By Angel Rivero
WHAT A SPECIAL DAY it was — a three-day extravaganza where speed, luxury, and precision converged in a celebration of four of the most illustrious car brands: Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley. They called it the PGA World of Supercars. And hurrah, I was one of the giddy invitees!
The event was held at the Clark International Speedway from Feb. 2 to 4, and it easily drew close to 300 participants. Guests were afforded the opportunity to test-drive these sophisticated vehicles, and among the driving exercises were a slalom, acceleration and braking, water-wading, and guided laps around the track.
The special opportunity to test the limits of these beautiful machines were carried out under the guidance of seasoned professionals, namely: Filipino race drivers Georges Ramirez and Louis Ramirez, French race driver Benjamin Rouget, and Macanese race driver Rodolfo Avila.
As my participation at the busy PGA World of Supercars event started off with slalom rounds, I got to test the precision and agility of the handsome Porsche Cayman and the Porsche Macan — doing some speedy maneuvering, and using different drive modes. They clearly did not disappoint.
After all, the Cayman is some kind of a slalom virtuoso, because at the heart of its prowess lies a meticulously engineered chassis and suspension system that is calibrated to deliver excellent agility and responsiveness; not to mention that it also carries near-perfect weight distribution.
Meanwhile, the Porsche Macan, even with its larger stature compared to the Cayman, is delightfully adept at maneuvering through slaloms with confidence. Its relatively compact dimensions and finely tuned suspension system allow it to navigate through tight courses with delightful precision and poise.
Following the slaloms were acceleration and braking tests of the Porsche Cayenne V6 and the all-electric Porsche Taycan. The Cayenne V6 accelerates with authority, and its high-performance brake systems allow me to modulate the braking force with control and confidence. But I have to say that the all-electric Taycan was my favorite — as it instantaneously surged forward and upon reaching high speed, still provided the most reassuring and confidence-building stopping power as soon as I stepped on the brakes.
Furthermore, there were also water-wading driving exercises for customers, using the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne S Coupe, and the Audi e-Tron 55 Q8. Prospective clients who preferred to test-drive and experience the newest models’ latest features were also given the chance to do so along roads within the vicinity of Clark International Speedway. There were also open-track sessions for car owners who craved for the thrills of pushing their own cars to its limits on the racetrack.
It truly was an awesome experience to explore the varying limits of performance in the cockpits of some of the most revered vehicles. Certainly, these exciting memories will linger even long after all the race tires had cooled.