May 2005

In late May, a group of 21 Porsche enthusiasts set off Down Under to test out the new Porsche models at the much talked about Mt Cotton training circuit in the Gold Coast. To our delight we were treated to the complete range of new models: 997 Carrera, Carrera S & cabriolet, 987 & 987S, 996 turbo cabriolet & the Cayenne turbo. The cars were available in tiptronic & manual gearboxes. And there was no shortage of smiles at every training station.

We were split into 3 groups of 7 participants, otherwise referred to during the 2-day course as the Red, Blue & Green Groups. Throughout the day, each group was sent to one of the three training stations: the B-shaped skid pan, the slippery motorkhana & the fast road circuit. At the end of each day, all three groups met up at the motorkhana for a little friendly Top Gun show down.

The experienced instructors at Mt Cotton were equally as enthusiastic as the participants. Many of them, past & current competitive drivers, guided our eager group of novices on the final details of car control (understeer, oversteer, power drift), Porsche electronic aids (ABS, PSM) & circuit driving (the racing line). The learning was fun & interactive making the course all that more enjoyable. At the end of two days many of us felt more confident behind the wheel of the impressive line up of new Porsches. Everyone had successfully completed Level 1 & 2 of Mt Cotton training.

During our short visit, we stayed at the beautiful Gold Coast resort hotel, Palazzo Versace*, & drove around the city in rentals. Our hotel was a short drive from many of the tourist attractions, including beaches, golf courses, theme parks & Jupiters Casino. There was plenty to see & do, but our days were packed with fun-filled driving from 8.30am till 4pm at the training centre. So whatever little time we had outside of Mt Cotton was spent appreciating the wonderful Autumn weather & wholesome Aussie tucker on a backdrop of glorious sunsets by the white sandy beaches.

As the main group prepared to part ways, a small group of five keen trackies stayed on for Mt Cotton Level 3* at the Queensland Raceway in Ipswich. The highlight of this training session was to drive the GT3 RS on track. Although each driver was limited to only 3 laps in the GT3 RS, the short time spent behind the wheel of this raw track machine was an awesome experience!

Mt Cotton was a superb driving holiday. The fun-loving company, temperate weather & great food truly left a lasting impression on everyone. Thoroughly enthused by our invigorating holiday, we left the Gold Coast in high spirits.  We all look forward to the next release of new Porsches to rehash our memorable Mt Cotton trip.