Invited to the Porsche World Tour - they took the Driving Experience on the road to a handful of cities, and I received an invitation from my dealer to join. Arrived promptly before 10am Weds, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Nice infield layout, including kart course, straightline braking, and TRACK time.

After a short class session:


We split into groups, and headed for the track. Helmets provided. This was a lead-follow event, but they hit some nice speeds along the way. Not a grandma event at all.

We rode along with the instructor (there was rotation in/out of the cars so we had a few rotations before we drove). Panamera GTS, 911 and 911S were the 3 track cars we drove, each driver had a lap and a ride along in each. Went out with the instructor while we waited, and he was fantastic. Concerned enough to keep the pack tight (3-4 car lengths max) but on target and precise handling through it.

We left pit road and went left into the road course, a fairly wide stretch of some tight turns and great apex hits, cones placed, instructor guiding by radio each turn.....***** out at 80-90mph easy. Leaving the road course we enter the oval at the end of turn 1, this is a high banked course. Floored it and followed the line mid track up the banked turn and into the backstraight. Stand on the gas. Stand on it. Really. Sweeping into turn 3 at what felt like several G's, he radios to be prepared at turn 4 to brake, and the cones guide you back to pit road. Switch drivers, repeat.

I must say I was a little puckered in the instructors car, especially in the back seat (Panamera GTS)....but I'm a lousy passenger at highway speeds. But this guy was fantastic.

The Panamera GTS has loads of power, gripped well, and was a fun ride. Did not feel like I was in a big sedan. The 911 was fun, but underpowered compared to the GTS. The 911S was perfect.



We got the 911S up to about 130+ on the back straight. Likely could see 150 on the front if they'd let us, but we had just 2/3 of the track to blast off on.

What was the most impressive was the PDK. I'm a stick guy. Hauling butt in those Porsches, you could easily feel the PDK adapt to aggressive driving, and the downshift and throttle blips at hard braking at 130 was impressive. Really impressive.

Next up, the kart course. New 981/Boxsters ready to go, flat course w/pylons, instructor in vehicle, handling was the key. The car is tossable compared to the others, or at least feels it due to light weight and mid engine balance. Two laps on the kart course and no holds barred - floor it when you feel like it, slam the brakes when you need.



Last up: the technology hard line braking - Panamera Hybrid vs Panamera gas, and Cayenne hybrid vs Cayenne gas. The white Panamera Hybrid was mine first - and they line up and the instructor flags you to go - and you floor it - at the final pylon you brake hard and turn left, loop back around, and repeat in the gas vehicle.

There was no question - the hybrid is a bit quicker off the line in that situation, both drove fast and hard for the short run, but the way Porsche does hybrids, there is no lag. Great experience.

The crew was very professional, instructors were from the Porsche Driving Experience in Alabama, the staff was nice (and easy on the eyes), and all in all, a great half day event. Thanks to Hendrick Porsche for the invite!

 

Fantastic review.. thanks.

 

Sounds like it was a fantastic day. I did one a few years back and it was a ton of fun. It was primarily focused on the Cayene so we had on and off road courses.

 

Thanks for the writeup Eric.

I did one of these at Barber in AL and it was fantastic. Made me really appreciate what these cars are capable of in well trained hands.

 

I attended the one in Sebring, FL two weeks ago. Exactly the same format as the one in Charlotte.

Very professional, well organized, went like clock work. Four groups a day for three days, with an excellent group of cars.