Life isn't easy for those who own fast cars. Imagine owning a Lamborghini Huracán Spyder that is capable of hitting 60mph in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 201mph... When and where can we possibly let this beast loose? There's nowhere to actually utilize all the power, and even if we did find a long enough stretch of road there would be speeding tickets and jail time waiting in a not too distant future. Even worse, we can't really test the handling limits of a fast car on public roads, with no run-off zones and other road users, that kind of behavior endangers ourselves and others. So racetracks are the way to go then, right? But regular track days let in anyone who can afford to pay the entry fee - with no guarantees that they can actually handle the power under the hood of their cars. No one wants to ram into the side of a Mustang that's going sideways around the track.
Updated February 2022: If you're a fan of fast cars and track days, you'll be happy to know that we've updated this article with even more facts about some of the world's most exclusive privately owned racetracks.
That leaves us with some more exclusive tracks. Tracks where they don't let in every street racer and Dom Toretto wannabe. And as luck would have it, there are several places like that. Of course, they come with a price - a very high price, but to some, the thrill and exclusivity it offers is worth the money, and then some. Some of the tracks on this list are only available to the super-wealthy car and driving enthusiasts out there, while other tracks are even more exclusive and only open to a select few car manufacturers. Clearly, we're not cool enough, nor rich enough to take our cars anywhere near these places.
18 Ehra-Lessien
Want to find out how fast your car really is? Well, you can forget doing it at Ehra-Lessien, the Volkswagen Audi Group's test track near Wolfsburg - VW won't let any outsiders have a go there.
This is the track where VAG-owned Bugatti test the top speed of their insanely fast vehicles, and while there might be companies capable of building faster cars, we'll never know unless VW opens the doors to the only place on Earth where they can be pushed that far. Ehra isn't all about top-speed runs though, the facility also features a large variety of road surfaces and curves to test vehicles.
17 Club Spring Mountain
Some rich people go to Vegas to spend a ton of money, but one hour from the Casinos there's another place you can spend all your hard-earned cash; In Pahrump, Nevada, we find Club Spring Mountain - and spending $60,000 on initiation, then $6,000 annually lets you enjoy 16 track days a month. If you still have some money left over, you can invest in a condo there as well - starting at $350,000.
Spring Mountain has 6.1 miles of asphalt snaking through the desert hills, making it the longest track in the U.S. But the owners don't think that’s enough, Spring Mountain is expected to expand to more than 16 miles of track, which is even more than Germany’s infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife, which is 13.1 miles long.
16 Fiorano
Enzo Ferrari had the Fiorano race track built in 1972 in the immediate vicinity of the Maranello plant. In the 16 years from the time the track opened until his loss in 1988, Enzo Ferrari would sit in his house and listen to his beloved scarlet Formula One cars testing.
Legend has it that the reason Enzo had the circuit built was so he could enjoy his cars and talk to his drivers without the presence of other F1 cars and drivers, or the press. You can actually have a go around the track yourself - you just have to purchase a new Ferrari in order to do so.
15 Idiada
Idiada is one of the best-kept secrets in proving ground circles. In fact, it's quite difficult to find any information about it unless you've got some connections. What we can tell you is that it is located near Barcelona and all the various tracks are held within a 4.7-mile oval high-speed circuit. You won't just find standard car manufacturers at Idiada though - there are many teams who test their race cars to destruction here.
Unlike many other 'proving ground' tracks, Idiada has a ‘fatigue track’ which is dedicated to absolutely destroy your brakes, powertrain, and gearbox. Sounds like fun!
14 Autobahn Country Club
Founder Mark Basso enjoyed the amenities of country clubs, however, golf wasn't really his thing, so he built a motorsports-based country club instead. Located in Joliet, Illinois, Autobahn Country Club is an elite driving club where members can get one-on-one instruction and free access to tracks... All it takes is a tiny $40,000 initiation fee, and another $5,500 per year.
The track offers lots of driving schedules and courses, including high-performance and defensive-driving classes. There's also the possibility of storing your car there, building your own garage and condo, and driving some of the fleet cars available - of which there's plenty of options.
13 Nardo
The Nardò Ring is located near the town of Nardò, in the south of Italy. The track is 7.8 miles long and perfectly round, with four lanes for testing cars and motorcycles.
The lanes are 52.5 feet wide, which may sound like a lot, but when you're moving at 200+ mph, it's actually not very wide at all. Due to the degree that the lanes are banked, a driver in the outer lane won't need to turn the wheel while driving at speeds of up to 149 mph. Aston Martin actually went there to test the top speed of their One-77 and achieved a VMAX of 220 mph, not quite up there with the Koenigsegg CCR's then-record of 241 mph.
12 Kulnura Circuit
Kulnura Circuit is Australia's best-kept secret. The privately owned road in Kulnura is a 3.3 miles long Formula One-style track with 22 turns and has been described by Australian motorcycle racer, Wayne Gardner, as "the second-best track in the world - behind Suzuka."
The track is rumored to have cost $10 million, and the man behind it is car enthusiast and former Coca-Cola Amatil boss Dean Wills after he lost his license for speeding in 1996. Over the years, the track has been visited by several motorsport superstars, like Casey Stoner, Sir Jackie Stewart, and Jack Brabham. In order to get on the track someone has to vouch for you, so it may be time to start networking.
11 Milbrook
Milbrook is one of the best test tracks in the world, it's the home of Fifth Gear and the location where Top Gear did their semi trailer challenge. The testing grounds has some of the most varied driving conditions you could ever ask for. It really is like a playground for adults who still play with cars.
There's a two-mile circular banked high-speed bowl used for high-speed testing, the Outer and Inner Handling courses which will put a car's chassis and handling to a test through the extremely technical and twisty circuits, and of course, there's the Alpine course/Hill Route where James Bond flipped his car in Casino Royale.
