Porsche experience day. Thoughts? - Page 4 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

A friend of mine has just taken delivery of his new GT4 and he's been invited to his 'Porsche Driving Experience'. I can go along and do the same thing for £470 but I'm struggling to find out anything about the day. Has anybody here done it? What does it entail?

I went a few weeks ago albeit for a 911 Instructor establishes what you want from your session then off you go. Took me round every aspect of the centre; ice hill, skid pan, kick plate, handing circuits first then once we had done each one I could choose what I wanted to repeat. Full details of what each aspect is are on the website. 90 mins doesn’t seem long but it’s all driving so was enough for me I’d go again Lunch was nice as well

It's brilliant. Just do it. And as I mentioned in another thread related to the same matter, in the last 10 minutes of your 'experience' make sure to ask the instructor to take the wheel and show you what the car can do. You have never experienced anything like it! Well, you may have of course but I hadn't and what these cars can achieve, in the rights hands, is sublime!

I would highly recommend it as well. Great fun.

Just to add to the chorus of approval - definitely do it! You'll be able to choose any car you like (excluding the GT cars) in that price. We went at the beginnning of 2022 - I did it in the same type of car I was buying (C4S), due to a cock-up on the OPC side, my wife got a free experience in a Macan S and we bought our boys (18 and 20 at the time) an experience each for Christmas - they both chose a C2S. We all had very different instruction based on what we wanted to acheive from the day (eldest son wanted to learn about track driving as he was just about to go on his first track day in his Golf R, youngest son wanted to hoon ). Instructors were all excellent.

Paulsd said: I did it in the same type of car I was buying (C4S). I wasn’t aware you could pick to that level, I just went as a punter (not a new car buyer) and selected 911 (not GT or Turbo). I bought a 991 C4S a few weeks before and got a 992C4S on the day so similar enough to be relevant. If I go again I will have to see if I can ask for a C2S for added slide and skid control fun

Heard really mixed reviews from friends that have done this kind of thing. The really car focused guys seemed to get the least out of it especially when being told they're not allowed out of 2nd, not allowed full throttle etc. I bet you'd get more out of the Porsche and specifically this 'experience' than the Ferrari/Lambo days because the car's a bit more accessible/cheaper and also this seems a bit more up market at almost 500 quid.

We've done it a few times and really enjoyed all of them. I spent the last 20 minutes of the last time we were there learning how to do donuts on the low friction surface in a 4.0 Boxster which was a huge giggle. All the instructors I've had were brilliant and most worked out my limited capabilities within minutes of getting behind the wheel but in my experience this never felt like it restricted how far I was able to push my limits. If you do the half day session go in the morning as breakfast and lunch is better than lunch and tea and you can stay on a little longer in the afternoon and watch the afternoon session if desired. All in all a brilliant experience and I think would be well worth the money if you've never done it before.

TikTak said: Heard really mixed reviews from friends that have done this kind of thing. The really car focused guys seemed to get the least out of it especially when being told they're not allowed out of 2nd, not allowed full throttle etc. PEC is nothing like that. You can push the cars to the limit (of your abilities at least)

TikTak said: Heard really mixed reviews from friends that have done this kind of thing. The really car focused guys seemed to get the least out of it especially when being told they're not allowed out of 2nd, not allowed full throttle etc. I bet you'd get more out of the Porsche and specifically this 'experience' than the Ferrari/Lambo days because the car's a bit more accessible/cheaper and also this seems a bit more up market at almost 500 quid. I've done it a few times and have never experienced that, on the contrary, they encourage you to drive as fast as you want as long as they feel safe. Ragging around is someone else's Porsche on a track whilst getting top notch instruction, what's not to like?

jh001 said: I've done it a few times and have never experienced that, on the contrary, they encourage you to drive as fast as you want as long as they feel safe. Ragging around is someone else's Porsche on a track whilst getting top notch instruction, what's not to like? I couldn't agree more. I was there last month, and it was an epic day out. My instructor positively encouraged me to drive the car as hard as I could, right to the limits and often out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun.

OP - all experiences with key info is listed here: https://www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/experience/... I've been a couple times. The instructors let you hoon the cars & the experience is tailored to what you want to do - track focused, handling (ice hill, skid pan, low friction plate), straight line speed (launch control) etc. On rare occasions people haven't enjoyed themselves seem to be where people haven't gelled with their instructors or are very, very experienced - and maybe haven't learned 'much'. The main consideration is likely to be what sort of driving you're looking for & possibly what else you've driven before. As mentioned above, it is tricky to get out of second gear - but remember that a Porsche is doing 70+ depending on the model so the corners are fast & come at you quickly.

