Got a few photos but its such a pain to get them on here, I havent bothered.
Its a long read, so those who just want the basics, who, what did you beat, who was fastest etc see below:
tubby 1
- imprezza 0m5 1
- tubby 0tubby 1
- boxster 0tubby 1
- boxster s 0tubby 1
- caymen s 0tubby 1
- Suzuki swift 0tubby 1
- corsa vrx, stripped + slick race tires 0Porsche GT2 1
- Tubby 0 (but NOT by as much as I thought)tubby 1
- Porsche carrera 0tubby 1
- Porsch carrera 4s 0The first time I went a few years back was with the missus where as this time was with some other car enthusiasts, and was a different story!
Got the dfds ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam over night, arriving early the next morning.
Making the trip with me was my trusty mr2 turbo all polished and prepped with a full service, new tires, yellow stuff pads and a new double din sat nav system to help me find my way to the ring in Europe.
Amongst us was GtsChris with a standard Subaru Imprezza wrx sti
(270bhp) and J.J with his bmw M5 (500 and something bhp!) Arriving in Amsterdam to rain was a bad start, with us all thinking
"hope it aint like this at the ring".After picking up a friend at Amsterdam airport it was off through Holland and onto the autobahn for convoy fun!
Although higher than ours, there was limits in Holland but no signs or even a
"welcome board" to state that we had entered Germany.However after doing my research I knew the
"magic" no limit autobahn sign that I was looking for! My new sat nav also showed the limits for each rd you were on and once on the no limit parts the sat nav displayed (!) which I assumed meant go as fast and as hard as you can!First was the m5 and imprezza side by side, me behind from about 40-50mph ish.
They both got the better of me catching me napping, but surprisingly the imprezza looked to be keeping up (ish)It seems the m5 was toying with him, and even forgot to set it to
"m" mode!! After that it was a foregone story of course.The mr2 did slightly better with the m5 from about the same speed, but the m5 really is in a different league.
However because the other guys also own Mr2 turbos
(which unfortunately werent ready in time), we all kind of agreed a mildly modded mr2 turbo would keep up with the m5 from a standing start to about 60mph,even with all the power and electronics, the bmw is still really heavy and the mr2 if launched right is hard to beat, after 60mph though its a different story! It generally is who ever floors it first wins on a rolling start, but the M5 is little different!The ring.
Because a friend didnt have a car he had booked up to hire a track car from the ring.
A Corsa vrx fully race prepared, stripped, track slick tires etc, about 200bhp looked the biz!Anyway we knew we had a 2 hr track slot that night from 5.30pm to 7.30pm so made sure we were at the entrance early.
We got to see some new cars blasting past the entrance which appeared to be various new models from different manufacturers.
Saw the new Boxster which looks much better and slicker, a new jag covered in tape and paint so you couldnt really see the design but it sounded awesome. And we think the new Lexus Lfa thingy which looked and sounded like it was doing 170mph + down the long straight past the ring entrance.I was only gonna do two laps in mr, thought that would be enough,
(26mile)!!Anyway the first lap I hopped in the m5 and we chased the Imprezza round.
Although the m5 is crazy fast, it doesnt feel that fast, J.J had to point out to me that we were doing 140mph coming towards a tight corner! To say I was shocked is an understatement it felt like about 70mph!Any way we never overtook or put too much pressure on the imprezza, didnt want him to overcook it on the first lap!
Chris IS a good driver like, and he wasnt scared to push, J.J had to push a little to keep up, we were impressed with Chris in his Imprezza.
Mind you he`s got some balls, a lot more than me anyway.During this battle on the ring Steve rang us on J.J`s hands free which was
"challenging" shall we say for J.J while trying race round the track. Steve decided to have a lap in his corsa and meet up with us in the car park while the cars ticked cool.Right lets get the MR2 on the track, by the time I jumped out the M5 into my Mr2 the others were a good 6 cars ahead in the queue to get on.
Directly in front of me was a Carrera 4s.
Im thinking "this will be interesting" Not knowing when to really go for it after entering the track the Porsche pulled long ahead.However by about 5 corners time I was right behind him again.
He had the legs on me through the corners, but I seemed to be getting better traction out the corners and had the legs on him on the straight sections and I pulled past.
Jesus the mr2 felt fast, and pretty planted too.
Next up a race prepped Suzuki swift.
