Advanced Driving

[JamesB]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed on the forum before (please redirect me if it has) but does anyone have any thoughts on which is the best advanced driver training?

I am aware of IAM and Pass Plus and can't really see that one is much better than the other. However I am sure that there are a few people here who have done this sort of thing and probably more advanced stuff and would appreciate anybody's opinion.

Cheers

James

[jeffw]

I did the High Performance Club course with John Lyons...very hard work but enjoyable !

http://www.high-performance-course.co.uk/

[Bushy]

It just has to be Big Jon from Drivetrain

www.drivetrain.co.uk i think

Bushy

[simple1]

I have done quite a few, and have to say I found John Lyons to be a good teacher but not so good in the driving dept. He very nearly wrote us and my Ferrari off within 500 yards of his offices and left me feeling a little nervous for the rest of the day. The wet/snow handling at MIRA was great fun and very educational, the rest of the day left me feeling the £680 my wife paid for the day was not good value for money. Having completed and passed IAM and Diamond advanced tests, and completed various other high speed pursuit and avoidance courses through work, the best roadcraft skills were learnt through training for IAM.

[JamesB]

Thanks chaps,

As I'm looking for something for my wife as well to make her a bit more confident, I think that it might be best to start with the IAM, then for me to move on to something a bit more advanced. I also would have thought that the IAM is more likely to lead to an insurance discount but correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks again - all input is gratefully received.

James

[simple1]

Some insurance companies, but not mine, Axa offer upto 20% discount extra for IAM, infact my company loaded me for being a professional driver at one point. It seesm they are far more interested in Trackers and alarms than good drivers.
Enjoy the training, I personally think everybody should have to do more after 10/15 years driving-------you might consider a rally day at Bill Gywene or suchlike for the wife, teaches car skills and my misses had a ball

[RacingTeatray]

I have literally this minute come back from spending a day with a something called the 1st Lotus Driving School. Went along with a mate who has an gussied-up Elise and another mate who has an S2000 (you don't have to have a Lotus).

Absolutely amazing and exhausting. Cost 160 quid each for the 3 of us to share an instructor. He was an ex-Formula Renault driver and just a bit handy with a car.

Now acquainted with the dark arts such as heel 'n toeing, steering on brakes/throttle, braking so as to beat the ABS and stop in a shorter distance etc etc.

And am damn chuffed that managed to get my standard A3 T Quattro (ESP turned off) around the track as quick as the S2000 managed and within 2 secs of the best time the Elise could manage. And no it wasn't wet as the rain held off!

I totally recommend this kind of thing. Safety-concious and hooliganism in one concentrated 7hr dose!

[Nige_RS4]

It just has to be Big Jon from Drivetrain

www.drivetrain.co.uk i think

Bushy

It's actually www.drivetrain.uk.com

Nige.