I’m hooked ! LDA

[soldave]

I've got an Eclat, but have still been looking at the site and considering the Lotus Licence. Maybe a resent for myself if this year's bonus comes in

[Beady]

Did the Silver Level last weekend - xmas treat from Mrs B.

Brilliant - booked to go back and do Gold in August - anyone in 2 minds about this, just do it.

[Frickin_idiot]

On ‎08‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 20:05, Buddsy said:

I done a bit of some of the levels and its what turned me on to the Elise. I drove a 1.6 which Id always overlooked as not being very powerful with a low(ish) top speed. Well I soon learnt that little car is much more capable then I am as a driver. They are awesome. 

I too would recommend upgrading your personal skills with Lotus Driving Academy.

 

buddsy

Absolutely what Buddsy said, I always disregarded the Elise 1.6 as being too underpowered but after the day I realised that I can only ever dream of being more accomplished a driver than the car can support. The whole day was well organised and the track and tuition were A1.

BTW I'm pretty sure that we are on the same course - you had the fantastic Red Esprit.

[Frickin_idiot]

4 hours ago, Buddsy said:

Me? I did do the course and take my Esprit but it was a few years back!

 

buddsy

It was the club lotus arranged day.

[Bibs]

I'm fairly sure you did that for TLF and wrote up about it in exchange @Buddsy

[Beady]

Going back to Hethel to do the Gold course this Saturday 17th Aug.... anyone else going ?

[Stuart Monument]

Have fun.... actually it’s pretty impossible not to. 

[robcarter]

I have just got back from the Bronze Licence at the Lotus Driving Academy.

A top day including a great tour of Classic Team Lotus and the factory which engaged us with the heritage of the Lotus family!

I had David Pittard as my instructor and had three fantastic sessions that pushed me to think, reflect and drive more smoothly and faster. 

The others on the course were a great bunch and most were Lotus enthusiasts and owners. If you are thinking about booking just do it. For those on the full package to completing Gold have a great time!

[Bibs]

https://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-news/our-news/lotus-driving-academy-to-reopen-on-the-7th-august/

[C8RKH]

Everything is coming up as sold out.

[Bibs]

Just tried the Bronze and dates are available.

More dates are being added right now, make sure you keep checking back. 

[C8RKH]

Perfect! Thanks @Bibs as I'm trying to help them through Covid by throwing my credit card at them!  hahahaha!

[KennyN]

I did the silver and gold days at the LDA last weekend and I highly recommend it.  I had Martin Donnelly as my instructor on Saturday and Danny Hartgrove on Sunday, both were excellent in their own ways.  The third instructor was David Brise.  Unfortunately, I did not get any in car tuition time with David, although his technical presentations were excellent.

The other 6 attendees were all like-minded petrolheads, but surprisingly they didn't have a Lotus between them!  Although, I suspect that this will be changing in the not too distant future.  Things were a bit different due to Covid, but the procedures in place made the days no less enjoyable and Guy, the coordinator, did a great job of keeping everything ticking along and looking after us.

The cars (Elise 220 & Exige 410) and the track were first class, it's amazing the abuse that these cars put up with...especially during one of Martin's hot laps 

If Lotus used this facility as Porsche do their experience centre at Silverstone, I'm convinced they'd sell many more cars.  I'm currently in the process of doing the man maths on an Exige 410 to replace my 350!

[blindside]

Thanks for the comment @KennyN. I've recently re-booked on the full licence session between 18-21 September having postponed earlier in the year due to Covid.

Learning how to drive a Lotus properly on track, with expert professional tuition, will be a special experience. Acquiring some basic track driving skills & knowledge is something that is long overdue in my case!

The feedback on the instructors & overall package is very positive and I'm really looking forward to it. Just hope that the weather is half decent over the 3 days. 🤞

[blindside]

I’ve just very recently completed the 3 day Lotus licence package. Fortunately the weather was perfect throughout & LDA have managed to introduce a very effective COVID prevention system with the cars, helmets & equipment that did not take anything away from the training. There were a great bunch of people on the course, with plenty of banter and everyone was keen to learn.

I was in the highly capable hands of Rob Barff throughout which provided good continuity and built up a solid instructor/student rapport. The comprehensive back to basics guidance Rob provided was a complete ‘reality check’ as to how poor my basic track driving skills were in key areas, (especially braking & steering effectively). There were a number of core skills that he demonstrated that made a huge difference in how well I progressed. (Getting a fist bump from Rob on day 3 after my best ever lap in a left hand drive Elise was a real privilege). He was absolutely insistent that everything that you do in the car was really smooth, but still absolutely ‘on the limit’ of the car’s and my own capabilities, especially around gear selection techniques, progressive braking & car control/alignment at chicanes & corners. You soon realise how small initial alignment & braking errors can get magnified. The track at Hethel is obviously designed to test technique and the clubhouse corners will disrupt my sleep patterns for weeks to come!
The improvements that you make because the quality of the teaching is so good are remarkable. I really respected that Rob got quite upset if I did not drive on the absolute limit when on track to confirm the stuff that had just been taught, or I was inconsistent with silly mistakes. It just showed that he really wanted to get the best out of me! 

Almost all of the package was practical in the car “one on one” stuff and we averaged at least 2 hours each day on track. I was quite knackered at the end as the sustained concentration level needed is high. But the learning is massive for drivers of every ability. It’s probably the most informative & enjoyable “compressed learning” experience I’ve ever had.
It’s also given me a huge respect for the bulletproof build quality & drivability of the Elise 220!

Many thanks to Guy, Rob, David & the admin team at LDA. You are providing something really special!

 

[mg4lotus]

Attended the Scare yourself sensible session yesterday morning. Even in the wet the cars handled brilliantly. The procedures set up are very professional. Doing the organising was Guy and Danny was doing the driving. Martin was also there. Thanks guys for the great day which we all enjoyed. All those who attended were impressed and had fun.

I was the only Lotus driver there! There were 2 Porsche drivers! One of them was my brother.

On a personal note, I need to improve my consistency, my application, my commitment but I was having fun with a sociable bunch of people. If you are thinking about it, just do it.

I will be back.