Porsche Club EGM
Discussion
Voodoo Blue said:
We've been members for a few years but only really keep paying because of events like Bicester, Brands Hatch and Silverstone Classic where we've met some really nice people and very enthusiastic club officials. We went to one local meeting years ago in our first Macan and some old duffer asked us why we'd turned up in that monstrosity. Needless to say we didn't bother going back.
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The strength of grass roots PCGB is the regular meetings held by Regional Organisers, but also Register Secretaries. The Macan Register Secretary runs events specifically for those owners, including European trips as well as UK ones, relevant specialist visits, Shame you didn’t check the Register out, a lot going on (in normal times)..
The ‘old duffer’ is in a minority, btw, a lot of Macan/Cayenne owners also have 911/Boxster/Cayman as well.
james.a.c.911 said:
Isn't part of the large cash balance a result of all the cancelled events in 2020? think there was a deficit of around £32k a year or two prior.
I personnaly feel like i get a lot out of a very cheap membership. Track days alone make it worth it.
Quick look at Companies House would suggest not....cash balance is about £150k higher than previous years. Fairly steady before that. I personnaly feel like i get a lot out of a very cheap membership. Track days alone make it worth it.
What you really want to know is how much revenue it has every year and what it's costs are/what the 12 employees do. I wonder how many of them are employed producing the magazine which probably should largely move online...it's a bit of a relic of a bygone era but I suspect a lot of members have every copy and expect it as part of their membership.
Cheib said:
james.a.c.911 said:
Isn't part of the large cash balance a result of all the cancelled events in 2020? think there was a deficit of around £32k a year or two prior.
I personnaly feel like i get a lot out of a very cheap membership. Track days alone make it worth it.
Quick look at Companies House would suggest not....cash balance is about £150k higher than previous years. Fairly steady before that. I personnaly feel like i get a lot out of a very cheap membership. Track days alone make it worth it.
What you really want to know is how much revenue it has every year and what it's costs are/what the 12 employees do. I wonder how many of them are employed producing the magazine which probably should largely move online...it's a bit of a relic of a bygone era but I suspect a lot of members have every copy and expect it as part of their membership.
Some funds are ring fenced for security of the club, the archive is amazing and a very valuable assett,as is the club house.
Its a great club if you ignore the politics.
PCGB is an interesting one for me, certainly has its positives and some nice people. Out East / Brands Hatch etc
However as someone who likes trackdays I found driving standards wernt that great on the days I have done and the cost is insane. And then on a few 'spirited drives' the speed at which people went down roads was insane yet to a man most would say they wouldnt risk their car in track. Odd!
Certainly got far more out of it as a kid when my Dad had a 914 than I do now with a gt3.
However as someone who likes trackdays I found driving standards wernt that great on the days I have done and the cost is insane. And then on a few 'spirited drives' the speed at which people went down roads was insane yet to a man most would say they wouldnt risk their car in track. Odd!
Certainly got far more out of it as a kid when my Dad had a 914 than I do now with a gt3.
Joehow said:
PCGB is an interesting one for me, certainly has its positives and some nice people. Out East / Brands Hatch etc
However as someone who likes trackdays I found driving standards wernt that great on the days I have done and the cost is insane. And then on a few 'spirited drives' the speed at which people went down roads was insane yet to a man most would say they wouldnt risk their car in track. Odd!
Certainly got far more out of it as a kid when my Dad had a 914 than I do now with a gt3.
I am fortunate as my experience has been different to yours, on Trackday members' costs:However as someone who likes trackdays I found driving standards wernt that great on the days I have done and the cost is insane. And then on a few 'spirited drives' the speed at which people went down roads was insane yet to a man most would say they wouldnt risk their car in track. Odd!
Certainly got far more out of it as a kid when my Dad had a 914 than I do now with a gt3.
PCGB Silverstone GP August £485 - Goldtrack August £579
PCGB Castle Combe £250 105db, others £199 'ish but 100db
PCGB Goodwood May £420 105db - Goldtrack 105db June £599
High yes, but all at 105db or more and less than equivalent ADTO operators.
If by standards you mean proportion of experienced drivers, you are right. The Club encourages members to take their cars out on track and have inexpensive tuition to support this, but the days are not full of slow/inexperienced drivers. The best and most even group of trackday drivers are the Lotus on Track regulars, all keen, respectful of standards and fast.
I've never been on a Club drive out but have seen lots of the general public driving at high speeds.
gred said:
Voodoo Blue said:
We've been members for a few years but only really keep paying because of events like Bicester, Brands Hatch and Silverstone Classic where we've met some really nice people and very enthusiastic club officials. We went to one local meeting years ago in our first Macan and some old duffer asked us why we'd turned up in that monstrosity. Needless to say we didn't bother going back.
.
The strength of grass roots PCGB is the regular meetings held by Regional Organisers, but also Register Secretaries. The Macan Register Secretary runs events specifically for those owners, including European trips as well as UK ones, relevant specialist visits, Shame you didn’t check the Register out, a lot going on (in normal times)..
The ‘old duffer’ is in a minority, btw, a lot of Macan/Cayenne owners also have 911/Boxster/Cayman as well.
