I had a blast driving the Porsche 911 at the Toronto experience centre

This past July, Porsche Cars Canada opened the Toronto Porsche Experience Center in nearby Pickering, Ontario, to give paying customers the opportunity to experience some of the most exciting cars on the market. With that in mind, I was invited to spend the better part of a day taking a closer look at the new experience center, as well as 90 minutes to test out the capabilities of the eTurbo-equipped Porsche 911 hybrid that debuts in 2024.

Test drive

Before you are allowed onto the track, the Porsche Experience Center will introduce you to an expert who will tell you about track safety and general rules. Interestingly, one important thing they discussed was proper weight transfer, tire grip and braking points, which determine how to properly handle a car of this power level (because it's not a Honda Civic) on a track with a lot of corners and sharp corners.

To start, I was given 90 minutes to test the capabilities of the provided Porsche 911 GTS with an instructor (hi Matt!). The track features several zones: a 1.5 km long control circuit with turns inspired by famous race tracks, a dynamic panel that helps to better understand the dynamics of a Porsche in cold weather, and a low-friction drift circuit. This polished concrete pad is usually coated with water to demonstrate how to handle a car in wet conditions. But due to the frosty weather, it was organized as a miniature track focused on braking and vision in icy conditions.

I spent most of my time testing out the car's capabilities on both the dynamic panel and control circuitry, really pushing the 911 to its limits. We cycled through the Sport, Sport Plus and Normal driving modes, although I mostly used Normal mode as a warm-up before moving on to Sport and Sport Plus to improve performance.

One aspect of the 911 GTS that I really enjoyed throughout my time with it was the T-Hybrid system built into the car. Based on a concept developed for Porsche Motorsport.The T-Hybrid system consists of a hybrid battery pack powering the previously mentioned eTurbo (the 911 Turbo S has two) and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with an integrated electric motor.

Image credit: Porsche

This system made it easy to get and hold power, and I noticed zero “turbo lag” or anything else affecting the car's responsiveness. Additionally, the 911 GTS is much lower and wider than expected, making it very easy to handle at speeds in both slalom and highway.

Facilities

Three Porsche cars were displayed in the main square: a Porsche Cayman, all-electric Porsche Taycanand Porsche 918 Spyder. These cars were adorned with Porsche Experience Center Toronto logos and were positioned next to a magnificently decorated Christmas tree.

Porsche Cayman next to the Christmas tree

The hotel also has a Carrera cafe serving salads, sandwiches and coffee, as well as a pretty neat Porsche Experience Center logo. After our 90-minute test drive, we were treated to a small lunch in the boardroom, which can also be reserved for any corporate event or meeting.

We were also given access to unique selection and delivery rooms within the facility. While you can't order a car from the experience center, it does show what it's like to go through the process of customizing and ordering your own car, including showing the tools used to handcraft the leather.

For an additional fee, Porsche customers can also choose to have their new car delivered to the service center, where it will be shown with a tarp and a two-hour walk-through of all the features, including a technician syncing the Porsche Connect infotainment system with your phone.

We were also able to try out the SimLab experience center, which has five dedicated racing simulators and a racing simulator based on Assetto Corsa. We were given the last half hour of our tour to ride the rig, where some of us competed in five-lap competitive races at various circuits (Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, etc.) that Porsche provided in the software.

SimLab Porsche Experience Center

Overall, it was a great way to get to know a brand that I've been looking at for most of my life. If you want to experience one of the best brands in the world, I highly recommend booking with them (you can). via the experience center website). If you're looking to book a drive, testing the Macan SUV starts at $600, with the most expensive price being $1,450 for a comparison of the 718 GT and 911 GT.