The General Lee(xus) was put through its paces at Silverstone recently, thanks to the wonderful people at the Silverstone Track Club.

Invited down to put their new track day product to the test, we decided to stretch credibility to its limits and eschewed the option of a BMW sports car or an aging Toyota MR2, and instead arrived with a two tonne, four litre luxury car. Painted orange. With a Confederate flag on the roof.

However, The General was still very much under-tyred, with the front tyres being somewhat shy of the legal minimum tread depth. Fortunately our good friends at Continental Tyres stepped in and provided a new set of ContiSportContact 2’s, so we weren’t in danger of sliding off the damp circuit.

Thrashing The General round the technical Stowe and super fast Southern circuits, we managed to achieve 8mpg, but did show a clean pair of tail lights to a Porsche Boxster, amongst other less exotic machinery. With no metal bent, and tyres still mostly in one piece, it was definitely a successful day.

The dry run for Silverstone’s product went well too; they’ve got a great package for track days available, and we’d recommend at least taking a look. Race instructors and sports psychologists sre on hand, so your technique will improve, and you’ll come back a better, more confident driver.

2010 Home2Rome, Other Events