sports-active
Adrenaline-Fueled Driving Experiences
Drive a Lamborghini, race in a stock car, go off-roading in a Land Rover and more
Do your best James Bond imitation, jump behind the wheel of a souped-up sportscar and drive off for the experience of a lifetime. These adventurous excursions also make perfect gifts for those hard-to-impress thrill-seekers on your holiday list.
Thanksdarling.com
United Kingdom
This is the ultimate resource for when you're stumped by what to get that special person in your life. The aptly named Thanksdarling.com offers a range of unusual experiences, from aerobatic flying to cooking classes, but its main focus is driving adventures for speed demons, among them chance to drive a Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, or Porsche around a racing track, as well as more off-the-wall outings. How about spending the day driving a double decker bus? Or a fire engine? Or even a tank! Once you buy the experience, it is valid for nine months, so even the busiest of people should be able to arrange a time to live out their Formula 1 fantasies.
Experiences starting at £99
Web Site: www.thanksdarling.com
Phone: +44 (0)208 986 4555
Xperience Days.com
United States
Much like the UK's Thanksdarling.com, the US-based Xperience Days also offers an array of turbo-charged adventures throughout the country. From dune buggy races in the Nevada desert to zipping around like a NASCAR star at Alabama's Talladega Speedway (shake and bake baby!), velocity junkies will get their fix. Bond fans in Pennsylvania can get into character with the "007 Experience," which involves car chases, reverse spins and "bad guy" apprehension.
Experiences starting at $75
Web Site: www.xperiencedays.com
Phone: +1 866 973 7436
E-mail: lookafterme@xperiencedays.com
Cloud 9 Living.com
United States
Another great online adventurous experience resource in the United States is Cloud 9 Living, which has a tempting array of unusual gift ideas—Private Ninja Lessons in New York, anyone?—and their Driving Days are no exception. You can ride shotgun in a stock car, or even drive one yourself, and there are Land Rover off-road adventures available too. Don’t worry if you’re not sure which gift your loved one would prefer; Cloud 9 Living also sell gift cards, so recipients can choose for themselves.
Experiences starting at $75
Web Site: www.cloud9living.com
Phone: +1 866 525 6839
E-mail: customerservice@cloud9living.com
International Porsche Driving Schools
Worldwide
To many people, the Porsche is the ultimate sports car—sleek, sexy and very fast—and to drum up even more excitement about their cars, the German company cleverly operates Porsche Driving Schools around the world, including ones in Brazil, Mexico, France, Italy, China, Japan, and Australia, as well as in the US and UK. If you're not already a lucky owner, you can rent a car for the course. The different schools offer different programs, but they tend to last either one or two days and teach you the basics of driving a Porsche both on and off the road. The instructors are all highly experienced racing lovers and some of the schools even offer women-only weekends for those ladies who looking to learn in a less testosterone-fueled environment! The main school in Leipzig, Germany, has the widest array of classes, including advanced ones for mastering how to drive on ice and learning eco-friendly driving tactics. Porsche also organizes driving camps in the deserts of Dubai or in Finland's Arctic Circle and runs a Porsche Travel Club for road trips. Gift Certificates are available.
Contact Porsche for prices and dates.
Web Site: www.porsche.com
Land Rover Experience Driving School at Equinox Resort & Spa
Manchester Village, Vermont
Located in Vermont's stunning Green Mountains, this outdoorsy driving school is definitely one for the adventurous who still want the comfort of an upscale hotel. While staying the historic Equinox Resort, guests can partake in Land Rover's new driving school, which opened in spring 2008 at the newly renovated hotel—already known for its falconry, golf, archery and fly fishing programs. Take command of a Land Rover and head into the countryside to battle rugged landscape, navigating muddy inclines and rocky terrain for the ultimate off-road experience. The 80-acre course and off-road trail systems are staffed by expert drivers who teach students the ins and outs Land Rover’s fleet (choose among the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover LR3, Land Rover LR2 vehicles). The Experience Center is open year round—in winter students learn snow and ice driving techniques—and offers a range of experiences from a one-hour intro session to half and full day programs all customized to skill level and interest of students. (They also have a guided Kid’s Adventure course for little ones 5-12 years old) Not heading up to Vermont any time soon? Additional Land Rover Experience Centers are scattered across the globe, including three others in North America alone, and more in the United Kingdom, China, Turkey, South Africa and Australia.
One-hour lesson $225 per vehicle; full day experience $850 per vehicle
Equinox Resort
3567 Main Street
Route 7A
Manchester Village, VT 05254
+1 802 362 0687
Master Maserati Driving Courses
Varano de’ Melegari, Italy
You might not want to make your Maserati go 185, but what if it belonged to somebody else? Whether you're a proud Maserati owner or simply an admirer of sleek Italian sports cars, you're guaranteed an unforgettable ride when you sign up for one of these top-speed courses offered by the famous manufacturer. Offered at the Varano de' Melegari Autodrome in Northern Italy (just 12 miles south of Parma), the Master Maserati Driving Courses gamely mix thrill with safety. You'll take the wheel under the watchful eye of a former professional race or rally driver who will give you expert tuition as you zip around the track, taking on various situations—and increasing speeds. Students also learn to control their car in simulated emergency situations—from rapid direction changes to braking at grip limit to controlled skids. For the full experience try the two-day program which includes a two night stay at four star Hotel Parma & Congressi, two lunches, cocktails on arrival and Maserati gifts. Check the Maserati site for upcoming courses.