You are bound to find a minority of members in any club who think differently. For example 911's stopped being cars when they were water cooled and elitist attitudes from some GT3 owners. My own experience of the club has been pretty good but then I wasn't really
expecting much. Track days are heavily promoted although not having open pit lanes (at least Castle Combe) made for a lot of waiting around and the best days get sold out very quickly for most of the year in January. The tech seminars are good and a lot has been put on during lockdown
The politics reminded me of a local golf club falling apart over a no confidence motion in the Chairperson who had upset one of the celebrity members with an inflated ego.
expecting much. Track days are heavily promoted although not having open pit lanes (at least Castle Combe) made for a lot of waiting around and the best days get sold out very quickly for most of the year in January. The tech seminars are good and a lot has been put on during lockdown
The politics reminded me of a local golf club falling apart over a no confidence motion in the Chairperson who had upset one of the celebrity members with an inflated ego.
The Times article does shed a bit of light on who the protagonists are and some of the issues but it’s only a brief one. Doesn’t answer many questions unfortunately.
Trackdays are an interesting point, I mostly do mine with MSV on cost grounds, however I’ve attended two PCGB TDs and though cost was higher than MSV, where comparable, the club atmosphere and the selection of cars to see was exceptional and I would say both provided me with some of my best driving experiences. The photography (by Jakob Ebrey) was incredible and free. I’d make a point of doing one at least once a year, especially considering the lower numbers and noise limits. The standard of driving was more mixed, particularly at Silverstone, but not too frustrating and far better than I’ve experienced elsewhere with no wreck less driving witnessed.
Porsche Post makes good toilet reading, but nothing exceptional.
I don’t feel I’m getting such poor value that I’d want heads to roll.
Trackdays are an interesting point, I mostly do mine with MSV on cost grounds, however I’ve attended two PCGB TDs and though cost was higher than MSV, where comparable, the club atmosphere and the selection of cars to see was exceptional and I would say both provided me with some of my best driving experiences. The photography (by Jakob Ebrey) was incredible and free. I’d make a point of doing one at least once a year, especially considering the lower numbers and noise limits. The standard of driving was more mixed, particularly at Silverstone, but not too frustrating and far better than I’ve experienced elsewhere with no wreck less driving witnessed.
Porsche Post makes good toilet reading, but nothing exceptional.
I don’t feel I’m getting such poor value that I’d want heads to roll.
Just read through the board minutes for last year. They do read like there are some issues..before previous Chairman resigned and had complained about performance of one key team. Which when you have 12 employees isn't great !
They were also thinking of raising the membership fee pre Covid....which when you've had as much cash in the bank as the club has seems odd.
They were also thinking of raising the membership fee pre Covid....which when you've had as much cash in the bank as the club has seems odd.
Rammed to the buttered scones full of golfing, Handsforth Parish Council types or obsessive bumper detailers wearing Martini liveried bomber jackets, who buy lightweight batteries.
£60 gets me a magazine, which was as thick as anyone who watches ITV, but is now 3 pages full of committee minutes and adverts for car covers.
Worth it for the insurance discount, so washes its hands.
£60 gets me a magazine, which was as thick as anyone who watches ITV, but is now 3 pages full of committee minutes and adverts for car covers.
Worth it for the insurance discount, so washes its hands.
Edited by Robbo66 on Sunday 14th February 08:51
Edited by Robbo66 on Sunday 14th February 08:52
I was a member for a couple of years 20 years ago when I bought a Porsche, but it was a 928, so not a 'proper' Porsche, the snobbery at the local region was so bad if you didn't have a 911 turbo & were well off, you weren't a proper Porsche person.
Quite a few including myself went & joined TiPec, The independent Porsche enthusiasts club, far more welcoming & friendly.
I stopped being a member of any clubs years ago due to the eclectic mix of cars I own, so assume TiPec are still doing well.
Is it still another form of snobbery that owners join PCGB rather TiPec, as it was back then?
Edit to add, IIRC, Tipec started as a breakaway group of PCGB members who were fed up with the club back in the '90s.
Quite a few including myself went & joined TiPec, The independent Porsche enthusiasts club, far more welcoming & friendly.
I stopped being a member of any clubs years ago due to the eclectic mix of cars I own, so assume TiPec are still doing well.
Is it still another form of snobbery that owners join PCGB rather TiPec, as it was back then?
Edit to add, IIRC, Tipec started as a breakaway group of PCGB members who were fed up with the club back in the '90s.
Edited by Total loss on Sunday 14th February 10:51
Taffy66 said:
The Esso fuel card is pretty useful or will be once lockdown ends. Esso Synergy Supreme petrol has just been upgraded to 99 octane and now the only petrol in the UK with no nasty gooey Ethanol in it.
Do you actually know who supplies the Esso 99 fuel rated at 0%? Genuine question. It could well be Greenergy.https://www.greenergy.com/esso
Esso said:
Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97 and Synergy Supreme+ 99 ) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area, Scotland and NW England).
...therefore the ethanol-free fuel is supplied from one of the distributors down South/east. Greenergy started off in the South, but are expanding.It would be massively useful if each petrol station, no matter how branded, would list the petrol source somewhere.
Taffy66 said:
The Esso fuel card is pretty useful or will be once lockdown ends. Esso Synergy Supreme petrol has just been upgraded to 99 octane and now the only petrol in the UK with no nasty gooey Ethanol in it.
Still hasn't reached my local Esso despite my best efforts to deplete their stock of 97. Still, runs well enough on the 97 anyway, people were saying it was 99 before they changed the branding? But yes, it's the fuel card and the track days for me
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