997 Register to take-on VBH at Silverstone...

[robert997]

This is now 50% sold-out, so I'm placing this in the main 997 register. It's been hiding in the members-only section, but we wanted to broaden this out to those who may not yet have access to that area of the forum.

You still have to be a CLUB member to go for a place on this fantastic event.

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Yes, the 997 register is doing YouDrive@Porsche on Saturday 13th February 2010, hosted by Vicki Butler-Henderson and Gordon Robertson.

http://www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/experience-overview/experience-youdrive/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml5nr4djNeQ

I have taken a flyer and booked the whole event. I have 48 places available, half of which are for 997 members, the other half for any other club members. If we don't fill the day it will be opened-up to the public, but we have a period of exclusivity to get booked and paid

You must email me 997@porscheclubgb.com to reserve a place, I'll then forward our itinerary and booking hotline etc.

Price will be £165 plus a charge for the optional lunch - £TBA

More details and FAQ to follow as soon as I get them, so please don't ask anything difficult yet ! Outstanding questions include guests driving and non-driving, itinerary, and local hotels.

Please don't contact Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone directly.

Many thanks

Rob

 

[circleace]

Down already, but who else is going??

 

[garyw]

me []

 

[Alex L]

I'm down but I am unsure how it's going to work with partners.

Normally on these demo days at Silverstone your partner gets their own car to play on the rides with. However, for this event I assume it's just your own car and an instructor sitting with you? ie. partners either have to swap with you half way through or they have to just stay in the OPC building.

My Mrs wants to befriend VBH so I think she won't mind staying in the OPC anyway for some chats []

 

[okellyt]

ORIGINAL: Alex L

My Mrs wants to befriend VBH so I think she won't mind staying in the OPC anyway for some chats []

Me too

Alex, surely thats the wrong way around[8|]

 

[paulmichele]

I'm booked for the afternoon.

Plaudits to Rob: I have to say it was pretty painless compared to what I've heard from others about booking this sort of day. Looks like either you've got them sorted (eg by telling them all our addresses and car details) or they've worked out a much better system of call handling ).

I certainly suspect the former!

Cheers.

PS Anyone know why Porsche use a revenue earning 0844 number? This always winds me up.

 

[Alex L]

I'm booked in for the morning; as I am only 1.5hr drive away plus that means I can hang around after lunch a little and chat to people arriving for the afternoon session.

I was told that the 'guest' is a passenger in your car for most of the 'rides' and that an instructor communicates with you over the radio from another car following. Then at some point you swap and go in a demo 911 this time WITH the instructor.

I am taking my Mrs as my guest but she won't be coming around any of the track sections with me as she will be 6 months pregnant by then. So if anyone (also booked in on the day) wants a ride in my car as a passenger then they are more than welcome to join me for some sections. Either that or I'll grab VBH! []

 

[sailor]

PS Anyone know why Porsche use a revenue earning 0844 number? This always winds me up.

Because they need the money!

JohnC
993turbo

 

[spyderman]

My guest and I are now booked for the afternoon too.

ORIGINAL: Alex L
I was told that the 'guest' is a passenger in your car for most of the 'rides' and that an instructor communicates with you over the radio from another car following. Then at some point you swap and go in a demo 911 this time WITH the instructor.

All correct. I believe your guest can go in the back of the 997 on the Handling Circuit but I'm not certain.

 

[Dsmiler]

I'm booked for the morning.

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: spyderman

My guest and I are now booked for the afternoon too.

ORIGINAL: Alex L
I was told that the 'guest' is a passenger in your car for most of the 'rides' and that an instructor communicates with you over the radio from another car following. Then at some point you swap and go in a demo 911 this time WITH the instructor.

All correct. I believe your guest can go in the back of the 997 on the Handling Circuit but I'm not certain.

Perhaps I should take my RS6 then there would be lots of room for passengers?! A 911 is a bit of a squeeze in the back for an adult and certainly not a comfortable experience when doing a handling circuit!

Thinking more about the day, I think I want to spend pretty much all of it on the marbled (white bits) sections practising powerslide drifts with the instructor that took myself and my brother round there in the Panamera Turbo the other day. He was simply amazing at perfect powersliding from one corner to the other in the S bends. I'd love to be able to do that!

 

[spyderman]

ORIGINAL: Alex L
Thinking more about the day, I think I want to spend pretty much all of it on the marbled (white bits) sections practising powerslide drifts with the instructor that took myself and my brother round there in the Panamera Turbo the other day. He was simply amazing at perfect powersliding from one corner to the other in the S bends. I'd love to be able to do that!

