Open Track Day For Porsche Owners At Sepang International Circuit
Do you own a sports car but think that speeding on public roads is too dangerous, irresponsible and expensive? Or perhaps you feel you don’t have the skills to properly handle it? If the sports car you own is a Porsche then you have the chance to use the car within safe confines, and with expert guidance. Earlier this month, Porsche owners in Malaysia had the opportunity to give the horses in their sports cars a good workout at the Posche Open Track Day hosted by the authorized importer of Porsche in Malaysia, Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP) at the Sepang International Circuit.
On hand to support the Porsche owners were the SDAP technical team, Michelin and Mobil 1, giving the event a real motorsport vibe. All the Porsche cars were inspected by technical support and the necessary was remedied before the cars left for the track. Also present were certified Porsche instructors and race drivers to impart tips and guidance to the Porsche owners to help them improve their driving skills. One of the Porsche race drivers present was Will Bamber, who races in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (he is the younger brother of Earl Bamber who drives for Porsche Motorsport in the World Endurance Championship LMP1 class). Will took time off his race schedule to help coach Porsche owners on the finer points of track driving. At the event, Will also gave taxi rides around Sepang with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, a track-ready version of the 2-door mid-engined sports car.
“SDAP’s Open Track Day is honestly one of the best experiences available to hone your speed and control behind the wheel. I am very thrilled that SDAP offers such a rare program to their customers. Professional driving instructors were on hand throughout the day to provide one-on-one training and useful tips to enhance your driving skills in a safe and controlled environment,” said Will Bamber.
For a nominal fee, Porsche owners got to drive the full length of the famed Sepang International Circuit, refine and improve their driving as well as understand their Porsches better; the ambitious ones were given the chance to win in a time trial program. Those who didn’t want to go all out could watch the action from the air-conditioned pit area, while they enjoyed gourmet catering and beverages.
“The Porsche Open Track Day is a way to show appreciation to our customers. It is an opportunity for them to maximize the potential of their cars and to experience a day of adrenaline-pumping driving,” said Arnt Bayer, Chief Executive Officer of SDAP. “We are very fortunate to have such a fanatastic track right at our doorstep. The event is a perfect Sunday activity for sports car owners to have fun on the track and they can drive the same car to the office again on Monday morning. You can only do this with a Porsche,” he added.
SDAP invited several members of the motoring media to join in the fun. We were given the 718 Cayman and the 718 Boxster S to play with. Both these cars are essentially the same, with the Boxster being the softtop version of the Cayman. As mentioned, the Cayman/Boxster has a mid-engine layout i.e. it sits right behind the driver (there are no rear seats), ahead of the rear axle hence the it is quite balanced.
Although the 718 Cayman, as the base model in the range, has a lower powered 2.0L turbocharged flat four engine, it still does the 0 – 100 km/h sprint in 4.7 seconds (with the PDK and Sport Chrono options), thanks to the 300 hp and 380 Nm available. Despite all this power, you have the option of Adaptive Cruise Control with coasting function, which disengages the clutch in when the car is cruising, to help save fuel; official fuel consumption is 6.9 liters per 100 km. We had no use of this on the race track but it’s a great function to have on the daily commute.
On the other hand, the 718 Boxster S is a little more powerful. It has a 2.5L turbocharged engine with variable turbine geometry and is good for 350 hp and 420 Nm. With that, the Boxster S can speed to a 100 km/h from standstill in 4.2 seconds (with PDK and Sport Chrono options), yet record a fuel consumption of 7.3 liters per 100 km. The 7-speed dual clutch PDK transmission is standard on all the Caymans and Boxsters sold by SDAP.
All the Porsches sold by SDAP also include a 4-year warranty and a 4-year / 100,000 km free service and maintenance package. Plus, you get the opportunity to join in the fun at events such as this Open Track Day as well as other drives and events hosted or supported by SDAP.
If you are interested in guidance from professional and certified Porsche instructors, you can take part in driving programs organizes by the Porsche Sport Driving School. Visit drivingexperience.porsche.com to find out more.
