Driving impressions

Brian Stewart
Supporter
Some time ago (it may even have been on the old forum) there were a number of requests from people about the driving impressions of our favourite cars. I happened to stumble across a mint copy of a 20 year old magazine a couple of weeks back that had a photo of two GT40s on the cover (1030 and 1061). Inside was a 5 page article, which, among ther things, reproduced a report by Tim Britten, editor of Motor Manual (long since defunct?). I have taken the liberty of copying it below. Please forgive the length, but I kow I enjoyed reading it and hope others do too.

“At last I’ve got to ride in a car with enough acceleration to genuinely frighten me. Honest to God slap-in-the-back acceleration. The type that pins you terrified to your seat as the scenery rushes towards you at an ever-increasing rate. Neck muscles are powerless against the tremendous forward thrust that forces your head deep into the upholstery. The car hurtles around corners as if it were connected by chains to the curve centre. It builds up lateral forces that make you wish you’d tightened the safety belt a little further and when it stops it throws you against the harness and lifts you off the seat. And while your reflexes are flat out trying to catch up with what happened twenty yards back, the car is streaking into another corner with the speedometer indicating a ridiculous 111 mph. Ridiculous because the fastest you’d ever been around that corner before was a hair raising 75mph. And of course the GT40 is not at any time approaching its limit – no signs of drifting or hanging the tail, it just follows the selected line and responds instantly to any alteration in lock. On the exit of a corner, there is a boom of power and before you know it you are into the next and negotiating it at dizzy speed. Stepping on the brake pedal brings the car to an instant, dead-straight stop and you cannot suppress a sigh of relief because you figure it’s all over. But in a final demonstration of how effectively the GT40 puts its 400 bhp onto the road, you find yourself helplessly thrown back against the seat, watching the speedometer soar towards the 100 mph mark. Brakes are applied, and suddenly everything is peaceful, the only sound being the audible thumping of your heart. Yes, it was everything you expected. Extricating your shaking frame from the car, you look down and ask yourself whether you would do it again. If you’re completely honest with yourself, I’m sure your answer would be the same as mine.”

It doesn’t say what his answer was, but I reckon we can all guess….
;)
 
Thanks Brian. I did enjoy reading that. I have never been in a GT40, but what got me interested in the GT40 in the first was my dad flooring the pedal on his Mustang and feeling the extremely exciting pressure pinning me against the seat. I got teary-eyed I was so excited. A GT40. . .that must be sublime. :grin:
 
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