Driving lessons

OK boys[ ] I' ve (with your help)commited myself to the GT3 now where can I go to learn how to handle all that raw power!!

B-roads in Wales or Scotland? Only joking, before I get accused of being irresponsible. Aside from PCGB track days (or others) where instruction is available, you might be better off without other cars. I noticed Porsche offer training which is £299 (I think) and includes some on road and some off road (at an airfield or similar, not in a field!). This is one-2-one tuition. The only issue is that you will need to run the car in first, since you can hardly thrash it straight out of the box. I' m considering it, since I want to find the limits in a safe place, at the least I think some time on a skid pan might be good fun (it' s too long to wait for the next snow fall). The autobahn is of course another option for high speed runs, traffic permitting. Rgds, Stuart.

Helen, Myself and two guys from the office (one in a 355 Ferrari and one in a 968 sport) booked Don Palmer for a day for his ' creative car control course' at Bruntingthorpe. It was superb, his method of ' coaching' rather than instruction realy hepled us get the best out of our various abilities. The slalom was set up on the main runway so lots of space to spin safely. By the end of the day I was power sliding my C4S from bollard to bollard in (almost) controlled opposite lock drifts, and more importantly I discovered that the ' limit' in a 911 is not a cliff but an attainable controllable and flexible boundry. Just like in my Karting days. Downsides, I also discovered that the 1/2 life of a set of Pirelli P Zero Corsa' s is about 140 miles. Check out his website a ' Drivingdevelopment.co.uk' . Regards

Helen, Sorry try www.donpalmer.co.uk. Its the more upto date site. Regards

Kevin, Did you have the PSM on or off? I would have thought that you need it off to slide the car around, or does it only intervene when things get seriously out of shape? Do you find that the ABS is quite sensitive and comes in without much provocation, mine seems to react when braking over small bumps and undulations that my previous cars (at broadly similar speeds) would have ignored? Rgds, Stuart.

Stuart, Off, the few times it was on by mistake (i.e. forgot to switch off after a spin and stall) it seemed to cut in quite gently, very impressive. At Castle Combe last Saturdy the ABS did seem more active than on the Boxster S, very apparent whilst braking for Avon Rise, but I was hitting the rev limiter in 4th just before the braking point which is around 130mph so I had a fair bit of speed to shed. Regards

Helen, Strange, I get a full site up headed ' National Performance Academy' try http://www.donpalmer.co.uk/ Thanks

Kevin, a couple of questions: Was the track wetted (as in " with water" )? and How much?

Robbie, No bone dry, hence the wear rate on the Corsa' s. Check with Don but I think we paid £385 or £395 each, but it is tax deductable if you are self employed as its classed as a driver safety course. Regards

Helen, Yes that looks a much more rounded course particularly if you a newcomer to circuit driving, but I am amazed they have to teach people to heel and toe, I guess I' m just old enouh to have learnt to drive in such heaps that if you didn' t double de clutch and heel and toe you simply could not change gear smoothly and I' ve never stopped. My request to Don was that I wanted to be able to drift a 996 as readily and confidently as I used to drift a 100cc International Kart. A focused request that he responded to magnificntly. I still need a bunch more practice but I' ve now got the fundemental mechanics of tyre response so clearly etched on my minds eye that I can visiualise the effect of steering and throttle inputs are having on the tyres and therefore you are anticipating what you should feel through the wheel/bum. That' s the benifits of a ' coaching' rather than ' instructing' approach. You pays your money and takes your choice I guess. Regards

When are we going to get ' spell chek!!!!!'

Helen, Another country Cooke I' d have admitted to being dyslexic as well but I didn' t have a clue how to spell it. Your not left handed as well are you. Regarding heel & toeing in inappropriate shoes, use the ball of you foot 80% on the brake pedal 20% on the throttle. It used to work when I drove my Marcos in 4" platforms in the 70' s. Regards