Exotics Racing - what would you drive?
 

So, I'm going to Las Vegas in a couple weeks for a bachelor party. A bunch of us are car nuts and plan on going here:

Exotics Racing - RACING SCHOOL, Exotics racing school is the ultimate driving experience at Las Vegas Speedway with Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche.

What car would you pick to drive for a few laps around the track?

Aventador

:iagree: i second to that. Or the 458 italia.

I have driven a few of the cars on the list on different tracks and voted for the 430.
The cayman is great but needs a real diff. (Cayman R?)
GTR is amazing...a little too much so. It feels like its going fast and you are spectating.
Lamborghini's felt very strong and very heavy. (Didnt drive the aventador)
911's are fast but the rear-engine layout requires imidiate and undivided attention when you get them out of shape.
Don't think I have driven the AMG on the list but all the AMG's I have driven feel to isolated. (Too much luxury) All were very powerful though.
The Ferrari's feel light compared to the Lamborghini's and just generally nimble. If you are required to leave the electronic nannies on, the throttle is tied to steering angle. Less steering means more available throttle. ( did not drive a 458)

No info on the others cars.

Almost forgot..the sound. Both the Ferrari's and the Lamborghini's sound much better than any of the other cars I had experienced on your list. The sound of those things never gets old.

The Ferrari 458 was my favourite of the exotics I drove.

I would pick the one car that is most unattainable to you, yet still something that a gives you wood when you think about it.

Guaranteed to put a smile on tour face. Have fun!

Where can I drive a Koenigsegg or Pagani? :icon17:

Call me if you find a place. I want in on that action! Likewise, I'll call you if I find a place. :tup:

London

Dubai/UAE

I have a reason to visit my cousin in London now :tup:

I voted for the 458 Italia, but the Superleggera is a close second.

I voted for McLaren 12C, but I would have voted for the P1 if it was an option

Since you and your friends are car guys, go over the Quad, it used to be the Imperial Palace and check out the car collection that they have on display. You can get coupons so it will be free. Have fun!!! :tup:

When are you going to Vegas?
I am having mine at the end of March, doing the Vegas motorspeed way one, and was trying to get the aventador but I think it was sold out, so I got the Ferrari GT.

Lamborghini Aventador LP700
I've been in one and it is beyond sexy.

Going to be in Vegas from March 3-5, just a short trip.

I think I'm going to do either Ferrari or Lamborghini - not decided on which yet. And I agree, it's mostly because of the sound these cars make, nothing else sounds like them. Plus, I'll not likely ever own a Ferrari or Lambo.

You should probably drive the 458 italia, but im a sucker for porsches, so i voted for the 997 turbo.

I always though these "driving experiences" were more expensive. My gf and i go a lot to vegas, mostly on our anniversary. Now i know what im going to be asking as a gift :stirthepot:

I voted for the 911 Turbo S, because that's my favorite.

The Aventador, MP-4, Superleggera, SLS, and R8 are up there too.



Already did the F430 and... meh. It was cool, because I was driving a Ferrari, but didn't feel out of this world like I thought.

My thoughts on the 430 exactly. Fantastic turn-in, otherworldly sound and no power at all. Shockingly gutless. And the interior was not nearly good enough for a $200k car. I went in expecting to love it and got out unimpressed. I should have driven the Gallardo they had instead.

I had clients complaining about power lag in the 430 also.

The issue is the electronic nannies, not the actual power of the car. Unlike the Lambo stability system, the 430 ties available power to steering angle.

More steering = less power. Less steering = more power. Straight = full power...and it's plenty strong.

Even with the wheel straight, there was nothing under 5k. Maybe I'm asking too much from a $200k car (I'm not) but it should push you into the seat better than that. It wasn't "slow", but it sure was slow for a supercar. With the list of options in the poll, the 430 is pretty close to the bottom of the barrel.

I did this last year and I'm going back in June to do it again. :) I decided on the Audi R8 V10 for my first time. Mainly because I wanted to feel out the program there. The Audi was less expensive to drive, yet it still has the Lamborghini V10. The AWD was really nice on the track too! I've got some track experience on motorcycles, but I'm not great in a car. The AWD Audi was a great car to start with. In June, I'm planning on trying either the GTR (because after I got the Z I'm REALLY curious!) or the 458.

458. No question. The likelihood of somone getting to drive a $100k car outside of one of these events is higher than that of a $250k car.

