MANILA, Philippines - I’ve been to many driving events where they check your license, and a lot of international launches where they’ll even check up on your advanced driving experience, but this was the first time I’ve been to an event where they checked your blood pressure. Seriously.
Welcome to the Michelin Pilot Experience (MPE): an advanced driving event organized and run by the Michelin racing team that is designed to soil the pants of even the most seasoned motoring journalist.
When I was first invited to join the MPE by the folks of Michelin Philippines, I figured it would be just another patronizing driving event that had about as many risks as the lunch buffet. But after one of my colleagues was told he would not be able to participate in the event due to his high blood pressure – despite being flown over specifically for this occasion – I realized that these guys weren’t fooling around.
This was a lot more than a PR exercise alright; this was a showcase of not just everything the tires are capable of, but more importantly everything the company stands for. Over the next few hours, we would be delving into the very soul of Michelin, which is competition in its purest form, and coming out with an unprecedented level of respect for the brand.
The event is hosted in various race tracks around the world, with our leg being held at the Sepang International Raceway. Four teams of about 10 people each donned on the custom made racing suits with special racing shoes and given specific driving tasks to complete. We were all given expert instruction by a team of Michelin Cup drivers and Formula Renault drivers, including a simulation in a mock up Formula Renault car just to learn where everything was and how to operate it. Once the basics, like gear changing and braking were covered, we were strapped into a proper, race-ready Formula Renault car, given just enough time for a Hail Mary, an Our Father and a Glory Be, and let loose on one of the fastest tracks in Asia.
The acceleration from the Formula Renault may be quite impressive, but it’s no more devastating than many super cars like a Porsche 911 Turbo, or a modified Subaru Impreza STi or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. It’s the cornering and braking forces that act as some kind of natural form of family planning. It is so suffocating that the uninitiated need to lift off, causing either an embarrassing spin or diluting the incredible experience – like just how much those damn tires are willing cling on to the road.
We were given several laps in the Formula Renault car, followed by several laps in a GT5 car, which is a purpose built single seater that uses a Hyabusa engine and weighs as much as light lunch, and capped the day off with a few laps in a competition go kart in a nail-biting wheel to wheel race against the other teams.
The event went off like an F1 pit stop: safe, synchronized and playing out flawlessly thanks to an incredibly impressive display of team work. We were paced by either an Audi TT RS or a rally-prepped Subaru Impreza STi that were driven by seasoned professionals to within an inch of their tortured lives, and then evaluated individually throughout the day and graded accordingly. At the end of an exhilarating day, Team Philippines walked away with first place and a championship trophy so huge that I needed to put in as check in luggage because it simply would not fit as carry on. It still sits on my bedside table and would make a lovely lamp should my wife ever get her way with it.
The Pilot Experience is held annually and is strictly an invitational event. It is a testament to Michelin’s approach to competition and is a microcosm of everything the company stands for, which is not just a step in the right direction, but as they like to say, a better way forward.