I experienced my birthday treat at Oulton Park yesterday. The 420bhp BMW M3 was so easy to drive and the sequential gear box blipped the gears when you lifted off. A surreal experience circulating with about eight other identical ones. Thought I was driving pretty fast but my video showed 84mph tops. An end of day treat was a further lap as a passenger in an M3 with the tyres being treated in a cavalier fashion.

Coming home over the Cat & Fiddle , my Octavia felt heavy , the steering imprecise and the brakes soggy (all relative terms).

Back to normal in the rain today; happy with my car and just glad mine did not cost £55,000.

Yes no competition there except on value for money. I had the same sort of experience with a Carrera 4S and if I had four times as much money I would buy one . . .

Actually make that five times as much money as I would still want the Octavia !

Edited 8 November, 201114 yr by TsvRS

I did the Ferrari 360 experience last year at Knockhill not long after I had sold my MG ZT 190 - it made me realise how much I enjoyed driving and how little I now enjoyed driving my diesel Saab 9-3. So what did I do? I ordered a race blue petrol Octavia VRs!

The Ferarri was great although you only got to use 4th and 5th gears around Knockhill (Yes - even at the hairpin).

So OK, the Octavia isn't quite as much fun but it's not far off it and I can carry the kids too!

Yes no competition there except on value for money. I had the same sort of experience with a Carrera 4S and if I had four times as much money I would buy one . . .

Actually make that five times as much money as I would still want the Octavia !

My mate has a Cab 4S AND a Fabia 1.9 - he loves them both for what they are. Mind you, he don't half chuck the Fabia about. I'm sure they're not meant to be driven like that!!! He also rates my Octavia. All cars are good. Just different