Porsche Experience Silverstone.
Discussion
Having just come back from Afganistan (Emirates Business awesome!) I decided to treat myself and other half to Porsche Experience next week. Booked a C2S PDK. She has watched the DVD and is now worried she wont be able to do things like kick plate etc. Now me being all ex-mil and not much fluffy sympathy told her to "man up, you'll be fine!". But making sure she does enjoy it, are the instructors pretty patient with the more timid driver? I think its more to do with the fear of unknown as she drives our C4S no dramas but her idea of putting her foot down is in 5th and at 60, just putting her foot down. Dropping down a gear (or 2) is lost on her!
She really doesn't need to worry. I'm sure others will be along to say the same, but the instructors will go with whatever you feel comfortable with. I did a range experience day as a +1 with a current owner earlier this year, and I haven't driven any car for a few years now due to work and definitely enjoyed it (largely cos I'd never driven a Pcar before, let alone the whole range) despite my own concerns about letting a young driver lose in everything from a boxster to a cayenne/panamera gts with everything in between. Kickplate and ice hill are done at low speed on low friction surfaces so it's more about car control in a safe environment than on the limit, squeaky bum time. Even if you spin (which many will) as soon as you come off the edge of low friction surface, you'll stop dead on the high grip surface.
I'm sure she'll be fine.
It is a very safety conscious yet relaxed environment. The red bits of the ice hill and kick plate are designed so you can loose control without the risk of hitting anything solid. However after a few goes, the satisfaction of not loosing it is immense.
Then you can explore the track section with no oncoming traffic or speed cameras.
What's not to love about that?
It is a very safety conscious yet relaxed environment. The red bits of the ice hill and kick plate are designed so you can loose control without the risk of hitting anything solid. However after a few goes, the satisfaction of not loosing it is immense.
Then you can explore the track section with no oncoming traffic or speed cameras.
What's not to love about that?
Tell her not to worry, your instructor will sit down with you over brekkie and have a good chat about her experience, confidence and what she wants to get from the lesson. They then tailor the session around that.
The kick plate responds to speed (kicks harder the faster you go), they start slowly and as you learn how to control it you will get faster. Everyone reaches their limit and spins, it's part of learning how to control a car when it exceeds it's limits.
Much better to learn in a safe controlled environment and spinning is half of the fun!
Enjoy.
The kick plate responds to speed (kicks harder the faster you go), they start slowly and as you learn how to control it you will get faster. Everyone reaches their limit and spins, it's part of learning how to control a car when it exceeds it's limits.
Much better to learn in a safe controlled environment and spinning is half of the fun!
Enjoy.
Took my then GF (now wife) to the PEC years ago - quickest thing she'd driven was a 1.9 TDie A3, and even then never much above 70. She loved it - kickplate in particular. Nothing can go wrong - once the car spins just bury the middle pedal and wait to hit the tarmac and it stops almost instantly. With the computers turned on and a bit of practice my missus could catch a slide quite easily, and that's with no experience of RWD before. Instructors are great too, and so's breakfast.
Welcome back to the UK btw
Welcome back to the UK btw
My other half drives an Avensis and has never used more than 4k revs. She did the experience thing in a 997 turbo and by the end had done everything available, especially the ice hill and kick plate numerous times. On the handling circuit she was getting tyre squeal in some corners.
I wouldn't worry about your other half. The instructors will go at her pace.
I wouldn't worry about your other half. The instructors will go at her pace.
Nurburgsingh said:
From what I understand, talking to some friends that were there last week PEC have a female instructor. It maybe worth calling ahead and seeing if you can get her to sit in with your OH.
Yes, she is Kat Impey, quite a tidy little driver.Used to race for me in F3 Cup,
Instructors are fab. There will be a group of you and you get to watch the others spin their cars like spinning tops on the kick plate - she will be fine. It's at less than 25mph too if I recall.
It's not a serious hard core day at all, just light hearted and fun. On the track you go as fast or slow as you like, no one minds.
It's not a serious hard core day at all, just light hearted and fun. On the track you go as fast or slow as you like, no one minds.
Absolutely fantastic day out, great cars, great food and the instructor was fantastic. He really listened to what we wanted and tailored the morning to suit, even offering to take us on the roads around silverstone if we wished.
Food was top notch and she won't be disappointed, there were loads of ladies having a go, and they loved it judging by the looks on their faces!
Food was top notch and she won't be disappointed, there were loads of ladies having a go, and they loved it judging by the looks on their faces!
+1 to all the above.
My wife came along with me once to show willing (much to the annoyance of the mates who would have happily taken her place).
Instructors were extraordinarily patient with her. At the time the fastest car she had ever driven was a 1.4 Astra and her daily was a 1.0 Micra. The only downside was that, by chance, the first thing we did was the handling circuit in 991s and she was yet to build up her confidence at that stage but she still massively enjoyed the day.
My wife came along with me once to show willing (much to the annoyance of the mates who would have happily taken her place).
Instructors were extraordinarily patient with her. At the time the fastest car she had ever driven was a 1.4 Astra and her daily was a 1.0 Micra. The only downside was that, by chance, the first thing we did was the handling circuit in 991s and she was yet to build up her confidence at that stage but she still massively enjoyed the day.
tting her pants, after the day she didn't stop telling everybody about it, after her second go she became a driving god and now any mention of the PEC and she is all over it, trust me your wife will love it!I am thinking of going there with my wife once they get Macans in. Best chance of persuading her...
I find it funny that everyone has about the same experience with their wife and fast cars.
My wife is absolutely hilarious. As a driver, she has got closer to the limits than I would (by some bizarre mid-corner braking) and loves the revs above 4k. As a passenger, she seems to have literally no fear: pootling around some fairly soggy and empty country roads in Northern France recently, I felt the back tyres want to slip a little on a tight, low speed corner and decided to help them by applying "a little" throttle. Just as I went pale and remembered back about 10 years how to control a slide, my better half shouted "Wooooo! Toot toot!" in the style of Mr Toad.
(Keys safely hidden.)
I find it funny that everyone has about the same experience with their wife and fast cars.
My wife is absolutely hilarious. As a driver, she has got closer to the limits than I would (by some bizarre mid-corner braking) and loves the revs above 4k. As a passenger, she seems to have literally no fear: pootling around some fairly soggy and empty country roads in Northern France recently, I felt the back tyres want to slip a little on a tight, low speed corner and decided to help them by applying "a little" throttle. Just as I went pale and remembered back about 10 years how to control a slide, my better half shouted "Wooooo! Toot toot!" in the style of Mr Toad.
(Keys safely hidden.)
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