andreas_dharmawan

My inner child has always wondered what life would be like if I were a Deutschen Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) Audi RS4 driver, like Mattias Ekstrom. How could I fulfill this dream when the holodeck won't be invented for another 250 years? Fortunately, I found a way to satisfy my dream in the current century: The 2006 Barcelona Audi RS4 Driving Experience. Instead of letting my inner child continuously wonder, I decided to make this dream a reality even for a brief moment.

This event is taking place at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, the home of Formula 1 racing. Skills, technologies, teamwork, and physical endurance are battle tested at this very challenging and technical circuit. Winners are born here every year. This circuit has all the challenging features one can expect from any famous international raceways; long and short straight stretches, chicane, switchbacks, decreasing radius turns, sweeping half circle turns, and hairpin turns with elevation changes throughout the circuit. I am sitting in my silver RS4 waiting in queue in the pit area for my turn to go on the track solo. In front of me there are 9 other RS4´s, 4 in Daytona Gray Pearl Effect , 3 in Missano Red Pearl Effect, and 2 in Avus Silver Pearl Effect. Sepp Haider - first place champion of OSK Rallye Cup, German Rallye, and New Zealand Rallye - is releasing each car every 10 seconds. Finally, it is my turn. Sepp waves the checkered flag for me. I put the car on the first gear and, almost forgetting, I quickly press the S button on the F-1 style steering wheel, before I release the clutch.

The bolster seat closes up to give me more support for the upcoming high G-force turns, the burble of the engine exhaust gets louder as the car releases its inhibition and makes all mighty raw 420 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque available to me. My body is pressed against the Recaro bucket sport seat as I am accelerating effortlessly the second I leave the pit area to 90 mph in no time. Shifting to second and third gears, I savor every second of this exhilarating launch; the moment I have been waiting eagerly since I arrived in Barcelona two days ago...

For full story, visit: http://www.driving-vacation.com/cont...ing_experience

-Andreas. D
driving-vacation.com