Two-day, all-inclusive program €3,700 per participant
Master Maserati
Paletti Track
Varano de’ Melegari, Parma
Italy
+39 0525 551138
info@mastergt.it
Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
Phoenix, Arizona
If you really want to learn to drive like a pro, why not follow the lead of some of the biggest names in racing? With alumni like Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, and the Earnhardts, the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, in Phoenix, isn’t kidding when it says it is committed to professional driving instruction. But don’t worry if it's your first time on the track; the school's founder, Bob Bondurant, a former Formula 1 competitor, is equally dedicated to offering tutelage to all skill levels. Whether you only have time for day-long full throttle class with the chance to hit zero-to-60 mph in four seconds flat, or you’re looking for maximum track time in the 4-day Grand Prix Road Racing course—you’ll drive a 2008 Corvette Coup and an F-1 style Formula Bondurant, and even be eligible for your SCCA license—there are plenty of course options to choose from. Bondurant also offers a range of safety and high performance classes, including a new Teen Defensive Driving course—no doubt the coolest way to learn how to drive safely!
One-day intro to racing course, from $1,375
Bondurant
PO Box 51980
Phoenix, AZ 85076
+1 800 842 7223
Bridgestone Racing Academy
Ontario, Canada
Like the Bondurant School, Ontario's Bridgestone Racing Academy, sponsored by Bridgestone tires, is fully equipped to train the most advanced drivers, but also offers a stellar record of catering to laypeople with a need for speed. Located about 1.5 hour's drive from Toronto, the course even attracts Americans from all over the US to its aptly named “Thrill of a Lifetime” classes, which offer trackside instruction before sending students off racing in a brand new fleet of single-seater Van Diemen Formula cars. Depending on how long you want the experience to last, Bridgestone offers day-long classes, with up to four 20 minute lapping sessions in one day! In these multi-session courses, the entire facility is open only to the 16 students taking the class. Each driving session is topped off with a personal critique from one of the highly skilled instructors, so by the end of the day most students are eligible to sign up for one of the advanced racing courses. Best of all, the school's statistics speak for themselves—in 23 years, the center has never had a single injury.
Half-day, single session $557
Bridgestone Racing Academy
Box 373
Pontypool, ON L0A 1K0
Canada
+1 905 983 1114
Everyman Driving Experiences
Leicestershire and Hampshire, England
Every man—or woman—who loves putting the pedal to the metal and isn't already a professional racecar driver should bookmark the Website of this niche UK-based outfitter. In business since 1981, Everyman Driving is dedicated to offering fun (and creative) high speed experiences—so there’s little you won’t find on their impressive, pulse-racing list of luxury and classic car driving courses. The hardest part is choosing just one! Get behind the wheel of a classic Aston Martin then switch to a Jaguar in the “Classic Car Experience,” take on the “Euro Challenge” with tantalizing turns in a Lamborghini, Porsche 911 turbo, Aston Martin and Ferrari, or strap on that helmet for an F-1 experience as a driver or passenger—your choice. Tweens and Teens can get in on the action with the supervised kids program for those between 12 and 16 years of age. Everyman, with venues in Leicestershire and Hampshire, also offers gift certificates for the truly indecisive (or, you could say, more “thoughtful”) gift giver.
Experiences from £30
Everyman Racing
+44 01455-841670
BMW Performance Driving School
Spartanburg, South Carolina
You don't need to be a BMW owner to take part in this outstanding Performance Driving School. A fleet of all-new models and top-flight instructors are standing by at BMW's $12.5 million facility in Spartanburg with one purpose—to make you a better driver. The state-of-the-art track features a skid pad, slalom and a water wall, as well as off-road tracks and a heart-pumping 'rat race' (chase the driver in front of you), all of which will test and improve your road-handling skills. One- and two-day sessions tackle safety and performance, while M School students take on BMW's racy M Coupe.
BMW Performance Driving School
1155 Highway
101 South Greer
Spartanburg, SC 29651
+1 888 345 4269
Buck Baker Racing School
Charlotte, North Carolina
Train with a racing hero. Two time NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion, Buck Baker, heads up this racing school. It’s the oldest school in the country, and not just for beginners: Buck Baker’s team will instruct you at every level- even professionals visit this school. State-of-the-art technology is available in every car, and instructors monitor your progress with cameras and data acquisition equipment. A wide range of courses mean it’s worth a visit whether you want to experience the thrill of being driven by a professional instructor or take the wheel yourself after just half-a-day’s training.
Buck Baker Racing School
1613 Runnymede Lane
Charlotte, NC 28211
United States
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