Porsche Experience LA, again
 

Quick plug here for this.. I try to go once a year... I think it's incredible value for money, and it's been confirmed to me Porsche doesn't make a penny on it and treat it as a marketing tool...

If you can, *any* oppportunity, Bday, life event, fun, GO GO GO... LA or ATL... I tried both, ATL has a nicer lobby and more museum, and I hear they lenghtened the track now but LA is very cool as well, if smaller..

Cheap? No, but... 90 min in a GT3 or Turbo S or above is like $1500+ BUT you will learn just as much in a cheap Cayman or Base 992 from $650. At this price point, the one on one instruction is PHENOMENAL. I did 20y of track days with various clubs/instructors, and they were all great, but you cannot approach the level of one one one coaching you get at PEC.

Exercises are all super fun, a circular skid pad, a twisty powdered track where you can chain drifts at 25 mph, a downhill/uphill slippery J turn for catching and maintaining slides, a kick plate (silly but fun), an autocross area, a launch control with long straight area with a nurburgring like carroussel at the end, and the track !!

This time I focused more on sliding the car properly (harder than it looks with these big hot rear tires) and was finally able to do 2 laps around the circle in continuous drift, exhausting stuff when you spent all your life avoiding drifting.. The track is always the best for me, and you can choose to follow the leader of have the instructor in car with you.. did both, follow is fun and easier because you use his brake andturn in points, but you get way more feedback with the guy in the car IMO... the 2 guys helped me in my biggest flaw, the transition from really hard braking to gentle trail braking into the turn to maintenance throttle throughout, all the while looking in the right place, LOL... I always had too much of a "coasting phase" between the trail braking and reaccelerating and lost time, apparently... worked hard on smooth and light throttle to settle the car throughout.. FAST stuff, so much fun !!

Also instead of doing one GT3/RS experience for $$$, I used that same amount to do 2 cars, AM/PM! Cayman GTS 4.0 in the AM and 992S after lunch... Eye opening how good latest gen cars are... I loved the Cayman and its NA engine a lot - turn in is fantastic and its twitchiness when sliding at low speed is fun but man, the 911 is so much more planted at higher speeds all over the track and so much more "me". At least now I know...

they also have a cheap sim option, and great restaurant with 911 shaped butter, cheaper than even our hotel place... with a view on people spinning out of control ;-) I cannot recommend these visits more, based on the great learning, for any level or any occasion (nobody paid me). Just the abuse you dish to the cars IMO is worth 3/4 of the admission cost, and you get the instruction for cheap ! All cars, all levels...

Those were my 2 rides...

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i never understand these things except for as touchpoints for the newest/hottest/richest.

like you can do these things, in your own car, for so much cheaper. and also way less stressfully. which of course means actually getting places with your car that you cant here.

i guess i file these things next to supercar ownership in general ... like these are not serious machines for serious people, you are not taking your quarter of a million dollar porsche turbo S to the edge of control, for a 2 hour stint. 1. you cant afford to consumables alone, and 2. you cant afford to bin it, so your no where near the fun parts of driving.

the best thing in the world for me and cars was getting out of the rat race of wanting 'desirable' cars or really almost anything to do with car culture, and into pieces of **** to beat the piss out of. the fun part of cars beating the hell out of car, driving its wheels off.

like the porsche ice experience is a great example ... thousands of dollars ... for what?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44_2pc2sG6M

sounds fun right?

you can do this yourself for about 50-100 dollars a day, in any car you want to bring. and we are begging for entries.

its a no brainer. dont give porsche your money, give your local motorsports club your money and time.

please.

Yeah! How dare you Deschodt--- go and have a great experience with Porsches then share that experience with Porsche enthusiasts on a Porsche board--what are you insane? :rolleyes:

Seriously, it looks like you had a great time, thanks for sharing.

whats porsche got to do with it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWdxNvjyvdw

:rolleyes:

again, every local motorsports club is begging for you to go, have more fun, for less money, doing more, wilder driving ... its obvious.

My intention is to visit the atlanta experience center in 2025 to drive gt4rs and a gt3. Surprised you preferred the 911 so heavily. I have a 718 GTS though the bargain 2.5T variant, to me the smaller lighter package is closer to the ideal sports car formula.