Did the "RS experience" yesterday. Full beans in the GT2RS, and it was pouring with rain. Maximum smiles and ocassional clenching. Instructor was great and "encouraging". Would still take the 997 GT3 tho.

Did it last year, chose a 911 C2S. Told instructor that I wasn’t in the market to buy but wanted instruction and tips on how to drive a 911 fast and smooth. Had a great time and was encouraged to push myself further and further. Finished the experience being able to drive their track much faster and more confidently.

I wouldn't pay that much to go. Fine as a freebie. Lot depends on the instructor you get and how well you both click too.

130R said: TikTak said: Heard really mixed reviews from friends that have done this kind of thing. The really car focused guys seemed to get the least out of it especially when being told they're not allowed out of 2nd, not allowed full throttle etc. PEC is nothing like that. You can push the cars to the limit (of your abilities at least) Agreed - our instructor pushed us to use the car to its (and our) maximum abilities.

I did the 90 minute session in a GT3 and a GT2 (997's) It was epic, 90 minutes of being encouraged to drive faster and faster. Could have done with a bigger track to move onto but really for that length of track time in someone elses 911 is hard to beat. The ice hill is good fun but the kick plate I just could not get on with as its so false. When you loose the back while driving, you know what is going to happen before it happens and are already reacting before the car looses traction. On the click plate you have to wait, then respond and it felt so wrong that I kept on spinning so badly I actually left the wet bit, onto the dry bit and off that into the grass (maybe I was just going much too fast when I think about it now !) But I really loved that 997 GT3, felt just like my 3.2 Carrera in the way it handled and transferred weight. Just a lot faster.

Your mate can share his driving with you if they want to. They may have done it before if they’ve got a GT4 inbound. I’ve shared my day a couple of times. Don’t think I’d personally pay 500 quid for it.

I’ve done it half a dozen times before, always shared it with my husband. I’m the car guy, he’s not that interested but he always enjoys it just as much as I do.

Mad Scientist said: Your mate can share his driving with you if they want to. They may have done it before if they’ve got a GT4 inbound. I’ve shared my day a couple of times. Don’t think I’d personally pay 500 quid for it. No, this is his first time. He will be more than happy to do all the driving himself!

LastPoster said: I wasn’t aware you could pick to that level, I just went as a punter (not a new car buyer) and selected 911 (not GT or Turbo). I bought a 991 C4S a few weeks before and got a 992C4S on the day so similar enough to be relevant. If I go again I will have to see if I can ask for a C2S for added slide and skid control fun Yep, when booking I was asked what cars we wanted. I think I would do the same as you. My youngest had just bought a 220i so wanted a rear wheel drive hoon. The instructor got him to switch all the computers off and they went off for a play! I think it’s way better than other experiences where they limit what you can do. All done in a pretty safe way.

JohnnyUK said: 130R said: TikTak said: Heard really mixed reviews from friends that have done this kind of thing. The really car focused guys seemed to get the least out of it especially when being told they're not allowed out of 2nd, not allowed full throttle etc. PEC is nothing like that. You can push the cars to the limit (of your abilities at least) Agreed - our instructor pushed us to use the car to its (and our) maximum abilities. Glad to hear that kind of review tbh, and certainly rekindles my interest in looking into doing it as there has been so much positivity in here. Think I finally lost interest when my mate who's a massive Lambo lover was so so disappointed in his one where they told him he wasn't allowed to launch it off the line or go over 90mph.

TikTak said: Glad to hear that kind of review tbh, and certainly rekindles my interest in looking into doing it as there has been so much positivity in here. Think I finally lost interest when my mate who's a massive Lambo lover was so so disappointed in his one where they told him he wasn't allowed to launch it off the line or go over 90mph. I think that's more the 'trackday experience' type of driving. This is at the Porsche centre at Silverstone. I think they are a different level.

ThisInJapanese said: TikTak said: Glad to hear that kind of review tbh, and certainly rekindles my interest in looking into doing it as there has been so much positivity in here. Think I finally lost interest when my mate who's a massive Lambo lover was so so disappointed in his one where they told him he wasn't allowed to launch it off the line or go over 90mph. I think that's more the 'trackday experience' type of driving. This is at the Porsche centre at Silverstone. I think they are a different level. Yep, maybe some confusion here. At the PEC they have the straights where you're positively encouraged to floor it with SC switched on and slam the brakes on before you hit the wall

I have been on a few myself, they are great days and well worth it, in particular the handling circuit where you get to explore the grip, or should I say limits of the grip. I last took a Tacan out in Nov 22 - heating didn't work but lucky seats were good and warm! Always found the instructors friendly and keen to help you maximise the knowledge of the car - so I would say go for it, I am surprised they have risen to nearly £500 though!

