So, after watching this video about a BMW test driver taking his wife for a ride, it brought back a couple of times when I’d taken friends out and it surprised them with what a kit car can do.

Firstly, there was my sister in law who announced that I should give it the beans and not take it gently like I did for the MIL. After about 10 corners she was begging to stop. I did before she ate her lunch backwards all over the footwell.

It’s odd how people automatically assume that you’re going to brake for every corner whereas the majority of the work is in positioning and settling the car. Moreso, she wasn’t ready for just how immediate the acceleration is or how brutal and late the braking is; I love it when they reach for the imaginary brake. I’ve frequently got 5s to 60 according to my timing gear (hall effect racelogic jobby) and that’s more than most muggles are wired for.

I took another friend out, a very good friend over many years. When we got back and he got out he fell over; I’d messed with his inner ear. I asked him how this happened (If I knew he had a condition, I would have been easier on him) but he said “we were coming up to a corner at 110 [indicated – probably more like 90] and I was reaching for the imaginary brake when you put it into 5th and planted it – I kept my eyes shut until we stopped”.

I think from now on, passengers will need a safeword, and it will be Nihno.