Porsche 911 & Shelby GT350 Drive at Mithril Racing

After an 8 month wait, the day had finally arrived, today I would get to drive a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS and a 1966 Shelby GT350. My brother J accompanied me on this trip and he will will take the E-Type for a spin. (My thoughts on the E-Type can be found in an earlier blog post) It's an early start to get to Goodwood for 9am and the weather is looking damp. 

After a good journey we book in with the staff at Mithril Racing, collect our crash helmets and make our way to the cars. 

I start with the 911. This is one of the most iconic sports cars and it's shape is easily recognisable in all of its incarnations. The 911 has been with us now for 53 years and is still going strong. 

This car is rear wheel drive and has a 2.7 litre flat six engine that produces 210bhp, giving a top speed of 150mph. It's left hand drive with a 5 speed manual gearbox. It has torsion bar suspension, rack and pinion steering and vented disc brakes. A turn of the key and the 911 growls into life and settles to a nice idle. While the car warms up, I strap in and get comfortable. It feels a little strange to begin with as the pedals are off to the right instead of centred but I soon get get used to it. With the engine warm I make my way from the paddock to the damp track. On the track I make my way up through the gears, the clutch feels heavy and the engine sounds great. 

As we near Madgwick corner, I apply the breaks and turn I towards the yellow cones that mark out the racing line. At this point I will note that the break pedal is high and it does not take much pressure to apply the brakes There is a little body roll and the car grips. On the exit it's back on the accelerator, speeding up and heading towards Fordwater. Again a small touch on the brakes, turn  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 on the fast up hill Lavant straight  I accelerate 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. At the beginning of the second lap, I spot an Alfa Romeo in the distance. The only thing to do is to see if I can catch it and overtake it. Through Madgwick and I'm closer to the Alfa. Accelerate to Fordwater and I'm close to the Alfa. On towards St Mary's and I overtake the Alfa. The more I drive the Porsche the more rewarding it becomes. I begin my third and final lap grinning from ear to ear. When I get to Fordwater, I see a familiar sight. It's my brother J driving the E-Type. Can I catch and overtake him before the lap ends. I accelerate as fast as I can go given the conditions. I edge closer to him through St Mary's and Lavant. On the Lavant straight I get closer still. Through Woodcote corner, I'm close but not close enough. My brother enters the Chicane first and I'm not able to overtake him. I pull into the paddock with a huge smile and take some photos while my brother finishes his drive.

So having handed the 911 back in one piece it was time to get into the Shelby GT350. This is a different kind of iconic car. Made as the ultimate upgrade of the Ford Mustang, this American Monster was built for tourque and straight line speed and is 50 years old. The GT350 is rear wheel drive and comes equipped with a Ford 289ci (4.7 Litre) K code V8 engine, giving the car 306bhp and a top speed of 124mph. It's left hand drive that uses recirculating ball steering, a four speed Borg Warner gearbox, leaf spring suspension with disc brakes at the front and drum brakes on the rear. This should make for an interesting drive as the rain is now really close. A turn of the key and the V8 roars into life and settles to a nice idle. The pedals are again off to the right and while the engine warms i settle into the black leather seat, I strap in and make note of the controls. Before I pull out, the instructor tells me to take it steady and enjoy it. The steering and the clutch in this car are heavier than the 911. I make my way onto the track and accelerate, the noise makes me jump initially and the front end lifts slightly. This car is all about the tourque. As I negotiate Madgwick, there is lots of body roll and the handling feels bad in the corners. My instructor then says that I should treat the car like a jet, small amount of steering and let the engine do the work. By Lavant corner, I get it right. The braking also takes a bit longer than you would expect but it's good fun to drive. Onto the Lavant Straight and I accelerate, the noise is terrific. As my time with the GT350 goes on my confidence increases. During the second lap the rain that had been looming starts, so it's on with the wipers. Luckily it's only a short burst. There is now a familiar sight in my mirrors in the shape and form of the E-Type. This time I'm being caught. As I make my way around the last lap, I'm able to keep my distance from the E-Type and the instructor is happy that I have got his steering suggestion under my belt. Reluctantly, I take the chicane and turn into the paddock. I get out of the car and the heavens open.

In summary, the 911 is the best handling classic I have driven and it's easy to drive. Get it wrong and it will not forgive you. It's easy to see why Porshe has such enthusiastic followers. Before today I did not understand it. I do now. 

