Am attending 'Porsche Driving Experience' at MIRA!
Discussion
...on August 11. Level 1 course, organised by Porsche GB itself (not the Club). Not cheap though!
Anyone else been or going? What's it like? Any good?
Suppose I should have asked before I booked it!
MIRA's tracks are pretty good... Dunlop curves (handling circuit) will show you what they can really do...! High speed tri-oval is nerve wrecking (you can hear the bolts in the armco rattle at 120mph!), the ride and handling circuit is... "an experience"... as is the Belgian pave!
I'm sure you'll have a ball!
Podie (ex-MIRA)
willr said:
What was your impression of today?
How instructional and how much could you decide what to do?
I was considering doing one of these either in the UK or maybe Germany/Italy.
...I was just about to post! The day went well - quite tiring actually, but worth it. My group had a new GT3 in it - lovely car (lapped me on the handling circuit, but that's coz I was driving like a wuss!).
Level 1 is effectively a half-day covering handling, vehicle dynamics, advanced road driving and car control (on a big roundabout, where the surface is ceramic tiles with water sprayed on - feels like sheet ice!). Porsche driving 'consultants' with you all the time.
I think in retrospect, the sessions should have been longer (they were 45 mins each), as you only start to get the hang of something and it's time to move on. It's quite expensive and depending on what you want to learn about your/your car's ability, a good track day with loads of instruction would be cheaper and more productive. Bedford Autodrome, perhaps.
Well organised, but not really great value for money.
MIRA's an interesting place though - bit like Area 51!
GregE240 said:
Thanks for your honest comments, Argonaut.
My missus has been hankering after one of these such events and I think I'll try and talk her out of it now.
I assume this was the 300 quid (or so) jobbie advertised on Porsche's website?
Greg,
...actually, more like £450! Could get 2 excellent track days for that!
To be honest, if the event allowed more time on each activity, say 1hr to 1.5hrs instead of 45 mins, it would have been worthwhile IMO, as you can't practice wet/ice handling on a trackday, or do wet slalom courses to really understand the car's dynamics.
The Level 2 day is a FULL day in which each driver chooses exactly what he/she wants to do. That sounds more interesting, but is likely to be suitably expensive!
wedgepilot said:
MIRA's an interesting place though - bit like Area 51!
Certainly is! I used to work there in the crash test lab a few years back. I'll never forget the time we tested Diablos...heart breaking to see them all smashed up!
When were you there? I was in Research from 1999 - 2000. 
wedgepilot said:
Hmmm...*thinks back*...would have been 1995-1999-ish. Did you ever come across the DataViewer software? Or Jimmy Robinson? I worked with him on that project.
Heard of the software... I was on stuff like RTA and EVSC and other telematics stuff...
I did one of Porsche's driving experience days on Monday - as it comes with the car. This wasn't a group session, so I had the whole day.
Met up with Bernard Aubrey at Longcross MoD test track for a morning of oversteer / understeer and throttle / steering coaching. Then on to public roads (sometimes with Bernard at the wheel), to appreciate his defensive driving technique.
All in all a very useful day, and unlike others I have done reasonably relaxed! The track time was much more useful than expected.
Met up with Bernard Aubrey at Longcross MoD test track for a morning of oversteer / understeer and throttle / steering coaching. Then on to public roads (sometimes with Bernard at the wheel), to appreciate his defensive driving technique.
All in all a very useful day, and unlike others I have done reasonably relaxed! The track time was much more useful than expected.
willr said:
I did one of Porsche's driving experience days on Monday - as it comes with the car. This wasn't a group session, so I had the whole day.
Met up with Bernard Aubrey at Longcross MoD test track for a morning of oversteer / understeer and throttle / steering coaching. Then on to public roads (sometimes with Bernard at the wheel), to appreciate his defensive driving technique.
All in all a very useful day, and unlike others I have done reasonably relaxed! The track time was much more useful than expected.
...sounds much better than the session I attended - Think I'll have to buy myself a new car!
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