And now for something completely different… driver’s training.
But not just any driver’s training – Porsche Driver’s Training. On ice.
And not just some ice, either – lots of ice. All the ice.
Today I am in Estérel, Québec for the Porsche Ice Trial, where Porsche claims that:
“Our instructors teach drivers to conquer the season on specially prepared snow and ice tracks. You’ll learn to drive a Porsche the way it’s meant to be driven with the skills that will make you a more confident and competent winter driver.”
Generally my approach to safer driving in the winter is to take it slow, instead of – you know – putting studs on the tires and then cranking the throttle up to 11. But I’m open to new ideas, so here I am.
This is actually the second time I’ve traveled to Estérel for the Ice Trial. We were unfortunately rained out in 2023 and I’d wondered if I was going to get the chance to return. Thankfully, Porsche rebooked me at no extra charge – so going into this, I already knew they stand behind their Experiences.
(It was kind of them not to charge anything more considering that I’d already stayed overnight and taken part in various meals, cocktail parties, etc. before the 2023 event was cancelled. A big thank-you to our dealership – Porsche Centre North Toronto – for handling all aspects of the rebooking.)
For those not familiar with the brand, Porsche actually has two separate lines of experiences that can be purchased – one is based around driving tracks, and the other around travel experiences. In Canada, for 2024, the travel experiences include Alberta, British Colombia, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia .
There are even more Travel Experience options if you’re willing to go abroad, including the Alps, Ireland, Norway, Croatia, Southern Spain and even Namibia. Though you’ll want to book in early, as most of the current options are already full. I’d personally love to travel Sicily in a 911 Targa, but I think we’ll be waiting until the kids are a bit older first.
There are also track experiences available at three separate tracks in Canada, including Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (Mosport) in Bowmanville, Area 27 in British Columbia and Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Quebec. The Mosport sessions in particular were highly recommended, and I’m looking into booking a one-day Precision session sometime this summer. Participants can either use a Porsche vehicle or bring their own Porsche to these events.
Having already attended a Porsche Ice Experience, I had a good sense of what waited for me during my travel day – about 5 to 6 hours on the road driving through Montréal traffic. Unlike last time, however, I wouldn’t be stopping to charge enroute as our Porsche Taycan is currently in the shop, and the loaner agreement has a provision about not taking it out of province.
Secretly, I think my wife just wants to keep the loaner around for her own use – and who can blame her? They lent us the Taycan GTS, which is very much a full level up from the 4S that we purchased. I’m trying hard not to keep a list of features that I’d option out on our next vehicle. It’s a losing battle.
Seriously, though, it’s still a new technology and hiccups do happen but we’re very pleased with how Porsche Centre North Toronto has handled it.
The drive down was uneventful apart from a lone misdirection by Google Maps. Only one stop for gas, where I noticed that all but one of the bays were filled while both EV chargers were available. A good sign that supply is keeping up with demand, at least on quieter days.
I got in to Estérel Resort at around 3:30 pm, and was pleased to hear that my room was ready. Unlike last time, Porsche has booked participants on the “Emotion” side of the resort, which seems to be more recently renovated. I shall miss my former lake view, but the private jacuzzi more than makes up for it. It’s also nice to be on the ground floor as the elevator could be slow. (Though the occasional flight of stairs does much to make up for the extra deliciousness on trips like this.)
Rather than make use of the valet parking this time – it’s free for Porsche EV drivers, not that I’m bitter – I parked in the hotel’s lot across the road.
At least someone was able to bring their Taycan to the event – always nice to leave a hotel with a full “tank”
No trouble finding a spot and it took all of about 5 minutes. It would have been shorter, but a BMW i8 blocked me in so I had to spend about 4.5 of those minutes moving forward and back, Austin Powers-style.
Once parked, I swung by the Porsche desk to register and to pick up my swag – which in this case was a beautiful puffer jacket. (Much nicer than the coffee cup and baseball cap we got last year!) I’m generally not a fan of branded swag, but this is something I would actually use as an under-layer.
This and the change in hotel sides are both signs that Porsche continues to find small ways to refine and improve the experience.
After freshening up, it was time to head outside for the Cocktail Reception. Previously, I hadn’t realized just how cold it could get at night and so had shown up woefully unprepared. I was determined not to make the same mistake, so layered my brand-new Porsche puffer coat with a ski jacket, throwing on long underwear, a toque and a scarf to boot.*
* Not in that order. Underwear goes inside the pants…
Even so, I was barely warm enough and had to make space by the fire for those who were absolutely freezing. But barely warm is still warm enough to enjoy a shot of maple whiskey served in an ice block, so I count that as a victory.
Actual images from our Ice Experience – the event is accompanied by a professional photographer, and guests are given access to all photos from the day’s event
I wondered if – like last time – I would also meet some interesting people, and was pleasantly surprised that this was again the case. There was a former Naval aviator turned Carribbean air charter specialist, a retired RCMP officer, a pair of business professors from Minnesota and the inventor of the RennStand – a massive improvement over previous jackstands, which is now standard equipment in all future Rivian delivery vans. To name just a few.
After the reception, we headed up for dinner – as before, it included a mostly-fixed but nonetheless delicious menu. The soup was cream of corn, and then I opted for the octopus salad (not pictured, my hunger got the better of me) and the beef tenderloin, cooked at your table on a lava block. The meal was accompanied with wine and finished with a raspberry cake. All delicious.
Cream of corn soup – usually not my favourite, but this was very well done
The preferred method for eating this is to get a nice sear on both sides of the beef, and then cook individual strips on the lava rock. Careful not to get any sauce or pepper on that!
A light, delicious dessert to finish out the meal
At this point, however, I was very much aware that morning – and our 8 am start time – would soon arrive. So I called it a night, along with most of the other Ice Trial participants.
Continue with Porsche Ice Trial – Day 2 here.
Disclaimer: This particular trip, which was affected by poor weather last year, was complementary. Thanks go to Porsche Centre North Toronto for making the arrangements.