Monday I had the chance to visit Mosport and take part in the 2013 Porsche World Roadshow. Not an everyday chance for me. Probably once in a lifetime actually… although I’ve still got 53 years to live. Maybe the next time, not only will it be a nice vacation, but Porsche will actually put money in my pocket. After all, I did run the auto-x course with a time that Porsche instructor and former pro Mike Den Tandt said would qualify me to sit on the right side like he did.
Never mind that earlier in the day my foot had slipped off the brake pedal in the 0-100-0 and emergency lane change exercise, nearly putting myself, another instructor (who was much less excited about my driving) and a Turbo deep in the weeds.
Most of the day was much more laid back. Forty laps of Mosport in twenty different Porsche’s was a good refresh of high speed driving. Given the cars and the setting, it was as enjoyable as any driving I’ve ever done. Regarding the cars, I have NEVER been a new car guy. I prefer things raw, and new cars usually feel quite censored and disconnected. My first few laps were in Cayenne’s and Panamera’s, and I was impressed, but some of those feelings still lingered. Once the Cayman’s and the 911’s came out though, I wasn’t wishing for much. The sounds were there, the feedback was there, and certainly the power and grip were there.
Most of all, I wasn’t wishing for a true manual transmission. It’s true that some semi-automatics or electronically controlled manuals disappoint with sluggish response or computer over-ride, but the Porsche PDK in Sport Plus mode is better than anything else I’ve experienced. Nuff said. If you’ve driven one and don’t like it, then you probably don’t REALLY care about performance. If you do think you care about performance, you are living in the past. Your commitment to a conventional gearbox is a notch or two down from Ford’s commitment to solid axle sports cars.
Since working as a valet at age 17, I have never questioned that Porsche is the high end car brand for me. Visibility and comfort seem superior to everything else on the road. Never mind other high performance cars. I should admit, that in comparison to the Italians, and even some of the other German brands, I always believed the Porsche’s to be the least ferocious. After some laps around the track I’m not sure I believe that to be the case, but if it is true, then Porsche’s ability to be drivable and even pedestrian certainly outweighs a more gentle bite.
In that regard, the Cayenne might be the most impressive vehicle I’ve ever driven. I know you are disappointed to hear it. The Cayenne does everything well though. Fling it sideways at 220km/h, or cross it up on two wheels up a steep ascent and drive out of it with active 4WD. Sure it doesn’t drive like a 911 at speed, and it’s no JK on the trail, but the compromises are not as severe as you would think they should be. I know this sounds like a Porsche advertisement, but I was sincerely impressed. I never thought I would bother to afford a Porsche, and yet the Cayenne actually has me reeling. A STOCK Cayenne actually has me reeling. It blows my mind thinking about what some seasonal MODS could do.
… Blasphemy.
Pictures Courtesy Artic Media.
Q if you ever buy another showa era car, get a 911 SC. I can’t think of a car that’s better for sheer driving experience. There’s simply nothing like it. If you think that an AE86 is the pinnacle of “horse and rider as one” you just have no idea.