Experience. It’s a word becoming more common in the lexicon of people with disposable incomes and a lust for life. Why, many of us reason, would we strive to own something when we can experience it without the headaches? You love the idea of spending time in a house that sits on stilts over the azure waters of Fiji (who wouldn’t?), but would you seriously consider buying one? Probably not, but you can still experience what it’s like for a week or two – and that train of thought is being applied to all manner of things these days, not least the high-octane world of the supercar.
There’s no getting around the fact that car ownership can be a major headache in many respects. Naturally, those migraines only get worse the more expensive a car is to buy and run – so much so that even if your pockets are deep enough to merit a trip to the nearest Ferrari or Lamborghini showroom, the whole picture might still be enough to put you off. They’re precision machines engineered to do one thing extremely well: drive quickly. If you can’t do that in one while it’s yours, you may well reason it’s an exercise best left for those with more time and patience on their hands.
But what about the experience? As a full-time motoring writer and editor, I’m fortunate enough to experience the heady delights afforded by supercars on a regular basis. Three weeks ago, I was in Italy, hammering around the Imola racetrack in a Lamborghini Huracán. Tomorrow, I’ll be heading to Barcelona in Spain to drive another Lambo – the frankly mad Aventador SV. And in a couple of weeks, I’ll selflessly give up my time to head to Italy again, this time to experience Ferrari’s new game-changer, the 488 GTB. The charge levied against me that I have the best job in the world is one I never deny. So “experiences” are what I’m all about.
Now that prospect can potentially be yours. I’m not suggesting you train to become a journalist – far from it. What I am suggesting is that you might want to indulge in one of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts’ Driving Experiences. There’s that word again.
Spotting a gaping hole in the market for "experiences", last year, Waldorf Astoria, one of the most storied brands in worldwide luxury hospitality, announced the launch of its Driving Experiences. Following resoundingly positive feedback from those who got to try it out, the programme is being launched globally, including in the UAE. Would, asked Waldorf Astoria, The National like to try it out? Why, yes, that would be splendid, thank you.
But instead of sending along someone who might be star-struck by the sight, smell and sound of a lithe and exciting supercar, I was given the job of seeing what it’s all about – the idea being that, if it’s just another day at the office, I’d be able to see past the marketing rhetoric and hyperbole to report back with a degree of realism.
The premise is a simple one: turn up at the nominated hotel, enjoy a stay in opulent surroundings and enjoy some of the finest dining known to mankind, before spending the night in a beautifully appointed bedroom. Then, following a leisurely breakfast the following morning, at a preordained time, meet your representatives outside, where a brace of the finest supercars in the world await your attention. Then drive them on some epic roads, enjoy them, help wear out their tyres, empty their tanks of fuel and try not to damage them, before handing back the keys. As experiences go, I’m sure you’d agree there isn’t much not to like here.
Waldorf Astoria is a rather exclusive brand, operating only 26 hotels and resorts around the world. Two of those happen to be in the UAE: on The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai and on the coast of Ras Al Khaimah. For the purposes of my research, I stay in both.
These Driving Experiences are bookable at just 12 of Waldorf Astoria’s locations in North America, Europe and the UAE, and the package includes up-close-and-personal access to Ferraris (458 Italias and Spiders), McLarens (MP4-12Cs and 650Ss), Lamborghinis (Huracáns and Gallardos) and Porsches (911s, including the incredible GT3). Having been privileged in my time to have covered many thousands of kilometres in all of these models, I can tell you that line-ups don’t come much better, especially for people perhaps unfamiliar with cars of this kind.
If you’re shrugging your shoulders and thinking “big deal, this is nothing I couldn’t sort out myself if I wanted to”, hang on a minute. Because apart from the cars themselves, Waldorf Astoria provides unfettered access to experienced racing professionals who will gladly help novices gain confidence or assist more seasoned drivers with their skills. That’s the thing about driving these cars: you never, no matter who you are, stop learning.
My first night’s stay is at the Waldorf Astoria on The Palm – a huge, sprawling, seemingly symmetrical establishment that sits on the far right-hand side of the crescent – and it’s as glorious as you might expect. With so many luxury hotels competing for your dirhams, it’s difficult sometimes to tell one from another, so you end up judging them by their service rather than their locations or facilities. And here, Waldorf Astoria has a well-earned reputation for the very best. The staff have no idea I’m here to review the hotel or anything else, so the treatment I get is entirely indicative of what paying guests will experience – and it’s absolutely top drawer.
But I’m here to spank some seriously sexy supercars, so let’s cut to the chase and find out what’s on offer. The following afternoon, I’m introduced to some of the people I’ll be swapping cars with, along with the on-hand expert, in this case a 58-year-old Belgian man called Didier Theys. This guy is an endurance racer par excellence, having competed in the world’s toughest and most dangerous events. He’s won the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and he’s finished three times on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now he’s here to give everyone the benefit of that experience, but in a way that’s far from dictatorial or condescending – it’s obvious he’s here to have fun, and he wants you to enjoy it as well.
“With a little coaching and advice, drivers of all skill levels can have a memorable day behind the wheel,” says Theys. And he’s right, because while these cars can initially be intimidating in the extreme, they’re actually very forgiving if you leave the computerised safety systems switched on (and they must be, at all times, in these programmes). With someone like him next to you in the passenger seat, your speed of learning can be surprising. Even an experienced hand such as myself can pick up some fresh pointers.
Our route is from the Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah (I actually prefer this resort, because it’s more relaxing and located on a normal, unspoilt beachfront) to Jebel Jais. My favourite cars on my favourite road – this is turning out to be most agreeable.
There are other routes in the UAE that would do just as well, but this one is special because it’s twisty in the extreme, the backdrop is stunning and there’s hardly any other traffic around. That means I can really stretch the legs of these cars, which is exactly what I do.
McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Lamborghini again – I tackle that mountain road up and back down in a way that only cars like this can enable. The sounds from the engines as four supercars thunder through canyons and around tight hairpins is something to be savoured. All the while, Theys is on hand to make sure everyone is comfortable with what they’re doing. He knows instantly what your skill sets are and seems happy to let those more experienced crack on with it – something I’m extremely grateful for.
What I get to do, though, is simply a taster for what’s to come, and it has whet my appetite, I can assure you. The programme goes live in October this year, once the weather has calmed down a bit, and a variety of packages will be on offer at a variety of prices (they start at about Dh3,670 per couple). When you stop to consider how horrific the running costs are for these cars, you’ll see that as extremely good value.
Yes, for me this has been another day at the office, but it has been one of the better ones in recent memory for a number of reasons, not least the opportunity to jump from one car to another so I can compare and contrast, feeling through the seat of my pants how different they all are. For anyone not fortunate to do this sort of thing on a regular basis, though, it could well be a life-affirming experience. There’s that word yet again – it’s all the rage, don’t you know?
• For more information, visit the Driving Experiences page of the Waldorf Astoria website.
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