Emergency Braking

Next, we moved to a different location for ABS braking practice. The curriculum involved accelerating to 80 km/h and then braking fully, avoiding poles placed on either side. I was advised beforehand to press the brake firmly and not release it midway.

During this practice, instructors gave advice over the radio and also personally to each participant through the window before starting, which was very helpful.

We first practiced at 50 km/h. Although slow, I was nervous and braked well before the brake point. After two tries at 50 km/h, Chief Tanaka advised:

“Focus on braking at the brake point. Also, press the brake pedal more firmly at the start.”

Then it was time to accelerate to 80 km/h and brake fully in the Panamera Turbo in Sport Plus mode!

This time, I managed it well.

The other participants were very skilled, and the instructor commented:

“Whether it’s your driving skills or Porsche’s performance, I don’t know, but everyone handled 80 km/h easily. Let’s try increasing speed to about 83 km/h and brake a bit later.”

Raising the speed to 83 km/h was harder than I thought ( -_- ).

When I pressed the accelerator harder than ever, the acceleration was unlike anything I’d felt before, pressing me into the seat with the roaring 4LV8 turbo engine, and I even felt the car lift slightly during the shift-up.

S-So scary… (ﾟдﾟ)!

I thought, “I don’t know the speed, but brake now!” and stomped on the brake, but fear made me brake too early. The instructor said,

“Good job increasing speed, but you braked too early. Try braking later next time!“

By then, my hands were sweaty, my jaw tired from clenching, and my spirit worn down. But focusing on the advice, I braked fully at a later point and barely avoided the poles.

“Nice! Great challenge! That was really close!”

I learned that the hazard lights automatically flash during emergency braking.

Later, checking the meter showed I experienced “1G” during this exercise. My husband said, “It’s amazing to experience this much G in heavy rain. The braking G is about the same as a Boxster GTS on a sunny day, and the acceleration G is even stronger in the Panamera.”

I was so scared I just wanted it to be over quickly ( -_- ), but I repeated the runs about 10 times. Each time, the instructors encouraged me:

“That was good! You can go further! Keep the speed, but brake later! Try to brake at the point where you feel ‘scared!'”

“Nice challenge! Next, turn the steering wheel a bit earlier to avoid the poles properly!”

I tackled each challenge, but by the end, I was mentally and physically exhausted. Then came the announcement:

“Okay! Whether you laugh or cry, only two runs left!”

Thank goodness… only two more.

Since it was the last, I pushed myself to increase speed, brake later, and turn earlier, but ended up hitting or clipping the poles repeatedly!

By the end of the curriculum, I was completely drained but also exhilarated. I told my husband, who had returned to the car,

“I got goosebumps! It was really amazing! Incredible!”

I kept repeating how amazing it was as the final parade lap time arrived. However, the rain had worsened, and an announcement said the PCCJ qualifying race was canceled.

I wondered if the parade lap would still happen. After about 30 minutes, it was announced that “the race is canceled, but a slower parade lap will proceed,” so we finally entered the circuit.

My husband, who has raced countless laps at Fuji Speedway in car games, sat in the passenger seat and said things like:

“Normally you’d brake hard here and aim for that orange spot! This corner follows the grass, then you try to go straight to the next corner…”

So I ended up cornering a bit off the line (laughs), but compared to my first time at Fuji Speedway last year, I was much calmer. Maybe that’s the effect of the Porsche Track Experience!

After three laps, I looked back to find my kids fast asleep (lol), hurriedly prepared the Ergo carrier, picked up my youngest daughter, and headed to the ceremony venue.

Porsche is Amazing!

While filling out the survey at the ceremony, I chatted with the Twitter follower I met earlier about how “tiring but fun it was.” Then the instructor asked everyone, “Did you have fun today!?”

Almost everyone raised their hand saying “Yes, it was fun!”

And it wasn’t just polite words—it really was fun, and though scary, the enjoyment far outweighed the fear. It’s rare for adults to get this excited and thrilled in everyday life.

During the ceremony, it was announced that “three participants will receive awards for outstanding effort.” I was spacing out when my name was called for the “Mobil 1 Award,” which surprised me greatly. Chief Instructor Tanaka said,

“Nice spin in the Panamera! Also, you’re the first person we’ve seen holding a child while standing here (laughs).”

I was happy to hear “nice challenge!” even though it was terrifying!

An 83-year-old participant was also awarded, proving that “even at 83, you can master a Porsche and sharpen your skills at the Porsche Track Experience.” That’s truly inspiring, and I hope to age like that.

Taking the “Warm Up Light＋” program was both fun and educational. The fact that such a challenging curriculum is designed for amateurs shows Porsche’s confidence in their cars’ high performance and safety in all conditions.

I also realized that until now, I had no idea of the true power of a Porsche. Even accelerating full throttle and braking hard in heavy rain, the car stopped firmly and could steer to avoid poles. Porsche really is amazing.

The limits of a Porsche are far beyond what I imagined.

At the same time, this was the first time I felt truly scared driving a car. During the constant radius circle, I even thought, “This must be what it feels like just before a fatal accident…” and the G-forces during full braking still give me goosebumps.

That’s why I’m more determined than ever to drive safely every day.

That evening, driving back from Fuji Speedway to the hotel, I felt like I had improved my driving skills a bit (laughs). My driving position was completely different, and even the mountain roads around Lake Yamanaka felt easier to drive. I finally felt one with my Panamera.

Some participants of the Porsche Track Experience “Warm Up” program eventually progress to racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Japan (PCCJ). That’s definitely not for me (full braking on a circuit is way too scary), but I’d love to try the next level program if I get the chance.

To all readers and Porsche owners, I highly recommend taking the Porsche Track Experience. It will surely enrich your Porsche life many times over!