This coming weekend May 19th and 20th Super Car World is offering you the chance to reach ‘Top Gear’ and feel the thrill of driving some of the worlds most exotic cars at Kirkbride Airfield (near Carlisle).
Super Car World is the creation of Dumfries man Scott Robson and his business partner Andy Gordon from Edinburgh, both of whom are racing drivers and experts in the super car world. I was very kindly invited along to Kirkbride to speak to Scott and Andy and to have a drive in some of their super Cars.
Kirkbride Airport is owned and maintained by Solway Light Aviation Ltd. It’s probably one of the most picturesque airfields in the UK situated in the North West corner of Cumbria, with the imposing fells of the Lake District to the East and the Solway heritage coast on the West. Easy to find, just 9 miles west of Carlisle and with 4000ft of asphalt to land on it makes an ideal location for your adventure.
As stated, I found the airport easy to find taking only an hour and a half to get there from Kirkcudbright. There is lots of parking available right next to the hangers where Super Car World operate from. Once I was parked up, I went and registered myself into the group/time-slot that I was booked in for. I was greeted by very friendly staff, who gave me the insurance documents I had to complete in order to drive. While I was waiting I got to chat briefly to Scott and Andy about their new venture – Scott told me
“For as little as £49.00 you can drive cars worth over a hundred thousand pounds – You’ll be blown away by the staggering performance of our Lamborghini, breathtaking noise of our Ferrari, the brutality of our Nissan GTR, roof down experience of our R8, and the agility of our Lotuses, we’ve got the supercar fleet to ensure every petrolhead lives out their dreams.”
Scott then gathered the whole group of drivers from my time slot group (around 20 of us) for a safety chat, letting us know how important it was to listen to our instructors at all times, to stay withing the coned areas and that for those of us that were first timers the cars will be like nothing we have ever driven before.
You don’t have to have a driving license to take part, you can experience the cars from the passenger seat if you prefer, but as long as you are over the age of 12 and over 5ft tall then you can drive them, and there were a couple of young drivers in our group that with the help of a few cushions, were driving the dream machines no problem.
Andy Told DGWGO –
“Everyone involved with Supercarworld UK is an enthusiast; from the back room guys to our team of pro racing instructors, every one of us lives and breathes cars. So we know that feeling you feel when you sit in your first Lamborghini or Ferrari and fire it up. It never leaves you, as it’s never left us. We want you to drive, enjoy, love your time with these amazing cars, just like we do!”
So then we were off to the circuit to have our go behind the wheel. My day’s experience included Driving 5 Super cars, and being driven by Scott in his racing Lotus car.
The Five Cars I drove were –
The Nissan GTR – What a beast, and probably the best car to have started with in my opinion.
The R35 Nissan GT-R is Nissan’s finest hour, a high tec Japanese beast, with acceleration that is unbelievable.The engine is a 3.8-litre V6, putting out a staggering 550bhp and 466lb ft of torque. Capable of 193mph and 0–62mph acceleration times below three seconds.
I loved it and although it was not the sexiest or most famous name on the track that day, it made the adrenaline pump through my veins, and my 3 laps around the circuit flew by far too quickly.
Next up for me was the Audi R8 V10 Spyder (as seen in the movie 50 Shades of Grey)
The sun was shining and the roof was down, this was the only manual gearbox out of the 5 cars I drove on the day, but as my own car is manual it was no bother to get to grips with, and wasn’t that long before I had the The V10 soft-topped Sypder’s engine roaring down the Kirkbride Runway. As I fired down the straight and dropped the exquisitely engineered, six-fingered open gate gearbox into 3rd gear and booted the throttle, I sunk into the leather with my stomach left somewhere back at the previous corner. This 4 wheel drive car with Audi Quattro traction underfoot has unreal grip.
The R8 is anything but a fully paid-up member of the supercar A-list. It won’t quite hit 200mph, but 62mph passes by in a eye-trembling 4.1sec. And look at these engine figures: 518bhp at 8000rpm – you should hear it purr. A fantastic roof down experience.
My 3rd Car was a fantasy come true for me, This was the car I have dreamed about driving – The Aston Martin V8 Vantage ( My James Bond Moment)
The V8 Vantage is thrilling to drive and oozes class and desirability, the minute I sat in it a felt like I was James Bond himself. This 3 lap drive was going to be special, and something to savour.
Power comes from a 420bhp 4.7-litre V8 which sounds sensational, the car has a seven-speed automatic gear box, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the drive. The car is capable of 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and hit a top-speed of 180mph. 
