Automotive

Ultimate Exotics Track Experience review

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  • Aug 27th, 2018 10:44 pm
Newbie
Feb 28, 2008
27 posts
12 upvotes

Ultimate Exotics Track Experience review

I recently attended the Ultimate Exotics Track Experience at Toronto Motorsports Park and wanted to provide my thoughts for anyone that's interested.

To begin, I've never driven on track before and so I had no experience going in. All of my expectations were from watching youtube and televised motorsports events. I attended the event with a friend and we both booked 6 laps. He chose the Nissan GT-R and I selected the 997 Turbo. Our booking was for the first time slot of the day. The check in process was very easy and quick. Once checked in, we were handed our tags which indicated the number of laps we had booked. We stood outside and admired the cars the organizers has brought for the event. There was a Corvette, Gallardo, F430, GT-R and two 997 gen 911 Turbos. One of the Turbos is meant as the Hot Lap car where a professional racing driver (who appeared to be the owner) takes customer out for a hot lap.

To start things off, all attendees were gathered in a room and given a very brief, 10 minute presentation on safety and other typical track precautions. The presenter asked by a show of hands who was driving which car. Of the cars, the Corvette and the 911s were manual. What stood out to me was that part of the presentation that mentioned downshifting at 2000 rpm and upshifting at 4-5000 rpm. This stood out to me and I asked whether we would be able to bring it close redline, to which the presenter said it would be left up to us to decide. This would play in role in my experience as I'll get to later. After the presentation, we all headed to the paddock area and were taken in groups of 3 in a W220 S Class around the track for 2 laps to familiarize us with the layout. While I had watched youtube videos to learn the track prior to the event, this was still much appreciated as it did not waste participants actual track laps to learn the course.

For people that completed the group discovery laps, they were allowed to begin getting into their chosen cars and were taken on their track lap experiences. My friend went out in the GT-R mid-group and had a blast. There was typically 2-3 cars on track at any point. I was one of the last few people to get on track. Once I got on track, the instructor indicated to take it a little easy for the first two laps to familiarize myself with the proper line. While I heard this, I think my adherence to his suggestion went out the window pretty much after the first corner. It's at this point that I think it may be helpful to describe what I aimed to get out of this experience. My intention and thus expectation of a track experience was to drive a high performance car at or near its and my limit the entire time, wringing out its performance and pushing it in corners while still remaining safe. With 6 laps and no prior track experience, I was looking to have fun first and foremost and not necessarily as an instruction lesson on perfecting my line or technique. The short stint does not lend itself to that fact imo. With this mentality, I floored the car every chance I got and took corners relatively hard. I braked when instructed to but felt the instructor seemed visibility nervous with the pace I was driving at. Honestly, I don't blame him, I would be too if I were driving with someone unknown in these types of vehicles. However, I would brake (somewhat reluctantly) at his recommended points even though I felt I had much more room left.

The track could be driven using only 3rd and 4th gear. The sole two shifts points were going up to 4th down the straight and back down to 3rd for the subsequent turn at corner 1. On my 3rd lap, I was still going hard down the straight and did a quick 3-4 shift with minimal clutch slipping on release and mashing the gas going into 4th. I did sense it was a hard shift. After going around the track and coming back toward the pit lane, I saw the owner wave his arm up and down at the instructor in my car seeming to indicate to ease off. The instructor politely asked me to shift at 5k on the remaining laps and use it to practice proper line and cornering. I obliged and at the end of this lap was told to head into the pits. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience thinking my 6 laps were complete. However, chatting my my friend, he was confused by my exit as he thought I had only completed 4 laps. Thinking back, I realized I did only recall passing the front wall only 3 times. The owner was in the paddock area so I went over to speak with him. I apologized to him if I was shifting the car too hard. He was very polite and mentioned that he could hear that I wasn't allowing the clutch to slip and that dropping the clutch was too much for their unit in the 911. He mentioned it wouldn't have been an issue if the car had a race clutch. I then mentioned to him that I had only ran 4 of my 6 laps. Realizing this, he offered me to go back out in the car or have a hot lap with him. I chose the hot lap option and he graciously took me for 2 hot laps in his 911 turbo. Riding with him made me realized how incorrectly my line was on track! It was great to experience to have driven myself and riden with a professional racer.

Overall, I felt it was a great experience and the staff did their best to ensure everyone has a great time. I have realized after the event that this is indeed an experience to drive a high performance car on the track. However, if you purchase a higher lap count, you may not be able to drive the car full bore the entire time.
11 replies
Deal Expert
User avatar
Oct 6, 2010
15881 posts
10565 upvotes
Toronto
Once you start, you can't stop. It's addicting.
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Deal Expert
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Feb 11, 2007
21248 posts
25711 upvotes
GTA
Glad you enjoyed it. Now get yourself a Miata, BRZ, or older BMW so you can enjoy and learn. Autocross is also an excellent way to get better while doing something competitive but safe.
You'll have way more fun learning to drive a slower car at the limit than a supercar gingerly around a track.

