We make exotic cars accessible to you all across the nation on real racetracks. That probably makes you wonder, “how does all this work?” Below we’ve simplified the process from start to finish to give you a snapshot of what to expect when you book your Xperience!
This was my first time driving the GT3 and I’ve only driven Blackhawk a few times in the past. As you can see from the video, this is the real deal and is the exact same driving experience you’ll get with Xtreme Xperience. We have created a format that allows you to enjoy your dream cars to the limit in a safe way. It’s important to note that you don’t have to drive as fast as I did in this video. Our experience was developed to accommodate all skill levels and expectations, so if you just want to cruise a Ferrari around the track at low speeds, we can make that happen, too.
Whenever I get the chance to talk to someone about what I do for a living, the most common response I get is "That's amazing, but what's the catch!?" I always have to chuckle at this question because we have been conditioned to find the "catch" when something sounds too good to be true. The reality is that there is no "catch" at Xtreme Xperience. No speed limits, no governed cars, no shifting restrictions, no hidden fees. We offer you the latest supercars on the market to experience on real racetracks near you. No gimmicks, no shortcuts - just sheer driving pleasure in the best way possible.
To start from the beginning, you'll want to make an online reservation for the car, date and time you prefer. After that, you'll arrive at the racetrack at the time you booked (all the details will be emailed to you), next you will check in at our registration trailer, then head to your driver's briefing for 25 minutes. Next you'll head to the pit, put on a helmet and jump in line for your car. If you signed up for a Lead Car Ride-Along, you'll do that first. Finally, it's time to DRIVE.
ABOVE, you'll see a first person point-of-view video of me driving our Porsche 911 GT3 and BELOW you’ll find answers to the most common questions I’ve received over the years to help paint the picture of what you can expect when you attend one of our events.
Nope! Our cars are all equipped with automatic transmissions that will shift faster and more efficiently than the faster professional drivers ever could with a manual. Believe it or not, you cannot buy any car in our fleet with a manual transmission these days. The "dual clutch transmissions" or DCT's that these cars come with are start of the art and are derived from race cars. The cars can be manually shifted with paddle shifters located on, or behind, the steering wheel. MY ADVICE: If you want to use the paddle shifters, you can, but I don’t recommend it for your first time out; you’ll waste your time trying to figure out shifting instead of enjoying the drive. You can see in my video above, I left the car in automatic - the car is smarter than me on a new track.
Your speeds will depend on both the racetrack and your ability. We drive some of the top road course racetracks in the US, with straightaways ranging from 1000 to 3500 feet long. You will have the opportunity to hit 100 to 160 mph at full speed before needing to slow down to enter a turn. You’ll also do highway speeds through corners. In the video, I was hitting about 130 mph on the 2000 foot straightaway. MY ADVICE: Don’t go into this worrying about how fast you’re going and do not look down at the speedometer; keep your eyes on the road and enjoy the car. Enjoy the feeling of braking, cornering, and accelerating. Enjoy the sound and soak up the memories.
We encourage drivers to enjoy the cars, but clearly there have to be some safety limits. There are NO speed limits. You’ll have an instructor coaching you to help you go as fast as possible. More often than not, your pro instructor will be telling you to go faster and brake harder than you imagined. As you can see in the video, I’d say I was “pushing” the car with the help of my instructor. You’ll put your foot to the floor, redline the gears, use the powerful brakes, and experience lateral g-forces in corners like never before. MY ADVICE: Check your ego when you get in the car and listen to your instructor from start to finish. Regardless of what kind of car you drive, how much Forza you’ve played, or how much Top Gear you’ve watched, the professional sitting next to you knows that car on that track better than you and they get a great joy in helping you go fast.
No way. The cars you drive at Xtreme Xperience are just like you’d get from the dealership. In fact, some of our cars are tuned and have aftermarket modifications to make them even faster than stock. We also typically run the cars in ‘Sport’ or ‘Race’ mode to help improve the car’s performance.
Whether you’re a first-timer, a seasoned track day junkie or are riding with a pro, there will always be a professional instructor in the vehicle to provide real-time feedback. Their goal is to help you drive the racing line, brake, corner and accelerate at just the right time to achieve optimum speeds. MY ADVICE: Again, listen to these guys and girls. They are true professionals who know the cars and track very well. They are 100% there to help, not slow anyone down. I also recommend doing our lead car ride-along where a pro drives you around the track at high speeds before you drive. This way, you’ll see the track so there are no surprises and you’ll feel what it’s like to drive the racing line, brake hard, and accelerate out of the corners. Plus, the ride-along is ridiculously fun.
