In the past couple of years, the track day culture in the UK has come on in leaps and bounds, with a number of companies setting up to organise such events. A logical extension of this is the dedicated track day car for those drivers who don't want to commit to a highly strung race car, but want more excitement and speed than can be gained from affordable road cars. A recent entrant to this market is the LMP from Turner Automotive Design (TAD). The Car Enthusiast was invited along to a track day at the full Brands Hatch GP circuit to see the LMP and to try it out in its element.

A brief overview: the LMP is a small, lightweight two-seat car in the style of Le Mans race cars of the '90s (without actually looking like any of them). There are three versions offered, each powered by a 1200cc engine from the Kawasaki ZX12 motorbike in differing stages of tune from 180bhp to 230bhp. In a car that weighs less than 500kg ready to go, this promises to be quick. Seriously quick in fact, enough to blow away the Porsche and Ferrari faction at any track day.

The LMP has purposely been designed to run on road legal tyres, and road equipment such as lights is available as an option, as is SVA certification necessary to drive the car on the road if desired. At the other end of the scale, the LMP can be supplied in a more race-oriented form and negotiations are even in place for a possible one make series for 2005.

Our test car was a development mule currently running mixed specification from the three options, the engine was "only" developing 180bhp while the wheels and tyres were the largest available option: massive 10 x 18 inch wheels on the rear with super sticky Toyo tyres all round. Lifting off the bodywork (both front and rear sections are one-piece glass fibre mouldings that can be removed racecar style by two people in a matter of seconds) revealed a spaceframe chassis to racecar design. Out back, the engine is offset to the left (to balance up the weight of the driver on the right) and well forward. Brought up on cars, I was expecting a transverse engine, but in the LMP the engine sits north-south with drive to the back axle by the shortest prop shaft I have ever seen. Using a shaft rather than chain drive opens up the possibility of using car derived engines in the future for a very different driving experience.

One of the main advantages of a motorbike engine though is that they come attached to a sequential gearbox. The Kawasaki 6-speed box is used here, with a conventional (car) gear linkage designed especially for this car. Push the lever forwards to select first, then backwards again and again to change up through the gears - forwards again and again to change back down. The engine runs a dry sump system so it can be mounted as low as possible, and a big centre exit silencer keeps the track day noise police happy.

Up front, the air intake in the nose ducts air straight into the radiator, which is lying down almost horizontal. The LMP has a flat bottom and rear diffuser, all in aluminium, with a front splitter being in the development plan. Inside, there are just two bare seats, both of the figure hugging variety, and a pair of 4-point harnesses. The LMP has been built to comply with both SVA and MSA Blue Book regulations so the lower roll cage was also very much in evidence inside the car. No windscreen means helmets are a necessity, and on this car an array of digital instruments with LED readouts were fitted. These looked good, but once out on track provided too much information to take in easily; I think that the standard "needle" variety might prove more readable.

First off, I was treated to a passenger ride. Much of the development has been carried out by Jonathan Young, a Scottish lad with multiple championship wins behind him and a big future in front - and it was he who piloted the LMP round the circuit. First impressions were of the oh-my-god variety. Everything happened so quick it was hard to adjust and take it all in. On our "slow" out lap, braking into Druids was very late and very powerful; the rear just squirmed around a little under power as the tyres warmed up. With no speedometer on board this car, it was hard to judge exactly how fast we were going, but suffice to say that we overtook everything on the track. As the tyres warmed, so Jonathan braked later into the corners and took them ever faster. Two-up, the flat bottom was scraping when crossing the kerb exiting Paddock, but was not affecting the line taken. I was certainly glad of the large alloy footrest for the passenger to wedge myself against and an exposed chassis tube to the front left of me to give me something to hold on to. The forces in cornering, accelerating and braking all needed me to hold on tight for fear of limbs being flung in the driver's way. What seemed no sooner than we had started, the session ended and we came back into the pits.

Then it was my turn. On this development car there was insufficient movement of the seat to get quite far enough forward, but then I have the same problem in Caterhams too. Some padding between the seat and myself soon solved that. Lying well reclined, with just the top of my helmet sticking out over the cowl, it felt just like a racing car. A set of floor hinged pedals and that dinky little removable steering wheel reinforced the feeling. Flick the ignition switch; push the starter button, and 1,200cc of Kawasaki engine behind my left shoulder fired up. Give it a lot of revs to get moving (motorbike engines don't need low down torque in their usual habitat) and we were off, travelling slowly around the pits and ready to go out on track.

The pit lane light went green, a quick glance in the mirror as I entered Paddock and then nail it. Wooooow! Almost as fast as the car, it was time to change up - just snick the lever back and lift off ever so slightly before planting the foot back down hard; then do it all again and again before braking for Druids. Being a motorbike gearbox, there is no need to use the clutch on upchanges. Back down through the gears to second for Druids, using just a dab of clutch and then back away we go again. I spent the first couple of laps just learning the GP circuit (the chicane at Dingle Dell has been removed since I last drove here) and getting a feel for the LMP. Not being used to motorbike engines in cars (although I do own a bike), it takes a little adjustment to start revving a car to 10,000rpm and keeping the revs above 6,000, preferably above 8,000rpm. I kept forgetting at first and trying to labour round with around 3-4,000rpm, but within a couple of laps I had got the hang of it and it was time for some fun.

I had let a few cars by while learning the track and the car, but now it was time for them to make way. Screaming down the start-finish straight, brake nice and late and keep right to the outside of the track before slamming down two gears and hurtling into Paddock. Use the entire track on the exit and note that one-up, there is no bottoming out problem. Back up the hill to Druids before bringing the speed right down for the hairpin, and then firing out down the hill to Graham Hill. Another stand on the brakes before turning in and snicking back up through the gears down the short Cooper straight, and already the slower traffic is moving over. A late, deep turn-in point and then up and round to the left onto the GP circuit section. As you come over the brow, the bridge looks impossibly low, even in something this small, and then back uphill to the fast right hand bend taken in 4th, or 5th when you've done the brave pills.

This thing is awesome, turn-in is fabulous, though the two turns lock-to-lock steering is very heavy. The back just follows the front, feeling fully planted everywhere except through the slowest sections where full power can just encourage it to move a couple of inches. On we go round the back of the circuit, up and down the gears, up and down the track, and faster than everything else out here in session. A couple more laps and my confidence in the LMP was right up there. Now I started to notice that more power would have been nice. Coming out of Clearways and blasting up through the gears down the straight I had time to think about more power. No doubt the chassis can handle it - and the option for 230bhp rather than 180bhp is there.

All too soon I saw the chequered flag. At least it was still a long way round the full circuit back to pit lane, and as I slowed down to allow the car to cool, I had time to take in the drive and savour it all over again.

There's no doubt in my mind that this car deserves to succeed. On road tyres it provides a thrill unavailable in any normal road car, even the more exotic ones, yet at the same time would be little more hardship on the road than a Caterham. The LMP has been set up to be both forgiving for the novice driver, yet rewarding for those prepared (and able) to extend the envelope. The steering was very physical, the brakes on this car need a little work to improve feel but nothing to worry about in terms of stopping power, and every car should come with a sequential gearbox. Just hammering up through the gears with little more than a slight lift of the throttle and a little tug on the lever gave seamless and rewarding changes. If you are in the market for a car you would like to drive to the track as well as explore your talents with, the TAD LMP is certainly worth a look.