PECLA Visit Last Week - Comp. Turbo vs. 4S

[KombuchaBioleather]

So, first off: if anyone is going to be in LA and is wondering if it’s worth $800 to go to PECLA for a 90 minute driving session w/ a pro coaching you, let me tell you - it’s SO worth it! Just a really cool experience. I wanted to do it, in part, to resolve my FOMO over getting a 4S instead of a Turbo. Others have suggested adding a second sesh to drive a GT3 - and I think that’s a brilliant idea, but unfortunately I didn’t have the time for it on my visit.

Anyway, the session begins with a brief tour of the PECLA facility by your driving coach. My coach was named Bob, and he was excellent - a little twitchy/ anal/ particular at times, but I like that in a coach, and given that he’s coaching people driving 100mph+++ in $100k+++ vehicles, I get it.

The driving began with us doing laps on their track - it was a short-ish course, but it featured a few elevation changes and a nice mix of turns and straights to get a good experience of driving the turbo. Bob was in front of me in a 911 (base, I think), and coaching was 1-way from him to me via a walkie talkie that he left in my car. I think I could have pushed the car a good bit harder if I hadn’t had him in front, but the pace was still pretty quick.

After about 30 minutes of laps, we went over to the launch strip and did a series of launch control 0-115-0 trips. I actually hit 117 a couple of times. Interestingly, the turbo’s launch control failed a few tmes - switching the car to P when I lifted off the brake to launch. Bob and I switched to see if it was user error, and he got the same fault once or twice too. Eventually, the fault just went away, so . . . whatever, nbd. Not something I’ve ever experienced in my 4S, fwiw.

After the launches, we did the bump test - they cover smooth flat concrete w/ a thin layer of water, and as you approach the wet surface, there’s a hydraulic “bump” device that hits your rear wheel - randomly alternating between L and R side, which induces a spin on the wet surface. They turn off all the assistance systems, and the goal is to correct the spin as quickly as possible. I failed (got spun around completely) the first time, but got the hang of it pretty quickly after that.

Then there was the downhill slide - wet smooth concrete on an incline, with a right hand turn at the bottom. The goal is to find the limit and induce a slide, then correct it through the turn. This was challenging, and I could really feel the weight of the car when trying to find grip and get back on line. We did this several times, and I think it was a good lesson: the trick is straightening the wheels and easing back into the turn, with as little brake as possible.

Next, there was what I will call the “wet circle” - more water covered smooth concrete, on a flat surface with a 15-20 yard diameter circle painted on it. The trick was to drive around the circle as fast as possible until reaching the limit, then correcting the slide and continuing around the circle. When I did this, there were a couple of 911s opposite me on the circle, and I was surprised to find that I was consistently catching up to them in the Turbo as we went around the circle - and I was saving my slides much more quickly than the drivers in the 911s (they often got extremely loose once they started to slide). Not sure to what extent the issue was the car or the driver in the other vehicles, but it was inspiring to be in a Macan and holding my own against the legendary 911.

The last “training” was a cone course with a quick zig zag (like dodging a dog or a kid who pops out of nowhere), and another wet surface turn that produced a slide, which I had to correct. That one was a little tedious after the other ‘lessons.’ Not terrible, just a little less fun.

Finally, we went back and did a few more launches, and the session ended.

Verdict on Turbo vs. 4S? Turbo is definitely faster in a straight line. Handling felt virtually identical between Turbo and my 4S, and the Turbo’s acceleration on the track did not feel much different than I imagine it would feel in the 4S - except on the longer straights, where it was noticeably faster, but not significantly so, if that makes sense.

Anyway, that’s the report. Call it confirmation bias, but I’m still glad I got the loaded 4S instead of the lean Turbo.

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[Powerdoc]

Thanks for this report. I am happy to have ordered a 4S

 

[Stand]

Very informative, appreciate the feedback.
So it seemed even with the PTV+ which is standard on the turbo the handling was pretty comparable , any RAS on yours or turbo?

 

[KombuchaBioleather]

Very informative, appreciate the feedback.
So it seemed even with the PTV+ which is standard on the turbo the handling was pretty comparable , any RAS on yours or turbo?

I have both PTV+ and RAS on my "loaded" 4S - the Turbo had both as well. On mine, I didn't get innodrive or HUD (didn't want HUD, slight regret on not getting innodrive, maybe, but this isn't likely to be a road-tripper car, so seemed like something I might not use much).

 

[daveo4EV]

So, first off: if anyone is going to be in LA and is wondering if it’s worth $800 to go to PECLA for a 90 minute driving session w/ a pro coaching you, let me tell you - it’s SO worth it! Just a really cool experience. I wanted to do it, in part, to resolve my FOMO over getting a 4S instead of a Turbo. Others have suggested adding a second sesh to drive a GT3 - and I think that’s a brilliant idea, but unfortunately I didn’t have the time for it on my visit.

