Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011

I was fortunate to either drive or ride in the following cars, shown in order of experience.

Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf

Okay, so not the most obvious choice of car to drive but at the end of the day it is still an Alfa Romeo and one of their sportier models. The boot was big enough for all the camera gear and a fully grown adult could fit comfortably in the back seat. This was my forth visit to the Goodwood Festival of Speed but my first time ever going up the hill. I was therefore naturally cautious, getting a feel for both the car and road and not wanting to be known as the person who crashed in to the hay bales - something reserved not long after for a Volvo driver.

Whilst I was not expecting too much from it, there was a noticeable difference in the performance and handling when switching between sport and normal mode. It took the bumps and rolls with comfort and as a daily car with a bit of poke under the bonnet it handles the job beautifully. I would even go so far to say that were I in the market for a new car this would be on my list of potential candidates.

Audi R8 V10

I have been lucky enough to be a passenger in many different Lamborghinis but this was to be the first time I could experience the power of the Gallardos cousin. I would also get to experience it in the hands of a professional driver on a closed road so in hindsight I should have been holding on a little tighter as we approached the start line. The marshal waved us off, the driver floored it and the view from my handheld camera went a bit skywards.

I stabilised myself as we headed along the straight and even though this was still about 10:30 on Thursday morning the driver knew where he was going, clipping the corners and sliding round the bends. Approaching the wall the marshals held out a slow down sign even though it now felt we were doing a comparatively slow speed and the driver gives a little laugh. We are soon over the finish line and off down the track as we loop round back to the Audi stand, catching up with the other R8s on the main road. The ride was firm but not uncomfortable and the V10 sitting just behind my head was a joy to listen to.

Mercedes CL63 AMG

At the time of driving this was the second most powerful (and expensive) car I had driven. Because it was a sunny day the roof was down and stereotypically there was an attractive blond in the passenger seat. However she was no bimbo, being one of the professional AMG drivers from Mercedes and her job was to ensure the drivers did not get too carried away with the right foot. After accidentally applying the foot brake when we swapped places it was time to pootle out to the start line behind the other, less powerful, cars. The V8 burbled appreciatively and the speedo crept higher.

The run was done in full auto mode so I no need to worry about gear changes and merely had to point the car in the right direction and press the loud peddle. My grin widened as we entered the wall section and the engine noise reverberated off it, made all the more clearer due to the lack of a roof. So I made it up the hill in one piece and whilst it was by no means the fastest time of the day, just going fast defeats the object of this car. Sure, it is designed to go fast but to also get there in style and sophistication without the look at me persona that more traditional supercars have. I plan to visit Mercedes Benz World some time soon and see what the car feels like uninhibited by walls and hay bales.

Fiat Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari

A last minute call from the Fiat PR guy sees me running back down towards the paddocks on Saturday morning to hitch a ride up the hill in an Italian plated Fiat Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, in red. There is already one passenger in the car who was going up the hill in a Jag so I clamber into the back for the short ride down. First thoughts are that thereās not a great deal of room in the back for a full sized adult. Down at the start line and I get to sit in the front, much more comfortable.

The cynics may say this is just a re-badged Fiat 500 but thereās a bit more to it than that. In order to wear the Ferrari badge the guys from Maranello helped with some engine and other related performance changes. Some internal tweaks and detailing have also been made which all help to make this a fun little car with a bit more power than you'd expect.

Lexus LFA Nurburgring edition package

My highlight of the entire event, I got to drive the brand new one-off prototype during the FoS. Read all about it on GTSpirit Lexus LFA Nurburgring drive