Crunchie and I met up with an Aero owner and we brought the Westfield FW400 (now for sale) and the Ultima GTR to Bedford for a track day. The last time I was here I was driving the Morgan 3W, mostly it seemed on two wheels, so this is a very different experience.
Crunchie drove the FW400 mainly, as I have not driven it much recently and that dog-box can be a challenge. There is a long straight at Bedford and the FW reaches 140 mph about halfway down and that is 7000 revs so flat out, so the faster cars come past, but in the bends and on braking it's a weapon and its light weight really means that it can take on and beat much more highly regarded machines.
The Ultima is the complete opposite, it feels heavier (it is 930 kg!) and is very physical to drive, heavy clutch, heavy gearbox, solid brake pedal that needs a hefty shove, but is it fast - hell yes! It is hitting circa 175 mph at the end of the long straight and is still accelerating, before you brake for the corner. But rather than break into hyperbole, one of the passengers has done a video as a passenger in both cars, not the change in one of the corners - suddenly you're in an open car before switching back to the Ultima.
https://vimeo.com/137199326It was certainly the fastest car on the day and there were some pretty interesting cars there, as well as the usual hot hatches, etc. Mind you the FW400 is not disgraced either! We have quite a few photos as well so if anyone is interested I can post some of them here too.
We hope to take one of them to the Willams track day next week and we'll have the Ultima at Dunsfold on Saturday, where we've been invited to do some runs down the runway. Sounds like fun...
If any TM'ers are at the same event, then please make yourselves known.
excellent Brian.....enjoy
