers approach these limits.
Provided the customer is sensible on the first lap, we like to give them race tuition over the rest of the session, getting them to brake later each lap, carry more speed thru the corners, and get on the gas much sooner on the exits of the bends, as well as getting them to drive on the correct racing line.
Ben drives the Atom that we both have under shared ownership, and although he hasnt raced, he still encourages the driver to push it towards its limits, albeit not as close as the Caterham. I'll pass your comments onto Ben, as he doesnt use Pistonheads or the Atom club.
6th Gear Experience is based on driver satisfaction rather than simply throughput of paying customers, so its nice to hear positive feedback, and I'll also pass your comments onto the organizers, so thanks again!
If anyone is intersted I have uploaded a few short race videos of the Caterham & also one of the Atom on Youtube, under the username mikesolan.
Mike Solan
I loved the atom thg to be honest I probably got more out of the Caterham Mike because it wasnt so over whelming (if you know what i mean). The Caterham was extremely quick but I also got the extra tuition to give more confidence through the bends to the point where I was still braking far too early (with the instructor telling me to re-apply the gas past the brake boards). Thanks for the experience. Hope to see you again soon!
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