There are driving experiences, and then there is this. A place where raw power, military engineering and a faint whiff of gunpowder all converge to create something utterly different. Welcome to the Tanks, Trucks and Firepower Showground, an all-new site based near Rugby in Warwickshire that swaps the usual polished race circuits and glossy supercars for mud, diesel and serious firepower.
Here, the vehicles are not designed to impress the neighbours on the school run. They were built for conflict, for speed across rough terrain, and for doing things that would make your average hatchback weep. This is the arena where you can climb inside genuine tanks, test your nerve in troop carriers, throw a military buggy sideways through the dirt, and even unleash the thunder of a 76mm main gun. The experiences on offer range from the spectacular to the downright ludicrous - but in the best possible way.
Scorpion Tank Firing Experience for One
If there is one experience that defines the Showground, it is the Scorpion Tank Firing Experience for One. This is no tame museum exhibit - the Scorpion is the real deal, a Cold War reconnaissance tank that can still strike fear into anything that happens to be in its path. Participants take to the controls, guiding the 8-tonne vehicle around the site before moving onto the headline act: firing its main gun.
The 76mm weapon is as impressive as it sounds. You load, aim and fire, sending shockwaves through the surrounding area as the tank kicks back beneath you. It is noisy, unapologetic, and completely unforgettable. Few experiences can boast that they literally let you squeeze the trigger on a live tank gun, and it is precisely this mix of driving and firepower that makes it such a centrepiece.
Alvis Spartan Tank Driving Experience
For those who fancy a different sort of tracked thrill, the Alvis Spartan Tank Driving Experience is a chance to climb behind the controls of a vehicle that could almost be called a sports car in disguise. The Spartan is powered by a 4.2-litre Jaguar engine, the same as the classic E-Type, giving it a surprising turn of pace for an armoured personnel carrier. In fact, it can push past 50 mph, forwards and backwards, thanks to its semi-automatic gearbox with seven gears in each direction.
It may not come with the noise of a firing cannon, but the reward lies in its agility and handling. Driving the Spartan demands concentration and precision as you wrestle with its controls across mud and rough terrain. It is less about brute firepower and more about the sheer joy of mastering a machine that was designed to ferry soldiers at speed in combat zones. And when you realise that its heart is essentially a Jaguar engine encased in armour, the grin becomes almost impossible to shake.
Off Road 4x4 Army Truck Driving Experience
Of course, not everything at the Showground comes on tracks. The Off Road 4x4 Army Truck Driving Experience swaps turrets and cannons for the raw practicality of a Leyland DAF T244 GS troop carrier. This towering brute is built to transport entire platoons across landscapes where ordinary lorries would give up the ghost. Here, you take the wheel yourself, tackling inclines, ruts and mud while feeling the immense torque pulling you through obstacles that would stop most vehicles dead.
The fun of the truck is not in sleek acceleration or high top speeds, but in the commanding sensation of sitting high above the ground, bouncing over terrain that seems more suitable for mountain goats than machinery. It is a different kind of adrenaline rush - slower perhaps, but immensely satisfying. And once you've proven yourself behind the wheel, the day does not end there.
After your stint in the Army Truck, you get to hand over the controls and strap in for the Tank Passenger Ride. This time, you climb into an FV432 armoured personnel carrier and simply hold on tight. With a trained driver at the helm, the tank storms across the off-road course, churning through the mud, climbing slopes, and hammering its way across the landscape.
From inside, you feel every vibration, hear the constant growl of the engine and gain a sense of the sheer toughness of these vehicles. It is the perfect chance to experience the raw might of a tank without the responsibility of actually driving it. For many, this ride alone is enough to spark the urge to come back and take the controls themselves another time.
Desert Storm Buggy Driving Experience
If tanks and trucks feel a little too heavy-handed, there is always the option of something leaner and nimbler. The Desert Storm Buggy Driving Experience puts you behind the wheel of a purpose-built off-road buggy, powered by a 1000 cc V-Twin engine. These machines are designed for speed, torque and agility, throwing themselves across the course with reckless enthusiasm.
For around twenty minutes, you will be dodging obstacles, sliding sideways, and probably laughing as the buggy seems determined to test your reflexes. Where tanks thunder and trucks crush, the buggy darts and leaps, proving that sometimes finesse is just as thrilling as brute force. It is an experience that appeals to those who prefer their adrenaline sharp and fast rather than heavy and thunderous.
A Showground Unlike Any Other
Taken together, the experiences at the Tanks, Trucks and Firepower Showground form a collection that is entirely unlike the usual driving days most people imagine. Here, you are not chasing lap times on smooth tarmac, but wrestling with machines built for war, survival and dominance across the harshest terrain. You can fire guns, drive troop carriers, ride in tanks, or fling a buggy across the mud.
This is where driving meets something more primal - where noise, vibration, power and the odd explosion combine to make memories that stick. It is messy, unpredictable, and utterly thrilling.
So, if you want to swap the polite rev of a sports car for the roar of a tank engine, or trade perfect racing lines for mud-splattered chaos, then this is the place for you.
If you are interested in these sorts of driving experiences, head to our Tanks, Trucks and Firepower Showground page to find out more.
