Porsche Camp4 – Happiness on Ice at Mécaglisse
When I got the invitation for the Porsche Camp4 media day at Mécaglisse, I accepted immediately. It’s what any sane automobile journalist would do, especially one that has made performance test drives a sort of speciality, seasoned by a few races and rallies.
But then, in a fit of inexplicable generosity, I offered my spot to another member of the Car Guide team. After all, I attended media day at the first Camp4 three years ago, and I thought it would be nice to share. If I ever do that again, snatch my computer from me and lock it away forever.
Because I certainly have not forgotten all the fun I had that day, especially with a teammate of the ilk of Bertrand Godin, former professional racer, former ice racer and still an exceptional driver. That’s what I described in detail at the time in my article on Guideautoweb.com.
Yeah, that’s what I call work—and I was ready to do it all over again.
The Porsche way
The plan was nearly identical for the three dozen journalists that had come from across Canada, Latin America and the United States. We were offered a condensed version of the Camp4 package, which usually lasts three days, including two full days of driving Porsches (of course) at Mécaglisse.
The Camp4 program includes a three-night stay, with suppers and breakfasts at Hôtel Estérel, and lunch and snacks catered at Mécaglisse. It also included a sweater in the classic colours of Martini Racing, a small Porsche backpack and all transportation. The cost is a cool $5,195 before taxes. Sure, it’s expensive, but everything is absolutely top-notch, as noted Romain Dumas, the Porsche factory pilot who was a special guest that day.
The next step is the more advanced Camp4 S program, which is offered for a third year at Mécaglisse. Performance-oriented, it adds another full day of driving and another night, and the bill climbs to $6,195. Porsche Canada is expecting 240 participants in all, from all over the world (even Australia), for the two programs this winter.
And if that isn’t enough for you, there’s the Ice Force program that takes place in Finland. There, you’ll drive the 911 Turbo, Carrera 4S and GT3 fitted with 4-mm studs. That’s serious stuff and it goes without saying that the price tag is steeper at €6,490 ($9,668) or €11,390 ($17,070) if you want to drive alone. Better pray you hit the jackpot.
Back to basics
This year’s cars are the 911 Carrera S, the Carrera 4S with all-wheel drive and Cayman coupe, all equipped with the PDK twin-clutch automatic gearbox and fitted with Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires whose tread is speckled with 400 1.5-mm studs, 0.5 mm more than the first year.
The day kicked off with a presentation by Jonathan Urlin, Camp4’s head instructor, who described the laws of physics and snow and ice driving techniques. Like many colleagues, I’ve heard this type of presentation dozens of times before, but it’s always wise to take a refresher course, so I listened attentively.
He does the presentation in English only. I wondered how the strictly French-speaking customers were managing, not to mention those who would simply prefer a presentation in their mother tongue. At that price, offering the presentation in French is the least Porsche could do, especially considering that the instructors for two of our three groups were Franck Kirchhoff and Pierre Des Marais, who could have easily done the presentation in French.
Finally on the track
At Mécaglisse, I was in the group led by Franck, who runs the place with his father, Vincent. The older of the two takes meticulous care of the various circuits and routes, which have never been more beautiful. Once he carefully set his driving position, my colleague and teammate Michel Deslauriers attacked the first exercise.
On the quick ice, after an extended braking phase that made the rear of the Carrera 4S fishtail at 60 kilometres per hour, Michel steered into the skid and wove the 400-hp 911 between the pylons by skilfully manoeuvering the accelerator and steering wheel. On the next lap with the PSM anti-skid disengaged, finesse and smoothness were essential to avoid spinning out. We had a blast drifting on the return trip, with Franck commenting on every detail of our moves.
The second exercise helped us master long oversteers and the Scandinavian Flick, perfected by none other than the Scandinavian rally drivers, on a rounded rectangle that rises and descends constantly. The Cayman coupe’s balance is phenomenal. Think about it: rear-wheel drive with a 275-hp mid-engine on very quick ice. And it’s even better without the anti-skid system.
Almost Arctic circles
Next, we tried to keep our 911 Carrera S in a continuous skid on a ring of ice that measures 120 metres in diameter. First in one direction and then the other, keeping the wheels turned and adjusting the accelerator. But the icing on the cake was driving each of the three cars one after the other “freestyle.”
Each of the cars has its own character—all dazzling in their own way—as did the circuits themselves. Never have I had so much fun on the snow and ice. I pinched myself and wanted to keep driving, but the sun was setting and Camp4 was closing up shop.
I really appreciated the first edition three years ago, but it was even better this time around. It was essentially the same program, on the same courses, led by mostly the same team. The new 1.5-mm studs undoubtedly added just the right amount of actuation. In any case, the same cars are now required for the first two levels of Camp4.
The 911 Carrera and the Cayman coupe have been completely redesigned since my first time at Mécaglisse in 2011. I mentioned the benefits of their longer wheelbase and their wider front track widths for handling over and over again. And now I have more resounding evidence on the most ruthless of all surfaces: the ice in the Laurentians. I have a lot more to say on that subject.
Too bad there’s no media day for the Camp4 S and Ice Force programs. I guess I’ll have to go buy a few lottery tickets.