Seems like a good way to waste an afternoon and I have spent 1500$ worse ways. I have heard nothing but rave reviews from people who have been. Really have no desire to own any cars over say 100k, but 1.5k for a great afternoon fits my budget just fine.

Would like to do some more autocross, and HPDE in my personal cars this year as well.

I don't even comprehend the internet anymore, it seems some folks are so miserable they wait to pounce and $hit negative stuff on anything... Sorry if you are having a bad day !

>every local motorsports club is begging for you to go, have more fun, for less money, doing more, wilder driving ... its obvious

How would you know? I've got 20+y of track days to compare this to. You clearly have not tried the above and you are comparing one thing you know, to one you do not. Sure an AutoX is cheaper, sure one track day with your car will be cheaper (assuming no mechanical issue or tire replacement). Will you learn as much ? I doubt it.

In my neck of the woods, a track day costs $350-500. PCA, BMW, Hooked on driving, min 300 ! You get several 20 min sessions with "maybe" a random instructor - sometimes OK, sometimes great, may not know your car type at all, but basically geared towards learning a line and not killing them, in your car.. (and I thank them all for the instruction I got from them)

I'm merely pointing out this is next level, 90 minutes of serious one on one coaching with very professional people (call it 4 sessions on a track day) where I've learned 10x more than at any track day I ever did in that time frame (assuming you even get an instructor, I ran mostly in the fast group without one once graduated to club track days). It's car control, line, acquiring good habits and getting rid of bad ones, stuff like sliding control that is actively discouraged at tracks, all at 6-7 different stations designed for max learning... That is way more that you will do at an AutoX with a few 30 sec runs or any track day I've been at... I'm not even denigrating those, I'm saying it's next level.

Also, it's THEIR car, you beat the crap out of it without a care. You also get to "test" their latest model offerings and see how good they are... For a couple hundred bucks over a track day... Ok, it's terrible, I'm wrong, sorry I shared ;-) LOL.

ATL is great, bigger museum, you'll love it ! To be honest, in previous years I've done the GT3 there, and the tracks at both PECs was too short for a car like that to stretch its legs. I hear ATL double its size though but have not returned since. I'll also say drifting a GT3 is hell, LOL, the car is just so good and grippy. I had more "learning time" in a slower car with smaller tires ! But I am happy I did the GT3 (and a ridealong in the GT4RS) because I got to see how mind blowing those cars are, and launch them 5x (like you not in my budget, ever so one time was cool).

I have college age kids for the next 4-8 years, so even a new base Porsche is off limits for me... This $1400 once a year (2x cars) is a fantastic way to have fun and also sample the new stuff I may be able to afford when it's 4-5y+ old, LOL, if the market ever remembers what depreciation is !

On the cayman/911... The 718GTS was first, it's a GREAT car do not get me wrong. The 4.0 is superb. I think it was more fun than the 911 on the tight stuff and I like that it feels smaller overall. Also great bucket seats. I'd have one, jsut not at that price. The 992 was a PIG on the tight slide course, 100% gas pedal triggered - never just by lifting like the cayman would. But it's also way more stable at higher speed track stuff and way more confidence inducing - it's personal thing I got used to having the engine out back and that traction (cayman is more "entry and rotation, less rear grip). ALL the instructors I chatted with said the Cayman was wonderful but the 911 is where it's at, time wise. My personal conclusion was that I disliked the 992's rear end visually and in particular the wing (look like a girl lifting her skirt) and if one day I get another, it'll be a 991.2 T or GTS with a duck tail (or a Boxster GTS).

i am an HPDE instructor and a wheel to wheel racing school instructor. I also have put on both HPDEs, and currently run an ice racing series.

i have clearly done the thing.



im not sure how "dont give your money to this mega company that doesnt give a **** about you, and instead give way less money to your local club, do more with it, and that club needs every butt in every seat to survive" is somehow a bad message.

like since when did "invest in your local motorsport" become a bad message?

wild.

Well my 50th birthday is coming up...

Better put but somewhat revisionist a stance. You missed the parts where this is a totally different experience that YOU have not tried, there is no way they are making $ on this, it's not exorbitant if you choose the right car, and there is absolutely *NOTHING* suggesting not to do HPDE and grease the wheels of local clubs. I do both, this taught me more in less time and let me drive cool new cars, and I got to wake up later and not have to do a tech inspection at 7AM ;-) You just chose to completely $hit on the original post without any experience what this offers over and above a DE and insinuate it's a waste of money. I am sorry it's not for you. You win all the internet. Please feel free to ignore this thread and anything I may post, I do not have time for bad faith and negative stuff.. Hope your day gets better, sincerely.

