I've never tracked a car and while I need to at least try it, my impression is that tracking doesn't jive with what my passion for cars is about. For me it's about the beauty of the car, the way the engine sounds through the rev range, the thrill of the pull of bursts of acceleration, the engagement that comes with a good manual, the sensations and connection that come with taking a curve in a spirited manner.

It seems to me that when you track a car, you are engaging in the sport of driving rather than the pleasure of driving. When you are going full out and pushing a car to its limits you are so focused on the driving that you can't appreciate some of the finer points of what brings some of us enjoyment in a car. You aren't really taking in the sensations that make your car special, you are simply in the moment pushing yourself.

So I suspect that for me, tracking won't be my thing. I want to take in the moments with the car and appreciate its finer points. I don't think that's possible when you are tracking at the limits.

But I realize I am talking out of my "****" since I haven't yet tracked, I will report back when I do.

 

Not sure what you are driving but I recommend getting a much-lower-powered car that enables you to get closer to its limits without ending up in jail, the hospital, or worse.

Most modern Porsches are way over powered for the street, IMO.

Get a base Cayman or any air-cooled Porsche. You'll have much more fun on regular street driving.

 

Track driving made street driving MUCH better for me. I get my “thrills” on the track, and get it out of my system. It has made me more patient and much more aware on the street.
I have no interest in “pushing” any car on the street.

Sure, if I’m in some fun corners, and it’s safe (no people, no traffic) I may amp it up a bit to enjoy the car in that way, but when there’s traffic or risk of pedestrians I’m generally very conservative. And even when you think it’s “safe” there can be surprises (deer/animals, changes in surface/grip, etc).

I have no desire to attract LEO and driving any sporty car increases attention in general which (to me) is not desirable. Add driving it in a “sporty” fashion (pushing it) and the risks go higher than the reward (for me).

 

Scenic road trips. Especially in a convertible, it's quite enjoyable to get out of town and put some country road miles on the car, drop the top, enjoy a nice drive... find some destinations out in the country, make some stops, spend a night somewhere, find some nice scenic roads to get out to your destination. I find the spyder is actually a great road trip car.

I also enjoy mapping out fun routes in my area 2-3 hour long routes... and explore the back roads in the countryside. Early morning driving is the best for that...

There's no comparing tracking your car to driving on the street though - if your expectations are set differently you can enjoy both.

 

Once you go Track, you never go back!

My feelings are the complete opposite, though yours are only hypothetical bc you never got a taste of the track under your belt. Tracking brings out ALL of the joy the car has to offer, and thats what makes it so special. Everything you said in BOLD above is amplified on track, and if this is what you’re after when it comes to the enjoyment you desire… well get your a$$ signed up for an Intro to HPDE day with your local PCA ($150) - Im not going to go over the details of this, but I’ll tell you that you will never feel more comfortable behind the wheel than when you’re pushing the limits of the car, or just to the comfort of your limits. You’re not forced to go out there like a mad man… ppl go at their own pace, but you have to point ppl by to keep the track running smoothly (simple).

I’ll still go out for some back road driving either on my own, or with a few friends I trust, but I haven’t done one of these since my first ever track day, and I dont feel like Im missing out on anything. Heck, I see IG posts of events local to me, and all I do is shake my head at the wild driving these ppl are doing on public roads.. some of them I know, and they have ZERO driving skills, just like the other 98% of the whack jobs with them.

So to wrap it up…. Track driving ruined street driving for me, but in better words, it made me a smarter and wiser OLD MAN @ 42 years young. Getting nabbed by LEO doing something stupid, and possibly losing my license, which would take away the track for me, yeah thats a hard no.

Don’t knock it till you try it… just pay the $150, do the day, or at least one session if thats all you care for. I’m willing to bet the next thing you’d do after one event would be asking questions about “which pads should I upgrade to, which brake fluid is best, and what tires do I need” - bc you will be HOOKED!

This is my car after being at track this past weekend. Any blemish you can find on my car came from driving like an idiot with others on public roads.

 

I have tracked cars a bit, and done a lot of mountain driving. They are different experiences, and I can't say one is better than the other. If you are a skier, it's like skiing on a race course vs skiing in the back country.

The track allows you to take yourself and your car to the limits in a controlled environment. There is no way you can come close to driving a car on public roads, no matter how remote, as you would on track. In terms of experiencing forces, the track has no equal. However, on track, you basically go around and around. For me, after about 8-10 laps, this gets tedious. The thrill doesn't really keep up. For those first laps, it is really great, then not so much. Also, it does make your head spin a bit if you are really pushing it. You can only do so much before needing to take a break. Much respect for professional racers!

