Hi all,
I entered a competition a while back for some "special operations driver training" with Mazda - "Renesis". I've been selected an invited to the session in Edinburgh next weekend. Thing is, that's a long drive from here and they're still not saying what will be involved. If they're going to give me an RX8 for the afternoon and let me have some fun with it, I'll go, but I've a terrible feeling that it'll be ten minutes. Which would make the four hour drive each way a little less than rewarding.
Does anyone know what this event includes? They held one last weekend in Leicester, would appreciate if anyone had any idea of what was going on, would let me know so I can decide whether or not to go up.
Cheers
-- You know, it\'s not like changing toothpaste
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I reckon you must have Googled it, few hits, but seems some stuff about training in Moscow. When you going, might be worth Easyjetting it up there.
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da is offering a handful of lucky petrol heads the chance to spend half a day learning advanced driving techniques from ex-special service agents.
The skills covered in the Special Ops Driver Training Day ? dubbed ?Renesis? ? will give successful applicants the chance to experience extreme manoeuvres, swapping mundane three-point turns for mind-blowing J-turns, lazy Sunday afternoon drives for high-octane power slides, and rush-hour gridlock for high-speed avoidance driving.
Places are being determined and allocated via an interactive Renesis suitability profile, which can be completed online at www.renesis.co.uk The vital few, deemed to be most equipped to handle this specialised driving challenge, will be selected and offered the chance to ?go for a spin? Renesis style.
As well as practical expertise, Renesis? masters of motoring will also offer a rare insight into the world of special services driving, bringing their most covert of trades out from the underground to share with those who make the grade.
Of the Renesis trainees, the best performers on the day will get to put their new driving skills to the test for real on an official Renesis training mission in Moscow.
If you think you can handle it, apply at www.renesis.co.uk
From Auto Express - half a day it says.
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Thanks PU, I, erm, of course, naturally looked up on Google first (coughs, opens another browser window), yes, that's of course what I did.
Think I've left my brain on the beach after my hols.
...shuffles off sheepishly...
:-)
-- You know, it\'s not like changing toothpaste
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...erm...suddenly remembered about Google and found this on an MX5 forum ( www.mx-5.com/forum/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=1185 ):
Might be useful info if anyone else has been invited to this event. Think I'll probably not do the 8 hour return drive in the end. That said, if anyone is in Edinburgh next weekend and fancies my ticket, let me know and I'll post up the stuff.
(thanks again PU, I'm going back to the wine to try and reignite my brian(!) )
Lee
OK, so I went along to the Renesis driving challenge today (looking at the time now, was actually yesterday!)... those expecting an "extreme pro-drive" session will be utterly, absolutely disapointed... in one word, politely, the session was pointless!
I arrived at 7.40 am, after getting up a 6am, when told to be there for an 8am start for a half day session... it actually kicked off at 9.30am. By 1pm, I had still not actually driven anything.
The first stage for me was 'learning how to do a J Tunn' which actually consisted of a 5 min video showing how J turns are done, followed by a 30 second demo of 2 J turns riding in a one of the Mazda salloons. The second part was a 'evasive driving' which consisted of a 30 second ride in an RX8 doing what amounted to 2 'figure of 8' limited drifts. The third part was a stunt show demonstrating elaborate 'evasive' hand-brake turns and donuts...
The best bit (which I missed cos I got fed up, and decided going to a garden centre with the wife was time better spent) was the driver participation... a time trial involving a 200m run up and down a runway with a slight slalem in an MX5, and 2 laps on the "test track" in either an MX5, RX8 or salloon, depending on what's available when you're next in the queue... To keep you busy during the long waits between events, there where some questionaires/quiz to complete, and a bit of a BBQ... I cant beleive some people today actually paid to stay in motels/hotels to be there this morning!
If I'd known what was involved, I'd have stayed in bed! The drive there and home again was fun, with some great twisties, but having taken the '5 to The Ring, what appeared to be an oval track seemed pointless! Considering that the point of the day is to win a trip to moscow, I'm not sure it's worth it. There were around 200 people there for the morning session, and winning a place seemed entirely reliant on completing the quiz based on information gained during the session. Some of the questions where " what model and colour was the car outside the briefing area" and "what was the name of the tripod mounted machine gun used during the display"... only problem was, there was no display car and no machine gun used!
Some people really seemed to enjoy themselve though, so maybe those given place will consider it a worthwile experience... those who have done the pro-drive thing (which I didnt), are probably best advised to find something else to do... clean their car and take it for a spin in a car park perhaps!
-- You know, it\'s not like changing toothpaste
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Your Brian ? I don't think he'll like that !
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One of these events being held at Bruntingthorpe today.
Gazelle helicopter doing low passes, Fake machine gun fire and bangs. Awful lot of racket for what seems like a themed ride and drive day. Loads of people there so quite how much you can do in the half day you do wonder. Looked like fun.
Just avoid all those 56 plate thrashed RX8 and MX5's that will be auctioned off soon.......
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Was Charles {P} but someone c o p i e d my name with spaces.
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