While I caught him on the straights easily, it was bloody fast through the corners, quicker than the Porsche! Maybe a better driver, who knows, any way got past on the straights with little difficulty.Next up another Porsche Carrera, dont know what type but just had
"Carrera" on the back. Not much to tell really, didnt take to long pass and pull ahead. At this poit I was pushing hard because I could see I was catching Steve in his little grey cereal box vrx.Pretty quick, but passed him easily on the straights again, he then put up a fight with the Swift that was still somewhere behind me.
After that I passed a few bikers and some usual traffic like sightseeing hatchbacks just cruising round.
We all wanted another lap but sadly the track closed and didnt re open because of an accident.
We knew that was it for the night and it was nt open the following day so we were all a bit disappointed and headed back to our hotel.
Believe it or not the best bits yet to come!
The next day we had a good look around the new facilities around the f1 circuit, bars, restaurants, shops, museums, casinos, roller coaster, karting track etc.
WE stood and watched some amazing machines go round the F1 circuit, Ferraris, porcshe gt3`s Astons.Some sort of track testing maybe? We then see an old battered Ford Escort come down the straight.
No, maybe some sort of track day!?Even if it is, bet its expensive we thought, scrutinizing, safety briefing, helmets, surely.
With now only 30 mins to go until we needed to leave to head back to the ferry, I decided in my wisdom to go ask at the info centre about the cars on track.
With a small language barrier I asked if the public could take cars on the F1 circuit?
"Yes of course" was the reply "its open from 9am until 5pm" he said."Oh Jesus", I thought, even if it was 500 euro I probably would have been handing over my credit card, as would the other guys, after being disappointed the night before and we all wanted more track action!But no.
..... 38 Euros per car. 38 Euros!!!! About 35 quid for 20mins on the F1 Circuit. Not only that but no briefing, no helmets needed, no scrutineering no sighting lap, "just pay and go through the barrier" he said in broken English.But did we have time?? Who cares, was the response at this point we were all going on if we missed the ferry or not.
We all drove down the pit lane grabbing photos of our cars in the F1 paddock on the way.
The others were behind me in the Imprezza and M5 in the queue.Once on the track I assumed everyone would take it steady the first lap to see were the track went,
(a bit like a sighting lap if you do a UK track day). Boy was I wrong. Chris and J.J howled past me like I had the handbrake on. Fair enough, there was so much run off, ill try my luck then.M5 quickly took the lead with me tailing Chris in the Imprezza, Christ hes some balls.
With the MR going sideways through most of the corners, almost drifting, I hung on to Chris, I reeled him in on the that awesome back
"dog leg straight" and pulled almost along side him on the main straight. He later said that there was no way he was gonna be Out braked by me, even if he had to brake at Mcdonalds in the next town. Unfortunately that tight, almost hairpin at end of the straight came up pretty fast. I out braked myself and went mega wide, lost the back end (luckily lots of run off), but amazingly held it. How cocky was I now!?Unfortunately thats were my skill ran out.
The next time the corner came round the car fooled me into thinking I held it again, this time though it fishtailed big style taking me eventually into a cloud of tire smoke.By that point I had lost Chris, but caught a Cayman s over the next few laps which I played with for a bit and then took on the back straight and left behind.
Next thing I know theres a big black nasty looking Porsche climbing in my boot.
I simply had to let it past just before hitting the main straight. Mind you I was getting off that last corner well in the little m.r and thought I was keeping up with what turned out to be a GT3. Having said that he only pulled about 5 car lengths on me by the time we exited the main straight. Come on the MR2!I think I enjoyed the F1 track more than the ring itself to be honest.
Well impressed with the Mr2, especially on the straights, for an old car it still shocks a lot of expensive machines.By the time we came off the track we were nearly an hour later than we should have been for the ferry.
Time to hot foot it back to Holland.
Claiming I would take it easier on the way back for fears of overheating soon disappeared when I was leading the convey and a Boxster wanted to play.
.... To be honest it was cannon fodder, couldnt really touch the MR. A little disappointed I couldnt push past 160mph because of traffic, I reckon itll hit 165mph before bouncing of the limiter in 5th gear.
Well we did make it just, thanks to the unlimited Autobahn and we all made it home in one piece with no problems at all really.
For a long time Ive been wanting a Porsche 911 turbo and been tempted by a few on piston heads, but you know what? after this trip I have new found love again for the Mr2 turbo, and think Im just wanting the 911 for the prestige.
Whats the point?
Spend 25k just for the sake of Prestige, something a little newer? Or spend nothing and keep a car that is comfortable enough on long journeys and can do the business on track.
I really think a tubby with a decent driver
(not me) will keep up with most things besides supercars on any track.What else can you get for the money that will be as good? Not a lot, if anything.
Long live the MR2 Turbo.