To the GT350. The combination of brakes, suspension, steering and handling does not make it a great track car against the European cars. But it's all of the above that make it great fun. The engine and the noise are terrific and when you do get a lap right it really does make you smile. 

It's a dream come true to be able to drive both of these cars, for me the Porsche would be my choice for a track car, the Shelby would be my choice to cruise the streets in.

My brother and I would like to thank the staff at Mithril Racing for making us feel welcome and for allowing me to take the cars out of their packages. 

My brother enjoyed his drive in the E-Type and was happy I did not overtake him. Next time........

Aston Martin DB4, E-Type Jaguar & AC Cobra driving experience with Mithril Racing at Goodwood Circuit.

It's a glorious summer morning and at 7:30 am, it's time to hit the road and drive to Goodwood Circuit.

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?

D-Type Jaguar Driving Experience with Mithril Racing.

It's a crisp spring morning and I'm on my way to Mithril Racing at Goodwood to drive their D-Type Jaguar. Naturally any chance to drive this kind of car is met with much excitement and it's a good job I'm not driving as I would probably be driving far to quickly. 

We arrive in good time and are welcomed by the Mithril Racing staff who are friendly and knowledgable about all of the cars. We have a cup of tea and wait for the other drivers to arrive while the car is collected from where it is kept. When it arrives it looks stunning and sounds great. We are given a quick talk and we are taken to the cars we will be driving. The doors on the D-Type are tiny and open upwards. To climb in you raise your leg over a high sill onto the seat position your legs either side of the steering wheel and lower your legs to find the pedals. Once in I am greeted with a large and comfortable leather seat. My guide then gets in and hand me the key. My instructions are simple: put the key in the ignition, turn the key and press the starter button. I follow the instructions and when the car fires up I am greeted with a lovely rasp of a twin cam straight six engine. I am then asked to rev the engine a few times and then let the car idle for a couple of minutes while the other drivers get to grips with their cars. While this is going on, I soak up the view I have, the wooden steering wheel, the dashboard, the little windscreen and the sound from the straight six engine I then chat with the man from Milthril about a few things. He will give me hand signals to speed up and slow down. When he pushes his hands away from his body I speed up, when he does the reverse this means slow down. This was first used by Stirling Moss's co driver Dennis Jenkinson during the 1955 Mille Miglia. There are yellow cones around the track. These are placed at the apex of the corner and give the best point of the corner to aim at. Finally, he mentions that the D-Type has a four speed manual Gearbox and that once into fourth gear, the only place I will need to change gear is at the chicane. We are then given the clear to move off and get onto the track. At first steering the car at a slow speed is heavy going but gets easier the faster you go. My guide gives the all clear and it's foot down, up the gears. It's clear from the off that this car is fast and it's really does pick up quickly. It's light and the engine produces 300+ BHP. As we near Madwick corner the slow down signal is given so a light touch on the brakes and into the corner we go. With the yellow cones spotted, I steer toward the apex. No tyre squeal and not much body roll as we go through the corner.

It's then back on the power towards Fordwater and down towards St Mary's. This is more of a curve than a corner building up speed before breaking into Lavant corner.

 It's then back on the power for on the Lavant straight, which has a slight bend taken at full speed that is on a slight hill. On the first lap I reach roughly 85 before breaking and turning into Woodcote corner. A brief acceleration before braking and changing down to third gear for the chicane and we find ourselves back on the start\finish straight and flying towards the second lap.

While driving the D-Type. It becomes clear that this is a very easy car to drive, during the second lap, I find the corners better and get better on the exits. On the third lap again my cornering is better still and I reach 100 mph on the Lavant straight. The improvements in speed are down to increasing confidence as time goes on. The gear change is also very good. I have driven modern cars with a far clunkier change. The clutch is a little heavy but it does not feel like I have been to the gym. I know that I am not pushing the car anywhere near its capacity but you still get the feel of how far you could push it. Given a Le Mans gear ratio, the top speed of one of these is near 185 mph. When cornering the suspension does not feel like a car that is now 60 years old. I have driven those that do.

At the end of the third lap, it's time to pull into the paddock and hand the car back. Driving the D-Type has been a magical experience and one that will stay with me. 

If you do wind up taking the D-Type for a spin, I recommend that you take some goggles or sunglasses as the windscreen is very low and being hit by the wind at high speed could slow your drive down. If you ware glasses, they will be fine.

If you like Classic cars, you will find it hard to beat the ambience of going to Goodwood and being able to drive around the same track as Moss, Fangio, Stewart and Clark amongst others driving similar cars is a chance not to be missed.