Had an awesome morning in one of their GT4s today. Overall another really good experience although it does appear much busier than previous visits. Lovely personal 4RS on the loop too, anyone on here?

_speedyellow_ said: I am surprised they have risen to nearly £500 though! Ordinary 911 was £325 a few weeks ago. Unless you have been a few times or want the car to match your own, I think that would be all the car you need for a good track experience

LastPoster said: Ordinary 911 was £325 a few weeks ago. Unless you have been a few times or want the car to match your own, I think that would be all the car you need for a good track experience That's the half day experience, I'm booking the full day for £500 on the back of my mate buying a GT4

Nightmare to book at the moment, they won't answer the phones and take 9 days to come back to emails, then have limited availability. Porsche Driving Experience Admin person said: I am sorry to see that you have been unable to reach us upon your attempt to call. We are taking a higher volume of calls and emails at the moment, and we are doing our best to respond to all of our customers. I understand that you would like to book your Driving Experience in a 911 Carrera GTS PDK. Unfortunately, we are fully booked on the dates which you have requested. Please see below, a list of available dates for you to attend this experience. We are currently experiencing extremely high volumes of emails and have a current response time of 6-9 days; therefore, we recommend contacting us directly on 01327855911 to arrange your booking for one of the below dates. When doing so, please have all required information to hand for the nature of your booking as we are unable to provisionally hold a date for you. Please also select several dates that would be suitable for you. Tuesday 13 June – 8:30 am Wednesday 14 June – 8:30 am Thursday 15 June – 8:30 am Monday 19 June – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Monday 26 June – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Tuesday 27 June – 8:30 am Wednesday 28 June – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Please note on the below dates. Loop 2 of our Handling Tracks and The Straights will be unavailable due to F1 set up. Thursday 29 June – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Friday 30 June – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Monday 03 July – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Tuesday 04 July – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Tuesday 11 July – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Wednesday 12 July – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Track returns to full use: Thursday 13 July – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Monday 17 July – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Tuesday 18 July – 8:30 am Wednesday 19 July – 8:30 am or 12:00 pm Friday 21 July – 8:30 am Monday 24 July – 8:30 am Friday 28 July – 08:30 am Monday 31 July – 8:30 am Furthermore, please be aware all places are booked on a first come first served basis. As we receive a high volume of emails and date requests, your chosen date will be secured only upon our acknowledgment of your request, subject to it still being available. If your chosen date is successfully secured, a booking confirmation will follow. Please be aware, we have not released any dates further than July 2023 and should you wish to book this experience beyond this point, I would advise you to contact us later in the year for further date availability. I will look forward to hearing from you. Kind Regards Coel Harrison Porsche Driving Experience Porsche Experience Centre

Its an experience not a track day and when busy you just driving around as you have to wait for cars to wave you through Luckily been a few times now, but i wouldnt pay and have gone out at 9.30 when empty, a big difference.. best fun is drifting on the liow friction pad. Kick plate isnt like the real world as your doing 20 to 23 mph and you know its going to happen , aqua plane at 70 it isnt going to nake a difference whatever they say. Why would you let an instructor have 10 mins of yur track time lol.

130R said: EC is nothing like that. You can push the cars to the limit (of your abilities at least) The cars are lucky to use 50% of their ability, the course has been designed that way im afraid. Max speed is just over a ton on one if the straights, but you can't carry speed onto it because of the right hander before Edited by tedblog on Friday 14th April 07:06

Gary C said: I did the 90 minute session in a GT3 and a GT2 (997's) It was epic, 90 minutes of being encouraged to drive faster and faster. Could have done with a bigger track to move onto but really for that length of track time in someone elses 911 is hard to beat. The ice hill is good fun but the kick plate I just could not get on with as its so false. When you loose the back while driving, you know what is going to happen before it happens and are already reacting before the car looses traction. On the click plate you have to wait, then respond and it felt so wrong that I kept on spinning so badly I actually left the wet bit, onto the dry bit and off that into the grass (maybe I was just going much too fast when I think about it now !) But I really loved that 997 GT3, felt just like my 3.2 Carrera in the way it handled and transferred weight. Just a lot faster. The kickplate being wet at 27mph is something like the equivalent of losing the car at 100mph in the dry, hence the fast reactions needed. As a result, every mph is exponential on the kickplate - I had my first ever spin (done it 8 times now!) doing 34mph. I was gutted! I am fortunate to race a lot of cars, and yet I still love doing the Porsche experience. Most recently drove the 992 Turbo S and was blown away with how good it was to drive. The instructor also customised the experience with some road driving - I said I was a recent motorcycle reader and he just so happened to train the police back in the day an was giving me some great tips! Porsche just really have nailed the ownership experience IMO. Edited by thelostboy on Friday 14th April 15:23

A point to remember is that you are not limited to the centre. I did some loops of the handling track and also the low grip part while learning a lot from instructor ( he has a list of instructor qualifications longer than my arm), he said "what do you want to do next, ice hill kick plate, or go out on the roads? So we spent half an hour driving around the roads of the area enjoying the car.

