[dBlast]

ZX3_2NV,Jun 5 2008, 11:39 AM Wrote:I'll be hitting up the course tomorrow should be fun did they have any problems taking an extra person?
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I think I saw you. I was at the 10am session Friday morning but I arrived about an hour early so I was watching the earlier session. Were you wearing shorts and a ball cap angled off centre? I think I also saw KOS with his 30 yr old RHD Mini.

The test drive was awesome! I wish I could test drive all cars this way before purchasing them. You really got to test the handling limits of the various cars albeit only up to second gear.

The Mini S was pretty impressive with nice crisp go kart like handling. The Mazda 3 felt like a minivan through the course in comparison. The Volvo C30 tires were squealing with every turn (obviously under-tired compared to the rest.) The VW GTI's brakes seem spongy although not too bad in handling but nowhere near as crisp as the Mini.

On this course with a back to back comparison you could really tell the cars apart. If you were to test drive them from the dealership on a road course with the salesperson next to you would not be able to push the cars to the levels on this closed course. You would probably have a more difficult time deciding which car is better.

After this test drive, the Mini Cooper S Clubman definitely moved up a number of notches on my list of next possible cars to purchase.