6th Gear Blog

So frustrating I know, but earlier this month I flew out to the Lamborghini factory at Sant’Agata to view the new LP700-4 (Murcielago replacement) with the other chaps who also have one on order in the UK.
So whats it like? Now thats the problem cos I can’t say a word! Yep, had to sign a confidentiality agreement, was sent through a metal detector and basically sworn to secrecy. What I can say is its a stunning piece of kit, 700bhp, 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds and 210+ mph max speed. It also has a seven speed paddleshift transmission..looks like no manual option which is a crying shame.
Ferrari have trodden this road before with the 458 Italia (ours arrives Jan 2011) – my opinion is that paddleshift transmission’s have their place but a manual to me is always more ‘involving’ for a driver than a paddleshift.
Colour? For 6th Gear it will probably be Pearl Yellow with black/yellow seats..
Fancy a drive? It’ll be at least July 2011 when it lands but will be available at all 3 of 6th Gear’s circuits after that..

But the 2010 season is drawing to a close – its been a tough but rewarding year. 6th Gear has grown enormously and next year we’ll be even bigger with new cars and facilities on board. 6th Gear will also be even better value for money with the new Ferrari’s and aforementioned Lamborghini’s we have coming…See you then!

We’ve been lucky enough to get an invite from Lamborghini UK to get a preview at the factory of the new Murcielago replacement due mid 2011. We’re really looking forward to this landing at 6th Gear if only because Lamborghini’s were the starting point of 6th Gear four years ago. The visit is on November 9th so I’ll report on what this leviathan is really like when I return next month!
We’re winding down here at 6th Gear Experience as the events are coming to a close. Having said that the office gets much busier as the Christmas rush starts in November with a vengeance.
Most of the months inbetween the events finishing in November and the beginning of the 2011 season in March will be taken up with preparing all the Supercars for another year of action. In addition we’re beavering away putting the logistics into place for our European expansion into Spain to for 2012. Italy and France are on target to follow in 2012.

So to recap for next year the two new Supercars joining 6th Gear’s fleet will be the stunning Ferrari 458 Italia and the aforementioned new Lamborghini V12. It’s a heavy investment for us at around half a million quid but we reckon a surefire worthwhile one..

Anyway I’ll be back on the blog after the new Lamborghini preview, and from what I’ve seen regarding this new iconic Lambo I doubt we’ll be disappointed!

A couple of years ago here at 6th Gear, Ferrari’s were undoubtably the most requested of the Supercar fleet closely followed by Lamborghini, the Ariel Atom’s then the Aston Martins.
Its interesting how people’s taste’s change as currently the Lamborghini’s are out in front followed by Aston Martin’s in second with Ariel Atom’s and the Ferrari’s being a joint third. The 911 Turbo Porsche’s are proving more popular than we thought too.. funny thing is our Supercar Instructors adore being allocated a Porsche Turbo to instruct in, citing 4 wheel drive, a very forgiving chassis and of course blindingly quick accelaration.
It will be interesting also to see how our new Ferrari 458 Italia will affect the Ferrari’s overall popularity..personally I think the addition of this fantastic £200,000 Supercar to our fleet will see the Ferrari’s back on top of 6th Gear’s most requested list for 2011..
On the subject of the new V12 Lamborghini that will also be joining our fleet in 2011 we’re hearing little snippets of tantalising info on it…700bhp plus, 4 wheel drive, size wise a little shorter than the current Murcielago but even wider than the current Murcielago’s 6ft 5”! This will be the undoubted flagship of 6th Gear’s fleet when it lands in July 2011 – Lamborghini have yet to announce the name, but the fact they will be unveiling their new Lambo at Geneva in March next year has to be the motor industry’s worst kept secret..
The Radical is off the track for the timebeing but should be returning in the not too distant future. Repeated gearbox problems seem to be the issue at the moment, the fact is, it is a Racecar and as such can’t really be expected to attain the same reliability levels as our Supercars but it is disappointing not to have had it with us for the last few events.
With the end of the 2010 season in sight it’s soon going to be time to schedule the Supercar fleet into the paintshops and workshops for their annual overhauls. Most are going to need their front ends repainting and a couple including the Orange Murcielago – a full engine rebuild which isnt going to be cheap. But hey ho thats the business we’re in, and the quality coupled with the presentation of our Supercars is very important to us..
On a different note 6th Experience are pleased to announce we will shortly be moving into new premises around 3 miles away from our existing Head Office in Marston, West Midlands.
These smart new 2 storey offices also have attached enough covered garaging for all our 25 Supercars, 4 articulated racecar transporters and office space for 50 or so staff which should take care of our requirements for the next few years or so..Watch this space..
For those customers who have already had a Supercar Experience with us, look out for the Summer Newsletter just about to be emailed out. It’s got some great offers in and we’d love to have you back..

