If you are looking for somewhere in Suffolk where you can swap the ordinary commute for something considerably more exciting, Wattisham Airfield is a very good place to start. Located near Ipswich, this working Army airfield has a long runway based layout with plenty of room for high speed driving in a controlled environment. In other words, it is rather more exciting than the average Tuesday afternoon.
There is also an impressive amount of choice; from supercars and classic cars, to American muscle cars and movie favourites, there is something for just about every sort of petrolhead. And for those who believe that driving one exciting car is simply not enough, there are several multi-car packages that let you sample a selection of seriously desirable machinery during the same visit.
With that in mind, we have picked out some of the best Wattisham Airfield Driving Experiences to consider. Whether you want three supercars, four supercars, a battle between a race car and a supercar, or enough driving to make your right foot question its life choices, there is plenty to get excited about.
Triple Supercar Drive With High Speed Passenger Ride
There are many ways to approach a supercar driving day. You could pick one car and spend the rest of the day wondering what the others are like. Or, more sensibly, you could drive three. The Triple Supercar Drive gives you the chance to choose three supercars from the available selection and drive each one for up to three miles.
The selection can include cars such as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Ferrari California T and Audi R8, alongside movie favourites including the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 from Transformers and the Nissan GT-R Nismo from The Fast and the Furious. That gives you up to nine miles behind the wheel, followed by a high speed passenger ride to finish things off.
Before heading out, you will receive a full safety briefing, with an instructor accompanying you during your drives to offer advice and guidance. It is a great option if you want to sample several very different performance cars without committing to just one. After all, choosing between a Ferrari, Aston Martin and Audi is a much nicer dilemma than choosing what to have for lunch.
Diamond Supercar Driving Blast With Four Cars
If three cars sounds good, naturally the next logical question is why stop there? The Diamond Supercar Driving Blast takes the multi-car approach and turns the dial up another notch, giving you the chance to drive four cars from the Diamond fleet, with up to three miles in each.
The selection includes some serious machinery, with cars such as the Aston Martin Vantage, Ferrari 488, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Lamborghini Huracan. It is a particularly good choice if you have spent years debating which manufacturer makes the ultimate supercar. Rather than arguing about it, you can simply try several of them and let your right foot make the decision.
The experience begins with registration and a full driver's safety briefing before you head out for your four drives. An expert instructor accompanies you throughout, helping you get the most from each car. Allow around two to three hours at the venue, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the cars without feeling as though you have been placed on a supercar production line.
Here is one of motoring's great questions: race car or supercar? The Race Car vs Supercar Blast gives you the opportunity to try both, beginning with your choice of either a Caterham 7 or Ariel Atom before moving on to a supercar.
You get three miles behind the wheel of your chosen race car, followed by another three miles in your chosen supercar. The selection can include cars such as the Ferrari California and Lamborghini Huracan, giving you two very different approaches to performance. The lightweight race cars are all about involvement and agility, while the supercars deliver their own blend of speed, power and sophistication.
Once your driving is finished, you can sit back and let an expert take over for a high speed passenger ride in an Ariel Atom, including a free extra lap. It is a great combination for anyone who wants more than simply a blast in a supercar and fancies finding out whether lightweight performance really can beat big horsepower.
Double Classic Vs Modern Driving Experience
Modern supercars are undeniably impressive, but there is something rather special about classic cars. They have character, history and, in some cases, the sort of driving experience that reminds you just how much cars have changed over the years. The Double Classic vs Modern Driving voucher gives you the chance to experience both sides.
You can choose two cars from the available classic and modern selection, with up to three miles of driving in each. The cars can include the Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Audi R8, AC Cobra, Ford GT40, Ford Lotus Cortina, Ford Mustang GT and Jaguar E-Type, along with cars such as the Lamborghini Gallardo, Mini Classic, Nissan Skyline R32 GTR, Porsche 911 and Toyota Supra.
A full safety briefing takes place before you begin, with an expert instructor on hand during your drives to offer guidance. You can also upgrade the experience to include a high speed passenger ride in a performance saloon car. It is an excellent option if you want to compare old and new rather than spending the whole day with modern supercars.
The Ultimate U Drive 5 Supercars Track Day
Then there is the option for people who look at the words "five supercars" and think, "Yes, that sounds about right." The Ultimate U Drive 5 Supercars Track Day gives you five supercars to drive, with six miles behind the wheel of each. That works out at up to 30 miles of driving, which makes one car suddenly seem rather inadequate.
The available cars can include the Aston Martin DB11, Aston Martin Vantage, Audi R8, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Ferrari California, Lamborghini Huracan, McLaren 720S, Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911. The experience is also a VIP package, with fast track registration, VIP parking and a high speed passenger ride in an Ariel Atom or similar included.
You will receive a safety briefing before your five driving sessions, with an instructor helping you throughout. The package is available at Wattisham Airfield and uses a coned out circuit on the open tarmac. It might not have the glamour of Silverstone, but when there is a Ferrari or Lamborghini waiting for you, you are unlikely to spend much time complaining about the scenery.
Why Choose Wattisham Airfield?
Wattisham Airfield offers something a little different from a traditional racing circuit. It is a working Army airfield near Ipswich, surrounded by Suffolk countryside and featuring a long runway based layout. Driving days have been running there since 2022, giving drivers plenty of room to experience the performance of some seriously exciting cars in a controlled environment.
There is also a wide selection of vehicles available depending on the experience you choose. Alongside supercars, the venue offers classic cars, American muscle cars, movie cars and trucks, while junior driving experiences are available for younger drivers aged 10 to 17 under instructor supervision.
That means Wattisham is not only for seasoned track day veterans. There are options for complete beginners and younger drivers too, making it a useful venue for families, first timers and anyone who has always fancied getting behind the wheel of something considerably more exciting than their daily runabout.
Which Wattisham Experience Should You Choose?
If variety is your priority, the Triple Supercar experience is a great starting point. Three cars, up to nine miles of driving and a high speed passenger ride is a very tempting combination. Want to increase the number of cars? The Diamond package gives you four supercars, including some very desirable Ferrari, Aston Martin and Lamborghini models.
For something a little different, the race car versus supercar experience is hard to ignore. You get to compare a Caterham 7 or Ariel Atom with a modern supercar before finishing with a high speed passenger ride. Meanwhile, the Double Classic Vs Modern experience is the one for anyone who wants to see whether old school character can still compete with modern performance.
Then there is the Ultimate U Drive five car package. Five supercars, six miles in each and VIP extras make this the obvious choice for anyone who wants to make a serious day of it. If you cannot decide which car you want to drive, perhaps the best solution is simply to drive all five.
Final Thoughts
Wattisham Airfield has plenty to offer when it comes to performance driving. You have the open airfield setting, plenty of space for high speed driving, professional instructors and a selection of cars ranging from classic machinery to some of the world's most recognisable modern supercars.
The biggest challenge is therefore not finding something exciting to drive. It is deciding just how much excitement you want. Three supercars? Four? A race car versus a supercar? A classic showdown? Or five supercars and 30 miles of driving?
Whichever you choose, there is something wonderfully simple about arriving at an airfield, being handed the keys to a car you probably cannot afford to own, and being told to go and enjoy yourself. Listen to the instructor, enjoy the cars and try not to look too smug when you climb out. Although, frankly, after driving a Lamborghini around an airfield, a little smugness is probably allowed.
