Yahoo Autos It’s Never Been Easier (Or Cheaper) to Attend a Factory Driving School
From the August 2018 issue
Now that 300 horsepower is just a conversation starter, automakers have concluded that you lack a very particular set of skills, skills you have not acquired over a very long career. How then, as a speed junkie buying the fastest car you can afford, do you admit to being a driver in need of training? The answer: You buy a car that offers a track-time program, and tell your friends you’re attending only to show the instructors “how it’s done.” Many automakers now host full-day track sessions that can include drifting, drag-racing, and autocrossing instruction, sometimes at no additional charge to their customers. “If you’re buying a $100,000 drag car, you’re probably not a rookie,” says SRT marketing chief Mark Malmstead. But, he says, even experienced owners of an 840-hp Demon need to “take it off the street and put it in a sanctioned environment.”
SRT’s drag-racing school in Chandler, Arizona, is included in the purchase price of the Demon. It covers everything from introductions to the Christmas tree and bracket racing to launch techniques. All the 2018 dates are already sold out. Similarly, when Ford announced the RS Adrenaline Academy in 2016, 300 Focus RS buyers signed up the same day. “We develop the class around what the car is capable of,” says Jim Owens, who heads marketing for Ford Performance. Someone with a Fiesta ST can learn to pull 180s and slide into a parking space. The GT350 Track Attack courses are so popular that they’re booked a full six months in advance. Raptor owners wary of aggressive side-slope angles can practice moves in a secure “playpen” before the Raptor Assault program takes them on the trails. And automakers see a benefit beyond saving their owners from Instagram infamy: loyalty. “There is a measurable impact to their purchases,” says Owens.
At least 10 brands offer their customers exclusive, baked-into-the-purchase-price, and/or discounted driving experiences. Many more, including Lamborghini, Land Rover, and Porsche, have full-time schools open to anyone. In 2019, Lexus will let novices rip onto Laguna Seca and top off their day with Scott Pruett sloshing their internal organs on a hot lap, all for $995. Even vehicles with little track appeal-say, the seven-passenger Mercedes-AMG GLS63-earn buyers complimentary training. These programs are also an acknowledgment of just how fast modern performance cars have become. “It’s how our instructors communicate the engineering prowess to our customers so they can experience it themselves,” says Owens. And hopefully, you’ll tell a friend with disposable income.
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Acura NSX Dynamic Drive Experience
Cost: $1792–$2240; only open to gen-two NSX owners
Duration: Two or four hours
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BMW M Driver’s Program
Cost: $1550; included with purchase of any BMW with the M Driver’s package
Duration: One day
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Cadillac V-Performance Academy
Cost: $2470; included with purchase of ATS-V or CTS-V
Duration: Two days
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Corvette Owners School
Cost: $1000; ZR1 Owners School included with purchase of ZR1
Duration: Two days
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High Performance Driving School of Dodge/SRT
Cost: $999–$1999; included with purchase of Dodge SRT or Jeep SRT/Trackhawk models; drag-racing class is Demon-only
Duration: One day
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Ferrari Corso Pilota
Cost: $13,900–$24,900; only available to owners who purchased new or used from a dealer
Duration: Two days
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Fiat Trackside Experience
Cost: $999; included with purchase of 500 Abarth or 124 Spider Abarth
Duration: One day
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Ford Raptor Assault, GT350 Track Attack, ST Octane Academy, RS Adrenaline Academy
Cost: Included with purchase of F-150 Raptor, Mustang Shelby GT350/R, Fiesta ST/Focus ST, Focus RS
Duration: One day (including one-night stay)
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Pure McLaren Owner Track Day
Cost: $1800–$29,000
Duration: One to two and a half days
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Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy
Cost: $1895–$5995; Performance-level class included with any new Mercedes-AMG purchased within the past 12 months
Duration: One to three days
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