Apologies for not updating the blog for a while..What with the track season at it’s height we’re at one of our 3 UK circuits almost every weekend just at the moment..
So whats new?
Longcross, Surrey is proving astonishingly popular. With it’s ideal geographical location and interesting banked circuit it’s a thrilling place to be. Elvington, Yorkshire is also sold out on nearly every day we operate from there.
As the weeks go by the delivery date of our new Ferrari 458 Italia draws ever closer. You may have seen this fantastic new machine on Top Gear recently. With it’s jaw dropping looks, awesome accelaration and astonishing soundtrack Andy and I are confident this will be our sell out supercar for 2011..well maybe until July 2011 anyway. Why? Well around then lands Lamborghini’s new flagship Murcielago replacement and 6th Gear will be taking delivery of one of the first in the UK. With a rumoured 740BHP this will be an iconic Italian Supercar.
On another note we were proud to have working with us recently the world renowned car photographer Michael Bailie. Commissioned by our brilliant PR company Lawson Clarke, Michael spent most of a recent changeable July day snapping the cream of our fleet including the 6th Gear’s fleet of articulated trucks. Come along to one of our events from Mid-August and you will be able to buy some of the very best shots on a t-shirt or as a stunning print..
The new Range Rover Autobiography Sport has been a surprising hit with our customers also. Powered by a stonking 5 litre Supercharged V8 it’s just dreadful on fuel but boy is it worth it. It’s almost as fast as a Ferrari 360 in a straight line and although it’s being utilised for demonstration laps to show new customers the track prior to their experience, it seems to be creating quite a following as a driving experience in itself.
Back to Longcross and we were proud to have some lads down with us who have been injured in Afghanistan recently. Great bunch they were and although recovering from some pretty serious injuries they got behind the wheel of Lamborghini’s, Ferrari’s and Aston Martin’s with our compliments. Funny thing was one of them was asked on pulling into the pits by an Instructor what they thought of the Porsche 997 Turbo he had just driven? ‘Pretty scary actually’ came the reply. ‘Oh, and being shot at by the Taliban isnt’ trotted out our man!
We’ll always support Help for Heroes here at 6th Gear. Brave people indeed…

I was scratching my head the other week wondering which Supercar to take to Le Mans last Thursday. A fortunate position to be in you might say and you would be right. Ferrari 599, Lamborghini LP640 or the Aston DBS were on the menu but which one do you pick?
Bearing in mind 50,000 Brits invade France every June on this annual patriotic pilgramage there was only one choice in the stonking DBS. Covering 500 miles in just a few hours its a fantastic GT, comfy and powerful with superb brakes. My Co-Director Andy wasnt thinking along the same lines though and took one of our 420BHP DAF tractor units! At least he’s a bunk bed in there.

Camping isnt one of my favourite pastimes but at Le Mans its the norm. Fitting a tent, a passenger and 3 days worth of provisions in a Supercar isnt easy but the DBS is better than most with room behind the two front seats as well as the medium sized boot.
Sporting a huge Union Jack on the roof the DBS made it there and back over 4 days. Even though its got fantastic sports seats it didnt manage to shake the fatigue from its driver. 3 days of constant engine noise, music till 4am and fireworks means a trip to Le Mans deserves another break just to recover.

We’ve often thought here at 6th Gear whether to include an exclusively track orientated beast to our line up of 20 odd Supercars. My Co-Director Andy has always been a fan of the Radical simply because its grip and sheer pace around a circuit is utterley incredible. It even just shaves a sliver off the Supercharged Atom’s lap times much to the consternation of our Atom Manager Pete ‘Colonel’ Comerford.
Supercar fans will need no reminding that only a year ago a Radical smashed the lap record at the Nurburgring that has held ever since.
The downside is because our Radical has a sequential race spec gearbox we can’t risk customers driving it at the moment. So passenger ‘hotlaps’ is the order of the day.
Not that that fact dampened our customers enthusiasm when the Radical made its first appearance at our Surrey circuit near Longcross recently. Throughout the day with Andy in the pilot’s seat and a multitude of our customers riding shotgun, the Rad simply never stopped..

Another imminent arrival may surprise some. This is the very latest and greatest Supercharged Range Rover Sport.
Pushing out 500 bhp using the new Jaguar Supercharged motor its as fast in a straightline as a Ferrari 360 Modena. In fact compared to the old Range Rover Supercharged Sport this new model will accelerate to 100mph and back to zero, by which time the old RR has yet to reach the 100mph! It certainly won’t be cornering as well as a Ferrari but then again the Ferrari won’t seat 5 in comfort and a hold boot load of luggage on top.
However at 6th Gear we will be offering Supercharged Range Rover Driving Experiences as well as utilising this leviathan for demonstration laps.
Only the best for our customers at 6th Gear…

Time is rolling on and the first stunning Ferrari 458 Italia’s have already been spotted in the UK. Only in left hand drive I might add, but it’s not going to be long before the first 458′s with the steering wheel on the correct side are howling around these shores..

We’ve made the decision already to add this new and arguably best Ferrari in 25 years to 6th Gear’s Ferrari fleet. I’m personally very excited as Ferrari seem to have gone back to basics with this one. It’s quick, stunningly beautiful and sounds fabulous. I’m expecting 6th Gear’s example to land around October, just in time for the end of the season.

