Driver Training

[Guest]

Having read a few of the recent posts regarding upgrading various car parts, I've decided to upgrade my Boxster's largest weakness - my driving [] !!!

In previous motors I thought my skills were OK - the cars limits were reached before my own. However, with the Boxster simply being in a different league I think the reverse is now true. I would like to try a course which gives me more confidence to explore and understand the limits of the car further, and can remember reading an article in the PP about a chap called Don Palmer.

Unfortunatley I can't find the article again, but I can see from his website link that the courses are ran quite locally in Bruntingthorpe (M1 J20). It does seem a bit pricey at £395 for essentially a day in my own car - has anyone been on the course and recommends the "Don", or are there other places which would be worth looking into ?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts

 

[nfearn]

Darren, hi

I feel I can speak with some experience in this area since I've done a significant amount of driver training over the last few years with the IAM, RoADA and the High Performance Course/Club.

Could you post again with some more detail of where you feel you could benefit from training? If you prefer feel free to e-mail me directly at nfearn@saratoga.co.uk. I will be out of touch with regard to e-mail for a few days from tomorrow, so don't be concerned if I take a week or so to reply.

Some general questions:

- do you feel the car is "getting away from you" on the road?
- are you driving beyond your personal comfort zone?
- do you feel you ought to be able to make more progress on the road?

 

[THX911]

Hi Darren,
You should also read this tread:
http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/m.asp?m=111631&mpage=1&key=

...there were several training companies mentioned.

 

[jac in a box]

I was "made" to do a performance driving course last year by my husband and son!

To be perfectly honest I dreaded the thought, and tried to use any excuse I could to avoid it. Thought it would be very formal and be a day of drudge finishing with some sort of test.

In reality, it was the best day I've ever spent in my car. It was sheer and absolute fun, the emphasis is on the fun....who'd have thought learning could be so grin inducing!
All the training is carried out on public roads so it has a real everyday application, I learnt more than I thought was possible in a day - about myself, my attitude to other road users, my car, safety, perception and anticipation etc.
At the end of the course I came away feeling so much more confident - but knowing I still had work at what I'd been taught, I still practise all of the skills he taught me and it really adds another dimension to my driving pleasure.

The instructor is an ex Met Police instructor; wonderfully funny, confidence inspiring and a larger than life character (he's huge!)

Known as Big Jon his details are here:

http://www.drivetrain.uk.com/

Cost around £230 (with a club discount) Based in Oxfordshire and he'll arrange accomodation if needed - I travelled from NE Scotland to attend his course.

I still hear his shouts of "gas, gas, gas"...superb!

Jackie x