Today see's a dream of 20 years become a reality. I get to drive the mighty AC Cobra. The Aston and the Jaguar are a welcome bonus.
When I was 9 years old I was at Middle Wallop Air Show with my dad and while walking around I noticed a Nationwide stand with a purple car next to it. We wandered over and spoke to the man at the stand. Nationwide were running a competition to win the car. The car was a purple Cobra replica. I remember being mesmerised by the car, the shape and colour mostly. When my dad had finished chatting with the man from Nationwide, I asked him to enter the competition. He did enter, but we did not win.
The memory of that car has never left me.
So being handed a golden ticket to drive a Cobra, an E-Type and an original Aston Martin DB4 is a welcome Christmas present.
I arrive at Goodwood safely and I walk through the parking area, I spot a lovely green Ford Mustang, an Aston Martin the Breakfast Club van and a D-Type Jaguar. I am then greeted by the staff from Mithril Racing who are welcoming and ready with refreshing drinks.
I am asked what order I want to drive the cars in. I opt to take the Aston Martin first followed by the Jaguar and the Cobra last. I want to build up to my dream car. With my helmet on I am taken to the paddock by the Mithril instructor. While we walk, the instructor tells me a little about the Aston Martin. It is a Series 1 DB4 and currently if sold could reach around £100,000. The engine is a 3.7 litre straight six with a Double Overhead Twin Cam and a four speed manual gearbox. We walk past a variety of cars, a Lamborghini Diablo, a Corvette C5, the AC Cobra and the E-Type and we finally reach the Aston Martin. I climb in, get strapped in to a comfortable seat and then I'm handed the key.
I turn the key and with half a turn of the crankshaft the engine barks into life and while the engine warms I get used to my surroundings. The gear stick is really thin and has a little black ball on the top. This makes me feel that this cars gear change is going to be light and quite easy. The dashboard is fairly easy to understand and the rest of the interior is very nice and there is a three spoke wooden steering wheel. When I am given the all clear to drive on to the track, moving into first gear is easy and the clutch is light. Changing through the gears and gathering speed, it's clear that this car was not built for racing. The engine sounds great and has reasonable acceleration, but with a top speed of around 139mph it's not the fastest car of its age.
As we near Madwick corner, I apply the breaks and turn I towards the yellow cones that mark out the racing line. There is some tyre squeal and some body roll. On the exit it's back on the accelerator, speeding up and heading towards Fordwater. Again a small touch on the brakes, turn with more body roll through the corner and accelerate towards St Mary's. This is taken at a resonable speed towards and onwards to Lavant corner.
Onto the brakes and turn into the corner and accelerate out of the exit. We are now in the flat out, up hill Lavant straight I accelerate to 75mph before breaking and turning into Woodcote corner. A brief acceleration then leads to the chicane where we brake and change into third gear and it's down the start finish straight for another lap. While on the straight a yellow flash that is the Lamborghini overtakes us.
As my confidence grows I am rewarded with faster laps. By the third and final lap I reach 86 on the Lavant straight.
It's time time to hand the Aston Martin over to it's and wait for the E-Type Jaguar.
With the Jaguar in the paddock, I get in and buckle up. I can understand why this car caused such a stir when it was released. It's still great looking today some 53 years after it's release. Malcolm Sayer's bodywork design looks far prettier than most modern cars.
This is also the most comfortable car I have sat in, the leather seat seems to to adjust around me.
I am handed the key, which I put into the ignition, turn the key and press the starter button. The 3.8 litre engine fires into life and then goes into a lovely sounding idle. While we wait for the all clear for the all clear from the track marshals. I get used to my surroundings. As with the Aston Martin this has a a four speed manual gearbox but there are far more dials and switches on the dash board. This car also has a three spoke wooden steering wheel. We are given the all clear to go into the track, the change into first is easy and the clutch is slightly heavier than the DB4. As we pull away, it's clear that the E-Type is a fast car, swiftly making my way up the gears I accelerate towards Madwick corner. As I arrive, I break and turn in using the yellow cones as a guide. Through the corner there is fair amount of body roll and a little tyre squeal. I accelerate on the exit and head towards Fordwater. After going through Fordwater I head toward St Mary's and it becomes clear how much better the car is on the cornering and breaking and how much faster the car is at accelerating than the Aston Martin. Only 3 years separate these two cars but they feel completely different.
