Sieska Verdonk
Motorsport fans rejoice, a new attraction at Feilding's Manfeild Racetrack, gets you as close as possible to the world of a professional race car driver.
Until recently, the FT40 was used in Toyota Racing Series, but from late November, a two-seater version of the model will be open for public rides.
Gavin Halls, Senior Track Instructor, said the car "is really special because it gives normal people the opportunity to experience one of these cars driven to the absolute limit and that's where the thrill is. This car is without a doubt one of the fastest cars in New Zealand for passenger rides."
Back seat drivers are chauffeured by an experienced formula racer and can even capture their experience with a go pro camera.
The first thing passengers feel is the incredible acceleration, from 0-100 in around 2.7 secs, but then it keeps increasing.
With your seat just inches from the road level, extremely tight cornering and intense braking all add to the thrill... and passengers need to remember to breathe!
The FT40 reaches top speeds of 220 kilometres on the straight at which point it feels like it's about to take off, and passengers will either be ecstatic... or nauseous.
The new attraction will cost speed freaks $350 for just three laps. But Manfeild are confident they've hit on a winning formula.