Porsche to Open New Driver Development Track at Atlanta Experience Center
Porsche Cars North America will open a second driver development track at the Porsche Experience Center Atlanta to the public on April 1, the company announced.
The second track, designed by Tilke, effectively doubles the length of the existing driver development course, offering 90 minute driving experiences in Porsche sports cars with one-on-one instruction from a Porsche Drive Coach, the manufacturer said. The new track can be driven on its own or in combination with the existing track and adds features inspired by some of the world’s best roads and racing turns, designers said.
Open to the public, including owners and non-Porsche owners, the PEC offers drives for visitors with a full brand immersion including a gallery with classic Porsche vehicles on display, a retail shop and a restaurant.
“We’re thrilled to expand our U.S. headquarters with a new track that delivers exhilarating driving experiences in Porsche sports cars,” said Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of PCNA. “We have called Atlanta home for 25 years and this ribbon cutting will help mark that anniversary in the most exciting way possible, underlining our continued investment in Atlanta and the local community. It’s been a fulfilling journey to bring this track to life, with inspiration drawn from several iconic race tracks, such as the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, Daytona and Laguna Seca. Intended to allow guests to take our sports cars to the next level, the track will offer even more dynamic driving than its sister track and serve as a new brand experience for the public.”
The new 1.3-mile driver development track includes several instructor-led driving modules:
Low-Friction Circle: allows drivers to experience the understeer and oversteer characteristics of a Porsche on a wet, polished concrete surface that is over 196 feet in diameter.
Ice Hill: the Ice Hill simulates an icy mountain road where a driver is likely to lose control up or down the hill. It has an 8 percent slope, computer-controlled water jets and a low friction polished surface, which provides a unique and challenging scenario to test even the most experienced of drivers.
Handling Circuit: a 1.3-mile motorsports-inspired driving circuit with elements influenced by the Carousel from Germany’s Nürburgring-Nordschleife; the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca, with a rise of 30 feet and drop of 25 feet through approaching and descending turns; and the twisty and challenging Tail of the Dragon in the Smoky Mountains.
