I was at the Porsche Driving Experience today at Summit Point Raceway sponsored by Bethesda Porsche and this was a track experience free of charge for customers, driving a Taycan, Panamera 4S, Macan S and 992 Carreras (both RWD and AWD). Since this is the 992 forum and someone will complain if I comment on the other three vehicles I will keep my remarks strictly to the 992 portion of the event.

A little background first. I bought my 992S (my 6th 911) in December and had not yet properly exercised it, so I was really looking forward to getting to the last event of the day for our group, the 911's. My background in cars are many, many autocrosses with usually top three finishes and an HPDE Instructor starting in 1996. I've been around cars a bit and drive them hard in track environments.

The four 992's used for the day were all PDK, and even though my personal vehicle is a three-pedal manual, there is no way - NO WAY - a stick can keep up with Porsche's wonderful PDK on track, not even close. The transmission is uncanny is selecting just the right gear for the given corner at a certain load. It's really fantastic, and I can't imagine how many hours of programming when into that map created by Porsche. So I will say unequivocally, PDK for track work, Manual for regular street driving and canyon carving. The engine in the base Carrera is more than enough to get your attention very quickly, for those that say you "need" the "S", you really don't. Things are happening real quickly on the standard Carrera and you better have your game on to drive this 10/10ths. I love the way there is no turbo lag (the Macan S turbo lag was horrid, btw) and the car comes on beautifully coming off the apexes. The power is smooth, strong and linear. The car I was in had Sport Chrono and was All-Wheel Drive. I love AWD cars at the track, they're very planted. The chassis was locked down perfectly, compliant and rock-solid. You can tail wag the car if you get sloppy (my driving partner did twice) but the PSM steps in immediately and saves your butt and all you feel is a small twitch Leave that PSM engaged. Brakes are superb and linear, no fade and I was laying into them quite hard. Now we only did two hot laps before a change, so that could change in a 30 minute session, but I loved them. Steering is light, and feedback is good, you know what the fronts are doing and can feel them close to the limit. I didn't find one single thing on the car I would say Porsche needs to improve upon. This car is light years ahead of my prior 991.1 on the track, totally different.

There are only two cars I have ever driven on the track in 25 years I thought were perfect in their execution in stock form. One was the 1995 BMW M3 E36, which in its day was so good a track car, it made a mediocre driver look great. The other is this 992. I loved it. Not because I own one, but because it delivers the goods. You don't need to tune one, you don't need to replace the suspension, and you don't need different tires. You only need track time and learn how to drive it. This car will challenge you to get better, and gives you the platform with which to do it. Base model, low option car will be fine, too.

Well done Porsche. (Just don't ask me about the Taycan. lol)

 

Great review
I did the same with Porsche Burlington at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
I own a base 992 with crono. I get on my car but not like I did on the track.
Impressive
Thank you Porsche and Herb Chambers Porsche of Burlington

 

Very enjoyable read review, thank you. Regarding your PDK comments, I have no reason to doubt what you said, but I get confused when people talk about track time. Is "track time" competitive in that people are trying to set lap records for a given class? I would love to track my car, but I always assumed I am simply competing against myself, and hence I would find the manual transmission more enjoyable. (Vic Elford was our lead instructor when I went to racing school way back in 1989 ). If there is a competitive component to track time, its seems they will need to start separating manual from automatic transmission cars.

 

Depends on what you mean by "more enjoyable."

Personally, on a track (especially when competing against myself), I enjoy driving my car, not shifting it.

 

What about the Taycan?? lol

 

I went last Nov., and had another invite for today...wish I had the time. I felt the same about the 992. After trying to tweak the suspension settings on my GT4 for over a year, and don't feel confident about driving it on track (bump management), I felt no hesitation to go full gas in the 992s I was fortunate to drive...was ready to give up the GT4 (still looking into it). Although at the limit, I did feel the 4s push a little vs the 2s...to be expected though. I only wished they provided specs on the vehicles at the event, especially with regards to suspension, and no one knew what options were installed.

 

just skipped over to the taycan sub, nothing, so come on, really want to hear what you thought about it on a track?!?!?

I’ve got Silverstone in a few weeks, C4S half day, but if they offer another car for a quick go then I’m very tempted with trying electric just for ***** and giggles.

 

Taycan? The ones we had (base model) were not very quick, heavy, heaved around a bit like all heavy cars do, and overall felt like the Audi E-Tron I owned for 14 months. I wasn't impressed by it at all, actually.

 

Thats good to know, thanks! I’ll ask for the keys to a mid engine instead then, quite fancy having a go.

 

Excellent review my friend, Thanks for posting. Sounds like a great time.

 

I recommend not skipping the spin in the Taycan Turbo/S if they have them. It's sense of weight was still present, but you may find it surprising how well its masked...then there's the outright grunt/acceleration from low speeds.

 

Did you drive alone or an instructor sat next to you?

Could a family member or a friend sit next to you while you were driving at the track event?

 

These events are structured by Porsche as more of a high speed test drive, rather than a track day. So there is no Instructor in the car with you, it's lead/follow. The Instructor is in the lead car - there is a radio on each of the trailing four vehicles, and he will radio comments while looking in the mirror, mostly to the first and second cars (I got called out several times for "pushing" the car in front of me too often - can't helo it - they were so slow!). So you are normally teamed up two per car and swap positions. You are allowed to bring a Plus 1 to the event, so a buddy, your wife, etc. No children allowed, though. You will have loaner helmets supplied at that event. There is a morning and afternoon session. Contact your selling dealer to see if and when they offer one as they sponsor them.

 

great to hear your input
Doing mine this coming Tuesday

 

Excellent Review and appreciate your insight.