We run in a lead-follow format which is a standard practice in high performance driving education experiences. The lead car in the pack is being driven by a professional driver, so you’ll be chasing a pro who’s showing you the racing line for optimal speeds. There are other cars on the track with you so we have a procedure for passing slower drivers as soon as we can (you’ll see me pass the Ferrari 458 and Corvette Z06 with our instructor point by system). MY ADVICE: If this is your first time doing anything like this, don’t want to go fast or don’t want the pressure of other drivers behind you, start at the back of the group. If you have track experience, have driven with us before, are on your second or third car, I recommend you communicate with your instructor to get positioned in the front of the pack. You can see in the video above just how fast the lead car moves.
All of our Drivers are required to purchase a minimum level of Track Insurance but Ride-Along participants don’t need to (note: your personal insurance policy will not cover your XX drive). Basically, like any insurance you’ve ever purchased, you pay a small amount (a premium as low as $39) to lock in an amount you would owe (a deductible as low as $500) which would cover potential damages up to a certain amount (up to $200,000). You would be responsible for any damage to the car above the insured amount. You can view your various insurance options here. MY ADVICE: Don’t let this intimidate you. As long as you listen to your instructors and don’t plan on driving like a complete yahoo, you will not need to worry about messing up one of our beautiful cars.
I hope I’ve helped paint a better picture of what the experience is actually like and answered some of the most common questions. If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone about your experience, please give us a call at 866-273-7727.
Happy Driving!
Joe Moore – Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer
XX provides the safest and most educational approach to drivers and passengers who wish to experience the thrill of driving the world’s most exclusive cars. Your safety is our number one priority. Leading Xtreme Xperience’s safety initiatives is our Safety Director, Jim Johnson, a retired Fire Department Captain with 25 years of racing and 10 years of professional instruction experience.
Tracks:
Safety starts by providing our participants with the best possible venue to experience exotic cars: racetracks. Supercars are built from race-inspired technology designed from the manufacturers’ racing programs, so naturally racetracks are the best place to use their full potential. Experiencing a supercar on a racetrack instead of on the street or in a parking lot allows you to feel the high performance handling capabilities and unique characteristics you can’t unleash anywhere else.
Racetracks are designed specifically with smooth pavement, safety barriers and run-off areas to provide drivers with the confidence to enjoy the essence of driving. To help guide Drivers around the track, XX places brake markers as well as turn-in, apex, and track-out markers to show you the racing line (the fastest and safest path around the course).
Cars:
Vehicle safety begins with the manufacturers. Supercars showcase the best safety features of any cars on the road including multiple airbag systems, ABS brakes, electronic stability control, traction control, safety belts and race car-inspired construction.
The next level of vehicle safety involves maintenance. Our fleet of exotic cars are maintained to each manufacturers’ specifications to keep them running safely. When you get into a supercar at Xtreme Xperience, you can rest assured that it has been serviced with fresh tires, brakes and fluids. Our technicians also ensure the wheels are torqued to spec and the tires are inflated to the proper guidelines. Finally, our instructors test drive our fleet every morning an our team monitors the cars throughout the day to ensure safety.
Professional Instruction:
We can provide the safest cars and racetracks for you to enjoy your dream cars, but none of that matters if you don’t know what you’re doing on the track. As an Xtreme Xperience participant, no previous experience is required, so we employ top notch professional instructors to teach you in a classroom setting and coach you on the track. Regardless of your experience level, every driver must attend our safety briefing to learn about safety and performance driving and you will have a professional instructor in the car to coach you and optimize your experience. Our instructors are rigorously vetted by our Chief Instructor and come from a variety of backgrounds including professional racing, SCAA, and other accredited organizations. We also partner with RaceCraft1, the industry leader in instructor training, to continuously improve communication and instruction techniques.
Safety Equipment:
Every Driver and Passenger is provided with a current Snell SA certified racing helmet. Snell “SA” rated professional helmets are designed for auto racing and provide extreme impact resistance and higher fire protection. Xtreme Xperience also ensures that an ambulance is always on-site to attend to our participants and guests.