The back roads are a different type of challenge and thrill. I have driven for 200 miles on ever-changing twisting, turning, rising, diving roads. This never gets boring. Also, the fact that you are "out in the wild" and the added element of risk is a bit of thrill on its own. Again, like skiing in the back country, or riding a racing bike on a loop vs out in the countryside. Or running in a stadium or through the woods. The scenery and changing environment also add to the experience. And while you can't consistently drive with track speed, you can certainly still get enough of an experience bonding with your precision machine that it quite enjoyable.

Mundane activities of daily living is a different matter entirely. My daily driver is an Audi RS5. Comfortable, practical, but for daily use, I can still hammer it at a light, or an on ramp, and get a real thrill. With regard to the 718 cars, a lot depends on what types of public driving roads you have access to.

 

That is what is most enjoyable to me in my current Boxster as well as my old one. My 911 coupe could not deliver that kind of pleasure. My wife and I used to do longer drives in my 981 to Maine, VT etc. We drove it to Bar Harbor with stops along the way in coastal towns in Maine and it was a lot of fun. But need to live in an area where these kinds of drives are easily accessible.

 

Simple answer - No

 

I'm a big AutoX enthusiast and while i have done some track days, Auto X is where my heart lies. For me driving on the street and driving on the track are just two completely separate things. There are things i enjoy about both and when i feel the need to go really fast and feel some G's then i sign up for a track day. im a very big believer of keeping driving like that to the track and so i never do more than just cruise when i drive my local mountain road.

In short, no track driving didnt ruin street driving for me. I get different things out of each of them.

 

You also don’t have to chase every second on the track. I went recently with a fellow who was quite fast, and he ran his new 911 in the green (noob) group because it was more relaxed. He had no recording gear, wasn’t concerned with his time, just concerned about enjoying his new 911 at speed in a safe environment.

 

I've kind of gone full circle.

From the day I got my license, I was driving the canyon roads in and around LA. They're pretty epic. Back in the early 2000's, I did my first day and I was hooked. That progressively led to better more track worthy cars including my first 997.2 GT3. The whole ethos of that car was that it was great on the street AND could take you to the track and survive being driven hard without worry. Of the 10 years the followed, I was doing maybe 15 track days a year culminating in my 991.1RS that I tracked a ton and also did lots of road trips and and great roads in and around NorCal. As I got older hobbies changed, i started cycling more and tracking took a back seat to maybe 1-2 per year. That's where I am still, with more focus on road driving vs. track.

I'm perfectly happy enjoying a good drivers car on road and track. I know what my cars are capable of and try to keep my skills sharp by tracking every now and then. My limits now are MUCH lower as I believe that like any skill, driving has to be practiced to be done well at the limit. Honestly, I just love driving great cars just about anywhere. It doesn't have to be track to be great.

 

If track driving ruined street driving for you, you were using the street to drive entirely too hard. Outside of mountain/canyon type roads, you can’t begin to safely experience what a sports car is capable of. We’ve all likely done something illegal on the street at some point in time with a mindset of “let’s see what the car can do”. Regularly going to the track greatly reduces the desire/frequency to have that mindset.

And for those that are hesitant to go to the track out of fear of an accident or thinking it’s too intense to enjoy or too hard on the car, virtually every beginner group, and especially most PCA events I’ve attended, aren’t at all hard core enough for that to be a concern - so give it a try!

 

I have a manual GT4. Yes it's a GT car but I also think it's a great mountain car. I've found that the best mountain roads for me have very tight turns or switchbacks. These allow me to push the car but without hitting insane speeds. Luckily we have these types of roads about an hour away from the house. I've done a bit of track driving as well but not very much due to cost. I invested in a good simulator to try to scratch that itch without the super high cost of consumables and while also being easier to fit into my busy schedule.
I also take the car out early sometimes and just try to enjoy the feel and sound of the car without really pushing and have found that to be therapeutic as well during a stressful week. This car has a much higher limit than my past Miatas and BRZ but I still find it very enjoyable to drive on public roads.

 

this sounds like more my speed when it comes to track driving, just enjoying the car and exploring it in a safe environment. This way you can appreciate the way the car accelerates, sounds, takes the curves and the way the manual shifts as opposed driving at full tilt where you simply can't even think about that stuff as you are so focused on your driving technique.

 

definitely going to try a track day despite the possibility of addiction!