Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Porsche center reopens with new virus rules
ATLANTA — The pandemic forced many attractions to temporarily close their doors. One facility has reopened, however, and is sure to provide thrills for any car enthusiast: the Porsche Experience Center.
The center, which allows guests to experience driving some of the best sports cars in the world while under the close supervision of professional driving instructors, has been revamped to ensure social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions.
The highlight of the Porsche Experience Center is its 1.6-mile track that consists of six different driving modules.
Some are designed to simulate everyday driving. Others let you experience the rush of driving a Porsche, especially the Taycan Turbo S, the company’s first electric production vehicle.
During a recent visit to the center, an AJC editor and photographer were able to experience the Taycan under the watchful eye of instructor Tyler Fling.
Fling helped the editor navigate through several of the course’s modules. One is called the “Kick Plate” module. This module tests vehicle-control skills when encountering a skid or spin.
A hydraulic plate is placed before a wet epoxy surface. As a vehicle travels over the plate at a safe rate of speed, sensors move the plate randomly left or right to mimic sliding that might occur during inclement weather conditions.
Another module is the Dynamics area. This one challenges a driver’s speed, agility and lane-change performance on a large asphalt pad designed to simulate maneuvers one might encounter during daily driving.
All activities are done with safety in mind.
Customers must submit to a temperature check and wear masks. Porsche’s professional drivers, who used to be seated in the passenger seat as you drove, now travel in an advance car and radio instructions to you. Social distancing is strictly enforced, and the cars are disinfected after each use.