[BMW M Power Mexico]

Last Wednesday I was invited to a Porsche Driving Experience for a full day at a track in Puebla, Mexico. The lineup wasn't bad - to say the least. During the morning we had 3 exercises. First was a slalom in a Cayman S. After that driving on a couple of sections of the track. One section in cars (GT3 RS, GT4, Targa 4GTS, Cayman S) and another section in the pigs of the lineup (Macan Turbo, Cayenne GTS, Panamera e-Hybrid). On the last exercise my co-attendee and I decided to ask the instructor to drive his Boxster S instead of the Panamera and he agreed so we got to drive that instead.

After lunch, we had a few "open laps" on all the cars above except the Panamera and the Boxster S. For that session a Carrera 2 GTS was added (it was being driven by an instructor in the morning exercises).

These laps didn't include the fastest straight and banked turn of the track and we came in to the pits to switch drivers or cars after every lap. Laps were paced by some pretty conservative instructors so you couldn't really drive a full lap at anywhere close to full tilt. But by letting the car in front of you drive away a bit, you could still push the cars reasonably for a section or two. I'd have enjoyed it more with higher limits but I understand the reasoning of not wanting to have a prospective client end up with a GT3 RS in a wall.

Overall, very fun and excellent event.

On to the driving.

As most of you know, I am mostly used to driving M cars on track. And I've driven most current of those on this exact track as well as my cars. Overall, all of the Porsches (car) is more of a scalpel compared to the hammer of an M car. Steering is more precise and with greater feedback, cars are easier to place exactly and in general corner flatter and transition better from one turn to the next. The sound is also fantastic (all these cars had the sports exhaust in one form or another). Also, the ride - as much as you can test that on-track, seemed more compliant and better balanced on the Porsches. I would think this is a direct consequence of the Porsches being generally lighter.

From worst (relatively) to best:

1. Cayenne GTS. I drove the (previous gen) X5M and X6M on this track as well. I'd take either of those over this Cayenne in a heartbeat. My main gripe with the Cayenne is the truly awful gearbox. It takes eons to shift after considering your command. Handling is ok, but worst for the day considering the impressive company. I'd never get one, but mostly because the category where it sits is awful per se (super sporty huge ass SUVs). If I had to get a car in this category, I'd go BMW.



2. Macan Turbo. I expected to be more impressed by this one. Engine sound was very muted. Yeah, I guess it handles well for an SUV. It didn't really feel that fast or that sporty (again, consider the company for the day). Only competitor I have sampled is the X4 35i, but that was on a short dealer test drive. I can't imagine this is worth the huge price premium over that. At 8/10ths the X4 was plenty sporty. Who drives these things at 10/10ths??? Again, I wouldn't get the Macan. Not worth the performance premium in my opinion.



3. Targa 4 GTS PDK. This was in my opinion the most beautiful car that day. The Targa lines are fantastic. It drives great, but somewhat less fun than all the other cars for the day. The extra weight is a bit noticeable. In isolation it is a fantastic driver. Porsche knows how to make a really sporty 4WD setup. It can move around nicely and has a lot of throttle adjustability. I asked to drive it top down (at lower speeds) to test the wind buffeting. I think it’s not a problem up to about 70mph or so.





4. Boxster S PDK. Now we're talking. From the Boxster S onwards, I think every Porsche I drove on that day is worth the money they charge. Sound: fantastic. Tactility: fantastic. Handling: fantastic. Throttle response: fantastic. PDK gearbox: fantastic. I guess that's not very informative but it's what I found. I can't think of a more fun convertible for this car's price. Maybe a Stingray? I haven't driven one so I can't tell. Miata? **** off.

5. Cayman S PDK. Basically the same as the Boxster, with a tiny amount of added performance/tactility. I was happy that I fit very well inside being 6’4”.



6. Carrera GTS PDK. What a fantastic car. The way it hunkers down and delivers traction out of corners is astounding. Very noticeably more fun than the Targa, I’d probably go for this car in the Carrera line.

7. GT4. It truly sucks that the Porsche GT cars are made in such limited numbers and with sales policies that totally favour Porsche “collectors”. I’d order one of these if available. Everything is perfect, can’t really find a fault with it for the price. The manual gearbox is fantastically crisp. I don’t think you can have more fun at a track or mountain road in any other car for the price.





8. GT3 RS. The engine is incredibly powerful and has the best throttle response and sound that I have ever experienced (that include several Ferraris). The PDK here is savage and better for it. There is a reason that this car is a legend. Is it worth the price over a “standard” GT3? I couldn’t tell you because I haven’t driven that. Perfect track car. Loved it. But it’s worth mentioning that the GT4 is 98% of the fun for half the price, so there is that. Did I mention the engine?






Other takeaways:

- PDK. On track I didn’t miss the manual one bit. There is a lot going on to keep you busy. I mean, the manual on the GT4 was very nice but - if that had a PDK available, I might take it. Maybe on a mountain road the manual is more fun, but at the track it’s moot IMO.

- Both the Cayman S and the Boxster S where on standard suspension (no PASM). I think the standard suspension is fantastic and now seriously doubt if I’d get PASM or just save the money if I ordered one.

- The 2 way sport seats “plus” are more than good enough.

- Sports exhaust is a must have option to enjoy the P cars.

- I love these N/A engines and fear the turbos that are coming, especially the rumoured 4 pots for the Boxster/Cayman. I can’t imagine how they will match, let alone beat the current flat sixes for the overall experience. A bit less fearful of the 911’s six turbo.

- I didn’t get to try launch control on any car.

- Some nice cars on exhibit as well. The 918 is a dealer “trainer”. The 919 is a mock up. The Gulf is real.







How does an M3/M4 or 1M compare? I did a similar event at the same track on those cars a few months ago. Keep in mind this track is at some altitude ASL which hurts N/A performance.

For overall pace, the M3/M4 probably are a very close match to the Carrera GTS here. For fun the M twins can be a lot of fun if power oversteer is your thing. They power oversteer more easily than the Porsches. But for overall driving experience if you value precision, sound and overall sports “feel” any of the Porsches win, maybe the Targa just barely. As we all know the M cars are much more practical for everyday use so there is that as well.

But as this driver’s car, they are a slight step below any of the Porsches. Basically the same comments go for the 1M in this context, with overall performance more in line with the Boxster/Cayman than the Carrera.

On the big SUVs, however, I think the X5M/X6M (even previous gen) have the Cayenne licked.

[Biorin]

Great review - sounds like a fun time! Did you get invited to this as a promotional event, or was it paid?

[RickFLM4]

Great write up and pics. Sounds like a lot of fun. I'm also 6'4" and felt I didn't fit so well in a Cayman at an auto show last year. Sounds like I need to try again.

[buddalun]

Very cool. P cars are special.

[8k3]

thanks for sharing