I didn’t think the kick plate worked at 34 mph ? Thought that was too fast for it…i.e. the car would be pst the plate before it kicked. They start people off around 20 mph and push people from there I think ? I thought drifting the car up the Ice Hill was a great exercie for building throttle/steering control. Found it bloody hard but after quite a lot of attempts got there and found it very satisfying. The good thing about doing a Precision Day is that there are a lot less people onsite so you get a lot more done.

breadvan said: Had an awesome morning in one of their GT4s today. Overall another really good experience although it does appear much busier than previous visits. Lovely personal 4RS on the loop too, anyone on here? I was there last Thursday morning as well. Had a fantastic time in a boxster gts 4.0. Brilliant instructor and enjoyed every minute.

As others have said the instructors are great and will let you focus on what you fancy doing. For me, I Spent loads of time donutting and drifting a GT4 on the Low Friction area. Was great fun

I’ve been three times. It’s the launch control / high speed braking that I like, it’s great trying to shred other peoples tyres. It also neatly demonstrates how effectively a Porsche will stop when you want it to.

‘The kickplate being wet at 27mph is something like the equivalent of losing the car at 100mph in the dry, hence the fast reactions needed. As a result, every mph is exponential on the kickplate - I had my first ever spin (done it 8 times now!) doing 34mph. I was gutted!’ Not really. The amount of energy in the car is low at these speeds. The high energy levels at higher speeds and increased grip on dry roads makes catching oversteer much more difficult. What the skid plate does do is begin to train steering and throttle ‘ muscle memory’ so you react more instinctively. Low friction circuit good for this also. Was told around about 25mph is max speed for kick plate as above that car is past before it has reacted. Interesting to do ice hill etc. with and without stability management to feel how it intervenes.

When i did my latest PEC day with my wife these things happened: 1/ we had Richard Attwood as an instructor (google if you don't know) 2/ My Mrs overtook Anthony Hamilton (Lewis' dad). He was in a 981 GT4, mrs was in a 981 BGTS - the talent in that family wasn't genetic Great day, learned lots about the car.

N111BJG said: I’ve been three times. It’s the launch control / high speed braking that I like, it’s great trying to shred other peoples tyres. It also neatly demonstrates how effectively a Porsche will stop when you want it to. And doing it with hands off the steering wheel! Plus trying to push the brake pedal through the bulkhead

Apologies for a slight thread hijack.... I did one of these half-days in 2016 in a 981 Spyder - which I thoroughly enjoyed. Going up the "ice hill" my instructor encouraged me to release the steering wheel entirely, with one side of the car on the normal friction surface, and the other side on low friction and then go full on the brakes. This was with full TC/ESC on. I do remember a certain amount of self-correction steering happening (i.e. the steering wheel moved without my input), which the instructor said was active steering done by the car. I could understand a certain amount of correction due to stability control and asymmetric braking (negative steering scrub radius etc), but he said it was actually fully active steering correcting the tendency to slide/rotate. Is this really the case, with the 981/982 generations? Or was he making it up? Edited by Tony B2 on Tuesday 18th April 16:53

Robert-udyrh said: ‘. Interesting to do ice hill etc. with and without stability management to feel how it intervenes. When i was there I did the ice hill and the kick plate and went through all the options on both of them - started with stability management on, then to part on and then full off. There was a great sense of achievement (for me) when I drove all the way up the ice hill with eveything off (it did take a few attempts!!)

Doing the kick plate with your eyes closed is a pretty interesting experience ..

I did quite a few days several years ago and then sort of lost interest. I even started a thread to discuss if it was all a bit crap. However I went again just before Christmas as I had 3 vouchers to use up. I took my son and daughter in law for the day out. I have to say it was brilliant and we all loved every minute of it. I chose a 992 Turbo S and my instructor just sat there and let me absolutely thrash the brains out of it until the tyres started to delaminate in a big way. The only time he said anything was when I got a bit close to the back of my lad who was flat chat in a Cayenne Turbo GT. I think he thought I was going to launch it up the inside at the end of the little straight bit We all swapped cars around as well which was good fun. I think it is very instructor dependent, I don’t remember them being that relaxed on earlier visits. I think at the moment as long as you demonstrate that you are capable then they give you a free hand. My daughter in law had a great time in a C2S as her instructor was pushing her all the time to drive harder and smoother. She gained a lot of confidence from the day and learned a lot. I think if you have not done anything like this before then it’s well worth the money. Probably not if you have done a fair bit of track work already, even flat out in a Turbo S it’s quite slow, it’s not that quick a track.

