Driver training

[Glen Cooley]

Hello, long time lurker first time poster.

 

I have recently bought a cayman gen 1, basic spec and good history.

 

Ive always had performance cars like E36 and E46 M3s and loads of fast hot hatches  with the odd 330ci thrown in.

 

what I am looking for is advice on handeling training. I had a boxster for 6 months many years ago and after that the E36 M3 which ended pretty badly (wallet wise). I’ve seen Porsche do car control training and I’d be interested in that if other members have done it? 

[Mavrik]

 

 

Not sure what you mean by "Handling Training" tbh but book yourself on a track day & you can have an experienced instructor in the passenger seat giving guidance...

[Glen Cooley]

Thank you.

 

ive done a few track days in other cars and had tuition etc. I’m just very conscious than I’m ok with FWD stuff (comfortable and can push a bit) but my bad experience with RWD has made me a bit timid. I broke my collar bone in my M3 incident because I lifted of harshly. I want to start addressing those characteristics of my driving. So less track day more car control in everyday situations (including accelerating too hard from the Tesco roundabout at 9pm when you only went for milk)

Edited January 25, 2019 by Glen Cooley

[Tom]

Hi Glen, 

 

There was a plan to arrange a club group driver training with CAT Driver Training, have a search in the 'events' section and you'll probably find it.  If not, the website for the company is here: https://catdrivertraining.co.uk

 

The guys from CAT came along to one of the Cayman OC meets that was hosted by RPM Technik last year, they did a driving dynamics presentation and talked a bit about it in the context of a Cayman which was very good.  

 

 

[Glen Cooley]

Thank you Tom, that is exactly what I was looking for! 👍

[Tom]

9 minutes ago, Glen Cooley said:

Thank you Tom, that is exactly what I was looking for! 👍

 

If you speak to them, tell them we sent you! 

[Glen Cooley]

Of course! As I said long time lurker first time poster! 

 

The COC will be mentioned!

 

thank you again, exactly the sort of tuition I was hoping for!

[Windymiller]

The Porsche Experience Centre (PEC) at Silverstone also do a number of course from half day ‘intro’ to a week long ‘master’. 

 

Welcome, and enjoy your car 🏎👍🏻

[Porsched eggs]

Carlimits provide an excellent 1st stage of driver training, I'd recommend them first before moving on too CATS.

 

They do a circuit and an airfield option but the latter will allow you to safely go past the limit and get a feel for what to do when you do.

[Beanoir™]

1 hour ago, Porsched eggs said:

Carlimits provide an excellent 1st stage of driver training, I'd recommend them first before moving on too CATS.

 

They do a circuit and an airfield option but the latter will allow you to safely go past the limit and get a feel for what to do when you do.

 

Also a fan of Carlimits, very fun day out! 

[briggy]

I've done both Carlimits and PEC. Carlimits is aimed at how to control a car when you go beyond the limits of grip, including how exploit it (balanced throttle, trail braking etc). You start by blasting down a straight section, followed by a sharp turn. Your repeat this, increasing your speed by 5 mph each time until you lose it. By the end of the day, I was taking the corner at 25mph faster than when I lost it at the start of the day, still in control.

 

PEC is about showing just how good your Porsche is and how to enjoy it. The skid pan certainly helps you learn how to control it.

 

Both brilliant, but not cheap.

 

The instructor I had at PEC also works for Carlimits.

 

Cheers,

Bryan

[Craiglm68]

Agree with all the above. Re the PEC (half day course is a hoot and great to do in your own car), one of the instructors, Rob Colborn runs his own driver training company (https://www.robertcolbourn.co.uk/). He does mainly "on the road" work in your car,  as part of the day I've also done sessions at Millbrook proving ground and the PEC itself. He knows the Porsche brand well obviously, but has a great manner, and is all about driver instruction in real world scenarios etc. Worth a chat, he might fit the bill.

[PMGPete]

I would suggest a day at Palmersport.  You really do push the cars and the variety of what you drive and how hard the instructors push you is like no other track experience I have attended.

 

Fantastic set up and although it's expensive when you do it you actually wonder how that can do it for the price they do.  It is phenomenal!

[Glen Cooley]

Peeps you have been all so amazing and helpful! 

 

As a first post goes just having such nice replies makes me feel like not only did I make the right choice in car but actually found the sort of crowd I’d like to hang around with.

 

As an update I’m gonna follow up with all of the suggestions (palmersport and silverstone closest to me, if Palmer still does them at Bedford Autodrome.)

 

So the plan is to probably pick one for learning and another for fun, I don’t think I can stretch to more than 2! 

 

I had my first decent driving day to day, only did the fens back from Newmarket to Huntingdon but felt a little more comfortable in the car. Going from a focus St to an older a rawer car was the biggest issue. It’s easy to lean on the FWD car and drive it at pace if I’m honestly, rather easily.

 

With the cayman, when on cold tyres (n-1 potenzas) it is easily triggering the traction control off the drive....once warmed up it’s like chalk and cheese. I’m just want to make sure I learn what the limit (mine, it’s and how the weather affects them) before I figure it out on my own. Especially with the current UK weather.....

[Bushman]

Palmersport are defo still running at Thurleigh, Bedford, the former Royal Aircraft Establishment site but I believe they are very strict on noise limits. Strange really, they are only about 5 miles as the crow flies from Santa Pod and the noisiest motorsport in the world. To be fair I suppose, the insane noise from a Keith Black 10,000 HP top fueler only lasts for a few seconds at a time.

[Aaron]

One thing that a lot of people forget is that modern cars do a lot of the driving for you; especially correcting one's mistakes without even being aware you've made them.

 

Personally, I found daily driving a car with little to no driver aids as the best way of teaching me how to handle a car properly.  Of course, tuition and training go a long way (I would start out here) but long term, I would look to attempt regular driving without or minimising driver aids.  It's great having someone besides you and pointing you in the right direction, but it's when nobody is sitting next to you are you truly tested.

 

I will also comment that PSM is very, very good and getting the rear to slip out with it on is difficult.  You should be fine to drive enthusiastically with less care than an E36 M3.

 

On 28/01/2019 at 18:09, Glen Cooley said:

 Going from a focus St to an older a rawer car was the biggest issue. It’s easy to lean on the FWD car and drive it at pace if I’m honestly, rather easily.

 

That's a great thing to note to yourself.  Don't mistake how valuable it is understanding that.  I have seen many-a-people purchase a 250+ HP RWD car from ~200 HP FWD and crash it within a few weeks.  It takes substantially more skill and attention but they were clearly too adjusted to stamping on the throttle pedal and pointing the wheel to realise, unfortunately.