Why the Porsche Track Experience is the ultimate driver training

Bathurst 1000 legends armed with forensic data represent the ultimate track experience for keen drivers.

Bathurst’s Top 10 shootout is a special moment when a car and driver have the track to themselves in near-perfect conditions.

It’s tough to replicate, yet here we are.

And you could be here too.

Porsche’s Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport at the Porsche Track Experience. Picture: Supplied

Strapped into a racing Porsche with a brand-new set of Michelin slicks, the radio inside my helmet bursts to life with the voice of Luke Youlden, 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner.

“OK Dave, the track’s clear. It’s just you out there. Have fun!”

There is no crowd or TV feed, and the flat corners of Queensland Raceway are nothing like Mount Panorama’s rollercoaster ride.

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The race car requires a degree of adjustment after road machines.

But there is a six-point safety harness pinning my body into an unforgiving race seat.

It’s 35 degrees outside, and much hotter in a car stripped of every luxury in the name of speed. There’s no slack in the system when I shift into gear and ease out of the garage before reaching the end of pit lane.

Then, its purebred motor explodes toward a 9000rpm redline, unleashing a torrent of sound into the unprotected cabin as 368kW – about 500 horsepower – sends the little coupe surging forward.

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Racing tyres and suspension translate to sensational performance. Picture: Supplied

An F1-style steering wheel with myriad buttons and oversized shift paddles adds to the motorsport vibe, as does a central control panel replacing the radio with simple dials and toggles for racing systems, as well as a big red button that sets off an anti-fire bomb in case of emergency.

The first corner is a rude shock, as the car’s brakes require far more muscle than I’d imagined. It’s like pushing a 50kg leg press at the gym.

But it returns more stopping power – and precision – than I’ve experienced in a road car, helped by the ridiculous purchase from hot slick tyres and proper aerodynamic bodywork.

Porsche’s Clubsport is an outrageous, unforgettable experience. You or I probably won’t spend €204,600 ($365,000) to put the left-hand-drive in the shed, but you might spend $6690 to test one for a day.

The lightweight Cayman is agile on track. Picture: Supplied

You don’t need to be a Porsche owner to participate.

Part of the Porsche Track Experience fleet, the Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport represents one of the few ways everyday people without a competition licence can buy time in a proper race car. The best bit is that you don’t have to be a Porsche owner to play at being a Bathurst racer for the day. Anyone can book in and work their way through the brand’s tiered driver training program that starts with level one basics on a closed road, and culminates in level five – proper race cars on a proper circuit.

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Few road cars could cope with the punishment of 200 laps on track. Picture: Supplied

You get about 50 laps in the race car. After each session, a highly experienced data engineer compares your driving to professional racers.

It’s a humbling and illuminating experience. Brightly coloured lines on a computer screen show exactly where I’m going wrong compared to Bathurst veterans Luke Youlden and Steven Johnson.

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Bathurst 1000 winner Luke Youlden is the head coach for the Porsche Track Experience.

The data leaves your driving techniques naked and exposed.

It shows I brake too early, over-slowing for corners. I also step off the brake too soon, then apply power prematurely, tiptoeing on the throttle while pros wait longer to use the gas, then do so with authority.

Initially, the gap between my driving and the pros is about five seconds per lap. But we chip away at it, refining my technique over the course of two days – one in a yellow Cayman GT4 RS road car, and one in its racing cousin.

Experienced coaches analyse driver data between sessions.

The road car represents a more familiar classroom. It’s quieter, cooler and more forgiving than the Clubsport racer designed to tackle endurance events such as the Bathurst 12 Hour and Nurburgring 24 Hour.

In both models, Youlden and his mates urge me to be braver, braking later before a bend.

Porsche Cayman GT4 RS road car is sensational at the Porsche Track Experience.

To trail brake into an apex, maintaining a little brake pressure to keep weight on the front tyres – and off the rears – to help the car rotate and point where I want to go. I learn to be patient with the throttle, to carry speed across the face of a corner before accelerating away from it.

The gulf drops from five seconds to about one, in what is an incredibly rewarding experience that delivers thrills and satisfaction in equal measure.

And the Bathurst dream feels closer than ever – if only for a day.

Race cars such as the Cayman Clubsport are reserved for the brand’s top level of driver training.

Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport

TO BUY: $365,000 plus spares, fuel, tyres

TO RENT: $6690 per day including coaching

ENGINE: 4.0-litre 6-cyl, 368kW and 450Nm

SAFETY: Roll cage, single piece seat, racing harness, escape hatch, fire suppression system

SERVICE: Bring a pit crew

SPARE: On-board air jacks for fast pit stops.