Galloping German Stallions

STUTTGART Auto held its Porsche Driving Experience at the Sepang circuit recently and, admittedly, this was my first time experiencing Stuttgart’s finest on a racetrack.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

STUTTGART Auto held its Porsche Driving Experience at the Sepang circuit recently and, admittedly, this was my first time experiencing Stuttgart’s finest on a racetrack.

My Reading Room

STUTTGART Auto held its Porsche Driving Experience at the Sepang circuit recently and, admittedly, this was my first time experiencing Stuttgart’s finest on a racetrack. There were six models for participants to drive – the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, the Panamera and Panamera S, the Cayman GTS, the 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet and the blistering 911 Turbo. The precision and versatility of the Cayman GTS were a revelation, but it was the sheer speed of the 911 Turbo that blew me away. It devoured Sepang’s faster sections like a bat out of hell, while its superb rear-wheel steering ensured it was also nimble in the bends.

My Reading Room

In my experience, the Panamera saloons and Cayenne sports utilty vehicle prove that Porsche’s heftier models can tackle racetracks as effortlessly as their sportier siblings, as long as expectations are kept in check. For safety, professional instructors were around to ensure participants didn’t hurt themselves and the cars. After giving my eardrums a beating on my final run (the soft-top and sports exhaust of the Carrera GTS Cabriolet are to blame for that), it was obvious from this event that dynamism and driving pleasure are ingrained in Porsche’s DNA.

The 911 Turbo (top right) devoured long stretches with ease, while the Cayman GTS (above) displayed its incisive handling.
The 911 Turbo (top right) devoured long stretches with ease, while the Cayman GTS (above) displayed its incisive handling.

For a Porsche novice like me, it was the perfect initiation to the other brand with a prancing horse. 

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