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It’s the last week of the summer holidays and my son and I are very much looking forward to our first international father - son excursion in the Toniq. Its mid afternoon on a sunny Sunday when we are due to set off, we have an overnight bag stowed in the passenger foot well and a bag with both our clothes in for a week strapped on the rear deck, proving that these cars can be used for big trips with a little thought and careful packing!
Our boat is the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre leaving at 11pm, and is 230 miles away. We set off from the workshop at 4.30pm, our route following the a30 to Exeter and then opting for the a303 sticking to as much 2 lane carriageway in an attempt to avoid getting snarled up in traffic.
The first test on a long road trip like this is ride comfort… No problems there as evidenced by Kieron being asleep within 30 minutes until our first stop well into the a303, the excitement of the build up getting the catching up with my little man.
There is definitely something mesmerising about driving the Toniq as it soaks up mile after mile with ease… with nothing to distract from the experience of driving you naturally fall into a zone where all that remains is you and the road! In what seemed like no time at all we had missed our turning for Southampton and were headed onto the M3! Maybe we were a little over concerned about the rain cloud we had been catching up to ever since Exeter. As we head down past Winchester and on to the M27 the ground certainly shows evidence it has rained but the sky is clear – we had successfully covered our first UK leg of the journey and stayed dry! Boarding the ferry proved hassle free and we relaxed feeling happy and content that our trip had got off to a terrific start.
The morning was stunning as we arrived in port – and after a fairly decent 6hrs sleep all I could think about was coffee, all Kieron could think about was croissants!
We made our way off the ferry instantly feeling the warmth of the morning sun. After a quick study of our map to get our bearings and sorting out the first set of directions we were on our way. I had forgotten how much the French liked their toll roads since we last took a Toniq down to Le Mans in 2008 and was not prepared for the first hour on the route costing us over £10. Blimey – welcome to France!
This was the first seriously long distance journey the Toniq CB200 demo car had ever been on without any kind of back up or support vehicle, so you would forgive me for feeling a little nervous to start with especially with being in a foreign country and my level of communication skill being best described as limited! However I soon realised that there was no need for my paranoia, the car has always proved totally reliably and trustworthy in the past and there would prove to be absolutely no cause for concern on this trip either.
What was always great fun was the attention the car attracted every time we stopped. On one occasion we had left the car to get to some lunch and when we returned the car was literally engulfed with people taking pictures – and taking the liberty of having their picture taken with the car! Not being one to miss a promotional opportunity many flyers were handed to the enthusiastic audience. Every time we stopped for a break crowds gathered, and they would always wait to hear the engine start and watch the departure – we tried to give them something to remember us by when there was a safe opportunity to do so!
After Lunch and over 500 miles into our trip confidence had really built up on the French roads so we were able to press on a little more and really start to enjoy the experience – the temperatures were increasing noticeably and it proved cooler to keep moving than stop – oh how we wish it could be like that more often in the UK!
We arrived in Cahors on a road that brought us down into the valley and through the vineyards – it was a stunning afternoon with a beautiful clear sky. As we got closer to the river it was impossible not to notice a group of paragliders riding the thermals off the top of the surrounding hills. I wondered if this could be our contact, Olivier Valade as I knew he had run a school for paragliding for over 25 years. I wasn’t wrong … within half an hour of our arrival we were taken off up to the top of the hill, Kieron was strapped in with an instructor and off he went. I’m fairly sure that at 11 years old it will be a memory that sticks with him forever!
The following day was preparing for the Main event – We were to head to the Pyrenees for 3 days and 1000miles of spectacular driving with some planned stops along the way at several exclusive dealerships that Olivier was keen to introduce to the Toniq experience, one being an agent for Pagani and another for Ducati. I was delighted at how much enthusiasm everyone showed for the car – the Pagani dealers were overwhelmed by the Toniq’s styling and presence, complementing the quality and attention to detail in such a ‘little car at a little price’. The fact that Bike engines are also an option created quite a stir at the Ducati dealership who were very keen to investigate having a Toniq as a central show piece!
