10 Reasons Why the Lexus Performance Driving School Made Me a Better Driver
I love to drive. So, a day whirring around a track in a performance vehicle? You can imagine how big the grin was on my face when I rolled down to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, to attend the Lexus Performance Driving School. COTA, as race fans call it, is the only purpose-built F1 track in the US, but it’s used for other races like Moto GP and NASCAR. And, it’s used for test drives, performance driving classes and more. Everyone else drives on it, so why can’t I, and why can’t you?
If you have ever experienced an all-day thrill like this, you know it’s not just for kicks and adrenaline. Sure, we learned to hit the curves on an autocross course, how to approach the apex on a road course and how to drift, all in one day. But the skills learned at programs like this expand our driving education. You hone your skills for daily driving when you attend performance driving school.
Still, it was intimidating. What made it better were the pro drivers and friendly Lexus team who guided us through the experience. They all reassured us that we would be safe doing all the activities, which included autocross in the Lexus IS 500 F Sport, road course laps in the LC 500 and a lesson in drifting in the Lexus RC F. I was there with consumers who paid $1,195 for the experience. There were a few folks who were nervous, but as the day progressed the worry lines on those faces were replaced by smile lines.
So, what was the day like at Lexus Performance Driving School, and what did I learn?
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Warm Welcomes Abound at the Lexus Performance Driving School
When I walked into the Lexus Performance Driving School classroom at the COTA racetrack that morning, the room was filled with dozens of smiling people, including a good number of women, which made me feel much more at home.
After a brief registration confirmation, we were shown to a beautiful breakfast buffet, and after that, we settled in to begin the class. Then, we broke up into small groups to try all the experiences on the agenda – autocross, racetrack, and drifting.
Learning the Fundamentals of Driving at Lexus Performance Driving School
The fundamentals of sound driving were reviewed first thing, and foundation lessons were handed out. A good example of this advice the welcoming and informative instructors told us is to keep your eyes up: don’t Look at the bumper in front of you; look where you want to go.
Just like skiing and other sports, the idea is to watch the ground in front of you. All of it. When you keep your eyes up, you can avoid more hazards behind the wheel.
Precision Matters On Every Road
The goal on the autocross course that morning was not to knock any cones down while testing the capability of the IS500 F Sport. Well, let me tell you, that car made its impression on me. It wasn’t me testing the capability as much as it was the car showing me its best features. Handling is one of them, and it made me feel very secure; so secure in fact, I just may be looking for one of these unassuming powerhouse sedans for my next car purchase.
We took the course at a slow speed at first to get familiar with it, and then our groups all fell into place for a friendly competition. There would be a prize at the end of the day for being the fastest, and you better believe, I had my eye on it. But so did everyone else.
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Keep Safe Intervals — So You Don’t *Tap* the Bumper of Your Lexus
We did a lead-follow experience with our instructor on the racetrack for the first few laps. The goal was to stay two to three car lengths behind each driver and to maintain that position and momentum the whole way around the track. This was especially important when applying the brakes prior to a hard turn.
The best position is eyes up and you’re safest with enough space between you and the car ahead of you, right? Now ask yourself if you have attempted that recently in rush hour traffic. I’ll wait.
This is the type of lesson learned at Lexus Performance Driving School that helps drivers to improve their daily driving.
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Maintain Your Energy Behind the Wheel
It might not seem easy to stay calm behind the wheel of a car going 80 miles an hour on a track, when you have to make split second decisions, when you’re trying to remember what your instructor told you. But that’s just what the Lexus instructors taught us: one of the most important things to do in a high-speed situation is to remain calm. A calm heart rate will help you make sound decisions, and there were definitely a few times I found myself taking deep breaths as the LC500 whizzed around the track.
I also learned that straight wheels during acceleration and braking take less energy, so you can focus on the road in front of you instead of trying to correct the car. That little tip is one I really appreciated.
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Learn to Trust Yourself Behind the Wheel
Trusting the capabilities of each car I drove enabled me to trust myself more while learning track skills that are not necessarily intuitive, and in fact, might be counter to my natural reaction. I consider myself a cautious and capable driver, but after this experience, if I were to find myself in a negative situation on the road in my daily driving, I know I could trust my skills—as well as my car—to help protect me.
The Cars are Capable Can Be Gorgeous, Too
One of the fundamental rules of luxury cars is that they should also be performance cars with larger engines and more capable handling. If I’d never thought about the performance capability of Lexus, I will now. We experienced extraordinary handling in the IS 500 F Sport, full throttle and full braking capability at high speeds in the Lexus LC500, and drifting, which is insanely sliding the car sideways while accelerating and maintaining control—all things we are taught NOT to do in driver’s ed— on the spin pad in the RC F. Knowing and experiencing the capability of these cars will help you to relax behind the wheel, knowing everything you need is at your fingertips in the driver’s seat.
Your Car’s Safety Features: Like Having Your Mom Protecting You
If you are like me and worry about your car’s technology being able to step in and provide security at the right time, you can relax.
One of the Lexus Performance Driving School lessons focused on stability and traction control, which they said is like having your mom in the car. Traction control that prevents over- and under-steering, or turning too wide or turning too soon for the curve and losing control. This is something you want in any car you drive.
Reinforce Your Initial Driving Lessons
And, our instructors went back to basics. The first thing they reviewed was a proper driving position. When your seat is in an upright position, and you aren’t stretching your legs or arms to reach the pedals to the wheel, you are fully prepared to drive and for any emergencies.
And, they showed us the correct positioning of our hands. We want them at 9 and 3 as on a clock face, not 10 and 12, as we may have learned, and certainly not 8 and 4, and no hand-over-hand or casual handling of the wheel. With hands at 9 and 3 we are able to keep both hands on the wheel when making turns, providing better control and stability.
The Ultimate Benefit of Lexus Performance Driving School? Fueling Your Passion
Speeding legally is how Scott Pruett, former racing champion and LPDS ambassador, put it. How does that not elicit a squeal, a tongue wag and a smile?
We were fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with Scott, who is now a winemaker and strives for excellence in his vintages just as he did with the cars he influenced at Lexus. He took us on a hot lap around the autocross track, and even with three other people in the car, he clocked in at 21 seconds, beating me by a lifetime (my best time was 25 seconds). I may have looked disheveled when I exited that IS500 F Sport, but man, oh man, it was the most exciting 21 seconds of my life.
And just like that, it was 5 o’clock, and the class was dismissed. I left the track pleasantly tired, more aware of what was happening on the surrounding roads, and maybe driving just a *skinch* faster, until I checked my speed.
A week later I don’t look at highway entrance ramps, apexes of curves, or people who ride up on other people’s bumpers the same way. And maybe being aware of these small details on the road will help me maintain my new driving skills even more.
Categorized:Car Culture