widers911

I had the pleasure to take the GT3 driving experience at the new HQ in Atlanta Georgia. First off, the facility is state of the art. They have a track, skid pad, and slalom. Inside, they have a Porsche Classic Workshop where they work and service classic Porsche's. In the work shop was a viper green 73 RS owned by PCNA. Next to it was 993 turbo S and 356 speedster, which both looked MEH compared to the viper green RS. Next to the workshop is a museum which is currently featuring part of the Ingram Collection (all unicorn RS models from 73rs to 4.0rs + an original 911R). There was another room being setup with a stunning white 75 turbo on display. There's 2 garage levels which were filled with all 911 variants, cayman, boxster, macan, cayenne and panamera, even 1 dark blue 918 but wasn't present during my visit. A ton of 991.2 carrera's and carrera S being tested. Basically they have to drive the track throughout the day and put miles on the cars to break them in before they can be thrashed around.

Had lunch at the 356 Restaurant. Great service and great food! You need a reservation, and is well worth it as the view is overlooking the front part of the track with slalom and skidpad.

The actual GT3 driving experience was a 90 min session with a professional instructor. My instructor, Ashton, was fantastic and really let me get the most out of the GT3 experience. Basically it was a lax setup where we first started with driving the entire course to just get a feel. Then we did the slalom and wet skid pad to get used to the handling dynamics of the car. Followed up by launch control, which was insane as I've never experienced launch control in any variant. First time was actually a little lightheaded, but then you get used to the speed and it's just down right fun. I can see why one of the magazines did LC 50 times on a TTS.

The track itself was more like a tight road course. Very technical with lots of tight turns, and really only 1 straightaway at the end that you can get up to about 110ish (never really paid attention to speedo) in a GT3. Now about the car...WOW!!!. I was blown away, as that was my first time really driving it, short of a 5-10 min seat time on the streets in traffic. The shifting is just lightening fast with the pdk-s, and the handling and stability of the car as speed and turn-in was just OUT OF THIS WORLD. I had 3 hairy moments, all at the same tight right hander for the 1st corner. Each time I was going in too hot and just didn't get on the PCCB hard enough. I felt the rear end a little squirly but the car was able to hunker down and maintain stability. If I was in my 997RS, it would have been game over...rear end come around and likely wrap it in the guardrail. The grip and stability that comes along with it is just incredible. It is a track WEAPON!!

Comparing it to my 997RS, its 2 totally different feel. For me, the 997RS would be more fun on the street, given it's rawness and manual shift. 991 GT3 on the street is so easy and fast, wayyy to much potential to exploit it on the street legally and safely. Not to say you can do it in the 997, but it's limits are not as high as 991 so for me, it's much more enjoyable on street over 991 as a weekend toy. However, on track, 991 GT3 is king of the hill. It belongs there, and is crazy fun! And pdk-s is the only way to go given the limits of the car...I wouldn't miss shifting a bit in track environment.

Now on to pics...

Alan C.

Sounds like you had a great time.

16'991GT3

Awesome! I went there last summer and also did the gt3 experience, unfortunately my time was later in the day and the museum was closed while i was there, nice to see some pics of it!

sgroer

Today PCNA donated a GT3 experience to our smokies event to be auctioned off for charity. One of our members will be doing this soon!

fskof

Wow... Great pics! Thanks for posting

GT3RS-Fan1

Very, very cool! Thank you for sharing. I will be visiting the Porsche Driving Experience this May. Your posted pictures made it more interesting.

Drive safe,
GT3RS-Fan1

2K7TTMIA

great weather this time of year. I drove the Yellow GT3 and a white Turbo a couple weeks ago. Launch control was a hoot, esp. since you get to do it over and over and over.... ditto on the restaurant and the Carrera cafe. great place to lounge.

ipse dixit

Fantastic report.

Thank you for sharing.

widers911

I learned after the fact that I could have taken the GT4 or any 911 variant short of the TTS around the course as they're of equal or lesser value than the GT3 experience. If i knew i would have taken the GT4 around a few laps. The sessions don't have to be divided up equally. It can be say 1 lap in a GT4 just to get a feel for the car. Good to know for those attending in the future...

bronson7

Great pics and thank you for sharing. Hopefully I'II get a chance to go down to enjoy what sounds like a great experience some day. By the way, how do you register for this Porsche experience? Question about museum cars in general. What do/should most people do when leaving these cars parked for a period of time and not driving them? Do they actually, every now and then take them out to drive, move them around, change fluids? Parking these cars as museum pieces can't really be good for them, can it?

seapar

To register just go to Porsche web site and look under driving experiences. Select PEC. You can call for information not on their drop down menu. I spoke to a instructor who could help me book a gt3/gt4 45 min each session. 90 min total. Alternatively I could arrange a 90 min gt4 experience which I did for end of April.
Got a gift certificate from my SA worth 500 and includes lunch at 356. You can then arrange what date and time works for both you and them
Had a choice of 18 ways with steel brakes or LWB and ceramics. Went with the LWB as that is what I am getting in Seattle in June. Already have >10 track days in the gt3 so chose the GT4 only experience. Paid about 200 additional.
Signed wife up for Boxster S session same time 11am to guarantee a manual tranny for her. 1 pm lunch at 356 afterwards.

Los Angeles PEC probably will be open late this year.

mcipseric

Love it. Porsche went heavy on the velvet ropes...... geshh.....

widers911

you can go online or call 1-888-204-7474 to setup a reservation.

The actual museum displays are for a set period of time. Although i dont know how long, I'd imagine a couple months or so. Then they switch it out to something else. Before the current RS lineup, they had other models from the Ingram collection.

Jon70

Thanks. Very informative. I think you should post more often.

911Jetta

Fantastic recap with great pictures. Thanks!