Over the weekend I had a chance to get behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Gallardo as part of a "supercar experience" near me. If you have a chance to take part in something similar, I highly recommend it.

Participants chose a Ferrari 360 Modena or a Gallardo for a few laps around an autocross track. For liability reasons we were rev-limited, and due to the layout of the course we never saw serious speeds, but it was still an amazing drive. The Gallardo is a beast of a car: the V10 produces vicious, immediate thrust (not to mention an angry howl) and the grip of the AWD is unreal.

After my laps were finished and I had a chance to catch my breath I wondered how it would feel to get back in my MINI. Somewhat to my surprise, I appreciate and love my car even more than before. The quick pick-up and whine of the supercharger still cause a mad crazy grin and the nimble, precise handling still impress. What's more, the R53 exhaust can burble & pop with the best of 'em...including the Gallardo.

The Gallardo is absolutely impressive, but the experience did not diminish the love for my MINI, it only enhanced it. I can understand even more now why more than a few owners of exotics and supercars choose MINIs as daily drivers. I also realized that there is a limit on the amount of usable horsepower and performance on the street, and that IMO MINI hits the sweet spot.

So even after spending a few precious minutes behind the wheel of a $100K+ supercar, I'm excited - and lucky - to find a MINI in my garage each day.

 

Awesome!!

 

I have read from others that most Lambos drive "Like trucks. Very very fast trucks, but still..."

Pretty much the opposite of my cars, in fact. I like mine nimble and moderate-powered.

 

I did a 'drive experience' thru World Class Driving a few years ago

Driving in the mountains outside of Tahoe we rotated thru 5 cars: Ferrari 599GTB (205 mph+); Ferrari 458 (202 mph); Jag XKR; Bentley Supersport (204 mph); Lambo Superleggera. They provided a 'lead car' with multiple radar detectors and we followed . . .

How fast did we go? I probably should not say, but it WAS a hoot . . .

not on a track with cones .... on the 'street'







There was a briefing b4 we got into the cars and there was ONE with special warning ... the LAMBO .... they told us this one was a race car ... not a street car and we needed to be careful especially of the brakes .... which were race brakes .... a light touch can put YOU into the dash ....

SUPER FUN ... the company drives around with a truck load of cars and others possible when I did it were an AudiV10 and a McLaren ... they carry 'spares' in case a car is down (the Mc' needed a water pump on our day)



how did it compare to my MINI????? I was not unhappy with my MINI when I got home .... but ... prepare to be upset .....

my 2014 FOCUS ST seems to come closer to the experience of the LAMBO .... (I did hit over 100 in the mountains .... )



TOO FUN

 

Oh mama, what I would do for a shot at driving those cars through some twisties in the mountains!! Too bad most roads in FL are flat. And straight.

Thanks for sharing your experience, sounds awesome!

 

I love MINI's, I'm on number 5 now. What makes them fun to me is their relatively light weight, the nimbleness, and the challenge of conquering the FWD. That said, when I got back in my 911 after two weeks straight of the MCS, there's a reason it cost 3 times as much, its solidity is like driving a vault.
I drove it to Colorado in September, I too wish we had some mountain roads closer.

 

A friend of mine let me drive his 911 Carrera for a day a few years back - returning a favor since I had let him drive my MINI when I first bought it. Wow, what an experience, although I never took it anywhere near the limit. To my mind, the car oozed engineering precision, every shift was accompanied by a shift-gasm, throttle response was just amazing, the sound of the flat 6 a symphony, it was a truly great experience. Yet, once I got back into my '03 MCS, I was so happy. The MINI has a nimbleness, steering response and feedback that the Carrera lacked conspicuously. I'm sure the MINI can't do a lot of things the Porsche can, but for me the MINI is much more fun. Driving the Carrera made me appreciate my MINI so much more.

 

When I had a 944, and for several years after, I used a mechanic who specialized in Porsches but also worked on other exotica. About a year ago he let me drive a Ferrari 550 Maranello. it was quite a hoot, but I never got past fourth gear, as the Sawmill Parkway isn't exactly a Grand Prix venue, especially with Saturday traffic.

As a daily driver, I'd rather have Jeeves, my MCS. The Ferrari would be too frustrating to drive around here. Maybe in my next life...