Anyway, the session begins with a brief tour of the PECLA facility by your driving coach. My coach was named Bob, and he was excellent - a little twitchy/ anal/ particular at times, but I like that in a coach, and given that he’s coaching people driving 100mph+++ in $100k+++ vehicles, I get it.

The driving began with us doing laps on their track - it was a short-ish course, but it featured a few elevation changes and a nice mix of turns and straights to get a good experience of driving the turbo. Bob was in front of me in a 911 (base, I think), and coaching was 1-way from him to me via a walkie talkie that he left in my car. I think I could have pushed the car a good bit harder if I hadn’t had him in front, but the pace was still pretty quick.

After about 30 minutes of laps, we went over to the launch strip and did a series of launch control 0-115-0 trips. I actually hit 117 a couple of times. Interestingly, the turbo’s launch control failed a few tmes - switching the car to P when I lifted off the brake to launch. Bob and I switched to see if it was user error, and he got the same fault once or twice too. Eventually, the fault just went away, so . . . whatever, nbd. Not something I’ve ever experienced in my 4S, fwiw.

After the launches, we did the bump test - they cover smooth flat concrete w/ a thin layer of water, and as you approach the wet surface, there’s a hydraulic “bump” device that hits your rear wheel - randomly alternating between L and R side, which induces a spin on the wet surface. They turn off all the assistance systems, and the goal is to correct the spin as quickly as possible. I failed (got spun around completely) the first time, but got the hang of it pretty quickly after that.

Then there was the downhill slide - wet smooth concrete on an incline, with a right hand turn at the bottom. The goal is to find the limit and induce a slide, then correct it through the turn. This was challenging, and I could really feel the weight of the car when trying to find grip and get back on line. We did this several times, and I think it was a good lesson: the trick is straightening the wheels and easing back into the turn, with as little brake as possible.

Next, there was what I will call the “wet circle” - more water covered smooth concrete, on a flat surface with a 15-20 yard diameter circle painted on it. The trick was to drive around the circle as fast as possible until reaching the limit, then correcting the slide and continuing around the circle. When I did this, there were a couple of 911s opposite me on the circle, and I was surprised to find that I was consistently catching up to them in the Turbo as we went around the circle - and I was saving my slides much more quickly than the drivers in the 911s (they often got extremely loose once they started to slide). Not sure to what extent the issue was the car or the driver in the other vehicles, but it was inspiring to be in a Macan and holding my own against the legendary 911.

The last “training” was a cone course with a quick zig zag (like dodging a dog or a kid who pops out of nowhere), and another wet surface turn that produced a slide, which I had to correct. That one was a little tedious after the other ‘lessons.’ Not terrible, just a little less fun.

Finally, we went back and did a few more launches, and the session ended.

Verdict on Turbo vs. 4S? Turbo is definitely faster in a straight line. Handling felt virtually identical between Turbo and my 4S, and the Turbo’s acceleration on the track did not feel much different than I imagine it would feel in the 4S - except on the longer straights, where it was noticeably faster, but not significantly so, if that makes sense.

Anyway, that’s the report. Call it confirmation bias, but I’m still glad I got the loaded 4S instead of the lean Turbo.

this is a great write up and consistent with my experience at PECLA and PECATL - the 4S/Turbo are going to be similar other than "raw power" - eventually I feel a GTS Macan EV will be the "sweet" sport between the 4S and the Turbo

my Turbo is great and I'm happy so far.

 

[KombuchaBioleather]

this is a great write up and consistent with my experience at PECLA and PECATL - the 4S/Turbo are going to be similar other than "raw power" - eventually I feel a GTS Macan EV will be the "sweet" sport between the 4S and the Turbo

my Turbo is great and I'm happy so far.

The Turbo IS excellent!

 

[USMA81]

My PECLA experience was similar. I too noticed that the Macan AWD performed superbly on the slick tracks, so much so that I decided that there won’t be any more RWD vehicles in my future. The 911’s I saw clearly were RWD and had much more difficulty on these low friction surfaces.

 

[Fun TC Driving]

Having never driven a 4S I can not comment on their relative strengths nor differences, but having driven very powerful sports cars for decades, and literally tens of other vehicles too, after finally getting our Turbo released from the Porsche dealer after 3 1/2 weeks of many software updates, we just finished two days of driving our turbo spiritedly, including a lot of times at 8/10’s or more.

I am amazed by its cornering prowess, steering, speed, smooth and consistent braking, and more. Our other vehicle is a 670 HP C8 Z06 which is a cornering, powerful wonder. But on the same very curvy road we drive enthusiastically also at near full blast regularly, got to say our Macan is just as much fun.

My summary of it is that it is a SPORTS CAR WRAPPED IN A CROSSOVER BODY (and of course being a crossover physically is not an asset but a minor detriment).

We just loved our last two days of pushing our Macan through the corners, blasting out of them, braking into the next one, and then repeat — then doing more of the same over and over. What a wonderfully fun vehicle!!!

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