Want to drive a really quick car, but don't have a spare £100,000+ tucked down the back of the sofa? You may want to consider a supercar experience like the ones run at Thruxton Motorsport Centre. A supercar experience is an affordable way to get to drive some of the most powerful cars available, in the environment they were designed for, the track!

JustCarsOnline decided to pop down to Thruxton for the day to see what it is all about.

Follow up:

Booking the experience is easy. Simply go to the website and choose the experience you like the look of, then either order from the website or over the phone. There are a number of experiences available and prices range from £99 to around £575.

We chose the Aston Martin v Porsche experience. This gave us 4 laps driving a Porsche Cayman, 4 laps in an Aston Martin V8 Vantage and 4 laps in a Porsche 997 Turbo.

First up, you have to attend the drivers briefing. This gives you a lot of information about how the circuit is laid out and how best to drive it. Then follows three laps of the track with the instructor driving. The car is a Maxda 3 MPS and is suprisingly quick. This is a great way to prepare you for what is coming next..

As you step out of the Maxda, you are handed the keys to a Porsche Cayman.

Helmet on, strapped in and you are ready to go. With the instructor in the passenger seat, you drive slowly out of the pits. This is the point where you will realise just how big the track is and just how fast the car can go. Press the accelerator and you are away. Remembering everything you can from the briefing and the laps in the Maxda, you are quickly up to the first corner. Your instructor gives you advice on the correct line into the corner and when you should brake and change gear. Making it through without spinning gives you the courage to try the next corner a bit faster. All too quickly you are approaching the tricky chicane at the end of lap. Powering over the finish line gives you an enormous sense of achievement and spurs you on to do better in the next lap.

With the instructor talking you through the corners it is difficult to go badly wrong. The instructor will push you further each lap but won't push you beyond your abilities. Listening and trusting him will ensure you get the most out of the drive. After the four laps were up you return to the pits for a de-brief. This brings back memories of your driving test as he fills in a card and comments on your performance. The feedback will be helpful for the next car you step into.

Next up was the Porsche 997 Turbo.

Nothing prepares you for the amount of power this car has. Not even the Cayman. As you pull out of the pits and plant your foot to the floor you are forced back into the seat. With 472 BHP propelling you towards the first corner a huge smile crosses your face and you start to wonder if remortgaging your house is a possibility. Four more laps and the car feels glued to the road. Overtaking other cars gives you another big smile. As you pull in to the pits you realise that it is probably going to be a long while before you drive anything as good again. No need to dispair though, the Aston Martin is up next.

From the moment you step up to the Vantage you can tell it will be different to the Porsches. It looks bulkier and meaner, the kind of car you wouldn't want to meet down a dark alleyway. Inside it is more friendly, and almost resembles a 'normal' car. With the exception of the flappy-paddle gearbox, which takes a little getting used to. With a press of the start button, the big V8 grumbles into life. Leaving the pits and accelerating up to the first corner and the car feels quick. Not as fast as the 997, but without any turbo lag it pulls instantly. Throwing it in to the first corner, you can feel the extra weight. It doesn't feel as nimble as the 997 but is still a huge amount of fun. Another four laps and you pull into the pits for the last time. As the instructor gives you your last de-brief, you realise how much you have learnt and how much fun you have had.

Thruxton offers a number of other experiences. With line ups including models from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Porsche, Aston Martin and a Formula Renault Single Seater you will be spoilt for choice. The instructors are very professional, very friendly and know the track like the back of their hands.

With other circuits, such as Silverstore, Castle Coombe, Croft and Rockingham, offering similar experiences, there is a great day out just waiting to be booked.