I had a couple of days at the PEC last year. One was a 90 minute Christmas gift, the other was the full day as part of the car purchase. Both days were brilliant and as mentioned in the thread you can tailor what you want to do with the Instructor. I gelled with the Instructor I had and requested him again for the full day event. Totally agree with previous comments about the Instructors really wanting you to get the full benefit of the car under controlled conditions (only limits I had were "me"). I shared it with the other half and we both really enjoyed it. Thinking of going again and trying a 911. Cheers T1b

TikTak said: Glad to hear that kind of review tbh, and certainly rekindles my interest in looking into doing it as there has been so much positivity in here. Think I finally lost interest when my mate who's a massive Lambo lover was so so disappointed in his one where they told him he wasn't allowed to launch it off the line or go over 90mph. The latter sounds like the first "track" experience I did near Chipping Norton that was on an old airfield. Ragged old Vantage V8, change up at 4k rpm please, ooh youve caught car ahead please slow down. Much better at thruxton but too short a time to learn anything. Then went to Mercedes Benz world and far more driving, instruction etc and therefore much better value for money. Booked a GT4 experience at PEC in July as it sounds similar to MB world experience.

breadvan said: Had an awesome morning in one of their GT4s today. Overall another really good experience although it does appear much busier than previous visits. Lovely personal 4RS on the loop too, anyone on here? I just booked this for July (assuming its the £425 experience). Did it include any food/drink as the website says no but in emails they mentioned afternoon tea? I asked them to confirm but never got back to me on that (very poor comms tbh). They did confirm the 718 spyder and gt4 are both manual though - is that what you got? Thanks.

catfood12 said: Its pretty shocking tbh. Especially after doing a similar experience at Mercedes Benz world where you can book online and someone answers the phone in 3 rings. I never got through on phone but the message mentions an email (that was not shown on their website). Emails take min a week to reply. Not what you expect from a premium brand and offering.

P1Fanatic said: breadvan said: Had an awesome morning in one of their GT4s today. Overall another really good experience although it does appear much busier than previous visits. Lovely personal 4RS on the loop too, anyone on here? I just booked this for July (assuming its the £425 experience). Did it include any food/drink as the website says no but in emails they mentioned afternoon tea? I asked them to confirm but never got back to me on that (very poor comms tbh). They did confirm the 718 spyder and gt4 are both manual though - is that what you got? Thanks. Mine was the 'free' experience you get with a purchase. It was a PDK to match my own. I had a morning session which came with breakfast and a 3 course lunch after. The food is very good but that's not why you're there so don't worry if you're not having it. I think I did more than £425 in tyres alone.

breadvan said: Mine was the 'free' experience you get with a purchase. It was a PDK to match my own. I had a morning session which came with breakfast and a 3 course lunch after. The food is very good but that's not why you're there so don't worry if you're not having it. I think I did more than £425 in tyres alone. Haha thanks. Interesting there is a PDK version available as I’d prefer that. I am not going there for food but its nice to know what is or isn't included and what options are available as doing it with a friend who is coming up from London so will be nice to chill out afterwards. Unfortunately Its like getting blood out of a stone asking PEC for this information.

I went for my Taycan GTS day, but I just used my own 911 instead. It was really worthwhile and I learnt a lot. What’s not to like.

P1Fanatic said: Then went to Mercedes Benz world and far more driving, instruction etc and therefore much better value for money. Booked a GT4 experience at PEC in July as it sounds similar to MB world experience. I have done both. At MB World I felt they were trying to make me into a racing driver, many repetitive laps with criticism like, you could have braked later there or you should have turned in sooner etc etc. Admittedly I only went there once. Whereas at PEC, It seems more about being aware of what the car can do at your level of ability. So enjoyed it more.

Reading some more of the posts on here reminded me that when we went last year on my first lap out my instructor told me that the day before someone had put (I think it was) a GT4 through the hedge just after the first corner as you come out of the track side car park. You could still see the skid marks on the grass and apparently no one was hurt but he said sometimes people think they're more talented that they really are. I asked him if he thought I was like that and his reply was "no, I think you accepted you've got no talent a long time ago". It was a brilliant day.

I did it a good few years ago after buying a C2 , I was allowed to drive the same model , they wouldn’t let me drive a Turbo. It was ok as an experience , glad I didn’t pay full price for it though , also a long way to travel from the NE for. Wouldn’t bother going again tbh.