Unless they make an exception for PCGB, the Low Friction Circuit is not used on the YouDrive@Porsche course. Which is a shame as I think that might be fun!

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: spyderman

ORIGINAL: Alex L
Thinking more about the day, I think I want to spend pretty much all of it on the marbled (white bits) sections practising powerslide drifts with the instructor that took myself and my brother round there in the Panamera Turbo the other day. He was simply amazing at perfect powersliding from one corner to the other in the S bends. I'd love to be able to do that!

Unless they make an exception for PCGB, the Low Friction Circuit is not used on the YouDrive@Porsche course. Which is a shame as I think that might be fun!

One for Rob to push through then! []

 

[robert997]

Well I had an interesting session at the Experience centre yesterday. I went through our FAQ with the team there. Unfortunately for us, more than one went-off on the low-friction circuit, which is exactly why it's out of bounds for the YouDrive event. I admit people yesterday were not enthusiasts or club members, but if people can crash with an instructor alongside they'll be worse on their own.[&:][&:]

Everyone who's registered an interest will have received my overview email, we're running two sessions a morning and an afternoon, overlapping for lunch which is 3 courses and £18.50 per head. Porsche have kindly dropped the guest fee of £30 for your first guest, I can't see people bringing families as they will be bored.

As Alex says above, you'll be in a convoy of your own cars, max 6 in a row, with a lead car/instructor and radio. 24 in the morning split into 4*6 groups. Passengers are welcome here, but if they want to do the driving this can be accommodated in one of the parallel groups, but this will be charged as another place is taken-up. You can share the same car though as the partner will be in the new 911 or whatever for that session, I'm sure you know what I'm failing to explain !

Please do email me if you're interested we only have a few places remaining.

 

[paulmichele]

Got my confirmation from the Centre this morning. According to this letter:

Guests can be in the car for the drives in your own car (kick plate and ice hill) and can attend the theory session. BUT they can only watch the circuit drive [].

One other sting in the tail (for me at least), it also says on the insurance disclaimer that you have insured your own car for a "track day". This doesn't see quite right to me - ok I understand that taking my own car it is at my own risk but saying that I have to have track insurance means that I'll be paying out £200-300 for 45mins driving at, I guess, no more than 15mph.

More fool me for not thinking about track days when I took out the insurance policy (with Aviva via Performance Insurance) [] But seriously, any advice or thoughts very gratefully received.

Still really looking forward to the day [][]

 

[spyderman]

ORIGINAL: robert997
Unfortunately for us, more than one went-off on the low-friction circuit, which is exactly why it's out of bounds for the YouDrive event.

Hope they didn't hit anything!

Passengers are welcome here, but if they want to do the driving this can be accommodated in one of the parallel groups, but this will be charged as another place is taken-up. You can share the same car though as the partner will be in the new 911 or whatever for that session, I'm sure you know what I'm failing to explain !

Do I have to move my clothes to the lower peg (sorry - Monty Python quote).

ORIGINAL: paulmichele
...it also says on the insurance disclaimer that you have insured your own car for a "track day". This doesn't see quite right to me ... have to have track insurance means that I'll be paying out £200-300 for 45mins driving...

Another instance where having the Porsche club insurance is a benefit! It might not be the cheapest premium, but if you're going to do any track days in the year, it soon works out cheaper since they're are included (providing they are organised through the club).

 

[Alex L]

You don't have to have track insurance, I asked when I booked. You can just go commando on insurance.ie none and just be careful. That's what I am going to do.

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

I did the first YouDrive course, and to be honest, track day insurance would be a waste of time. You are only in your own car for the Ice Hill and Kick-Plate sessions, and the chances of anything happening are virtually zero. These two sessions are well supervised, and if you came to any grief you would have to be doing something completely stupid.

It's disappointing about the Low-Friction Circuit though, as I was hoping they would make a concesssion on that. Typical Porsche inflexibility.

 

[paulmichele]

Thanks Richard (and Alex), you confirm my thinking about taking the zero option. Just seems a bit mad to have to pay for a supervised, private course and then potentially have to pay out again.

I suppose it is the nature of the insured world we live in but here's a point where going on a course should mean a lower risk long term to an insurance company, whereas a "proper" track day is clearly a greater risk, certainly in the short term.

And yes, Spyderman, next time I'll be wise before the event []

 

[okellyt]

Signed up today with those nice people at Porsche Experience.

Have to say Robert it was a painless experience, one of the easiest things to book of recent times - we'll done on the organizing front.

We're on the morning session so will probably lurk around for lunch, if any one else is about and wants to catch up.