The hardest thing for a gearhead to concede is one's own lack of ability behind the wheel. Not necessarily for getting from point A to B within your city, but on the race track where practice and technique trumps a desire to mash the throttle and crank the wheel for maximum g force. It's perfectly okay to be a novice, that's what practice is for. But sometimes, when the thirst for speed outweighs skill, there's a third option that doesn't involve looking like an idiot on the track.
Enter the track taxi service, the most famous of which is the Nurburgring's Ring Taxi. For a few hundred euro, anyone, licensed or not, can hire the services of a professional racing driver and their ride for a lap in order to experience the track the way the professionals do.
Over in Japan, things are a bit different because that island nation just can't stop its love affair with oversteer. To them, a hot lap with Sabine Schmitz in a Porsche 911 GT3 RS isn't quite a yawn, but it certainly takes a back seat to downing a set of tires during a drift session. Leaving no drifting newbie behind, the Ebisu Circuit in Japan has its very own drift taxi for hire, which YouTuber noriyaro flags for a ride in this video. The car itself is impressive, featuring bolstered racing seats in the front and back so that four passengers can be part of the experience. However, even with 450 horsepower, the car is still not as cool as the experience its driver offers.
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