Zafiro
Supreme Roadmaster
- Messages
- 30,811
Fun fun and fun!!
I had a go on this track some years ago with my motorcycle and been a passenger in a few cars but never driven my own car here.
This is a small track with many tight corners and one long straightline. In english it's called Valley of Speed, in swedish Ring Knutstorp. One of the most famous swedish tracks, in total 3 km lenght.
We were 8 cars at the same time , we were following an experienced race driver so we could see what line is the best to place your car. Not allowed to drive past other cars or the leader car. But make no mistake, the pace was quick and the speed high. You really had to focus on the driving and to keep the distance and be ready if someone brake.
SL63 AMG, TT-RS, Impreza STI, BMW 335i and few others. The leader driver were driving a Jaguar F-type. I don't know how much experience the others have but me, I'm just a rookie.
I was a little nervous at the beginning, didn't want to crash my car but you lost it quickly. I was impressed with my little car. I have the performance package with LSD and the car comes with Michelin Supersport.
The handling on this pocket rocket is amazing, much confidence. The turn into the corners is quick, you steer and aim and the cars goes your way and you can place the car where you want it. Hit the throttle in the middle of the corner and the car fly away like a rocket. The grip on the tyres is amazing. In some corners you can go 70-120 km/h, what a wonderful feeling that is. I'm little coward with the brakes, I brake early. I definitely need more experience.
6 laps later the brake still last but the brakes can be better. On normal roads they are fine but on the track, you want brakes with more bite, feeling and stopping power.
I had it in sportmode but wanted to try trackmode but I chickened out. The steering is quick and responds to my inputs. I can feel the wheels to dig into the aspfalt and going right and left wherever I steer.
Before the long straightline you gas in the corner and out of the corner with full throttle. I was focusing on my drive but did look once at the speedo before I hit the brakes and could see 180 km/h. Like I said if I could trust my brakes better I would brake later.
The SL63 is obviously a quicker car in straightline. TT-RS, AWD is better than FWD when it comes to traction but If I hit the gas earlier in the corner than the TT-RS, the car couldn't catch me in that long straightline but as soon as I brake he is catching me. I feel the others were more brave than me with the brakes. Again, experience is my disadvantage.
After the laps a few people were impressed by what the car sound like, its loud and sounds racey they said. The tyres were warm and smell good.
I will do this again if I have the chance because it was fun and you get to learn you car better.
I doubt the others had more fun than me with their faster and expensive cars.
In the end of the day most important thing is that you had fun and you can see how capable the ST is. It's not that ST is bad track car, it's me, the driver.
I wish everyone can have a little track experince some day in your life. Take it if you can, you won't regret it.
See picture for my favorite parts.
My girlfriend took a few photos, unfortunaly no video clips:
Not me driving but you can follow the track here.
I had a go on this track some years ago with my motorcycle and been a passenger in a few cars but never driven my own car here.
This is a small track with many tight corners and one long straightline. In english it's called Valley of Speed, in swedish Ring Knutstorp. One of the most famous swedish tracks, in total 3 km lenght.
We were 8 cars at the same time , we were following an experienced race driver so we could see what line is the best to place your car. Not allowed to drive past other cars or the leader car. But make no mistake, the pace was quick and the speed high. You really had to focus on the driving and to keep the distance and be ready if someone brake.
SL63 AMG, TT-RS, Impreza STI, BMW 335i and few others. The leader driver were driving a Jaguar F-type. I don't know how much experience the others have but me, I'm just a rookie.
I was a little nervous at the beginning, didn't want to crash my car but you lost it quickly. I was impressed with my little car. I have the performance package with LSD and the car comes with Michelin Supersport.
The handling on this pocket rocket is amazing, much confidence. The turn into the corners is quick, you steer and aim and the cars goes your way and you can place the car where you want it. Hit the throttle in the middle of the corner and the car fly away like a rocket. The grip on the tyres is amazing. In some corners you can go 70-120 km/h, what a wonderful feeling that is. I'm little coward with the brakes, I brake early. I definitely need more experience.
6 laps later the brake still last but the brakes can be better. On normal roads they are fine but on the track, you want brakes with more bite, feeling and stopping power.
I had it in sportmode but wanted to try trackmode but I chickened out. The steering is quick and responds to my inputs. I can feel the wheels to dig into the aspfalt and going right and left wherever I steer.
Before the long straightline you gas in the corner and out of the corner with full throttle. I was focusing on my drive but did look once at the speedo before I hit the brakes and could see 180 km/h. Like I said if I could trust my brakes better I would brake later.
The SL63 is obviously a quicker car in straightline. TT-RS, AWD is better than FWD when it comes to traction but If I hit the gas earlier in the corner than the TT-RS, the car couldn't catch me in that long straightline but as soon as I brake he is catching me. I feel the others were more brave than me with the brakes. Again, experience is my disadvantage.
After the laps a few people were impressed by what the car sound like, its loud and sounds racey they said. The tyres were warm and smell good.
I will do this again if I have the chance because it was fun and you get to learn you car better.
I doubt the others had more fun than me with their faster and expensive cars.
In the end of the day most important thing is that you had fun and you can see how capable the ST is. It's not that ST is bad track car, it's me, the driver.
I wish everyone can have a little track experince some day in your life. Take it if you can, you won't regret it.
See picture for my favorite parts.
My girlfriend took a few photos, unfortunaly no video clips:
Not me driving but you can follow the track here.
