The Porsche Track Experience is a safety and sports driving program for Porsche owners<\/strong>. Held every year, it gives participants the chance to sharpen their car-control skills and deepen their understanding of what makes a Porsche special.<\/p>\n There are several programs for different experience levels. I decided to bring our Panamera Turbo to \u201cWarm Up Light+,\u201d the most basic program, designed to teach the fundamentals of sports driving<\/strong>.<\/p>\n My husband, who has taken the program many times, had been telling me for years:<\/p>\n \u201cMina, you absolutely have to do it! You really should go!\u201d<\/p>\n But taking part meant finding someone to look after the kids and making a three-day, two-night trip that included arriving at Fuji Speedway the day before. I was interested, but never quite motivated enough to make all those arrangements. Then this special session was scheduled to coincide with the event, so I decided to take the opportunity and give it a try.<\/p>\n The Warm Up Light+<\/strong> program I took is a special half-day version of the regular \u201cWarm Up\u201d course. The curriculum included a sports driving basics lecture<\/strong>, wet skid-pad circle driving<\/strong>, ABS braking<\/strong>, and a parade lap<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Apparently, the Porsche Track Experience is so popular that places can fill up and a waitlist can form almost as soon as registration opens. I applied online right after bookings opened at noon on April 25 and was lucky enough to secure a place.<\/p>\n The information pack sent to us in advance included reminders such as:<\/p>\n \u30fbAll parts on the participating car must be genuine Porsche parts In other words, the exercises were designed to push the cars close to their limits<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As luck would have it, one of our Panamera\u2019s tires had been punctured about a month before the event. When the dealer repaired it, they topped up the oil and checked the remaining tread, too. We went over the car\u2019s inspection items ourselves before deciding it was ready to take part.<\/p>\n Then came June 15. The weather was, unfortunately, pouring rain\u2014or, honestly, I\u2019d expected it to rain all along! The event was listed as going ahead rain or shine, but I wondered whether it could really run in conditions like these. Still, we set off for the venue early that morning.<\/p>\n After arriving, we headed to registration. I handed over the waiver<\/strong> and vehicle maintenance checklist<\/strong> and received my number for the day, then took my assigned seat. My husband and daughters were there as guests, so they were able to wait with me at a table set up behind the participants.<\/p>\n Once I sat down, the person next to me turned and asked:<\/p>\n \u201cAre you Mina, by any chance?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes!<\/strong>\u201d I replied, and we introduced ourselves. It turned out to be one of my Twitter followers, someone I\u2019d chatted with regularly!<\/p>\n What a coincidence to end up sitting next to each other! My husband joined us, and we had a great conversation. It was lovely to hear that this blog had inspired them to buy a Porsche\u2014and that they\u2019d brought their Macan S to the event<\/strong>.<\/p>\n That made me so happy.<\/p>\n Before long, it was time to begin. First, the instructors were introduced. I was amazed by the lineup: racing drivers with experience competing and winning at races around the world, including Le Mans<\/strong>, as well as former PCCJ (Porsche Carrera Cup Japan)<\/span> drivers.<\/p>\n Next, Chief Instructor Tetsuya Tanaka began the sports driving basics lecture<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s pouring today, but you\u2019re lucky\u2014we almost never get the chance to experience full-force Porsche braking in heavy rain!<\/strong>\u201d he told us.<\/p>\n Now that he mentioned it, he had a point. Maybe being a rain magnet had worked in my favor for once!<\/p>\n He went on to explain the correct driving position. It was much closer to the steering wheel than I\u2019d imagined. Hold the steering wheel at the nine-and-three positions and adjust the seat so your elbows and knees are bent at roughly 90 degrees.<\/strong> Otherwise, if you need to make a sudden turn, your arms could straighten out and make it difficult to steer effectively.<\/p>\n Then came an explanation of ABS. Chief Instructor Tanaka asked the group, \u201cCan anyone explain ABS?<\/strong>\u201d One participant gave a perfect answer. Impressive\u2026<\/p>\n ABS stands for Anti-lock Braking System<\/strong>. It prevents the tires from locking during emergency braking, allowing you to continue steering. If the tires lock up, turning the steering wheel may have no effect, and the car could keep going straight\u2014potentially leading to a serious accident.<\/p>\n With ABS, the tires are less likely to lock, so you can still steer and make some use of the car\u2019s ability to turn to avoid danger.<\/strong> I\u2019d heard the term ABS countless times, but never really understood how it worked. It was a great lesson.