I go out to Vegas quite a bit. :) So odds I get to go back and do it again are pretty good! LOL

If that's the case, go for it. Driving the GTR may be a really expensive decision, though. Most people aren't going to get out of a $250k Ferrari and think "I love it. I'm going to buy one." But most of us here could swing a GTR, even if you have to go used and make sacrifices. If you really love it, it could end up costing you $60-100k. :rofl2:

LOL...this is true! :icon18:

RWD vs RWD, the F430 puts down generally the same 0-60 times as the LP550, so the ability to push someone into their seat is right there with the Lambo.

Of course the AWD 560? will be a little quicker from a dead stop to 60 but that's a traction thing rather than power.

The other instructors were split on which car could have made it through PBIR quicker, but I was in the F430 camp. The AWD 560's only had an advantage from a stand still, and the lone 550 was still dragging too much weight to keep up with the F430's. (Although I liked the RWD Lambo more than the AWD examples)

We never actually tested our theories because we didn't want to get booted from the gig. But I would have put a little money on a friendly bet to see which camp was right, if the opportunity had been there.

According to google, 400/290 on a dyno. For $200k+. It's a low 12 second car. They trap 117-120. Stock 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider 1/4 mile trap speeds 0-60 - DragTimes.com 0-60 is a terrible measurement for cars. It's a traction contest. Look at trap speeds.

I get that you like the car, but you have to admit that, given the other options he could drive, the 430 is a dog.

I don't just "like the car". I drove it, back to back, with AWD and RWD Lambo's, over and over and over. I have also tracked examples of many of the other cars on the list, many times, and gave my thoughts on them in my first post in this thread.

The F430 is not a dog in either real-world driving, nor bench racing. It's actually rather awesome behind the wheel of those things.

There are a few on the list I have not driven that may be better choices, but I have not driven them, so I don't know. I commented on the cars I have driven and pointed out my lack of experience with the others.

Well, maybe I got to drive one that was missing two spark plugs. :rofl2: You're talking to me like I've never been behind the wheel of one. I don't know how someone manages to look at that list and pick the 430 over the 458.

A 12.2@117 $200k car is a dog. That's not fast.

I'm sure it's a hoot to drive compared to a lot of cars. But if you're looking for a vehicle that you step out of and think "wow", the 430 isn't it. Maybe it was in 2006. But compared to the 458, GTR, McLaren, etc, it just falls short.

Porsche GT3

There is so much more to a car than mashing a gas pedal. (Although the F430's loud pedal works just fine)

The F430 handles better than either the 560 or the 550.

It doesn't feel like your enemy at the limit, like the rear-engine 911's

It doesn't do most of the work for you like a GTR.

It connects you to the road better than any AMG I have driven.

And it doesn't have the e-diff issues the Cayman S has.

I have never driven a 458, or a McLaren

I was choosing it over the other cars I have actually driven and said so in my first post.

Yes, I never turned the steering wheel. At all. I just went in a straight line. You're getting caught up on feelings. Look at the numbers. It is a slower car than 2/3 of the list. If you're paying to drive something at an event like this, make it something worth driving. I did not feel the F430 was worth it. You did. That's great. Knowing what I know now, I'd rather have driven the other options. Pretty much any of them. You disagree. Fine.

you missing out Porsche 918

That's the numbers you keep using to define "fast"...straight line numbers on a page.

I'm giving my opinion based on experience with many of the cars on the list.

Straight-line numbers again? An SS Camaro puts down better straight-line numbers than a lot of cars, yet I prefer a lot of cars you would consider "slower". (Using your straight-line metric)

We are both sharing our opinions based on what we "know".

I explained why I prefer the F430 over some of the other examples on the list.

You explained that you didn't like the F430. And that it's numbers are not worthy compared to other car's numbers.

-Only compared to the cars I have actually tracked.

I can't dissagree on the others because I don't know anything about them beyond what I have read.

I hope I get to drive one of those some day.

Oh for ****'s sake, dude. We like different cars. Let it go.

At this point I'm leaning toward the 458 or Aventador. For the purposes of this poll, only the cars in the list are available - Porsche 918 would be awesome, but isn't an option.

Keep in mind too that at Exotics Racing it costs more money to drive an Aventador for 5 laps ($499) than it does the 458 Italia ($399).

You can always pay more money for more laps too.

So, let's say you had a budget, would you pay more to drive the most insane car (Aventador) for fewer laps or a slightly more tame but still awesome supercar (458) for more laps?

:tup:

More laps! Trust me, 5 laps will just about get you familiar with the track and warmed up. After that you will start laying down some decent times to build on