A treat from Porsche, a chance to see the new GT3, and enjoy the facilities of their astonishing centre at Silverstone!
Following in the wake of the Grand Prix is an odd feeling, a little like attending a party the day after when bottles are being fished out from behind the TV. When the sun is shining though, and you can catch glimpses of the track where Vettel was so mighty last Sunday, you know it's a good day!
We're not in Kansas anymore...
The Porsche Experience Silverstone is a great facility, but even pulling up it was clear this wasn't going to be a normal driving day. There were around 40 drivers present, in a range of machinery from the sublime (TVR Griffin, Caterham, Porsches) to the ordinary (Err, my Focus...)
Once inside I was registered, given a personalised pass on a Porsche lanyard, and with a coffee in hand I wandered round the amazing cars on display. The LMP2 RS Spyder, the Carerra GT, and a number of 911s made in tiny numbers in the 70s and 80s with a cryptic series of letters in the name which means they're worth more than my house.
Once the day got underway, we were split into groups to rotate through the different parts of the day. My group started off with a chat with Chris and Jethro, then a tour of the cars on display. Chris's encyclopedic knowledge of all thing Porsche - as well as his obvious passion for the brand - was hugely impressive and infectious, and it was a great tour through the history of the brand.
This is worth so much I just put a line through 'value' on the insurance form...
This is great for big, long, smokey skids…
From there it was onto a techincal briefing on the new GT3 from someone, who’s name I’ve sadly forgotten, from Porsche Motorsport who are responsible for the GT3 and GT2 cars. It’s telling that the GT cars are not halo models created by the same folk who come up with the Cayenne, but cars born of motorsport innovation. Bespoke parts and innovations too. The engineering that goes into the cars is amazing, especially to the level it’s evolved and pushed to it’s limits. I’m sure a tech briefing isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, which is fortunate as the next treat was an hour playing in the products of Stuttgart!
Being lead out in a group, I was wondering if I’d be stuffed into the rear ’seats’ of a 911, but instead was offered a Cayman S. My own car, but slightly gutted to not be behind the wheel of a 911…
The various areas of the circuit are amazing. First up was the kick plate. A section of plastic heavy tarmac being constantly sprayed with water offers next to zero grip, and as you approach you run over a metal plate which throws the car sideways either left or right, and you have to try and catch it. The first attempt was a complete disaster as I was across the strip before I even knew what had happened. Second time, and with a bit of coaching, I was able to catch the slide with the Cayman feeling incredibly responsive and connected to what I was trying to achieve.
Moving on to the ice hill, another strip of plastic heavy tarmac, but this time on a 7% slope. With water constantly flowing over the surface it’s roughly the same as driving on snow. Once you’re on the strip, a series of jets shoot up from the surface to give you objects to avoid. With stability control engaged, even giving it beans, the car is incredibly composed. Taking it a bit faster, and without the stability control, I was doing my best Walter Rohl impression but went straight through the jets I was avoiding with ease before…
Back to the centre, and I realised by initial disappointment was unfounded as I left the Cayman S and was ushered towards a Midnight Blue Carerra S with an interior trimmed in what I’d describe as Goldern Beige leather. My instructor lead me upto the low friction circuit. This is a tight little loop with a couple of circles of low grip tarmac (limestone heavy, apparently) which feels not dissimilar to a road after a shower which lifts all the diesel and crud to the surface). The stability management is absolutley mighty here, giving an invisible guiding hand letting some slide form and not just killing the power, but stopping it escalating too far. After a couple of runs, the instructor knocked off the stability control, and taught me a little on how to build up slides and kill understeer. Suffice to say, my FWD brain never quite got the hang of it, but it knew to floor the gas when it swapped ends completely...
Look Mum, I'm in a 911!
My instructor was completely unflappable and encouraging. There was no 'go easy', just a guiding hand, and encouragement when I was being easy on the throttle. Though this is my normal approach when I'm in someone else's £70k monster, I was allowed to really get some speed up which is not difficult with 385bhp on tap, then haul on the brakes, and lean on the tyres through the corners. I'd love to say that I made the car dance on the limits of adhesion and all that guff, but I'd be lying. I'm sure I never even got near the limits of the car.
Moving onto the handling track, a tight technical circuit, I could really start to experience the 911. With 385bhp it's quick. No doubt. It's the balance though, the way you can lean on the front tyres, then bring the rear into play on the exit. It was also so composed on a circuit designed to test cars with changing cambers, tightening corners and so on. Even a novice like me could just jump in and feel the car under me and enjoy it. The rush along the back straight (as much as it was) was immense and unyielding. Even though I only hit somewhere up around 80mph (I couldn't actually bring myself to look down, concentrating too much!), it was a real visceral surge. I can only imagine what a Turbo must be like...
From there it was onto a chat with Andreas Preuninger, the man with the coolest business card in the world (it simply says: Manager High Performance Cars). Basically he is responsible for the GT3 as is. A great chap who's driven both Porsches old and new, as well as other high performance machinery (The Ferrari Scuderia came in for a bit of... 'discussion')
This is a lovely man, with a great, great job.
A quick tour of the human performance centre - used by both Porsche and non-Porsche drivers - and a somewhat worrying for me, a body composition test makes you realise just how seriously driver fitness and correct conditioning matter.
A rather lovely three course meal overlooking the centre's test areas and a chat with Chris Harris during dinner rounded out a great afternoon. There's no doubt in my mind both how great the Porsche facility (and the staff running it!) is, and the capabilities of the cars. The GT3 is a stunning piece of engineering, and if I could only have one car in my life, it would be that. It was also great to meet a group of great people from all sorts of walks of life who just love cars and stoked to be in this great event. It was also great to be able to speak to Chris and Jethro about the cars and get their views first hand.
The downside for those of us unlikely to ever have our names sharing a V5 with the word 'Porsche' is those dark moments wondering just how much cocaine you'd have to shift to afford one, or how many punters you'd have to service...
Right, where can I get £90k from?
Not wanting the day to end, I just had to hang around a little longer and admire the gorgeous cars in the evening sun. Hearing the green shitter fire up and pull away was glorious. It was just so... mechanical.
I want it. Quite badly. After a GT3 of course.
All in all amazing. And I now need to sell my soul to the devil to get my paws on one. Any one of the Porsche range in fact.
Being a Porsche event pudding was served first, then the main, then the starter. It shouldn't work, but it kind of does. For an extra £75 you could have the plate wrapped in hand stitched leather...