MJones

Did anyone sign up for the private instruction at Laguna this weekend?

What did you think of the instruction?

zellamsee

Hi Brian! I was there yesterday, and the super PSDS instructors were present -- Cass, Owen, Daniel, Peter and Chris. However, the auto-cross set up was a joke (way, way too small and short) -- so, I took a pass on the optional private instruction -- somewhat of a wasted opportunity, given that the cars and instructors were all there -- just needed more space, so that Porsche could have set up a proper course! A month ago or so Porsche had a proper autocross set up in Alameda (East Bay) to debut the new Cayenne, and boy was that fun.

ADias

I and Pogue were there and did the private coaching. It was a typical small autocross layout, but demanding, and we got our money's worth. As Pogue said, "car control is car control".





GT3 RS of fellow Rennlister savyboy:


Link with more event photos HERE.

PogueMoHone

It was fun being sideways from corner to corner!

Carrera GT

I was there this afternoon (Sunday) and the weather finally gave us a full day of excessive UV exposure.

I think the star of that PSDS show is the V6 Panamera. I voted it "most difficult to induce howling understeer and bobble-head yaw." It was the one car there that looked completely out of pace but, setting aside the 911, it was the car that looked composed even when holding a four wheel drift.

The Cayenne S won the award for "door handle scraper." The Cayenne Turbo with all the letters of the alphabet (PDCC, PTV, etc.) took podium for "let the computer drive" and the PDK Cabrio surely set the lap record (they always do...)

A little more cooperation with the POC or Laguna and the location of the autocross could have been twice the size. For some reason, the exit between 9 and 10 was in operation and that creates a helluva lot of wasted space in that corner of the paddock. POC should give up on using the pit exit as the entrance and use just the conventional track exit instead of having two checkers and two exits.

Z356

I did the test drives on Friday. Did not indulged in the private instructions. As Zellamsee said, the autocross set up was very tight. And worse of all, the parking surface was very bumpy, which did not suit the sportier suspension on some of the models available for test driving. On Friday I drove a Boxster S, a base Cayman, a 911 (AWD) Cabrio, the new v6 Panamera (Rear Drive) and the just redesigned Cayenne Turbo. All cars were PDK, except the Cayenne Turbo which sported the new 8 speed Tiptronic S transmission. The cars were left in the auto mode for the test drives. On Saturday I saw another Panamera (black) available for rides and that could have been a Turbo model. Cass Whitehead was the passenger / instructor in most of my rides, as I was there on Friday when there was not much of a crowd. He is one of the lead instructors and manager of the Porsche Sport Driving School based at the new Barber Motorsport Track in Alabama. They have a terrific 2 day course that all of us should attend, plus two other level of advanced training for those that have already completed the initial two day course. Back to the Laguna Seca test drives, the short/tight parking lot autocross favored the Boxster S and the Cayman (naturally), but I was really surprised how well the lighter-at-the-front v6 Panamera managed the event. A Boxster Spyder (not there) would probably have been disadvantaged by the bumpy surface (I think). z356

AllanJ

My driving coach is a PSDS instructor. Did you want feedback on only this event or for PSDS instructors in general including at venues outside of Laguna Seca?

MJones

Any and all feedback that you have, would be appreciated.

4ng crcs

my Bay Area Porsche dealer (who sponsored the event?) had let me know about this.

I think the corporate folks often make up the list of clients to contact for events like this and leave the local guys clueless/twisting in the wind.

So even though I'd been at my local dealer letting my wife kick the tars on the new truck last Sunday, the sales guys I've known and dealt with for 10 to 20 years didn't whisper a word about this.

I expect they didn't know anything about it.

mdrums

Hey Porsche...bring PSDS down to Sebring my home track! Let me know if I can help.

Carrera GT

I didn't hear about this event from Porsche -- it just came along the grape vine.

I think it's evident that Porsche marketing in the USA is a weakness in their business. Porsche, on a global scale, is capable of brilliant results in terms of marketing their product. The local operations can deliver excellent individual events -- their presence at Pebble, the 918 at the Jet Center and PSDS at Laguna this year were by far and away the most impressive and professional event of the whole "Monterey Week" (and I've attended all of those events and sideshows and new car unveilings over the years.) But the "bread and butter" marketing work just isn't getting done.

Carrera GT

Looks like 600 miles and an overnight drive ... a tad closer than Laguna at 2,300 miles ...

Google Map

pdxjim

They ought to wander up the coast and stop at Portland too!

Z356

I got an email invitation for the event just a few days before it took place. The actual email didn't make it clear if one had to make specific time reservations or appointments for a particular day of the event (in reality it was first come, first serve). Bay Area Porsche dealers were the 'sponsors', although the email came from PCNA. I don't think Porsche did a very good job advertising/promoting this event at all since it was not that well attended at Laguna Seca. I think half the 'test drivers' were POC track event attendees that were there anyway. I am certain that any large metro area Porsche dealers can sponsor a similar event and PCNA will supply cars & instructors under their advertising/marketing program budget (for a price). Most instructors were pretty content with just letting you flog the car in the mini autocross. Cass Whitehead was one of the few (the other being the Brit) that actually took the time to give me real practical suggestions as to how to take the turns faster (e.g. via allowing light braking to shift weight to the front wheels for better turn-in). There were some guys out there bumping cones all over the place and racing the cars in front of them. They would have also been better served by having a large tv monitor on the waiting tent promoting the Porsche Sport Driving School two day program in Alabama, having Cass and the others give a short speech about it and explaining how that could really help them get the most out of the Porsches they own or may buy. Missed opportunities were the order of the day. z356

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&p...wP5vzXPQ&pli=1

4ng crcs

Yep... I think the concept of event is a good one.

No sales guys, just 'here is the product for you to try out and some folks that'll help you do that'.

They really should let the product sell itself since so many of the new(er) sales people have little, if any, product knowledge of value.