As part of an induction programme for the 2012 season, a trio of McLaren GT drivers including Rob Bell, Alvaro Parente and Alexander Sims were given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the latest MP4-12C sports car at the ‘figure-of-eight’ circuit, better known for its starring role as the BBC Top Gear test track.

I actually think I might have been quicker than ‘The Stig’ on the day…

Even though McLaren’s 12C GT3 race car shares its V8 twin-turbo engine and carbon ‘MonoCell’ chassis with its road car sibling, the drivers were awestruck that a car, almost as quick as their race car, could be driven on the road.

Rob Bell said: “Driving the 12C on track was a special opportunity and one that helped us learn a lot about the way McLaren develops its cars. I had a huge grin on my face because unlike any other sports car I have driven, it lacks nothing on track.

It is easy to drive very fast and very safely. I want to find the quickest way around a circuit in any car I drive, and the value of technology like Brake Steer and the 12C’s Airbrake is absolutely clear to me. I actually think I might have been quicker than ‘The Stig’ on the day…”

McLaren are gearing up for a full season of racing in the Blancpain Endurance Series, German VLN series, ADAC GT Masters, British GT championship, French FIA GT1 Championship and FIA GT1 World Championship, with a total of 25 cars built for the year.

The 12C GT3 will also compete in the famous 24 Hour Nürburgring endurance race in May, plus 24-hour races at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.

Kimi’s Lotus F1 Team have obtained a 90-second preview of the show, to whet your appetite, with Kimi at the wheel of the well-worn (but awesome) Suzuki Liana. The time to beat is 1.44.0 seconds set by Sebastian Vettel, but with the top 6 times spanning less than 0.7 seconds it’s by no means certain that the Iceman will grace the top half of the league table.

After being let loose in the front wheel drive family runabout, Kimi declared it ‘better than expected’, after he explored the Liana’s gut-renching levels of adhesion.

The full program will be on BBC TWO this Sunday at 20:00 UK time.

Photo credit: Lotus F1 Team

UPDATE: If you missed the live event, the edited highlights video is now available to watch. Take a look at the bottom of this page.

The race which will be broadcast live from 3pm (BST) later today will be run within a purpose-built game within GT5 called, the Mercedes-Benz Driving Event.

With Coulthard in the driving seat, Martin Brundle and Jonathan Legard will provide commentary and present the live broadcast. To add to the drama the track will remain a secret until the day to give all competitors a fair chance at victory, although perhaps in a deliberate faux-pas Legard announced on Twitter this morning “F1 star v virtual racers. Who’ll be champion around Dunsfold? #topgeartrack TODAY”.

He later corrected himself by tweeting, “Assuming it is there, of course. Like the stig, Some things aren’t always what they seem. Watch this space…”.

Jeremy Hart interviewed Martin Brundle for The Telegraph last week, who said, “When I first heard about this competition I thought it was DC racing gamers on a computer game, and he’s absolutely hopeless at that,” chortles Brundle. Then he gets serious. “But in a real SLS I think he’ll give them a good run for their money.”

“When I drive a car on a game, it amazes me how real it can feel. I recognise some of the traits of the real car in the digital version. But until you have felt the real car, the grip, the fear, you haven’t got a reference point. That’s why a digital racer needs the racing experience as well.”

Brundle then goes on to say, “In a real car you have to trust you can turn into a bend at 180mph and the car will stick and you won’t go off and kill yourself,” says Brundle. “If you go off the track during a game, it doesn’t hurt. That’s why we are still a long way from someone coming from virtual racing becoming a world champion. There are so many levels to being a top-flight racing driver. How to set up the car, read the weather and race wheel to wheel.”

Meanwhile at Mercedes-Benz World, Surrey, 24 prize draw winners will be battling it out to qualify for their place in the big race, and the lucky few who set the top six qualifying times will then compete against Coulthard in real time at Mercedes’ Brooklands venue, where visitors are welcome to come along and watch the action for themselves.

The GT5 contestant that sets the fastest lap will win an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2011 Brazilian Formula 1™ Grand Prix on 27 November.

If you weren’t lucky enough to make it through to the final 24 players, then you can still compete against Coulthard in the SLS AMG by entering the specially created in-game ‘seasonal event’ on GT5. Leaderboard information for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Event will be available on www.gran-turismo.com

The in-game Mercedes-Benz Driving Event will be available until Monday 26 September so there’s plenty of time to earn those bragging rights, but make sure you tune in this afternoon to gain some pointers on how to beat an F1 driver..

Edited Highlights

Spend the day learning the fastest way around the 2 mile circuit and how to get the maximum performance from the 370Z. And did we mention – all this takes place under the watchful visor of the man in white; the world’s fastest man-machine; Top Gear’s tame racing driver: The Stig?

Not bad eh?

There are 20 places available, so if you’re interested watch the video in the sidebar and then click through to enter yourself in the competition. (if for any reason the video does not play, then just refresh the page)

It was at the Top Gear studio for The Stig to set a lap time around the Dunsfold test track, but you’ll just have to wait until the program is broadcast to find out how it managed.

The episode will be broadcast on the BBC2 on January 3rd 2010, so put that in your diaries.

Meanwhile, what better excuse than to show you a video of the LFA sounding suitably exotic. Enjoy!

Bacardi decided to combine 7-times F1 champion Michael Schumacher together with Salvatore “The Maestro” Calabrese, one of the world’s greatest mixologist.

Schumacher puts Calabreses mixology skills to an extreme test as he drives at high speeds around the Dunsfold test track in a Maserati GranTurismo S whilst Calabrese tries to mix the perfect cocktail.

Cue much hilarity and Il Maestro getting soaked..

For more information on the Champions Drink Responsibly™ campaign go to www.championsdrinkresponsibly.com