You shouldn't really be letting the clutch slip when you're changing gears while moving. You should be letting the revs drop to match the RPM in the next gear before quickly releasing the clutch. Slipping the clutch would quickly ruin it, so either the owner doesn't know what he's talking about or was just telling you a story because you were just shifting so badly. Maybe you weren't lifting the throttle when shifting?
If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
Deal Addict
Jan 27, 2011
3741 posts
3965 upvotes
Toronto
You should sign up for the he Porsche performance classes, hear they're great.

But thanks for this review.
Deal Addict
Sep 3, 2005
3627 posts
1223 upvotes
Vaughan
How much did this cost?
For Sale

Nothing at the moment
Newbie
Feb 28, 2008
27 posts
12 upvotes
engineered, i actually bought an nc miata at the beginning of the summer so I'm already headed down this road! I daily drive a honda fit and while both cars weigh roughly the same, with the Fit being slightly lighter, the handling of the miata felt like it was on a completely different level. I am definitely no car reviewer and take this with a grain of salt, but imo, the handling and feel of the 911 turbo did not feel substantially better than my miata. The 911 definitely cornered flatter but I felt like the miata handling is 80% of the way there. The shifter on my car definitely feels better with satisfying throws vs the porsche, but that may be due to countless ppl like myself abusing the crap out of the 911. On the drive home in the miata, I was even more pleased with the decision to get this car vs being swayed toward higher hp and heavier vehicles. The miata definitely does make me a better driver and the nc still has enough power to still get you in trouble on the street.

With the clutch scenario, it may be I'm not describing it properly as I think the owner was accurate in his assessment. I believe he was suggesting that I should relatively slowly release the clutch as you would in a normal street shift. In comparison, while I did lift the throttle, I was essentially fully letting out the clutch suddenly and then fully depressing the gas with no real delay, what I imagine would be done during a drag race lets say.

some1not, thanks for the suggestion of the porsche classes, I was also considering signing up for the 2 day Bridgestone Racing Academy at canadian tire motorsport sometime in the future.

phuviano, cost was $349 for the 6 laps in the 911, the GT-R was $299 was the 6 laps. I found some other company running similar events after I booked with one place having the Ariel atom, I would have chosen that car had I known earlier!
Deal Guru
Sep 1, 2004
12900 posts
13102 upvotes
That's pretty affordable. Consider they charge the same price but in USD in Vegas.
Deal Addict
Sep 8, 2017
4695 posts
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GTA
jdong23 wrote: To begin, I've never driven on track before and so I had no experience going in. All of my expectations were from watching youtube and televised motorsports events.

Once I got on track, the instructor indicated to take it a little easy for the first two laps to familiarize myself with the proper line. While I heard this, I think my adherence to his suggestion went out the window pretty much after the first corner. It's at this point that I think it may be helpful to describe what I aimed to get out of this experience. My intention and thus expectation of a track experience was to drive a high performance car at or near its and my limit the entire time, wringing out its performance and pushing it in corners while still remaining safe. With 6 laps and no prior track experience, I was looking to have fun first and foremost and not necessarily as an instruction lesson on perfecting my line or technique. The short stint does not lend itself to that fact imo. With this mentality, I floored the car every chance I got and took corners relatively hard. I braked when instructed to but felt the instructor seemed visibility nervous with the pace I was driving at. Honestly, I don't blame him, I would be too if I were driving with someone unknown in these types of vehicles. However, I would brake (somewhat reluctantly) at his recommended points even though I felt I had much more room left.

I then mentioned to him that I had only ran 4 of my 6 laps. Realizing this, he offered me to go back out in the car or have a hot lap with him. I chose the hot lap option and he graciously took me for 2 hot laps in his 911 turbo. Riding with him made me realized how incorrectly my line was on track!
You sound pretty reckless.

You have to build up your speed, ability and confidence at track days. Accidents will happen otherwise.
Temp. Banned
Jun 18, 2008
5095 posts
4664 upvotes
Montreal
derass wrote: You sound pretty reckless.

You have to build up your speed, ability and confidence at track days. Accidents will happen otherwise.
I guess driving a 911 turbo for $349 dollars isn't enough for some people, must get money's worth by slam shifting to destroy car and lap records.
Newbie
Feb 28, 2008
27 posts
12 upvotes
Well this was a track experience and not a track day. I surely wasnt there to take it easy. It was for a fun experience. I still adhered to the instructors braking instructions and was always in control of the vehicle. Sadly, I guess im not gonna make it as a professional race car driver like you guys.
Deal Fanatic
Apr 5, 2016
6116 posts
4613 upvotes
Calgary/Vancouver
A 911 Turbo is pretty easy to drive and you have to be pretty bad to get it in trouble.

$349 is a steal for a track experience IMO. I also agree it's for fun and you should maximize the experience. Track days are when you are learning the line and actually trying to improve your driving.
Deal Addict
Mar 5, 2012
2045 posts
193 upvotes
Guelph
One obvious question here for someone unfamiliar with these experiences.....what kind of liability do you hold in terms of damage to the vehicle/accidents on the course? I’d hate to spin out or something and have to foot the bill?

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