Porsche Media Driving Academy: Trial by Fire

By davidkhoo, 15 June 2015

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Pattaya, Thailand. 15th May 2015 - Today's sportscars have become more fast than fun ' we don't believe the first necessarily equates to the latter. Modern performance cars have evolved to the extent that there's not enough road in Singapore to legally come close to their limits any longer.

We're not just talking about the exotics either, since every other hatchback, compact sedan and crossover is now armed with serious firepower to decimate tracts of tarmac, and that's even before you decide to turn a wheel in anger.

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Of all the sportscar luminaries, it is probably only Porsche that puts an emphasis on regular holistic driver training for both its customers as well as us media hacks ' after all, the best way both groups can fully appreciate the breadth of its products safely is on a closed circuit, far away from the eyes of the righteous busybodies.

(Click HERE to read about the BMW Driving Experience Advance 2)

Some brands are content to let you bask in the glow of their exotic machines but balk at the mention of 'track-drive', but not Porsche ' it practically demands that, for lack of a better phrase, you drive'theirs like you stole'em!

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The recently inaugurated Porsche Media Driving Academy is a first for our region and was held at the technical, tight and very entertaining Bira Circuit in Thailand, with Porsche certified instructors on-hand to share pointers to help the participants unlock the performance of the brand's cars.

Comprising three 'levels' ' Individual, Professional and Elite ' the intention was to let journalists experience the maximum performance of Porsche cars through different courses of active driving, with particular emphasis on Porsche's motorsports DNA.

This last aspect is all the more important today, especially with Porsche's growing stable of both track-bred and street-legal vehicles that span Macan to 911 GT3 RS.

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(Martin Limpert takes a breather from hammering cars around the track to take a photo)

'Through the carefully curated active driving programme, the Porsche Media Driving Academy offers journalists the right amount of attention and guidance that heighten the understanding and specific characteristics of the Porsche vehicle concept and core technologies,' shared Mr. Martin Limpert, Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific (pictured).

He also added, "The intention of the Porsche Media Driving Academy is not to validate the driving abilities of the media, but to bring journalists closer to our products and the brand. Porsche models and technology are getting more demanding, with an ever-growing range of vehicles. We want to show you the variety of performance of our products, but we also want to develop your driving skills: the better your skills, the better you can experience the limits of Porsche's products and even push these limits to fully appreciate the different driving concepts and car concepts. It's more than just the car's performance and your skills, because the emotion is very important as well ' Porsche sells emotions with its cars."

PHOTOS Porsche

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THE DEEP END

Sabrina Lee enjoys her happy ending with Porsche at the Sepang International Circuit

Sepang, Malaysia. 9th/10th June 2015 - Any idiot can drive a fast car. But it takes a bit of smarts to know the time and place. For my first test drive on a racing track, I was invited by Porsche to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

Before we started our laps, they told us to have fun but to also be safe. And what better way to pick out the bad drivers than to put him or her into a 520bhp machine that can go from 0 to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds.

My driving instructor was pro racer Benjamin Rouget, he said to me, 'Important to keep your hand nine-fifteen, like this. Don't move your hand down the steering, we keep the same position on track.' The other models also came with their own certified driving instructors. Before exiting the paddock, Rouget made sure my seating and steering wheel positions were optimal for racing conditions.

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I spun out twice, once in the susprisingly agile and very tall Cayenne S E-Hybrid, and the second in the mid-engine Cayman GTS ' both times I was squealing with glee. More importantly, it was nothing at all to be ashamed of, because this emphasised the finesse involved in car control... better to safely explore and cross the performance limits on a controlled circuit than to lose it on the road, where other lives may be at stake.

The instructors of course remained calm and composed, since such professionals are exposed to all manner of drivers in the course of these erm, courses. There were six cars in total ' the 911 Turbo, 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, Cayman GTS, Panamera S and Panamera.

Because of this experience I see the road in a whole new light. I also have a better understanding of how speed isn't the only thing that makes a winning pro racing driver. And whenever I revert back to my old habit of holding the steering wheel with one hand, I recall what Rouget said and check myself.

PHOTOS Porsche

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