GT3, 911 Turbo, Targa 4S, Cayman and Boxster S
Birmingham, Alabama. Porsche recently invited a group of journalists to test five of their cars on the track--and not the least: a base Cayman, the popular Boxster S, the new 911 Targa 4S as well as the powerful 911 Turbo and GT3. The event was held at the Barber Motorsports Park, which is the North American home of the Porsche Sport Driving School (PSDS).
The track
George Barber, an influential milk industrialist in Alabama, has been driving Porsches for many years. He thought it would be fun and exciting to create his own private raceway. This man is a visionary and a passionate enthusiast who also had the brilliant idea of building an extraordinary motorcycle museum, with over 1,000 models to showcase. Inside the venue is also an impressive collection of Porsches and Lotuses. As for the track per se, it is 2.6 miles long and proves to be very technical. There are only two, relatively short straightaways. Numerous motorcycle and auto races are held on this track.
One track and five Porsches to tame
Our test day started with a quick tour of the Barber Motorsports Park. Hurley Haywood, an official driver and multiple-time winner at Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona, drove us along the track in a Eurovan, taking time to signal the braking points and the track's many pitfalls. After that, it was finally time to step into the cars that were put at our disposal. I must admit that I couldn't exploit the full potential of the first two cars (911 Turbo and GT3) simply because I was too focused on getting familiar with the track. Nevertheless, I was able to learn a few crucial tips. This raceway is the best place to push a Porsche or any exotic car to its limits.
Birmingham, Alabama. Porsche recently invited a group of journalists to test five of their cars on the track--and not the least: a base Cayman, the popular Boxster S, the new 911 Targa 4S as well as the powerful 911 Turbo and GT3. The event was held at the Barber Motorsports Park, which is the North American home of the Porsche Sport Driving School (PSDS).
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The track
George Barber, an influential milk industrialist in Alabama, has been driving Porsches for many years. He thought it would be fun and exciting to create his own private raceway. This man is a visionary and a passionate enthusiast who also had the brilliant idea of building an extraordinary motorcycle museum, with over 1,000 models to showcase. Inside the venue is also an impressive collection of Porsches and Lotuses. As for the track per se, it is 2.6 miles long and proves to be very technical. There are only two, relatively short straightaways. Numerous motorcycle and auto races are held on this track.
One track and five Porsches to tame
Our test day started with a quick tour of the Barber Motorsports Park. Hurley Haywood, an official driver and multiple-time winner at Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona, drove us along the track in a Eurovan, taking time to signal the braking points and the track's many pitfalls. After that, it was finally time to step into the cars that were put at our disposal. I must admit that I couldn't exploit the full potential of the first two cars (911 Turbo and GT3) simply because I was too focused on getting familiar with the track. Nevertheless, I was able to learn a few crucial tips. This raceway is the best place to push a Porsche or any exotic car to its limits.
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