Entertainment
Why McLaren’s Arctic Experience will be the most fun you’ll have on four wheels-Adam Hay-Nicholls-Entertainment – Metro
Take one McLaren GT, add a frozen lake in Lapland and have yourself the drive of your life.
Adam Hay-Nicholls with the 203mph McClaren GT he’s about to hoon around a Finnish lake (Picture: Patrick Gosling/McLaren)
An eldritch howl echoes around the frozen wastes. Through a blizzard of disturbed snow appears a supercar in a sideways drift, the driver on full opposite lock. Welcome to McLaren’s Arctic Experience.
We’re 200 miles deep into the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, and I’ve come to hoon a 612bhp mid-engined machine around a series of challenging circuits carved on an iced-over lake.
Ice driving is not only the most fun you can have on four wheels, learning to control a car in a low grip situation can make you a much better driver. This is why Finland has produced legendary F1 and World Rally champions such as Kimi Raikkonen, Mika Hakkinen, Keke Rosberg, Ari Vatanen, Marcus Grönholm, Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Mäkinen.
It’s also a great way to get a handle on this 203mph £165,000 McLaren GT’s dynamic abilities, switching off all the stability and traction aids, and feeding the car through the turns with a flick of the wheel, a tap of brake, a squeeze of throttle and an understanding of weight transfer that comes with experience. When done right, the turns become pendular.
The McLaren’s perfect balance and low centre of gravity makes it a joy to handle. You’re almost never driving in a straight line, you’ve always got your tail out. You earn imaginary points for style, not lap time.
It’s like a frenetic ballet, with studded tyres biting into the track. Alongside me is professional coach and Dubai 24 Hour winner Bradley Ellis to give me tips and commentary, and dig us out of a snowbank when needed.
There are no straight lines on this track (Picture: Patrick Gosling/McLaren)
The beauty of ice driving is there’s nothing really to hit. The worst that can happen is a tractor comes to pull you out of the snow. It’s all adrenaline, no fear. And if you don’t have a few high-speed spins you’re not trying hard enough.
There are many ice-driving courses available in this region, starting at about £3,000 per day’s driving. McLaren’s offering is at the highest end and accommodation comes in the form of Javri Lodge, once home to Finland’s longest-serving president.
Driving in the Arctic conditions is like a ‘frenetic ballet (Picture: Patrick Gosling/McLaren)
Three-night trips, which include two full days in the car and a sleigh ride with huskies, are priced at £13,950 for individuals and £24,450 for couples. An extra day costs £3,000 and is worth it to truly master driving on ice.
Guests must get themselves to Ivalo (an hour-50-minute flight north of Helsinki) and McLaren will take care of the rest.
An expensive bucket list ticker – but a driving experience you’ll never forget.
For more information on McLaren’s track driving and lifestyle programmes and to register for the 2024 Arctic Experience, visit McLaren Experiences
Three other car-based thrills closer to home
Off-roading
Get to grips with the mud (Picture: Alex Tapley)
Get to grips with the best 4×4 down muddy slopes, across treacherous tracks and rivers at one of nine UK Land Rover Experience Centres. Taster drives from £129.
Drifting
Get ready to unleash some tyre smoke (Picture: Monster Energy/McKlein)
Unleash your Dominic Toretto with a plume of tyre smoke at Three Sisters circuit near Wigan, with courses in a Nissan 350Z starting from £149.
Ultimate track day
Get your thrills at PalmerSport (Picture: Lee Marshall/Autographic Photo)
PalmerSport at Bedford Autodrome run half- and full-day courses from £654 per person, with access to thrilling cars including the Caterham Seven and Formula 3000 single-seater.
Ask The Car Doctor – Is my home electricity supply suitable for an e-car charger?
Most UK homes can charge electric cars up to at least 80 per cent of their battery capacity overnight (Picture: Shutterstock/Thomas Holt)
Cazoo automotive editor Leo Wilkinson says: ‘It’s no surprise that fitting a home charger for your electric car isn’t as simple as installing an extra power socket.
‘Firstly, unless you’ve got the right qualifications, don’t even think about doing it yourself – leave it to the professionals.
‘Most UK homes have what’s known as a single-phase electricity supply that’s suitable for a 3-7kW charger that can charge most electric cars up to at least 80 per cent of their battery capacity overnight.
‘If you want a faster 22kW charger, you need a much rarer three-phase supply. Your electricity supplier can tell you what sort you have and also check whether your fuse board can handle the increased demand of a charger.’
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