<\/p>\n After taking a group photo indoors because of the rain, we headed for our cars. At last, it was time to get started!<\/p>\n My husband and daughters got in the car with me. I placed the radio we\u2019d been given in the door pocket, put my number on the car from inside, and lined up to wait for instructions.<\/p>\n Then we heard an instructor over the radio:<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, we\u2019re going to check the radios now. I\u2019ll test them one car at a time. Can you hear me? Okay, can you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n The instructor kept asking, \u201cCan you hear me?\u201d and I started to wonder, \u201cWait, are we supposed to answer?<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes! Loud and clear! (\uffe3\u30fc\uffe3)!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I called out, and my husband burst out laughing:<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no! They just explained that they can\u2019t hear us through the radios!\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, right\u2026 (-_-) I hadn\u2019t been listening at all.<\/p>\n We were then split into two groups and sent to different stations. Our group started with wet skid-pad circle driving<\/strong>. Normally, the pad is watered down for the exercise, but with rain pouring down, there was no need for that!<\/p>\n In the full-day program, participants first experience the difference between driving circles with PSM switched on, when the car won\u2019t spin, and with PSM switched off, when it will. But in Warm Up Light+, we went straight to circle driving with PSM switched off<\/strong>.<\/p>\n We were told to press and hold the PSM button to switch it off<\/strong>, select Sport Plus mode, shift into manual mode, and drive around the circle in first gear (From what I\u2019ve seen on other people\u2019s blogs, many seem to do this exercise in second gear, but we started in first)<\/span>.<\/p>\n When you first start circling, the tires have plenty of grip, so there\u2019s no problem. But as you press the accelerator and build speed, the car gradually begins to understeer<\/strong>. Lift off the accelerator at that point, and the car spins.<\/p>\n It was hard to picture what that would feel like just from the explanation. Luckily, I was one of the last in line, so I got to learn by watching everyone else. It was also really helpful to listen to the instructor\u2019s directions and advice over the radio while watching their runs.<\/p>\n Then it was my turn. Just before I set off, Chief Instructor Tanaka advised me, \u201cIn the Panamera, first gear might not be the right choice, so let\u2019s try it in first gear to start with. Also, the Panamera Turbo is all-wheel drive, so it may be harder to spin.<\/strong>\u201d I began in first gear.<\/p>\n \u201cGo whichever way you like, clockwise or counterclockwise. Okay, start turning, and adjust the steering angle. Once you\u2019ve found the right angle, gradually press the accelerator and build up speed.\u201d<\/p>\n The instructor talked me through it. I tried to follow the directions.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, pick up the speed a little more\u2014more!\u201d<\/p>\n I pressed the accelerator further.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve still got grip\u2014there\u2019s plenty left! Keep building speed!\u201d<\/p>\n I was doing as I\u2019d been told, but the accelerator was already flat to the floor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, a little more speed\u2014press the accelerator further!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInstructor! I\u2019m already flat out. Nothing\u2019s happening when I press any harder! (\uff9f\u0434\uff9f)!<\/strong>\u201d I said inside the car, but of course there was no way they could hear me. My first attempt ended there.<\/p>\n I opened the window and said, \u201cSorry, I was in first gear and already had the accelerator all the way down. I couldn\u2019t go any faster\u2026\u201d The instructor replied, \u201cI see, sorry about that. Let\u2019s try second gear next!<\/strong>\u201d I shifted into second, found my steering angle, and slowly pressed the accelerator to build speed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve still got grip\u2014pick up the speed a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n The centrifugal force was already intense, and I was terrified of going any faster. But I trusted the Panamera and worked up the courage to accelerate.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good\u2014the grip is starting to fade, and you\u2019re getting some understeer. Keep going!\u201d<\/p>\n At that point, I had no idea what the car was doing or what was happening. It felt like being on a high-speed merry-go-round that had turned into a thrill ride. Then the instructor said:<\/p>\n \u201cOkay! Now ease off the accelerator whenever you\u2019re ready!\u201d<\/p>\n I followed the instruction and lifted off. The Panamera went whoooosh<\/strong> into a spin and came to a stop.