10 Club Motorsports
Club Motorsports doesn't offer the same size or amenities as other racetracks, but its location is second to none. The track was quite literally cut from a mountainside. Overlooking New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the track has around 700 feet of elevation gains and falls stretched out over two-and-a-half miles. It has generous run-off areas and safety features and was made to be appealing to drivers of a wide variety of cars.
The good news is that you can become a member and test the track for yourself, the bad news is that a entry-level Bronze membership costs $15,000, and then there's the $1,500 annual fee - and for that you can attend 10 annual road course days.
9 Virginia International Raceway
Apparently, Paul Newman once said; “If there’s a heaven on earth, it’s VIR.” The track opened in the 1950s and has hosted famous racers from Newman to Carroll Shelby. These days, there are some professional drivers who complain that they don’t make tracks like they used to, meaning demanding road courses with high speeds and real consequences. VIR is most certainly an old-school track in that regard - mess up and you'll end up in the safety barriers.
The VIR Club is a bargain compared to some of the others on this list. The buy-in is only $3,000, and the monthly fee is $175 - giving you 18 driving days.
8 Palmer Motorsports Park
Palmer Motorsports was opened in 2015, and just like some of the others on this list, the track was carved out of a mountain, in this case a mountain known as Whiskey Hill. Since there aren't a lot of members, those who are privileged enough to drive here will often have the entire track to themselves.
Palmer was designed to be exciting, and perhaps a little scary, so there are very little run-off and plenty of concrete barriers. If you have $9,000 you can pay the entry-level initiation fee, then there's the $3,000 annual fees, and for this you get 10 track days per season. There are other packages that offer more track time, but obviously, the price will increase as well.
7 Ascari
Near Ronda on the Costa Del Sol in Spain, you can find Ascari, surrounded by wonderful scenery filled with mountains and woodland. Ascari was designed to indulge the needs of motorsport lovers and is also catering to private corporate events and promotional presentations.
It is the longest track in Spain, and “one of the most spectacular in the world,” designed to be challenging and appealing to drivers, yet have a minimal negative impact on the environment. They offer different Experience Day packages, and as far as the membership prices go, let's just say that if you have to ask, you can't afford it.
6 Palm Beach Driving Club
Palm Beach Driving Club has a 2.2-mile asphalt track in Palm Beach, Florida. Those who prefer drag racing will be happy to know there's a quarter-mile strip there as well. If you want to improve your racing skills there is a resident pro driver with Le Mans experience available for private lessons. They charge a $12,000 initiation fee, with $4,500 per year in dues.
5 Atlanta Motorsports Park
Atlanta Motorsports Park is located in Dawsonville, Georgia, and features a 2-mile track that was designed by an F1 veteran. Both cars and motorcycles are welcome here, and in addition to regular track sessions, they offer public and private go-kart racing, stunt driving classes taught by Hollywood pros, as well as military-inspired tactical driving classes.
There's an added bonus with the track - it features a replica of the famed Carousel corner from Nürburgring, so if you can't go to Germany right now, there's at least the possibility of doing that one corner in Atlanta. The problem is the price; the entry-level $12,500 initiation fee plus $250 monthly fee and $30 daily use fee lets you get on the track up to 60 days annually. It's possible to use the track more often, but only by getting the more expensive packages.
4 NOLA Motorsports Park
The NOLA Motorsport Park track has multiple configurations, but the 2.75 mile and 1.8-mile versions are most commonly used. The track was designed by Alan Wilson and was built with speed, challenge, and safety in mind there is plenty of room should you go off the track. Certified as FIA Grade 2 it hosted the Grand Prix of Louisiana in April of 2015.
Everyone can use the track for recreational or competitive use, and the cost of renting the whole thing for a day starts at $10,500 - Just invite some friends and split the bill.
3 MotorSport Ranch
MotorSport Ranch can be found in Cresson, Texas, and offers road courses of 1.3, 1.7, and 3.1 miles. Of course, there are villas available for those who wish to spend the night there.
Both the 1.7 and 1.3 mile courses are 40 feet wide. The 1.7 version has 11 turns and 30 feet of elevation changes, while the 1.3-mile course only has seven turns - but more than 70 feet of elevation change. In addition to the tracks, there is a large skid pad and extensive car storage. Regular initiation fee is $4200 plus tax, there's the $100 monthly dues, and each half-hour run session costs $25. Executive status will set you back $12,500, plus an additional $80 in monthly fees.
2 The Thermal Club
In Thermal, California, you'll find the Thermal Club, with four separate circuits totaling 5.1 miles. $85,000 pays the initiation fee, after that, you have to pay $14,000 annual dues... plus members must buy a property lot and build a condo within five years - Condo sites begin from $700,000 and villas start at $2.2 million.
The asphalt on the four Thermal tracks is as smooth and seamless as the nicest roads you'll ever find. But it's in terms of amenities the club really shines, offering different restaurants, sommelier service, and even a concierge tending to any private jet needs.
1 Monticello Motor Club
In Monticello, N.Y. you can find a 4.1-mile long racetrack with smooth asphalt and a whopping 450 feet of elevation change - and it's just two hours from Manhattan. Those who don't have a car that's fun to drive on the track can use one of the fleet vehicles, which includes Jag F-Types and Porsche 911s. Monticello even has one of the longest straightaways in the country, where speeds of 170 mph are possible.
Of course, this doesn't come cheap. There's a $77,500 initiation fee, plus $7,200 annual fee for the Silver membership that gives you 15 days of driving per season, or $105,000 for Gold Lifetime Membership, and $15,750 in annual dues on top of that, at least you get unlimited driving days, unlike most other track clubs.
Sources: Visordown, Daily Telegraph, Robb Report, Road And Track