I’m pleased to report that the car is now back in one piece and looking as good as new. Actually, make that better than new – to these eyes at least – as, of course, when it was new it was silver…
Lamborghini Wycombe handled the full respray to its current eye-catching hue back in early 2006, and once again they’ve demonstrated their impressive skills when it comes to working with carbonfibre, doing a fantastic job of repainting the CGT’s body panels.
As I’d hoped, the repairs were completed in time for Le Mans, which meant that I was able to keep a date with a group of fellow Porsche enthusiasts for a 14-car convoy down to the big event. What better way to restore my confidence?
It was great to be back in the saddle, but it was in at the deep end. The skies looked ominous as soon as we crossed into France, and it wasn’t long before the inevitable happened and the heavens opened. But I managed not to ‘do a Castle Combe’ and made it to Le Mans without incident.
Gendarmes were everywhere when we arrived, strictly enforcing speed limits and breathalysing regularly. Fair enough, I suppose, though I was a little disappointed when they hampered my attempts to enjoy a blast along the Mulsanne Straight before it closed for the racing. As soon as we hit the straight we were tailed by two police bikes for its full length – and all the way back. Fortunately we were left alone for our third run, on which we managed a brief blast to 160mph, but just the once.
Despite the weather, it was a great weekend, made all the better by the great result for Aston Martin, and the Carrera GT performed faultlessly throughout. I suppose you should expect such reliability from a Porsche, but supercars are usually such temperamental things – just ask Harry!
Next up for the CGT was a quiet weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it was on display on the Porsche Club Great Britain stand. Hopefully some of you saw it there. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to be there too but, given what I’ve heard about the weather, that may not have been such a bad thing.
Hopefully we’ll see some clearer skies soon, particularly as I’m planning to drive the Porsche on track again. I’m determined not to let one bad experience put me off, because while the CGT is a tricky car, it’s also huge fun, and I reckon if you’re going to have a supercar you might as well enjoy it in an environment where you can at least approach its limits. That’s why, by the time you read this, I will have taken it to an evo trackday at Donington. Needless to say, I’m praying for sunshine…
More CAR REVIEWS
Bookmark this post with: