Amazing day at Porsche Driving school, Silverstone

Did the half day 'warm up' Was great fun and will probably do the next course. First, breakfast - chat with instructor. Jump in car. Few laps around their 'B road' simulated track. basically a twisty track with very few straights. Just lots of corners, adverse camber, etc. He assessed how crap my driving was. Throughout the day oversteer, understeer, lift off oversteer trail breaking etc was all explained. I had to put the car into all of these situations, recover. Was shown the common driving mistakes people do to get into these tricky situations, feel it for myself (e.g., do a massive throttle lift off in a corner). On low friction surface, driving around and around, slowly increasing understeer, then learning how to steer just using the throttle. Then around a small track that was low friction, so sliding around every corner - learning to control (whole course is about control, and driving in a way not to get you sliding. This is not a drifting course! But intentional low of traction was done to learn handling). Ice hill was next. 7 degree slope. water, and super low friction surface (like ice!). Then driving S's and really kicking out the back. Learn again how to control. Did this hill up and downwards. Then the kick plate (look it up on you tube). The car is forced to massively oversteer - you have to recover. All this was mixed up to intentionally cool tyres, for example, to make the sliding worse on the low friction skid pan. Lots more fast track driving. With instructor's tip, my driving on the track has greatly increased - not only was fun, I learnt stuff that will be a real benefit. As the track was quite, ended with him driving me around in a new Cayman GTS. He was quick! Tyres absolutely screaming around every corner. Insanely fast! The PSE howling out the rear. There are plenty of Porsche Experience vidz on Youtube - but to be honest the can look dull. The fun is being in the car. if like me, you've never driven your car to extremes (you'd have to be a fool to do that on a public road) - and have never done a track day, then highly recommended. my plan is next to do the one day course, which includes access on to the silverstone F1 track

I am so jealous - sounds like an awesome experience! While I understand you weren't at the F1 track, did you get to go over there? Have they started preparing the track for next weekend's race?

Sounds like a great time and sounds like a great program. This is one of the reasons why Europe has some great drivers. Can anyone comment if the US program is the same? I've been to BMW's classes but those were geared more towards safety and didn't cover the same curriculum as the above. Outside of programs like Panoz and Skip Barber schools, I'm not aware of manufacturer sponsored events that tackle the exact same agendas and track environments as above in the US.

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The big track was being prepared for F1. Extra seating, toilets, beer trailers, etc. You can drive around the perimeter road, and it's exciting to see it all, and the stand names like Copse, Stowe etc, that you hear in the commentary. I plan to see an F1 race there next year (it's 1.5 hours drive from me). You don't get to drive on THAT track. Only on the next course up - they have a small number of dates per year, where they have access

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On this course, you basically decide what you want to do. In a way it's about safety, but also about efficient driving. Relevant to track days/racing - e.g. breaking steering, and throttle at the right times around the track - to allow minimum loss of speed. All the sliding was intentionally forced at times in the course so you can feel the effects, and learn when onset is, and how to cope with it.

All my non-Porsche friends, and I guess, the internet, made me paranoid on every corner I'd spin the car. Even driving 'normally'. I used to be a little nervous on sharp corners. After this course, that is all gone. Total confidence. These cars have an immense amount of grip. The edge of grip is so far off what I'd ever get to in normal life. Even on the low friction surface, had to go pretty fast before any of the tyres started to slip. not sure if any one has written up an explanation/tutorial of the handling of these cars - the affects of breaking, accelerating, etc. weight transfer etc/ but if there is well worth a read

It sounds amazing. I had the opportunity to go around the Homestead road course a few years ago with a Porsche Driving School instructor at the helm of what was then the brand new 991. It was a humbling, instructive, adrenalin-pumping, motivating experience.

I highly recommend the Porsche PDS to any new Porsche owner. I took it very shortly after purchasing my car, and it very quickly gave me an understanding of its handling capabilities that would have been difficult to obtain elsewhere. Best value out there! Made some great friends, too.