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Just spent the day at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta when my son, who has never really driven Porsche before. We had a great time there, I took out a Targa 4 GTS and. he was in a 2WD GTS Coupe. The staff there is friendly and accomodating and does not push you beyond your comfort level. The West Track is far more technical than the original South track - you can sign up for either one. They spent some time in the briefing discussing throwing up and the procedures for doing so, which I thought odd until I actually got on the West Track myself. It's a Mighty Mouse Roller Coaster (remember those?) with abrupt turns and elevation changes, so you would be smart to not eat breakfast if you go. We saw two people toss their cookies, its a regular thing.
I did track days for 20 years and Instructed for 18 of those (plus about 500 autocrosses), so I was anxious to see how the 992 Targa 4 GTS (PDK) stacked up against my 2021 Carrera S Cab (Manual). I have to say, they feel like two different cars with only the interiors the same. The PDK is amazing, and is geared just right vs the impossibly long gear Porsche put in the manual trans car (due to fuel mileage regulations). The PDK launch Control on the 4 GTS is ridiculous, it comes off the line like a Tesla model S. The weight of that glass (stowed) over the back axle is apparent and the front wheels pulling make it planted and aggressive. They have an Autocross course there and I had the best time running that AWD it through it. So fast, so planted, so capable, the PDK knows the right gear to be in and with the front wheels pulling, pulling the car around the cones. When we finished the third run my Instructor from Porsche said "I have never seen anyone go through that course as fast as you have, us instructors as well, where did you learn to do that?" Hey, at 70 years old, I still have it. <g>
My son Alex (he's 31) had a grand time, he was very slow but that's to be expected. He showed no interest in my Porsche habit growing up, so this was his first real exposure to the brand and now he after following F1 for a few years. He came away amazed by the cars and said to me "Dad, now I see why you have a passion for these 911's. And I REALLY like that Targa".
We had a great time talking to Jonathan in the Museum, who is a walking encyclopedia of Porsche and gave us a personalized tour in great detail of the cars on display for over 90 minutes, stepping over the ropes to open them up for us and explain the details, including this Special Wishes S/T that debuted at Monterey just a few weeks ago. This has a one-of-one paint job named Dani Blue and over $ 75K worth of options in the interior alone. At first glance it looks like a GT3 Touring, but its far from it.
In the afternoon we did the Cayenne Off-Road Experience, which I really enjoyed as I have a Cayenne as my favorite daily driver. The amount of grade these can tackle is amazing, and the uni-body frame is so rigid that there is no twist in the body structure.
Most all the vehicles are new. I asked how long they keep them and was told they cycle them out at 5,000 miles. "What about break in?" I asked, as the blue Cayenne has only 172 miles on it. I was told they do 100 miles on them on the course, for break in, mostly to scrub in the tires and bed the brakes, keep it under 4,000 rpm, then put tin the fleet and after that they are run as hard as any other vehicle. They have four service bays that keep busy throwing tires and brakes on them all. but not much else.
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Its four miles from the Airport, and the Kimpton Overland Hotel is literally next door. That hotel runs a shuttle to the Airport so save the Uber and just ride the shuttle both ways. The Cafe at Porsche is better than the one at the hotel, just don't get that egg sandwich before you go out!
Definitely Recommended. And if you want to take out a new GT3 or GT3RS, or Boxster Spyder RS, they have them all. Sign up for what you want to drive (yes, those are going to cost more, but where else can you take out a GT3RS for 90 minutes and run the whee out of it?)
Did this almost 2 years ago right before the new track opened. First time ever on a track, the throw up thing is real. I had to cut it short by 15 minutes because I got nauseous but didn't yack lol. I think it started on the drift course and just got worse.
I got to do this in lieu of ED at the end of the pandemic in September 2022 and it was a blast!! Drove an C2S PDK and it was amazing fun, loved loved loved the F1 track, especially flying up the last three (four?) turns to the hard blind left on to the final straight. I'm no @drcollie but I did pass everyone and got it to 92mph while the young pro instructor got it to 98mph. Good memories.
Did this almost 2 years ago right before the new track opened. First time ever on a track, the throw up thing is real. I had to cut it short by 15 minutes because I got nauseous but didn't yack lol. I think it started on the drift course and just got worse.
I've done plenty of autocross and enthusiastic backroads driving... the only time I have ever made myself sick in a car was driving the GT3 RS on the west track. I want to say it's something like 21 corners in a mile and change, and the GT3 RS pulls almost 2g lateral in either direction at various corner complexes. In case you were wondering, it's possible to hit at least 102mph indicated on the straight after the carousel . The instructor very graciously let me go at it for about 25 minutes straight before we both needed a water break, and I felt pretty nauseous for almost an hour afterward, until I got some food.
I can't recommend PECATL enough, I tell all my car friends to do it. But my recommendation comes with a warning that they're going to want to buy one afterwards!
I was just here for my 40th birthday a few weeks back. Drove a gt3 and Carrera S (my car).
Wow, what an experience that was. Don't even know where to begin. End-to-end, the attention to detail was 10/10. The West track was super fun and had a very natural flow. The skid pad and other traction modules were enlightening; I could have spent an entire day on the low friction course on the south side.
The gt3 was other worldly. It was honestly miles better than I expected, from grip and steering to the howl of the motor.
A brief review written on my phone, I know, but I would recommend to anyone. We stayed a couple days in the St Regis in Buckhead for a few days after which I would also recommend.
Next time I'd probably do three sessions; two on day 1, another on the following morning.
Yesterday, 11:38 AM
At the Porsche Experience Center - Atlanta
You can't throw up in my car though.....
. The instructor very graciously let me go at it for about 25 minutes straight before we both needed a water break, and I felt pretty nauseous for almost an hour afterward, until I got some food.
