“Anybody here not know how to drive a manual?” We thought the Porsche chief instructor was joking, but apparently not. The GT4 arrives exclusively with a six-speed gearbox so I guess he has to make sure!

Behind the wheel, you might think the sublime driving dynamics of the GT4 (along with the driver’s ability…) would account for your speed increasing at every lap, but the presence of a Porsche driving instructor (all of these guys and gals are hugely competent teachers and drivers) in the passenger seat has a huge impact. This takes “personal training” to a whole new level.

“Touch the brake, move to the left, hard acceleration, roll off the brakes and accelerate, brake hard, hard right now full on the gas…” Eventually the instructions diminish in frequency as you learn how to drive on this track and really, you can’t beat this as a way to improve your skills in the shortest possible time.

What it also does is allow you to experience the capabilities of the GT4, hurtling down the straights and threading its way through the curves as speeds most non-racers would otherwise never achieve. The throaty rasp of the exhaust is particularly appealing.

The car has huge poise, instant throttle response and fantastic brakes. The seats in our car provided perfect support and stability in the rapid-fire twists and turns of the Experience Center’s track. I ran in third gear all the way and found gobs of torque throughout.

Of course, it’s not a GT3 or 911 Turbo equivalent (Porsche is very good at delineating its models), but it’s right up there with the deep engineering that permits Porsches to sing when conditions permit.

Look for one in Porsche showrooms by October.

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