I called today to book an 911 experience and they are pretty much full until the end of July. Good news though, they have a Carrera T coming into the fleet at Silverstone but it’s not available to book right now.

N111BJG said: I’ve been three times. It’s the launch control / high speed braking that I like, it’s great trying to shred other peoples tyres. It also neatly demonstrates how effectively a Porsche will stop when you want it to. You make it sound like no other car will stop like a Porsche lol Edited by tedblog on Monday 24th April 22:44

tedblog said: You make it sound like no other car will stop like a Porsche lol Edited by tedblog on Monday 24th April 22:44 Tbf there is very little that beats them on the Car Wow braking tests.

Voodoo Blue said: I asked him if he thought I was like that and his reply was "no, I think you accepted you've got no talent a long time ago". It was a brilliant day. Haha, well that's a kick in the proverbials. Nothing wrong with being humble and driving within your own (known) limits, and I'm sure they would have encouraged you to test yourself on the day/you still enjoyed it, and he wasn't just being a d!ck.

Obviously you get a free experience day with a new car purchase. I have another available as have ordered a 992 Targa GTS, however as its to replace my current 992 Targa GTS then I can't say I'm overly bothered in going down for the day, so wondered whether it was possible to do the day in a car you aren't purchasing ? I'd only be interested in a go in a Turbo S or a GT3, but what's the chances of them letting me ? I assume slim.

Hobo said: Obviously you get a free experience day with a new car purchase. I have another available as have ordered a 992 Targa GTS, however as its to replace my current 992 Targa GTS then I can't say I'm overly bothered in going down for the day, so wondered whether it was possible to do the day in a car you aren't purchasing ? I'd only be interested in a go in a Turbo S or a GT3, but what's the chances of them letting me ? I assume slim. It’s worth asking. It was well over 12mths after I bought my 718 Cayman T that I got round to booking my PEC day (blame COVID). By that time they didn’t have one on the fleet so offered a “reasonable alternative”. I spent they day in a Carrera S.

We swapped cars and they were fine but more lowly models. I think you'll be lucky to get in to a GT3 but it's not like a Targa GTS is a cheap car so you never know.

Hobo said: Obviously you get a free experience day with a new car purchase. I have another available as have ordered a 992 Targa GTS, however as its to replace my current 992 Targa GTS then I can't say I'm overly bothered in going down for the day, so wondered whether it was possible to do the day in a car you aren't purchasing ? I'd only be interested in a go in a Turbo S or a GT3, but what's the chances of them letting me ? I assume slim. I just did it yesterday in a Turbo S Cab, was excellent whizzing around with the roof down.

I did a half day Monday morning. I was driving a 997 RS 4.0, a 911R and a GT2RS. The instructor was great (Ben) The handling circuits are short and very twisty... it didn't take long to feel sick tbh. Despite the value of the cars there was no nannying and I had all 3 sideways in a couple of corners. The kickplate and wet area was fun for low speed sideways and was instructive quite how much difference the TC made Did launch control a few times in the GT2RS and I think it was 0-94-0 in about 6-7 seconds...brutal and deeply impressive the hook up for a RWD car. At the end I got him to do a couple of fast laps and it demonstrated what an absolute animal the GT2RS is ...extraordinary bit of kit. Very expensive morning for what it was but given the 4.0 and the R are £400k plus collectors cars these days that I could never dream of owning, it was a bucket list kind of thing Controversial probably but I didnt like the 4.0.... just felt v agricultural, notchy gearbox, v tight seats and hard to heel and toe and generally a bit "old". Not what I expected from what is hailed as one of, if not the best modern 911s ! The R on the other hand was just lovely and seemed to me a car you could enjoy a trackday in, or a drive to Scotland. So if I had the £ i'd probably buy a 991 GT3 and do the touring conversion for 95% of the R experience

Fnumber1user said: Voodoo Blue said: I asked him if he thought I was like that and his reply was "no, I think you accepted you've got no talent a long time ago". It was a brilliant day. Haha, well that's a kick in the proverbials. Nothing wrong with being humble and driving within your own (known) limits, and I'm sure they would have encouraged you to test yourself on the day/you still enjoyed it, and he wasn't just being a d!ck. It was the best icebreaker I've ever had on one of those events and the rest of the day just got better and better. So much fun.

squirdan said: Controversial probably but I didnt like the 4.0.... just felt v agricultural, notchy gearbox, v tight seats and hard to heel and toe and generally a bit "old". Not what I expected from what is hailed as one of, if not the best modern 911s ! I need to go back and drive that 4.0 again now I've got a chunky amount of Porsche miles under my belt. I drove it a few years back and fell in love with it immediately - it just seemed so "right" I suspect I may now think it's a bit old compared to my 718 GT4...