However the real star of the trip had to be the mountains! The Toniq was as equally at home here as it ever has been on the race track or the roads in the UK. The CB squatted in and followed the contours of Mother Nature’s play ground as if it was intended for no other purpose. But I only got one day to experience it – after that it was Olivier’s turn and once he got behind the wheel it proved impossible to get him out of the seat! Olivier has been involved in the specialist lightweight sportscar scene in one way or another for the last decade and his experience with owning, buying, selling, racing and repairing them is second to none. At first he was a little concerned at the lack of a windscreen, however to his surprise he complimented it on feeling more secure and better protected than other similar cars he had driven with a windscreen due to the higher sides and extremely effective aero screen. Immediate plus points for clever design over perceived practicality then…
Olivier was full of praise for the cars composure in this challenging environment, commenting that the car felt was very responsive and precise – the slightest input through steering wheel or pedals creating instant response, but without feeling at all edgy or anywhere near the edge of control. This feeling of confidence was characterised at one point as we were overtaken by a mad Frenchman man pedalling an Astra VXR furiously along the mountain passes… Only for another mad Frenchman to take off in pursuit in a Toniq CB200! Driving one of Oliviers other seven style cars I soon found myself watching from afar as the two French pilots disappeared off up the road at a pace I could not come close to matching, Olivier not being content until he had overtaken and embarrassed the VXR nutcase. We eventually caught up with a very satisfied Olivier parked up at a stunning lookout point somewhere at the top of Spain. Olivier’s only criticism being that days like this never seem to last long enough… in this sensational location it didn't take much contemplation to realise that what he said made total sense.
After making our way back to civilisation it was a short overnight stop before we set off to Paris the following day. Our appointment was with a Track day at the Monthéry circuit which is run by UTAC, the French equivalent of our DVLA. The trackday was organised as a demonstration to the French governing body of what low volume manufacturing is all about, focusing on the quality, care and attention to detail the niche vehicle industry can provide. The idea behind the day was to work toward convincing the Governing body in France to at least consider revising some ruling on road registering the many wonderful cars the niche vehicle market has to offer. Only time will tell if their eyes have been opened, but a plus sign is that the event was so well supported they have already released plans to repeat the event again next year!
It was a fantastic day and the circuit boasted a lovely blend of high speed cornering and chicanes on its 54 degree banked surface, a lovely hairpin off the main straight and some tight off camber cornering before entering the back straight under the cover of trees. Even with its suspension geometry optimised for the road the Toniq felt superb, track preparations being limited to a few clicks wound onto the adjustable dampers and a couple of psi dropped out of the tyres. The car didn’t just feel quick out on the track – It was seriously quick, even in among a field of Atoms, Exige’s, VX220’s, Renault Spiders, Megan and Clio cup race cars, there was nothing to intimidate the CBs track pace but only to make it shine through all the more!
As the Day drew to a close nothing remained other than to say farewell to our new French friends and head back in the direction of home. The crossing home was less than smooth and was only worsened by the clever idea that we would catch the high speed catamaran on the return trip. There was a point on the trip that I just resigned myself to the fact that being so light, the Toniq would more than likely have re-parked itself into or onto a neighbouring car… it really felt that bad. We finally docked 1.5hrs later than scheduled with a boatful of green faced passengers. I had managed to watch two films and hold on to my food which by all accounts was a result of its own. Still buzzing from the events of the last week we drove off the boat into the first cloud covered sky we had seen in a week – welcome back to the UK! However the rain held off for a while, until the first drops started to fall just south of Dorchester, following which it rained all the way back to Cornwall. With waterproof jacket called in to action for the first time on our entire trip and the CB’s aeroscreen taking the airflow and raindrops over our heads it never proved to be an issue, Keiron and I staying warm and dry all the way home.
It’s funny how it wasn’t until I was listening to the radio quietly driving home in my Honda road car having dropped the Toniq off at the worshop that I realised what driving the CB sportscar is really about. It’s not about how practical it is, or worrying about where you’re going to put the shopping, or even whether the car has a windscreen or roof – not once did I find myself feeling tired or fidgeting to find comfortable position. I don’t recall missing listening to the radio or even remember one mile that I drove where I wasn’t smiling. The Toniq CB range is all about the experience, the pleasure of driving, being at one with the road … and the elements… and yourself… and appreciating it for what it is. Bloody fantastic fun! |