Breaking into Lavant and steering towards the cones I turn through the corner and I accelerate through the exit. On the straight, the Jaguar is quick to accelerate and feels light. I reach 95 before breaking and turning into Woodcote. A brief blast of acceleration before changing down to third gear for the chicane and back to the start finish straight. After another two laps of blissful driving I have to part with the Jaguar. While driving around, it's easy to imagine yourself as Norman Dewis driving the E-Type from the Jaguar Factory in Browns Lane in Coventry to the 1961 Geneva Motor Show.
Once out of the Jaguar I am in need of a drink and a chance to take a minute to reflect before driving the AC Cobra.
Once I'm ready I walk to the paddock and get in to the Cobra. Having just driven the most comfortable car in the E-Type, this is a tight squeeze as I'm a little overweight. Once buckled in start the car. The Ford 302 V8 engine roars into life and the noise really does make me smile. Once the engine idles I try to get as comfortable as possible.
Like the previous cars I have a four speed manual gearbox but unlike the other cars this engine is a 4.2 litre V8 that produces around 325 BHP.
We are given the all clear from the marshals to go onto the track the change into first and getting the clutch to the bite point is heavy going. Onto the track and I go gently to begin with building up speed quickly and changing up through the gears I head towards Madwick Corner breaking and turning in brings some tyre squeal and a little body roll as the tyres and suspension do battle to keep the car on the Tarmac. I accelerate on the exit and drive towards Fordwater at speed. Going though the corner brings no dramas and I speed up on the exit and head through St Mary's and drive towards Lavant. As I break and steer through Lavant the instructor tells me to go for it. As I put the accelerator to the floor, I felt an almighty surge as the engine responds and it feels like a punch in the back as the car rockets up the Lavant Straight. Hard on the breaks and turn into Woodcote corner. Once through Woodcote, a brief blast of power before breaking and a heavy change to third gear before pressing hard on the accelerator down the start finish straight.
In comparison to the DB4 and the E-Type, the Cobra is a lighter car with a bigger engine. This is why the acceleration is so much faster than the other cars. It's pedals and gear change are also heavier than the other cars I have driven today.
Gaining in confidence as I drive the Cobra on the final lap I see a Corvette ahead and I'm determined to overtake it. I begin to close the gap between us. As I have driven other cars today I have gained in confidence but I'm not pushing my luck. Through Fordwater and St Mary's the Corvette is getting bigger. As I turn in to Lavant, I'm on the Corvette's gearbox. I pull out of the slipstream, floor the accelerator and overtake the Corvette. Before the end of the Lavant Straight I go beyond 100 mph. It's time to break and navigate my way through Woodcote corner and take the chicane for the last time. As I pull in to hand the car back, I am grinning from ear to ear.
Today I have driven three iconic cars that are very different. For ease of driving and comfort and style, the E-Type is definitely the car, if you want to cruise a continent in comfort, the DB4 is for you. If you want a lightweight car with a big engine and a high top speed then the Cobra is your car.
For me it will always be the Cobra, it was the first car I saw that I really wanted to drive and having had to wait twenty years, I was not disappointed. However having driven three cars today, I would be happy to own any of them.
I would like to thank the staff at Mithrill Racing for looking after me and giving me memories that will stay with me for ever.
And finally I have a question for you, the people kind enough to read this blog.
What is the best car you have driven and what made it the best?
Great. I like it. may nang luong mat troi dai thanh . Very good.
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