Porsche Planning Test Track in L.A.

[AF News Desk]

If you're looking for a place to try out the new Porsche 911 before dropping nearly $90,000 on it, you need only wait until the end of next summer.

The folks at Porsche are going to be building a test track featuring multiple areas for different kinds of testing - all within driving distance of downtown Los Angeles.

The story from AutoWeek:

Originally Posted by By Mark Vaughn - AutoWeek, 11/17/11

A plan of the Porsche test track in the Los Angeles area includes road courses,
a skidpad and an off-road section./AutoWeek


Porsche plans Los Angeles customer test track

Porsche plans to open a new test track for its Porsche Driving Experience at a facility to be built next summer in Carson, Calif., just down the freeway from downtown Los Angeles.

Southern California is by far Porsche's biggest market, so this move makes sense. Potential Porsche pilots will test the limits of adhesion on road courses, a drag strip and a skidpad wedged into the intersection of the San Diego and Harbor freeways. It'll be safer than driving on the freeway.

In addition to two road courses, the 200-foot skidpad and some low-friction surfaces, there will be off-road sections for trying out the Cayenne SUV. Also on hand will be vintage Porsches, conference rooms and a restaurant serving--we can only hope--schnitzel.

It follows an existing facility at the Silverstone circuit in the United Kingdom. Another Experience Center is planned near Porsche's new U.S. headquarters in Atlanta.

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If only I lived in California and had the scratch to buy/test drive a Porsche. You'd better believe I'd be there as soon as possible to try it out.

While the story doesn't detail the specifics on who can and cannot come out for a spin, I think this is a great idea - and one that I wouldn't mind seeing other manufacturers implement (Looking at you, Ferrari).

If you're a Porsche enthusiast, will you/would you take a trip out to this track?

[igor@af]

That'd be absolutely awesome. So cool!

[amy@af]

*raises hand* teacher, can we take a field trip??