squirdan said: I did a half day Monday morning. I was driving a 997 RS 4.0, a 911R and a GT2RS. The instructor was great (Ben) The handling circuits are short and very twisty... it didn't take long to feel sick tbh. Despite the value of the cars there was no nannying and I had all 3 sideways in a couple of corners. The kickplate and wet area was fun for low speed sideways and was instructive quite how much difference the TC made Did launch control a few times in the GT2RS and I think it was 0-94-0 in about 6-7 seconds...brutal and deeply impressive the hook up for a RWD car. At the end I got him to do a couple of fast laps and it demonstrated what an absolute animal the GT2RS is ...extraordinary bit of kit. Very expensive morning for what it was but given the 4.0 and the R are £400k plus collectors cars these days that I could never dream of owning, it was a bucket list kind of thing Controversial probably but I didnt like the 4.0.... just felt v agricultural, notchy gearbox, v tight seats and hard to heel and toe and generally a bit "old". Not what I expected from what is hailed as one of, if not the best modern 911s ! The R on the other hand was just lovely and seemed to me a car you could enjoy a trackday in, or a drive to Scotland. So if I had the £ i'd probably buy a 991 GT3 and do the touring conversion for 95% of the R experience I’ve had my eye on doing this half day….mostly to drive the 4.0 and R (lucky enough to own a 991.2 GT3) so intrigued to see the difference. GT2 RS must be ridiculous on those tracks.

squirdan said: I did a half day Monday morning. I was driving a 997 RS 4.0, a 911R and a GT2RS. The instructor was great (Ben) ] I had been looking at either doing this one or the slightly cheaper GT version so thanks for the overview. There was another poster a while back that mentioned the gearbox on the 997 not being great however from memory that was the regular GT3 not the 4.0. I wonder if it’s due a refresh or whether that’s just how they are. Jethro B did a video on that car that you posted a few months back and to be fair it does sound like it lived a well used life!! https://youtu.be/8mNmu7gdNTk

P1Fanatic said: Tbf there is very little that beats them on the Car Wow braking tests. Plenty of other cars give the car wow factor and tbh only a metre or 2 difference in the stopping distance, And thats not the mega expensive cars either. A lot of lightweight hot hatches will outbrake the heavy stuff.

Am just in the process of booking another session. Am told (via email) that Loop 2 won't be available on the day I'm after. Can anyone tell me what Loop 2 is? The low friction circuit? Have replied to PEC asking what Loop 2 is, but their response time is currently measured in days, hence asking here. Thanks

Cheib said: We swapped cars and they were fine but more lowly models. I think you'll be lucky to get in to a GT3 but it's not like a Targa GTS is a cheap car so you never know. Well I've asked the question, and explained the reasoning, ie that I have expressed an interest in the Gen2 GT3 with my OPC, and its the only 992 I have a genuine interest in owning aside from the 992 Targa GTS, and will either demonstrate a GT3 isn't for me or it definately is. See what comes back in due course.

First Sea Lord said: Am just in the process of booking another session. Am told (via email) that Loop 2 won't be available on the day I'm after. Can anyone tell me what Loop 2 is? The low friction circuit? Have replied to PEC asking what Loop 2 is, but their response time is currently measured in days, hence asking here. Thanks Loop 2 is the bit with the straight to test launch control and the bomb hole corner...Loop 1 is the main circuit that you drive out on when you leave the building. It has the low friction area, ice hill and kick plate off it. If Loop 1 was shut it would be a very dull day. It's the loop on the left with the straights in the middle. https://www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/experience/... I am 99% sure of that but I know one of the PEC instructors if you'd like me to check.

Cheib said: First Sea Lord said: Am just in the process of booking another session. Am told (via email) that Loop 2 won't be available on the day I'm after. Can anyone tell me what Loop 2 is? The low friction circuit? Have replied to PEC asking what Loop 2 is, but their response time is currently measured in days, hence asking here. Thanks Loop 2 is the bit with the straight to test launch control and the bomb hole corner...Loop 1 is the main circuit that you drive out on when you leave the building. It has the low friction area, ice hill and kick plate off it. If Loop 1 was shut it would be a very dull day. It's the loop on the left with the straights in the middle. https://www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/experience/... I am 99% sure of that but I know one of the PEC instructors if you'd like me to check. Great. That's really useful. Thanks. It's the low friction circuit that I'm interested in, so it sounds like this will be open. If you're able to easily check and don't mind it'd be great but if you're 99% sure then that's enough for me to confirm my date. Thanks again

tedblog said: Plenty of other cars give the car wow factor and tbh only a metre or 2 difference in the stopping distance, And thats not the mega expensive cars either. A lot of lightweight hot hatches will outbrake the heavy stuff. Not sure what you mean by car wow factor - I meant the youtube channel where they do the drag + rolling + brake tests. Not the most scientific and usually they are testing similar category cars but Porsche do generally seem to pull up first. But agree that its hard / impossible to compare accuratenly unless the same person does all tests and even then reaction time, actual starting point etc comes into it.

