Nice posts oliverj.Hi Jon,
I spent a day being tutored on the roads as if I was a Police T5 driver (he is AIM and ROSPA qualified etc) and this included whizzing up and down that road with the cat and fiddle at the top. It was amazing how many bad habits I had and how badly I was driving the car. She was a different machine in his hands - faster, sharper braking with no fade it was awe inspiring. The second day he spent with me at Donnington in an M3. I got about 4 hours on the track and it was the best thing i have ever done. By the end of the day no one could get past me and I was leaving them on the corners.
It has really opened my eyes, I have bought the Police manuals for driving since and been practising. Weird thing is I am driving more confidently, getting better MPG and the car feels like new again.
I used to think I was quite a good driver but he destroyed all of that in less than an hour, now I know I have a lot to learn and it will never end but it is something i am really enjoying doing. Going to get some more practise in then book another day of tuition!
What surprises me the most is that a car like ours in the right hands can shame cars 3 times the price with twice as much power! You shouldn't get rid of yours.
What books did you buy? Quite interested in learning some new skills.