I went on saturday and I could fill a volume or two of "Unusual Sightings".
It has lost a lot of its garden party atmosphere since I was last there about ten years ago, due to increased crowds and commercialisation, but there is certainly something for everyone - motorbikes,race cars,road cars, rally cars, old cars,new cars and some that never should have existed.
I drove down on friday as the public were leaving and the last 20 miles had a constant stream of interesting cars coming the other way - Ferraris including an F40, Maseratis, TVRs, 7s, lots of vintage cars, and a Toyota iQ.
I went with a friend who now lives nearby but has never been before, and whose interest in cars is limited, so I was uncertain how he would react. However the first car we saw when we arrived was a Matra F1 car with Jackie Stewart climbing onboard to go for his run up the hillclimb. From then on time just flew by as I showed him around the event.
The road cars included almost all the cars on Top Gear's lap time list - Zonda, Koenigseggegg.., Caparo, Mercs, BMWs, Lotus Evora, Bugatti Veryon (with or without roof), Maseratis,etc The Ferrari California was almost ignored!!
The bikes came in all shapes and sizes from a 50cc bike with a top speed of over 100mph ( but a frame and tyres smaller than my mountain bike ) to GP and Superbikes and a couple of sidecar outfits.
The F1 cars ranged from Auto Union to last year's Mclaren,Red Bull and Ferrari.
There was a line of beautiful vintage Bugattis, an Aston Martin Bulldog and a strange collection of mini specials.
Rally cars being driven on their special forest stage included an Audi Quatro, mini, MkII Escort, Lancia Stratos and Skoda Estelle.
There was almost too much to take in but the display by the Eurofighter Typhoon produced some lovely noises and appeared to defy the laws of physics.
Were any other Backroomers there and what was your favourite part?
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I was there on Saturday; it was my first time. Not sure I have a favourite part, it was all so evocative and enthralling. Agree with your choices - we were in the supercar paddock when they all came back in from their second run. Amazing seeing all those cars, Zonda, Koenigsegg, Veyrons, Spyker up so close. Jodie Kidd in a Maserati (drool!).
The Daf V8 brought back some memories as did the rally Minis some of which appeared quite quick up the hill until the bikes came out. Last of the bikes was Peter Fonda cruising on an Easy Rider replica chopper. Porsche 917s by the bucket load. Some jobsworth paddock attendant trying to tell Derek Bell how to park his Mirage. Mark Webber in a Red Bull F1 blatantly ignoring the "take it a little easy" advice. The Audi Le Mans TDIs - a whoosh and out of sight. Senna's JPS Lotus.
Doing his best to rival the Typhoon for air disturbance was Timo Glock in the Toyota F1. He stopped at various times including right next to us on his run to launch off in a cloud of smoke and an explosion of revs and noise.
Fantastic day out, who said "nostalgia isn't what it used to be" hasn't done this. I'll be back next year and the following year ..
Edited by NeilS on 07/07/2009 at 07:52
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This is the best event on the British motorsport calendar IMHO. Didn't go this year due to existing commitments, but I have been going every year since 2003, and will go next year. Nowhere else can you get so close to such incredible machinery and nowhere else will you see drivers playing up to the crowds in such spectacular fashion, as per Timo Glock above. The best I ever saw was Takuma Sato in the BAR in (I think) 2004. He reduced a brand new set of intermediates to shredded, molten scrap by the top paddock. At one point all you could see was a thick, acrid tyre smoke, and the occasional flash of the rear wing as it spun round on its umpteenth doughnut. Then he would drive 50 metres up the track, and wave his arms to get the crowd going, before repeating it all over again. It was amazing.
Other highlights over the years include the Renault F1 team playing the British national anthem on a Renault F1 engine, seeing a Lancia Stratos and Group B Quattro going full chat through the rally stage, watching Stig Blomqvist later get a rollocking from the marshals for doing impromptu doughnuts and drifts in the Quattro in the paddock area, the late, great Barry Sheene, wheelying his Suzuki GP bike past a crowd cheering louder than any I've ever heard, (literally) bumping into and chatting to Murray Walker in the supercar paddock.... so many great memories.
A great event. I absolutely love it.
Edited by DP on 07/07/2009 at 09:53
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The guy who lives four doors away (I still haven't found the opportunity to grab him & chat yet) had an 09 plate Audi R8 V10 (purple'ish-blue colour) parked-up overnight. I heard it roar off early Sat morning so imagine he was going down for the day given their 100-years of existence, etc. He must surely be Senior Management/Marketing or PR? I will find out eventually!
That too makes a rather 'interesting' noise...
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I went to the Audi aftershow party on Friday, spoke to Jeremy Hicks the Audi MD nice chap.
They had a red R8 V10 at the party.
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I've just Google/Imaged that name. it's not him. My guy has more hair and it's darker ? heh!
Still a nice motor mind...
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Ha ha - this is what I was talking about with Mr. Sato:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxHrYJscwkE
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I went on Saturday, I last went in 2006 (the year of the musical Renault F1 engines).
There were many terrific sights there, especially the amazing sculpture outside the main house with the Auto Union Streamliner and the R8 attached to it. The 900bhp pickup truck was pretty impressive going up the hill, as were the Group B rally cars.
I didn't get as close to the action this year as in '06, and the crowds seemed bigger and somehow slightly less enthusiastic too. It was still a worthwhile day out though, almost too much to see and do in only one day.
I keep promising myself I'll go for the weekend one year, and pay the extra for a grandstand seat.
Dave TD
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Just noticed there is a one hour review programme of this on ITV4 today at 5pm.
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