Ascari - Car Heaven
For those with fine cars these can be frustrating times – strict rules, heavy traffic and speed cameras make putting your foot down and enjoying your car complicated. The only solution is to have a racing track at your personal disposal. It may sound like the kind of fleeting fantasy that sometimes crosses your mind, but in reality private tracks designed primarily for the sheer enjoyment of driving are becoming more and more popular throughout Europe.
Naturally they come in many shapes and forms, from car enthusiasts’ clubs to more or less open circuits where young and old can vent their frustrations in VW Golfs, Ladas and Fords. Some circuits, however, are an altogether more sophisticated affair. These are most typically private members clubs, where the halcyon age of unrestricted motoring is rekindled and owners of fine automobiles come together to share a common interest in motor sport.
Typically, they are exclusive and remote, like the incomparable Race Resort Ascari in southern Spain. Located in a beautiful valley an hour inland from Marbella, this exquisite driver’s club and luxury retreat is one of the finest of its kind in the world, featuring first class facilities in the privacy of a stunning natural setting. The track, laid out to precision and designed by founder Klaas Zwart, is a combination of 26 handpicked bends from famous Grand Prix circuits.
This is the ultimate destination for members who come to race in their sports cars, or in the wide choice of racing cars made available by Ascari, but before you get here you will have passed through the state-of-the-art mechanical centre and the professional style pit, where ‘your’ team of mechanics will get you ready for the track. Although this is an environment where people are encouraged to enjoy themselves in their cars, Ascari is serious about safety, so besides professional track safety conditions and marshals the onsite instructors are there to assess a person’s driving proficiency, and where necessary to provide advanced coaching.
We have facilities for different levels of drivers, from beginners in BMW compacts and our specially tuned Lotus Elise to Radicals and even real Formula racing cars,” says Zwart. There are even go-karts for children, off-road tracks for buggies and a special facility for wet racing and advanced driving instruction. Indeed, everything is aimed at an exhilarating experience. Race Resort Ascari also features a stylish clubhouse and restaurant, complete with poolside garden and helipad, so besides club members and selected racing events it also plays host to car industry launches and prototype testing, making this a truly unique facility.
Catch the circuit on a good day, like we did, and you’ll find car enthusiasts from Spain to Russia and England sharing their love of beautiful cars and putting their Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches through their paces on the track. Don’t be surprised to spot some exotic racing cars among these familiar marques, as Ascari also make their own made-to-order super cars. The handsome V8 BMW-powered KZ1, which produces 500 horsepower, and the even more powerful and fearsome A10 form the stars of the company’s range, though special racing versions can also be ordered. In other words, if you love fast cars heaven has a new address: Race Resort Ascari.
For more information visit www.ascari.net
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