<\/p>\n \u2026That\u2026 was terrifying\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cThere we go\u2014the Panamera spun, too! Nice work! Head back to the line and wait for your next turn.\u201d<\/p>\n I was so shaken and relieved that I moved the car back in a daze (laughs). By the way, apparently, if you straighten the steering wheel as you lift off the accelerator, you won\u2019t get a proper spin.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what it looked like as a GIF (my husband made these)<\/span>:<\/p>\n Then it was time for another round. Everyone seemed to have overcome their nerves and started to get the hang of it. Their improvement was incredible. Soon it was my turn again. I felt like I\u2019d figured out the basics on my first attempt, so I accelerated in second gear and lifted off. The car spun\u2014but\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cThat spin was caused by too much power, so it wasn\u2019t quite what this exercise is designed to teach. Let\u2019s try again. Build speed gradually. If you accelerate suddenly, the power can make the car spin.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Ah, I see\u2026 That made sense. I followed the advice and managed to get it right, and the circle-driving exercise came to a successful end.<\/p>\n I\u2019d been clenching my teeth so hard that my jaw was exhausted. But I also got to experience just how capable the Panamera Turbo is\u2014it took that much to make it spin<\/strong>. You don\u2019t often get to keep circling with the accelerator pinned in second gear on a rainy day\u2026 What an experience.<\/p>\n Next page \u2192 Experiencing full acceleration and full braking in the Panamera Turbo\u2014and taking it out on the circuit!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next, we moved to the ABS braking station. The exercise was to brake hard from 80 km\/h and steer around a pole. Before we started, we were told: \u201cPress the brake as hard as you can and keep your foot down\u2014don\u2019t ease off partway through.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n I liked that we could get advice over the radio and also receive one-on-one guidance from Chief Instructor Tanaka through the window before each run.<\/p>\n We started by practicing at 50 km\/h<\/strong>. It felt pretty slow, but I was still nervous and braked well before the braking marker. After a couple of runs at 50 km\/h, Chief Instructor Tanaka advised me:<\/p>\n \u201cTry to wait until you reach the braking marker before you brake. And when you first hit the pedal, press down harder with your foot.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Then it was time to accelerate toward 80 km\/h. I sped up to 80 km\/h in the Panamera Turbo in Sport Plus mode, then slammed on the brakes!<\/strong><\/p>\n This time, I managed it pretty well.<\/p>\n Everyone taking part was doing so well that even the instructor remarked:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure whether it\u2019s your driving skills or the Porsches\u2019 performance\u201d (laughs) \u201cbut 80 km\/h looks easy for everyone.<\/strong> Let\u2019s try increasing your speed to around 83 km\/h and move the braking point just a little farther ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n I thought, \u201cThe hard braking is one thing, but getting to exactly 83 km\/h<\/strong> is going to be tricky\u201d (-_-).<\/p>\n This time, I pressed the Panamera\u2019s accelerator harder than before. The acceleration was unlike anything I\u2019d experienced. I was pushed back into my seat as the 4.0-liter V8 turbo roared, and the car even seemed to lift slightly as it shifted gears.<\/strong><\/p>\n Th-this is scary\u2026 (\uff9f\u0434\uff9f)!<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how fast I\u2019m going, but I\u2019d better brake!\u201d I thought, and slammed on the brakes\u2014only to realize I\u2019d hit them way too early because I was so scared. The instructor told me:<\/p>\n \u201cYou did well to pick up the speed, but you were so focused on that that you braked too early. Next time, try braking farther down the course!<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n By this point, my palms were drenched in sweat, my jaw hurt from clenching my teeth, and I was completely drained. But I kept the advice in mind and braked hard farther down the course. I only just managed to avoid the pole.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good! Nice challenge! That was close!\u201d<\/p>\n I hadn\u2019t known this, but the hazard lights come on automatically when you brake hard.<\/p>\n
\n\u30fbTires must be Porsche-approved tires with an N rating
\n\u30fbTires must have sufficient tread and be free of damage or punctures, and the brake pads must have enough life remaining (A maintenance inspection equivalent to a six-month check at a Porsche dealership is recommended)<\/span>
\n\u30fbDriving gloves must be worn on the day<\/p>\nThe Day of Warm Up Light+<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWet Skid-Pad Circle Driving<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nEmergency Braking<\/h3>\n
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