People who did the Performance Driving School, what were your takeaways?
11-29-17, 11:02 AM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
People who did the Performance Driving School, what were your takeaways?
I did the free one in NY where we drove the RX 350 F Sport, RC F, IS350 F Sport, GS F, LC500.
Let me just say, thanks Lexus for the opportunity. I have to say I came away from it with an appreciation for the GS F and RC F. The GS F was by far my favorite of the bunch, and if I could afford it, I would buy it for a daily driver. I was a little disappointed by the LC500 personally. I'm a younger person, so I guess it's not marketed towards my demographic anyways, but it just felt like a car that you use for going to the golf club a couple times a week. I just couldn't justify paying 30k more for that over the GS F.
What did you guys think? What were your favorites, least favorites, etc.
Let me just say, thanks Lexus for the opportunity. I have to say I came away from it with an appreciation for the GS F and RC F. The GS F was by far my favorite of the bunch, and if I could afford it, I would buy it for a daily driver. I was a little disappointed by the LC500 personally. I'm a younger person, so I guess it's not marketed towards my demographic anyways, but it just felt like a car that you use for going to the golf club a couple times a week. I just couldn't justify paying 30k more for that over the GS F.
What did you guys think? What were your favorites, least favorites, etc.
09-30-19, 07:29 PM
#2
They're doing the school at Laguna Seca now, and I'm quite keen on signing up. I have a good bit of trackday experience (NASA DE3, Chin Blue), so I don't know if I'd be learning a ton of new concepts but it's an excuse to drive through the corkscrew.
Anyone done it recently?
Anyone done it recently?
12-29-22, 10:15 PM
#3
I am a little late to the show here but over the last year I did both their Performance Driving school and their Masterclass at Laguna Seca.
The first thing is that both classes are fun as hell.
I have a lot of little takeaways. I noticed that most people who signed up for the Performance Driving school in my class had almost to a man not ever tracked before. I had, several times, which made me significantly faster than the rest to the point where it was disproportionate. However, I was still a few seconds off instructor pace, so I wasn't exactly some hot shoe.
The best thing about the Performance driving school was the focus on individual portions of performance driving, braking, apex, cones neatly marked everywhere making sightlines easy, and the first time through the corkscrew is just a gee-whiz moment. There was even that skidpad for drifts (i sucked) and the autocross cone course.
Also, they may not do this anymore, but the breakfast burrito they served was massive. And while I was pleasantly impressed at the LC500 (120+ mph over the crest on the first straight and turn-1-kink is a thrill ride) you could tell what it would and wouldn't do because of how heavy it was. I feel like a two ton car using 21" wide-*** wheels is kind of cheating, and it doesn't help feel at all.
If you win the autocross, you get this lovely Lexus branded watch. I don't know much about watches yet but I really liked it.
The Masterclass was for people who had already done the Performance driving school and wanted something a bit more hardcore. It's another single full day of learning and even more sessions of driving. We were in the Fuji edition RC-Fs instead of GSF or LC500s this time, and man, the brakes on those things are serious. As it is to be expected, since it's got the carbon ceramics. There was a lot more individual attention, the regular class was 4-8 people per instructor, the Masterclass was 2 people per instructor. The best part of this class is that you also get a SD card with driving telemetry on it - I forget the software they use, but that and the recordings of inside the car were really helpful in helping me get my rough edges worked out. We also got a little NFT of us - posing in front of the RCF - a bit gimmicky but it also recorded our best autocross lap times and such, and i thought it was pretty cool.
We don't do lap times on Laguna itself for either class, but I had a gopro running and I just need to get that data off the drive and start timing the minutes to see. It was mad fun trying to keep up with the instructor, but his line was just better and his on-off throttle and brake applications were smoother. I had no chance
I'd go back and do the Masterclass again. They're not running on Laguna right now, I think it's Sonoma? But as soon as I have a couple of grand to burn I'm going back. The pro drivers are nice, the instructors are really competent and super patient and observant, and it's just a great time.
I'm also planning on doing the BMW M school at Thermal, CA as well, but one thing at a time.
Let me know if you have any questions since this response is to a 4 year old post
Cheers
The first thing is that both classes are fun as hell.
I have a lot of little takeaways. I noticed that most people who signed up for the Performance Driving school in my class had almost to a man not ever tracked before. I had, several times, which made me significantly faster than the rest to the point where it was disproportionate. However, I was still a few seconds off instructor pace, so I wasn't exactly some hot shoe.
The best thing about the Performance driving school was the focus on individual portions of performance driving, braking, apex, cones neatly marked everywhere making sightlines easy, and the first time through the corkscrew is just a gee-whiz moment. There was even that skidpad for drifts (i sucked) and the autocross cone course.
Also, they may not do this anymore, but the breakfast burrito they served was massive. And while I was pleasantly impressed at the LC500 (120+ mph over the crest on the first straight and turn-1-kink is a thrill ride) you could tell what it would and wouldn't do because of how heavy it was. I feel like a two ton car using 21" wide-*** wheels is kind of cheating, and it doesn't help feel at all.
If you win the autocross, you get this lovely Lexus branded watch. I don't know much about watches yet but I really liked it.
The Masterclass was for people who had already done the Performance driving school and wanted something a bit more hardcore. It's another single full day of learning and even more sessions of driving. We were in the Fuji edition RC-Fs instead of GSF or LC500s this time, and man, the brakes on those things are serious. As it is to be expected, since it's got the carbon ceramics. There was a lot more individual attention, the regular class was 4-8 people per instructor, the Masterclass was 2 people per instructor. The best part of this class is that you also get a SD card with driving telemetry on it - I forget the software they use, but that and the recordings of inside the car were really helpful in helping me get my rough edges worked out. We also got a little NFT of us - posing in front of the RCF - a bit gimmicky but it also recorded our best autocross lap times and such, and i thought it was pretty cool.
We don't do lap times on Laguna itself for either class, but I had a gopro running and I just need to get that data off the drive and start timing the minutes to see. It was mad fun trying to keep up with the instructor, but his line was just better and his on-off throttle and brake applications were smoother. I had no chance
I'd go back and do the Masterclass again. They're not running on Laguna right now, I think it's Sonoma? But as soon as I have a couple of grand to burn I'm going back. The pro drivers are nice, the instructors are really competent and super patient and observant, and it's just a great time.
I'm also planning on doing the BMW M school at Thermal, CA as well, but one thing at a time.
Let me know if you have any questions since this response is to a 4 year old post
Cheers
07-07-23, 06:59 PM
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