Elsewhere you can read of the turbo driving experience but I thought you may be interested about my Precision driving day.
After an overnight stay in a Best Western hotel just one junction up the M1( as Flitwick was full ) I duly arrived only to learn that my proposed instructor Jeremy Palmer was elsewhere but my substitute was Richard Attwood - Porsches first Le Mans winner!!
What a charming gentleman! Although I had met Dickie before at Highclere this was my first extended conversation which ranged from his racing arrangements/ demonstrations to selling his ex Steve Mcqueen 917 to fund his pension!
After an assessment of my road driving style (pass!!) we arrived at Millbrook where one could see tanks , buses , electric cars, Saabs ,Astons etc all circulating. My fellow Porsche guests were courtesy of Porsche cars as prospective / recent purchasers and as such had a choice of vehicles(Caymans ,997C2S plus one GT3) whilst I was in my own C2S which had required a change of insurance toMarsh Private Clients to cover the Driving Day - XS increase from £350 to 850.
Dickie showed me around the facility and we majored on the Alpine circuit, the mile straight , the banked bowl and the ABS section.
The Alpine I had just about figured out by the end but what a combination of blind bends and crests with dramatic changes in camber!
The Mile straight allows full use of the red line to 7200 with a terminal velocity of around 146 but I think this was just before the 3/4 mile post - such is the banking at the end of the run fully concentrating ones mind! This section is also used for ABS awareness training - 70mph to zero in approx 2sec! For some reason I did not do the Elk test!
The banked oval has 5 lanes which allow handsfree driving at 25,50,60,75 & 100mph. The higher up the banking the easier it is to maintain a straight line due to the pressures on the car whilst it becomes more difficult at say 50mph. It is at these lower speeds that one can see how gentle modulation of the throttle will either move the car up the gradient or down. At 50 there was a definite drifting from one lane boundary to the other!! The moment when the steering wheel is released at 100mph is certainly memorable!I progressed to 120 whilst a friend later told me his Caymnan had reached >130. That Dickie had circulated at between 170 & 185 in times past.....
Final touch - allowed to drive the orange GT3RS on the public road!! Awesome in all departments but particularly the noise...!!! All in all this day comes highly recommended.
Andy
After an overnight stay in a Best Western hotel just one junction up the M1( as Flitwick was full ) I duly arrived only to learn that my proposed instructor Jeremy Palmer was elsewhere but my substitute was Richard Attwood - Porsches first Le Mans winner!!
What a charming gentleman! Although I had met Dickie before at Highclere this was my first extended conversation which ranged from his racing arrangements/ demonstrations to selling his ex Steve Mcqueen 917 to fund his pension!
After an assessment of my road driving style (pass!!) we arrived at Millbrook where one could see tanks , buses , electric cars, Saabs ,Astons etc all circulating. My fellow Porsche guests were courtesy of Porsche cars as prospective / recent purchasers and as such had a choice of vehicles(Caymans ,997C2S plus one GT3) whilst I was in my own C2S which had required a change of insurance toMarsh Private Clients to cover the Driving Day - XS increase from £350 to 850.
Dickie showed me around the facility and we majored on the Alpine circuit, the mile straight , the banked bowl and the ABS section.
The Alpine I had just about figured out by the end but what a combination of blind bends and crests with dramatic changes in camber!
The Mile straight allows full use of the red line to 7200 with a terminal velocity of around 146 but I think this was just before the 3/4 mile post - such is the banking at the end of the run fully concentrating ones mind! This section is also used for ABS awareness training - 70mph to zero in approx 2sec! For some reason I did not do the Elk test!
The banked oval has 5 lanes which allow handsfree driving at 25,50,60,75 & 100mph. The higher up the banking the easier it is to maintain a straight line due to the pressures on the car whilst it becomes more difficult at say 50mph. It is at these lower speeds that one can see how gentle modulation of the throttle will either move the car up the gradient or down. At 50 there was a definite drifting from one lane boundary to the other!! The moment when the steering wheel is released at 100mph is certainly memorable!I progressed to 120 whilst a friend later told me his Caymnan had reached >130. That Dickie had circulated at between 170 & 185 in times past.....
Final touch - allowed to drive the orange GT3RS on the public road!! Awesome in all departments but particularly the noise...!!! All in all this day comes highly recommended.
Andy
