Porsche experience
Discussion
I'm doing the Porsche Experience this week (having picked up my new GTS today), and wondered if there were any tips about how to get the best out of it. What time should I turn up? I know they say 09:00, but this is a break from my 05:30 alarm, so if the first hour is waiting for breakfast to start being cooked, it'd be nice to know to allow me a bit more rest.
As for the more serious part, do I just turn up and do what they tell me, or is there anything generally worth asking for, concentrating on etc?
I'm doing it in a 911 Carrera 4 GTS, rather than a car like mine (the cabriolet), as it's both similar enough (I assume) that the lessons will mean something, but it's also a chance to genuinely find ut the difference between the cabriolet and coupe, so I am better informed when I buy the next car.
As for the more serious part, do I just turn up and do what they tell me, or is there anything generally worth asking for, concentrating on etc?
I'm doing it in a 911 Carrera 4 GTS, rather than a car like mine (the cabriolet), as it's both similar enough (I assume) that the lessons will mean something, but it's also a chance to genuinely find ut the difference between the cabriolet and coupe, so I am better informed when I buy the next car.
Turn up in time for the breakfast (8.30am), but I reckon that much depends on who you get to instruct (done it twice). Last time there I got an ex Police driver who took me on the main roads in a 991 for a good drive, it was enough to convince me to swap in my GTS, so maybe you shouldn't! Track is short and tight, the other stuff is fun and instructive, but frankly the track is a bit of a let down.
Thanks. I've done the palmer day very many times, and I assume that a day that retails at something under £400 is not going to offer the same sort of thing, but I'm hoping to come away with a good feeling of what my car will do if asked; something I think I never really found out in my RS4.
In all honesty - I found it a little bit of a let down. The guy who took me out seemed to want to drive the car an awful lot if I would have let him. As for finding out about your car you can find out a lot about the way it handles etc but as for the instructor knowing everything about your model you can forget it. i agree that the track is a bit of a let down but it is there to show all the different types of corners and cambers that your car will be put through on our B type country roads all be it one after another after another which makes for quite a serious up down left right forward back type of scenario which makes it less enjoyable and would have preferred a bit more of a race track as opposed to a completely technical road course. Bye the way not much to see really but get breakfast as early as you can so you can leave enough time for it to settle before throwing yourself around the track - As I said it is all over the place and made me feel very queazy straight after I had lunch although to be honest I was driving like I stole the damn thing.
I'd recommend being clear with the instructor about what you want to get out of the session. I would do the course - kick plate, ice hill, handling track (it's a 2nd and 3rd course) and then focus on what it is you enjoy most or wish to develop.
I had a half day session which I got when I bought my new car and it was brilliant. I had a really good instructor (Mark) who only took the wheel when I asked him to demonstrate something I kept messing up and then immediately got after he demonstrated it to me.
As a treat, I bought a 90 min experience session for my dad and went up with him, the instructors we had were ok but didn't seem as polished and the guy I had was more a passenger than instructor which was disappointing. The drivers are all contracted in so I think it comes down to who you get at the end of the day.
I've only been there for lunch which was excellent, you'll have to let me know what the breakfasts are like.
I had a half day session which I got when I bought my new car and it was brilliant. I had a really good instructor (Mark) who only took the wheel when I asked him to demonstrate something I kept messing up and then immediately got after he demonstrated it to me.
As a treat, I bought a 90 min experience session for my dad and went up with him, the instructors we had were ok but didn't seem as polished and the guy I had was more a passenger than instructor which was disappointing. The drivers are all contracted in so I think it comes down to who you get at the end of the day.
I've only been there for lunch which was excellent, you'll have to let me know what the breakfasts are like.
The good instructors (Barry Scotts guy) will ask you if there's anything in particular you'd like to concentrate on.
In fairness the "instructors" are all racing divers from Silverstone circuits Ltd gene pool, some of them know a lot about the Porsche marque and some of them know less.
When I finished the RS course the instructor asked me if I'd like him to show me what the car is capable of in the right hands, I then knew the tiny circuit is more than big enough !!!
For anyone who wanted to explore the capability of their own car go on the Silverstone Circuits web site and book yourself an hours one to one with a racing driver using you're car at £ 199.00, I think the current racing gods to help you are Rob Barf and or Charlie Hollings, although this could change as they both in demand to drive professionally.
In fairness the "instructors" are all racing divers from Silverstone circuits Ltd gene pool, some of them know a lot about the Porsche marque and some of them know less.
When I finished the RS course the instructor asked me if I'd like him to show me what the car is capable of in the right hands, I then knew the tiny circuit is more than big enough !!!
For anyone who wanted to explore the capability of their own car go on the Silverstone Circuits web site and book yourself an hours one to one with a racing driver using you're car at £ 199.00, I think the current racing gods to help you are Rob Barf and or Charlie Hollings, although this could change as they both in demand to drive professionally.
Did 2 mornings recently.
The track is very tight so you can feel queasy. If it's your first time then it helps you build up confidence. You don't get out of 3rd gear. Not sure it would be enough for you.
The 911 experience is great if you ever dreamed of owning a 930 or 993 and want to compare them to the 991.
What put me off was the slightly snobbish attitude of the "meet and greet" staff - a bit like rocking up at one of the worse OPC showrooms. I happened to be passing a couple of 45-plus women who were being shown some of the displays with the introduction "we only show good-looking people in here"!
The track is very tight so you can feel queasy. If it's your first time then it helps you build up confidence. You don't get out of 3rd gear. Not sure it would be enough for you.
The 911 experience is great if you ever dreamed of owning a 930 or 993 and want to compare them to the 991.
What put me off was the slightly snobbish attitude of the "meet and greet" staff - a bit like rocking up at one of the worse OPC showrooms. I happened to be passing a couple of 45-plus women who were being shown some of the displays with the introduction "we only show good-looking people in here"!
I'm looking forward to mine when it comes through; I have no appreciation or concept to the abilities of my Cayman R, nor do I want to find the limits on a public road, so having this experience will be invaluable for me. Hopefully they'll put me in a Cayman R all day, or an S at least, though have no idea what to expect which is probably the best way to be!
My 19 year old daughter got a "Porsche experience" today as I let her drive my Cayman for the first time, she is a confident driver and took to it amazingly well given she drives a Ford Ka. And I felt safe with her too. She made me smile when she got the nervous giggles when I encouraged her to go up to 5000 revs she loved it.
The Porsche experience comes with a new car purchase as far as I am aware
The Porsche experience comes with a new car purchase as far as I am aware
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