Autumn is a funny old season. One minute you have crisp blue skies, golden leaves and roads that look like they were designed specifically for a Sunday drive. The next, you are staring through a windscreen at rain coming down at an angle and wondering whether the weather has something against you personally.
For driving enthusiasts, though, this can be rather good news. Not every driving experience requires glorious sunshine, dry tarmac and sunglasses. Some are arguably even more entertaining when there is a bit of weather involved. Mud, loose surfaces and slippery conditions can all add something different, while the more controlled experiences give you plenty to concentrate on regardless of what is happening above your head.
So, if you fancy doing something more interesting than watching the leaves fall from the sofa this autumn, there are plenty of options. From stunt driving and rally cars to quad trekking and serious off road adventures, these five experiences are all well suited to getting out and about whatever sort of autumn day you happen to get.
1. 60 Minute Stunt Pro Experience - £118
Autumn is not always about getting out into the countryside. Sometimes the best way to deal with questionable weather is to find somewhere you can deliberately make a car go sideways.
The 60 Minute Stunt Pro Experience is a great choice for a gloomy autumn day because the appeal is not dependent on sunshine. You are there to learn stunt driving techniques, including J turns, handbrake turns and doughnuts, under the guidance of an expert instructor.
It takes place on a dedicated stunt track in a modified Mazda MX 5, so you can concentrate on learning the techniques rather than worrying about whether the weather is behaving itself. You will have around 50 minutes of tuition, giving you plenty of time to get to grips with the car and hopefully make your first attempt at a doughnut look slightly less like an accidental trip to the supermarket.
With locations including Bovingdon Airfield and London Motor Circuit, it is a particularly good option when you want some proper driving action without needing to plan your day around the weather.
2. Subaru Rally Dirt Competition Experience - £149
If autumn makes you think of muddy tracks, changing countryside and cars being driven sideways, rally driving is probably going to appeal.
The Subaru Rally Dirt Competition Experience is made for loose surfaces, giving you the chance to drive a Subaru Impreza on a dirt rally stage rather than spending the day carefully avoiding puddles on a normal road.
That makes it rather fitting for autumn. You can enjoy the changing scenery on the way there, then swap the peaceful countryside for a Subaru sliding around a rally stage. The weather might be bright and crisp or a little damp, but either way, you are going to be concentrating far more on where the car is pointing than whether you remembered your umbrella.
You will get tuition from a rally instructor and learn techniques used to control the car on the dirt, with sighting and passenger laps before taking the wheel yourself. It is the sort of autumn activity that gives you a very good excuse for coming home with a bit of mud on the car.
3. Quarry Off Road 4x4 Driving Half Day Experience - £189
There is one obvious problem with autumn weather. Everything gets muddy.
Thankfully, somebody invented the Land Rover.
The Quarry Off Road 4x4 Driving Half Day Experience is therefore rather well timed for the season. Instead of trying to keep your car away from the mud, you can spend a few hours learning how to drive through it properly at Whitecliff Quarry in Gloucestershire.
The experience takes place on a challenging off road course, with slopes, gullies and different types of terrain to tackle. You will learn how to approach the obstacles and make use of the Land Rover's gearing, with around an hour of individual driving time during the shared experience.
A sunny autumn day would make the quarry and surrounding scenery particularly enjoyable, but a bit of rain certainly would not spoil the concept. If anything, it gives the Land Rover something to get its tyres into.
Just remember that the person who cleans the car afterwards may not share your enthusiasm.
4. 60 Minute Quad Trekking Experience - £79
For an autumn day when you would rather be outside than sitting behind a windscreen, quad trekking offers something completely different.
The 60 Minute Quad Trekking Experience takes place on a large hilly farm estate near the Shropshire and Welsh border, where you can explore the countryside on a 250cc Honda ATV with a qualified instructor.
This is particularly suited to autumn because you are not simply looking at the changing countryside through a car window. You are actually out in it, following trails and tackling the terrain while surrounded by the colours of the season.
And then there is the mud. A little rain is hardly a disaster when waterproof clothing and wellies are provided and you are riding an all terrain quad in the first place. In fact, trying to return spotless would probably be missing the point.
It is a good choice for anyone who wants an autumn adventure with a bit of fresh air, countryside and muddy fun rather than another afternoon indoors.
5. Dakar Rally Jump Experience - £124
Some people look at an autumn day and think, "Lovely, I shall go for a walk."
Others look at it and think, "I wonder if I can get a rally vehicle airborne?"
For the second group, there is the Dakar Rally Jump Experience.
Taking place at Bovingdon Airfield, this gives you the chance to experience rally style driving on both a circuit and loose gravel before taking on the Launch Pad. There is tuition and a gradual build up to the jump, so you are not simply launched towards a ramp and wished the best.
It works well as an autumn choice because it embraces the more adventurous side of driving. You are outside, dealing with a mixture of surfaces and getting to experience something that is about as far removed from the normal school run as you can get.
The weather can affect whether the experience runs, naturally, but if the conditions are suitable, an autumn day spent driving a Dakar Rally specification Yamaha YXZ1000R and attempting jumps is going to be considerably more memorable than spending it arguing with the weather app.
Why Autumn Is a Great Time for a Driving Experience
The beauty of an autumn driving experience is that you do not necessarily need perfect conditions to have a good time.
Some experiences, such as stunt driving, are about learning new skills in a controlled environment. Others, such as rally driving, off roading and quad trekking, give you the chance to embrace the outdoor conditions and experience something very different from normal road driving.
Then there are those crisp autumn days when the sun is shining, the leaves are changing colour and everything looks suspiciously picturesque. Those are perfect for getting out into the countryside, too. Basically, autumn gives you plenty of excuses. Rain is an excuse to get muddy, sunshine is an excuse to get outside and a grey day is an excuse to go and drive something ridiculous.
Conclusion
There is no need to put your driving plans on hold just because summer has packed its bags.
Autumn can actually be a brilliant time to get behind the wheel. The countryside looks different, the weather adds a bit of unpredictability and there are plenty of experiences where a little mud or rain simply becomes part of the story.
Whether you want to learn how to throw a Mazda MX 5 sideways, get a Subaru moving across a dirt stage, tackle a quarry in a Land Rover, explore the countryside on a quad or attempt a rally jump, there is something for almost every sort of driver.
Just check the weather, dress appropriately and accept that your footwear may never quite recover.
After all, anyone can go for a drive when the sun is shining. It takes a slightly more committed sort of person to see a rainy autumn forecast and think, "Excellent. Where are the keys?"
