Lessons from the Audi Driving Experience

Last Saturday, while driving to Clark for the Hot Air Balloon festival, we sat in a horrendous traffic jam on the NLEX that was moving about as fast as my cell phone provider’s 3G data plan. Turns out there was a 9-car pileup involving a bus, a few SUVs, and even a little Hyundai Getz.

Although the details are a little sketchy, judging by the scene, a bus had managed to turn a Mitsubishi Montero into a subcompact while a Ford Everest ended up on top of the Hyundai Getz; and although 13 people were reportedly rushed to hospital, thankfully, by some sheer miracle, there were no fatalities. To think that was just one of three separate accidents we passed on the NLEX during our trip.

Now while it would seem unfair to comment on the cause of these accidents because I wasn’t there at the exact time it happened, there are really only two factors that can be blamed here––and they’re two that we see every minute of every meter of our expressways––speed, and the distance between the car in front.

And this is becoming a much bigger problem than ever before because not only is it only fairly recently where we have such world-class roads to enjoy such speeds, but the cars themselves are getting faster and faster. And in the case of the older cars, it seems that just like many of our local drivers, they simply cannot handle it.

I used to speed quite a lot before. Until I started seeing how incredibly selfish it was. It is one thing to put your own life in your hands, but what the hell does an innocent family of five have to do with your misplaced ego when it all goes wrong? Because from what I have seen, most people who habitually drive like Lucifer’s bipolar kid haven’t got the faintest idea of how to control a car.

Any imbecile who wasn’t breastfed as a child can step on the gas. That’s the easy part. But to understand speed, first you must respect it. I see far too many people flirt with the limits of physics without a backup plan when a truck is stalled on the shoulder, or that prehistoric smoky AUV with 17 people in it decides to jump on the fast lane without checking their mirrors.

And this is exactly what PGA Cars had in mind when they invited members of the media as well as their VIP and potential customers over for a day of tire-toasting fun in the Audi Driving Experience a couple of weeks ago. And learning has never been quite so much fun.

The Audi Driving Experience is like a rock band that is perpetually on tour. But instead of instruments, this road show uses engines. Instead of speakers, they have exhausts, instead of singers, they have some of the best drivers in the world. And the best part of it all is they let you jam with them. All. Day. Long.

This is one of the few times in one’s life where you get a chance to try out just about the entire line-up of precious metal without taking out a second mortgage on your unborn children. There were A4s, S6s, S8s, A7s, A1s, Q5s, Q3s, Q7s, R8s––everything from 185 to 520 horsepower––like toys scattered across a floor, begging to be played with.

It starts out with a briefing, then a quick demonstration on seating positions, and then it’s every man for himself. They basically divide you into four groups of around 10 people each. This way everyone gets some serious seat time. But as I said, more than just fun, the event is aimed at making you appreciate the science of speed, and more importantly, the technology and skill behind washing it away when you need to.

First up is an emergency lane change. With 520 hp on call, I pin the throttle down to the expensively carpeted firewall. I notice 120kph flash up before I’m instructed to step on the brakes with everything I can and steer around an object. It is a maneuver I have learned many times before, including the last Audi Driving Experience, and one that I can say saved me last December from a similar fate as of one of those 9 cars last Saturday when I had to avoid an out-of-control Vios on the NLEX.

Because as much fun as the whole lapping sessions were, as well as the taxi rides they raffle off in either an R8 GT or a TT RS, these exercises are the basics of good driving that prepare you for the real world.

In fact, I can’t understand how anyone would consider buying a high-powered sports car without going through expert driving training like this. But for the sake of those who do not have access to the Audi Driving Experience, allow me to share a few basics with you.

Never drive faster than your angels can fly

This basically means that you have to drive within the limitations of the road as well as your own limitations. If it feels too fast, it is too fast. Slow it down. When following a car on the highway, always use the three-second rule. This means picking out a stationary object on the side of the road like a lamppost and counting three seconds from the time the car ahead passed it to when you pass it. The best part is that it works at any speed.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst

Always be aware of your surroundings. By monitoring your mirrors every few seconds, you have a mental picture of what is around you. In the case last December when I almost turned the car ahead of me into my hood ornament, I was in a fully loaded van and had literally run out of brakes when a Vios just started spinning out of control on the fast lane of the NLEX.

Knowing I would never be able to stop in time because of my weight, I had to swerve while under emergency braking into the other lane. I could only make this split-second decision because I had a mental snapshot of what everything looked around me and knew that I had some room on my right. Had I had to check first and react after, I may not be even writing this piece today.

The Audi Driving Experience may be a mechanical orgy for enthusiasts. And I agree. But there’s also a lot more to it than just fun. Because while I heard many saying they had the time of their lives that day, for those that really listened that day, it may end up saving it too.