REVIEW: Lexus Performance Driving School is the Perfect Gift for Any Auto Enthusiast
Drifting. Autocross. And a legendary road course? Lexus Performance Driving School [explicative deleted] rules.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Lexus USA paid for me to attend Lexus Performance Driving School at Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA and fed me. But this is NOT a sponsored review. My thoughts are my own. And my goal is to be as objective as possible.
Let’s dive in.
Americans spend 18 DAYS PER YEAR behind the wheel. (18!) But, despite all the seat time, how do you REALLY know you’re a good driver? Or, more importantly, that you can drive SAFELY while pushing a vehicle to its performance edge.
In other words, if you aren’t teaching or routinely competing in some form of organized racing, it’s probably a good idea for you to take a few classes and up your game. Toss away your road habits and replace them with racer focus.
Plus, it’s super fun.
Pricing & Your Day
Lexus Performance Driving School costs $995 and is a one-day introductory racing course. Transportation and accommodation are on you. But tuition includes breakfast, lunch, an unlimited amount of soft drinks and snacks, and three types of driving challenges in three Lexus cars:
- RC F for drifting
- IS 350 F Sport for autocross
- LC 500 Coupe on the big road course
Over an eight-hour day, we attempt each of the challenges once in the morning, and then once again in the afternoon. Here’s how it breaks down:
Drifting
With Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and traction control engaged, the Lexus RC F does a remarkable job pointing itself wherever you tell it. But toggle traction control off, drop the hammer, and crank the wheel, and welcome to drift city. Glorious V8 screaming as your rear end swings.
The trick to drifting, our instructors say, is finding the balance between steering input and throttle modulation. Too much steering and throttle, and the backend walks all the way around. Too little of either, and you’ll push or find traction again.
Least shocking revelation of the day… Drifting is WAY harder than in looks. And also a pretty good arm workout. But the instructors are encouraging and I manage to hold a drift or two. But I have so much more to learn. (Also my arms still hurt.)
Autocross
An orange-cone course in a parking lot. One car at a time. Go as fast as you can without hitting a cone or overshooting the stop-box finish line. Here we get six laps total with tips from some amazing instructors who highlight several disciplines that seem to stem from two key principles:
- Drivers are better at anticipating than reacting.
- Tires can only do 100% of one thing at a time.
In other words, memorize the course and keep your eyes UP, which keeps you looking forward, planning for the next obstacle and avoiding surprises. Look where you want the car to go, NOT what you need to avoid.
Instructors also encourage us to separate different driver inputs. Why? Because tires turn best without significant throttle or braking. And vehicles tend to offer maximum acceleration and braking performance in a straight line. The idea is that you want to accelerate, brake, and turn in separated motions. And transition between each smoothly and quickly.
If you drive smooth, you can drive clean. If you drive clean, you can drive fast.
Road Course
Laguna Seca. 2.238 miles. 11 turns. And a 180-foot elevation change including a FIVE-STORY drop through the legendary corkscrew. All in an LC 500 rocking 472 high-revving ponies and a carbon-fiber roof. Not necessarily the ideal track vehicle at 4,200 pounds, but still fun.
In the morning, instructors lay out the fundamentals over two three-laps sessions. Instructors drive the GS F with students following in the LC. First, we learn the course and follow that up with several hard-breaking exercises before increasing speeds.
After lunch, we go out for four more three-lap sessions, making use of everything learned over the day. Eye placement. Throttle and braking. Observing a wide-narrow-wide corner strategy.
And by our last lap, we’re ripping down the straights at over 100 miles an hour. Braking hard. Turning fast. And generally feeling like race car drivers.
It’s in this last lap that the whole day becomes clear. All of the tips. All of the strategies. All of the repetition. Leading to one glorious lap and, hopefully, more future experiences just like this one.
Is Lexus Performance Driving School Worth $1,000?
Overall, very much so. I would argue that any auto enthusiasts that aren’t already very into racing will benefit from the tips and techniques presented in this course. Even those with some experience could have fun and get to try out the latest Lexus rides.
The instructors are awesome. The hosts and staff make you feel like a celebrity. And you get to beat on some really cool cars without having to replace expensive tires. Coupled with the variety of experiences and the literal beauty of Laguna Seca and Monterey, it’s a ton of fun and reasonably priced.
However…
I think there are two areas where Lexus could improve the overall experience that, admittedly, was also very new to these folks because the driving school has been shut down for the entire pandemic (plus, there’s extra sanitization involved, etc.)
Still, I wonder if the day’s structure is too complex. Three driving challenges in the morning, three in the afternoon, means moving people around a bunch, which leads to some downtime with little to do.
Along those lines, I’m not sure if eight-ish total minutes of drifting and six autocross laps are enough to learn, adjust, and implement new techniques. As our time ended with each, it felt like we were just getting started. Coupled with the extra downtime, I wonder if it would make more sense to not rotate as often, but instead spend more time cars implementing new skills.
In contrast, the road course builds continuously over the day and feels like it a bigger learning experience.
Lexus Performance Driving School Final Thoughts
Overall, though, if you get a chance to attend Lexus Performance Driving School or any other school or OEM-based track experience, this one and any chance to learn and grow is highly recommended.
Just be prepared to become addicted to a new expensive hobby.
