1st very powerful car

Author
Discussion

davidc1

Original Poster:

1,544 posts

161 months

Tuesday 1st March 2016
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After nearly 30years of graft and mostly good decisions! , I pick up my new boxster spyder next week.
I have had several hot hatches over the last 25 years , and have been driving my 60hp station car for the last 2 months.
After ferrying around my kids for the last few years , I think any crazy testosterone led driving has disappeared but I would like some general tuition with the new car.
I am 15 minutes from brands and have had tuition there on fwd in the past , but something which touches on mid-engined rear drive might be nice.
Any suggestions would be great.thanks.

dvenman

219 posts

114 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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Don't get tuition yet at a racing circuit - go to the IAM or RoSPA and do some advanced driving with them. It will help you make progress with the power you have but keep safe.

Learning at this stage on a track will teach you how to get close to the limits, which has no real place on the road.

threadlock

3,196 posts

253 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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Congratulations on your purchase, David. Sounds like you deserve it! Have fun.

dvenman

219 posts

114 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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But yes, have fun - should have said that before !

james_gt3rs

4,816 posts

190 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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A Boxster has loads of grip and traction control, you'd have to drive like an utter loon to make it slide on the road surely?

akirk

5,377 posts

113 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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general driving - as suggested, IAM / RoSPA
car handling for a porsche - perhaps Silverstone and the porsche experience? some very experienced instructors there...

Nigel_O

2,859 posts

218 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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I found that IAM made me a better driver on the road and actually helped me increase my speed over the ground without having to push any harder.

Tuition to improve speed around a racetrack is entirely different and involves balancing the car on the limits of grip and traction - you should be nowhere near this on the road

Almost nothing you learn on track will transfer comfortably to any road situation

Personally - I'd do both (in fact I have - passed IAM some years ago and have taken tuition on trackdays)

mikearwas

1,112 posts

158 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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I wouldn't worry from a safety point of view. One of the benefit of a creamy NA engine is that you'd really have to be a twit with throttle in a low gear for it to really get out of shape.

If you'd just like to learn more about the car's dynamics then I imagine the Porsche experience (with your own car) would be a good one.

Great choice of car by the way.

davidc1

Original Poster:

1,544 posts

161 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for all the replies and guidance and kind words.
A car like this has been many years in the planning and it feels a bit unreal that i am getting my dream car.i am fortunate.
I need tuition on the road , so will look into this now.
I have the Porsche Silverstone day booked for the end of may so that will be a good learning experience too.


Edited by davidc1 on Wednesday 2nd March 19:15

planetsurfer

42 posts

159 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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Colin at CAT driver training does a one day Performance Driver Training Course.
Did the course when I got my 350 Z. It will transform your driving skills.
The Drifting & Over Grip Limit Handling is well worth doing as well.

waremark

3,241 posts

212 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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The Boxster Spider will be fab - but not frightening.

If you have a few pounds to spend (very little compared to your investment in a great car) I suggest you choose a professional coach in performance road driving. There are many suitable suggestions in the Advanced Driving Links thread which is stickied above. An IAM or Rospa course is amazing value and can be excellent (I am an IAM Observer myself) but the standard of so-called Observers/Tutors is variable and at best will not be as good as the top professionals.

Mrs Muttleysnoop

1,412 posts

183 months

Thursday 3rd March 2016
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planetsurfer said:
Colin at CAT driver training does a one day Performance Driver Training Course.
Did the course when I got my 350 Z. It will transform your driving skills.
The Drifting & Over Grip Limit Handling is well worth doing as well.
I have done two Performance Driver Courses and the Drift and Over Grip Course with Colin. Also been out to the 'Ring twice with him. Always wonderful training.

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Thursday 3rd March 2016
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As usual I agree with Waremark: the Boxster will be a beautiful thing to drive, but they have bags of poise, balance and traction (ME/RWD) and not too much power, so you should be absolutely fine. What power they do have is very progressively deliverered and Porsche stability control is superb.

Edited by RobM77 on Thursday 3rd March 20:54

Wollemi

326 posts

131 months

Friday 4th March 2016
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Congratulations on your choice, any Boxster is a truly wonderful car which is enormously enjoyable at any speeds. As other have said it is a very biddable obedient car and you would really have to be extremely silly to get yourself into trouble with it.
Yes, get training, read some books like R U Local's new book, and to scratch that itch which says I wonder how fast it really is take to to track under instruction so that you are not tempted to try to find out on the road.
Enjoy the car!

DavidJG

3,507 posts

131 months

Tuesday 8th March 2016
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james_gt3rs said:
A Boxster has loads of grip and traction control, you'd have to drive like an utter loon to make it slide on the road surely?
It's a mid-engined rear drive car. It can get twitchy / sideways if you provoke it enough - especially on a wet road. My 987s 3.2 will certainly get playful when I want it to smile

Dalto123

3,198 posts

162 months

Tuesday 8th March 2016
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Firstly - Congratulations on the new car, I'm sure you'll love it. As it also happens I'm not far from Brands either, small world!

I can highly recommend doing IAM. The East Surrey lot are your nearest group (about 20 or so miles away in Bletchingley). This can then open up other advanced driving circles that may interest you smile


davidc1

Original Poster:

1,544 posts

161 months

Tuesday 8th March 2016
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Thanks for all the advice again , I collect the car next week , so am just a tad excited ! I am eager to learn the car and get comfortable with the car.
Seems I have made a canny decision as well , the cars are fetching big money , so that's a bonus .

Tiggsy

10,261 posts

251 months

Tuesday 8th March 2016
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Have a 987 3.4s and not sure what you'd need to do to get it badly wrong. Drive it like I stole it most of the time and it still does what it's told (almost...but not quite...boring!)

james_gt3rs

4,816 posts

190 months

Wednesday 9th March 2016
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DavidJG said:
It's a mid-engined rear drive car. It can get twitchy / sideways if you provoke it enough - especially on a wet road. My 987s 3.2 will certainly get playful when I want it to smile
Fair enough but if it's anything like my car it's a case of turning in with no power and then mashing the throttle to get a big slide..

jaf01uk

1,943 posts

195 months

Wednesday 9th March 2016
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james_gt3rs said:
DavidJG said:
It's a mid-engined rear drive car. It can get twitchy / sideways if you provoke it enough - especially on a wet road. My 987s 3.2 will certainly get playful when I want it to smile
Fair enough but if it's anything like my car it's a case of turning in with no power and then mashing the throttle to get a big slide..
I have a boxster 3.4s and the only bit of advice I would give the OP is do not be tempted to switch the traction all the way off, the car grips like you wouldn't believe but when it gets near to the limit it will let go really quickly, I have done it on an airfield and the slide is very controllable but the road is not the pace to be doing that, enjoy your purchase, I know you will beer