First Sea Lord said: Am just in the process of booking another session. Am told (via email) that Loop 2 won't be available on the day I'm after. Can anyone tell me what Loop 2 is? The low friction circuit? Have replied to PEC asking what Loop 2 is, but their response time is currently measured in days, hence asking here. Thanks They were slow to pick up phone a few weeks ago and directed you to email rather than hold. But recently I called them twice and they picked up within a few rings.

Cheib said: First Sea Lord said: Am just in the process of booking another session. Am told (via email) that Loop 2 won't be available on the day I'm after. Can anyone tell me what Loop 2 is? The low friction circuit? Have replied to PEC asking what Loop 2 is, but their response time is currently measured in days, hence asking here. Thanks Loop 2 is the bit with the straight to test launch control and the bomb hole corner...Loop 1 is the main circuit that you drive out on when you leave the building. It has the low friction area, ice hill and kick plate off it. If Loop 1 was shut it would be a very dull day. It's the loop on the left with the straights in the middle. https://www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/experience/... I am 99% sure of that but I know one of the PEC instructors if you'd like me to check. Just re-read the email and it says "...please be aware Loop 2 of the Handling Circuit and The Straights will be unavailable due to the Grand Prix." so you're big on. Have said I'm on for it. Thanks for the help

First Sea Lord said: Cheib said: First Sea Lord said: Am just in the process of booking another session. Am told (via email) that Loop 2 won't be available on the day I'm after. Can anyone tell me what Loop 2 is? The low friction circuit? Have replied to PEC asking what Loop 2 is, but their response time is currently measured in days, hence asking here. Thanks Loop 2 is the bit with the straight to test launch control and the bomb hole corner...Loop 1 is the main circuit that you drive out on when you leave the building. It has the low friction area, ice hill and kick plate off it. If Loop 1 was shut it would be a very dull day. It's the loop on the left with the straights in the middle. https://www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/experience/... I am 99% sure of that but I know one of the PEC instructors if you'd like me to check. Just re-read the email and it says "...please be aware Loop 2 of the Handling Circuit and The Straights will be unavailable due to the Grand Prix." so you're big on. Have said I'm on for it. Thanks for the help My concern would that the venue does get quite busy, as others here have commented as well. If they aren't running reduced numbers on the days in question I would have a concern that the remaining loop would be quite full and there may be queues at the Ice Hill and Kick plate. The timing was good when I went and I was the only car out for a fair bit of my session and didn't have to wait for anything but it did get busier (apparently there was a big corporate party and they have a longer briefing) Edited by LastPoster on Friday 28th April 17:34

No loop 2 would be a big downer for me. I really enjoy that part, the section from the end of the straight through the bomb crater is the most fun and interesting bit of the whole place. You can have fun there driving right up to the stability control limit and getting the cars to dance around quite a bit.

P1Fanatic said: Not sure what you mean by car wow factor - I meant the youtube channel where they do the drag + rolling + brake tests. Not the most scientific and usually they are testing similar category cars but Porsche do generally seem to pull up first. But agree that its hard / impossible to compare accuratenly unless the same person does all tests and even then reaction time, actual starting point etc comes into it. Ahh you mean "carwow" lol Alot deoends on reaction time as well, but as the instructor said , doesnt matttef if you have amazing brakes if the guy behind doesn't ??

Hobo said: Well I've asked the question, and explained the reasoning, ie that I have expressed an interest in the Gen2 GT3 with my OPC, and its the only 992 I have a genuine interest in owning aside from the 992 Targa GTS, and will either demonstrate a GT3 isn't for me or it definately is. See what comes back in due course. Respond is back. Its a 'no'. Shame you can't 'gift' the experience to someone else as I won't likely be bothering going now, so will go unused.

I went in 2014 in a C4S, it was a good day, I loved the car but I felt the instructor wasn't great. I was working in a bike shop at the time earning minimum wage. When I told the instructor what I did I was told "we don't often get people like you here". From then on he wasn't particularly friendly and I felt he was "at best" going through the motions. Here we are, ten years later I am potentially looking at buying a Porsche. I'm driving the GT4, my wife will be in he 718 S. I'm looking forward to experiencing it again.