However..there is one other brand new Supercar that I can now reveal will be joining 6th Gear’s fleet by the middle of next year. This is going to make 2011 a vintage year Supercar wise. It’s well on the way in the development stages and rumour has it the first prototype examples are already running in Southern Italy at the top secret Nardo test track. What is it?
The new Lamborghini Murcielago.
The talk on the town is that this incredible Leviathan will push out well over 700bhp, comfortably exceed 230mph and accelerate to 60mph in 3 seconds flat.
Co-Director Andy and I have agreed that the way forward for 6th Gear Experience is to keep our fleet of ‘junior’ Supercars such as the Lamborghini Gallardo’s and Ferrari 360′s/430′s topped up with the very best flagship from each manufacturer – and this will include the newest most exciting Lamborghini in a decade.

Our ‘letter of intent’ is in at Lamborghini Manchester and we’re hoping for delivery in about a year. It maybe a long way off but this is one major league supercar that I for one will be counting down the days to drive..
Launch date is rumoured to be at the Geneva motor show in March 2011.
Watch this space…

Without doubt the Supercharged Atom is still the king when it comes to being hammered around 6th Gear’s circuits at Longcross, Elvington and Prodrive, Kenilworth. My Co-Director Andy took our Black Atom around Longcross last weekend and came back with a grin as wide as a cheshire cat. Longcross, Surrey is well known for it’s hump situated on ‘the snake’ – a twisty part of the track that undulates hence the name. Get the speed right over the hump and the Atom actually gets airbourne before its hard on the brakes for a left hand banked corner. Get the speed right here and the Atom flattens right down into this tight bend before the track opens out and its hard on the power, all the while listening to the squeal of the supercharger next to your left ear and being pinned into the seat by the sheer violence of the accelaration. It’s difficult to even change gear fast enough..Fantastic fun!

The Atom’s have their own small pit area separate from the mainstream Supercars on our circuits. We even have an Atom Manager in the legendary Pete (Colonel) Comerford who makes sure our customers get the very best from these astonishingly fast Supercars.

If you are booked on one of 6th Gear’s event days this year and don’t plan to experience the Supercharged Atom, come and ask for Simon George on the day, mention this blog and we’ll do you a special deal because it’s simply an unforgettable experience…

Now I’ve never been a fan of the cars from Stuttgart if I’m honest. A bit staid and boring – stick a 911 next to a Lamborghini and see which looks the most beautiful..

But I took 6th Gear’s new 997 Turbo out for a hundred mile bash the other day and was suitably impressed. At full chat I hesitate to say it seem to pick up it’s skirts as fast as the 630bhp LP640 Lamborghini. Now thats saying something..

The thing with Italian Supercars as they actually talk to you. German cars…. umm don’t really. But in my humble opinion this is the only downside of the 911. Driving it hard it’s stable and exceptionally fast with a punch like a sabuca on steroids. I love the brakes too. Very progressive. Would I drive one everyday? There’s no doubt many people do, but it’s not my bag. As I’ve said before on these pages, ensconse yourself in an LP640 at 80mph, and even at this steady rate of knots the range of sounds from this Italian monster are simply stunning..The rise and fall of the gear whine, the constant roar from that huge V12 and the cutting in occasionally of the Dyson vac type sound that’s actually the catalytic converter airpump. It all builds up to an opera of sound that’s second only to an F1 car. Love it. Annywayy back to the 997 Turbo. Fast = Very. Stops = exceptionally. Charisma = about as much as Gordon Brown. Hey Ho

Now there’s the Nurburgring and then there’s Longcross Proving Ground. Poles apart in terms of size but so similar in the scenery stakes! With it’s 3 mile concrete track winding through woods, a golf course and running alongside the M3 motorway for a short time before a blind hump then a near hairpin it’s just breathtaking! The long straight should be mentioned too where our Instructors will encourage customers to wind the power in hard before braking hard for turn 1 just after the pits..awesome.
6th Gear was at Longcross on the 27th & 28th March and what a fab time we had – let alone our customers who also emerged from the Supercars with extra large grins. Considering the fact we had 9 testimonials from customers raving about the superb time they spent with us within 48 hours we know here at 6th Gear that this Surrey circuit is going to be hugely popular..

News on the 458 Italia..Yes this is top of the list on 6th Gear’s shopping list. We have to be careful adding to our fleet since both Andy and I have to remember not to let our own personal interests conflict with just what we think our customers will want to drive. Having said that we both think this new Ferrari is the best Supercar from Maranello in 20 years and when it finally becomes available later this year it’s going to have a tremendous impact on the motoring world. According to Clarkson it’s the only Supercar he’s been looking forward to drive in a 12 months. Praise indeed. Looks like since we aren’t on any dealer waiting list it’s going to be a case of forking out an extra wad to get one quicker. I’m confident we’ll source one before the end of the season..Watch this space..