A friend took delivery of his Cayman GTS 6 speed, at Atlanta and was very happy with the entire experiance, from the track time with a instructor (my friend is no stranger to racing) and presention of his new Porsche

Cool... Yeah this was supposed to be a happy post, "heads up this is cool", try if you can... Sorry it took a wrong turn ;-) if I were to get a new one (unlikely for a long while) i'd totally do delivery there. They do not track your new car, thankfully.

Awesome post, thanks for sharing! Putting this on the "must do" list..

Don't sweat the ramblings of any faux intellectual clowns who "doth protest too much" about how great their life may be.
As everyone else has commented, it looks like you had a great time, and thanks for posting!

Note to self… look into the Porsche Driving Experience!

dang. that looks like money well spent.

Damn. I've still got an unused gift certificate for this that predates COVID.

Seems like a trip to LA is in the offing.

About 20 yrs. ago I planned to rent a 996 from the Porsche Zentrum in Leipzig and stretch its legs on the then pretty new hwys in that neck of the woods. IIRC, it was around $500 for the day and 300 km were included. On the way there the traffic was so bad, that I had to turn the cheapo rental car off and just sit for 10-20 min at a time. I finally decided hell no, not worth it. I got to go for a ridiculous ride along when I visited Ruf around the same time. I think we got up to 330 km/h and it wasn't even on a hwy. But that was the extent of my non-DE experience in the super cars.

To me that sounds amazing for a relatively low price point. Just the opportunity to beat on a car that if it were my money I would totally hesitate to beat on, not to mention having professional instruction as well. Either LA or ATL would definitely be a worthwhile experience.

That’s a great write up, thanks!

The Experience Center LA is a wonderful way to spend some time flogging a Porsche around with a professional instructor beside you. They are not set up to replace track days.
They provide an experience for everyone from corporate events, people who don't drive anything but the family hauler, to Porsche owners that want to hone their skills or burn up someone else's brakes and tires.
There are three wet modules, a low friction circuit (drifting), an auto cross area, an acceleration straight and the main handling circuit. You will get exposed to everything and spend more time on what you like the most. Lots of people that own Porsche's don't have the experience or want to push themselves or their rides hard and having a professional beside you explaining why things are happening with the car and yourself and making sure you are doing things correctly really helps build peoples confidence.
Their is an owners session once a month that you can bring your own Porsche (only) to, but is must have ABS and not be modified. The instructor will not ride along with you in your own car but will coach lead follow via radio.
In addition to all of that you can just go for a demo lap with a pro driving if you just want the sensations but don't want to drive.
I was an Instructor or Coach there for 5 years and certified to do demo laps. It is a great way to spend some time and the restaurant, sim lab and museum are worth the trip alone.
Steve

Thanks for the write up. Glad you've had fun with it. While a few other companies have some driving experiences, nobody has anything like Porsche. Both ATL and LA are worth the visit to see the cars on display or behind the glass. Top tip - if you're in LA, always visit PECLA the week or two before Rennsport Reunion.

Basically an arrive and drive with new cars.

So tell me is the Porsche experience about car control while learning the capabilities of modern nannies?
It could be very helpful for those that will never be on track and just want to see the amazing capabilities of modern nannies.
I'd do the class just to experience the modern software that helps keep these super cars and their less experienced drivers safe.

As far as Porsche marketing I'm not their target as I enjoy being a renaissance racer.
No nannies, no traction control, no stability control, no rear steer, no abs and a dog ring H pattern are my preferences.

Are the Porsche exercises designed to display the amazing car control that modern German software nanny engineers can provide?

...and follow up with the Petersen and check out "the vault" ! OMG the amount of cool cars in that underground parking is unreal !

So most of the exercises go that way: 1 lap TC on, "see how the car is doing it for you, no slide", 1 lap sport mode " see how it lets you drift to a point and then neutralizes it?" and then sport plus everything off for the next whatever laps "let's slide buddy!' (you pick how long to spend at each station) . Apologies if I remember the exact settings wrong because on these new cars there's both a rotating knob on the wheel and all the others on the console, and they sorta work together and the instructor sorts that out for you based on how you are doing, and I did not pay full attention as we did most everything with no nannies, that's the point.

