The Audi Sportscar Driving Experience is a MUST!
There are many perks to being a motoring journalist. Besides the obvious of driving a bunch of different cars and travelling the globe, another perk is driving on a track. And driving properly!
I was invited on the Audi Sportscar Experience and there was no way I was going to turn down this invitation. I have done the BMW advanced driver’s course as well as a few others and I believe that it should be mandatory for every person who is in possession of a valid drivers licence. Not only would do these course provide you with the safety tools you need when traversing South Africa’s unpredictable roads, but it overrides all the rubbish we are taught with the K53 system. One important factor being that of where to place your hands on a steering wheel! If you use the old ten to two position, forget it now! Place your hands at quarter to three and already you are on your way to a safer drive.
But, back to the course. Your day starts early, for us it was at the Red Star Raceway (Audi is bringing the course to Cape Town as well as Durban). The line up of cars meet you as you enter and so the excitement begins to rise. The line up consists of Audi’s RS models. Ok we didn’t get to drive the R8 or the RS7 but you can experience the exhilarating ride of these two beauties as a passenger. Now before you feel too disappointed to carry on reading, don’t worry, you do get to experience the RS4 Avant, RS5 and RS Q3…as the driver! This is all about learning and experiencing remember!
You start the course with some very interesting exercises that will leave you both opened mouthed as well as a bit sweaty! Take for instance the emergency lane change exercise; you’re in the Audi RS Q3 and as the instructor walkie talkies you to go, you put foot! I mean really put foot. By the time you reach the hazard ie. cone, you are going well over 120 km/h and this is when you need to break as hard as you can and swerve out of the way of the next hazard and land in the opposite lane. All in one smooth, swift motion. It cabe rather harrowing at first but once you get the hang of it, and realise that these cars are more than capable, it becomes easier.
The morning is filled with exercises such as these and they are all in preparation for the fun that awaits you in the afternoon. After a spot of lunch you head on to the track for some much anticipated hot laps. You can push your limits here and really test what you have learned. The instructors are on hand, through walkie talkies, as you follow their lines around track. So you can take it as slow or as quick as you want to. Talk about adrenalin pumping!
If you want to do this course, and I strongly suggest that you do, you can look forward to it coming to a town near you (although tickets have sold out at lightning speeds, but Durban might still have a few available).
Gauteng: Red Star Raceway 13 Aug- 4 Sept
KZN: Dezzi Raceway 11 Sept – 17 Sept
Cape Town: Franschhoek Motor Museum track 1 Oct – 4 Oct
The cost is R3 500. You need to be over the age of 25 and have a valid driving licence of course. Ladies, wear flat, closed shoes. No heels!
For more info go to the Audi Sportscar Experience website.