Compared to the previous two cars the steering was heavy, and the ride was lower and harder. The car just ticked along like a normal saloon while I ferried out to the start line of the circuit, It felt like a car you could use everyday and take grocery shopping. That was until my instructor said “Now give it some welly!” OMG, what a roar, what acceleration, I had never experienced anything like it, apart from being on a roller coaster.
No wonder 007 chooses an Aston, what a machine!
While I was waiting for my next driving experience Scott offered to take me for a spin in one of his racing spec Lotus cars, that he and Andy had both used to race in previously.
This was an experience like no other, the little open top race-car, doesn’t look as smart or flash as the other cars that I had been driving, but after I was strapped in, and Scott started the engine, the wee Lotus definitely ruled the track. With the roar of an engine like a lion calling his pride, Scott made that wee car fly, he drifted it with full control and ease around the corners of the track.
If you do decide to go for a driving experience day at Super Car World and you have no previous car racing experience, I recommend you pay to go out with the pros in this wee racing car and feel what it is really like to be in a motor racing car being driven to the edge.
After I had brushed myself back down, 4th up was the Ferrari 458 Italia (my favourite car of the whole day )
Things were now becoming serious, I didn’t want to love this car, but from the moment I sat in the £200,000, 458 Italia and gripped the steering wheel of the awesome V8 Ferrari, I knew this car was something very special indeed . With 562bhp or a top speed in excess of 200mph, this is a mind blowingly fast car, with sublime handling, an engine noise that can only be described as magical, it’s a true jewel in the crown of any supercar line up.
I had tingles up and down my spine as I did my 3 laps in this car, with acceleration that throws you back into the body gripping seat, and breaks that throw you forward again, the engine noise is like a voice in your ear that tells you to push it a little bit more. It is addictive, and I challenge anyone that gets the chance to drive this car to not be smiling from ear to ear when you climb back out.
A seriously capable car, with a 7 speed state of the art flappy paddle gearshift, and stunning looks, this is the car dreams are made of.
Finally my last car was probably the most stunning car on the track – The LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO SUPERLEGGERA LP570.
The Super car of dreams and something that I never thought I would ever get a chance to drive, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera. The Gallardo Superleggera displays a stylish, sophisticated design directly inspired by the Super Trofeo championship racing cars and is designed to thrill from the moment you set your eyes on it’s stunning lines, get behind the wheel and start the engine, to the moment you push that throttle down and woosh down the track, break at the corner and floor it back out. This car is a bullet on wheels.
Lambo claims 0-124mph in 10.2sec, which is quicker than the 458, and it feels capable of meeting the claim. The chassis is sharper, it does change direction better and the motor is supreme.
The gear box was set on automatic for me, but this Gallardo is not to be mistaken with the normal model, it is race track ready. The rear screen and quarter-lights are plastic (glass is too heavy), the other glass is thinner; the sill extensions, boot-lid and seat shells are all carbon. This car is fast, loud, analogue and very rewarding.
Now as I said earlier, the day’s experience had me feeling like James Bond, and 007 doesn’t only go very fast in beautiful cars, but he also flies in anything that can go up in the air. As Super Car World is based at Kirkbride Airport, which happens to be the home of Chris Jones Gyroplanes.com. You can have a flying experience in a two man Gyro-copter. Chris was offering a special deal to everyone who was taking part or spectating in the Super Car driving experience, of a 20 minute flight for £20.
I have to say, this is probably one of the best and easiest decisions I have ever made. The flight was amazing, and Chris is a really nice guy. Once he straps you into the Gyro-plane, fits you up with the safety helmet and intercom, you are off up, up and away, flying over some stunning scenery.
I was even given the controls and taught to turn left and right and fly straight, I must admit my stomach was in knots while I was in control, but when Chris was flying, I was free to enjoy the scenery, to take photos and to enjoy the whole experience. You can find out more about flying with Chris HERE.
So to round up my day at Kirkbride with Super Car World and flying with Chris Jones Gyroplanes.com all I can say is it was a 10 out of 10 day from start to end, Scott and Andy and all the staff are brilliant, friendly and helpful. Whether you are just driving one car, or all of them, you will walk away from your day with a memory that you will never forget.
Written by R.B exclusively for DGWGO
Several tips for the day.
- If you are driving or just going to spectate while a family member/friend drives do take a fold up chair with you, as you can be waiting around for a wee while. There are snacks and drinks available to purchase.
- Remember to charge up your camera and have plenty of memory space as there are plenty of chances to take photos of the cars in action, plus you can purchase professional images of you driving the cars on the day.
- If it is a sunny warm day, remember your sun glasses and sunblock.
- If it is wet, take an umbrella or waterproof, as it is a wee walk from the hangers to the start line.
- Be prepared for one of the best days of your life.