Obviously the drift hill/kickplate and skid circle are all "nannies off" so you can spin to your heart's content - track time is some nannies on but not all the way so you can rotate the car when trail braking... there are walls no not hit, it's really not intrusive, never did I feel "oh if this was my car I'd turn that off". What i was thinking the entire time is "can't believe he's letting me drive this fast and we just met 20 min ago". Even PDK did not bother me because it's very good, there is so much to focus on, eyes, hands, smooth feet trying to apply what the guy is telling you. I still would prefer a stick but here at a "school" it's totally appropriate !

Trust me, it's very well thought out. Anyone that takes the drive experience with a coach and comes out a)disappointed or b) having learned nothing at all really needs a) Prozac or b) a career at the highest level of motorsport, respectively) ;-)

Booked for June 21 in Atlanta. Road tripping with 13yo son in my cayman. I booked a driving simulator session for us as well and may try to schedule a ride along for him.

Struggled on choosing gt3 vs gt4rs, but went for the latter. Might as well have flipped a coin I guess. Really excited to do this and have an adventure with my son.

I'm jelly, as the kids would say. Enjoy! I don't think you could possibly have gone wrong doing a coin toss between GT3 & GT4.

Ok that’s awesome, I’m glad you had fun! I’d love to do it as well someday.

I don’t see myself ever buying a new Porsche, as I love my 997.2, but I’d drive the crap out of a few of them.

Or conversely, you could move to Minnesota, ice race a Miata, wear a dress sometimes and schit-post on a Porsche forum about people having fun in California. Tough choice, I know but those are the options presented here. :cool:

LOL

uh, Hey, that's not nice.

chuckle

The way they beat on the cars everyday is a testimony to the brand.
The 917 restaurant @ PECLA is nice too

You'll have a blast. I've done the ATL circuit a few times.. The 'slick' track is probably the most fun. They will let you go just about as fast as you think you can on the main track.. and then they will do it much faster. The launch control burn outs without traction control on were also awesome!

And as far as the why to do this... because no way I would treat my own car the way I treat these rentals.. I know I went through some serious rubber doing one burnout after another...

If you're gonna quote me and post a different class and different car (4 hours - totally different class, RS), allow me to retort with the correct pricing for what I talked about just so that there is no confusion ;-)

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Also I recommended avoiding these (done them, fun, but value for $ less good) and getting the carrera S ($725) + cayman GTS ($750) for the same $1500 or so price, 2 sessions for the price of one. I did one session AM, one PM, lunch in between, awesome day and you can use the break to process stuff and relax, it's not feeling too short. I went with a friend and session one triggered a migraine for him, he slept it off and went back 3h later.. I'd argue I had more fun with the Cayman GTS overall because it slides better and sounds better, sliding a GT3 or RS with "those" rear tires is no picnic.

Lastly, just noticed 20% off for CA residents at PECLA till jul 31 !the package above for 2 cars is $1200 only if you're local and book soon.. Wish I could but bad dates for me.

Reminded by this thread bump, I tried to book a young driver's experience for my HS graduating daughter. Not so outrageously expensive when you consider the cost of regular driving lessons. But the website wasn't working, and when I called PECLA, the guy didn't seem so interested in trying to help book a session, referring me back to the website with no dates available on the calendar. Sheesh.

1450 for 90min in a gt4rs certainly not a bargain, but cant imagine it costing a whole lot less either.

Beating on a 200k car, on quickly wearing $2000 tires, including facility rental isnt going to be cheap.

Sometimes fun things are just expensive and you have to decide if you can and want to splurge. Once paid 22$ for a (big) beer at a concert. Not a bargain but at that moment seemed completely worht it.

It's not coming anytime soon, but this made me extremely excited:

https://www.porschedriving.com/laguna-seca/

Sunday is the father's day cars and coffee - we'll have the last Brumos 935 there as well as my black 959...

-Wayne

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Is there some good reason both can't be a great experience? Why in the hell would you come on this thread with both *****y guns a blazin? And if you can find a track day for $50-100 bucks, you must have a time machine back to 1983 or something :rolleyes:

Looks like a great experience. Thanks for sharing. I spent an afternoon at the Barber facility in the museum. What a great place. I didn't get to drive but would love to some day.