Driver’s Ed
Test out the latest luxury vehicles and learn to manoeuvre through snow, ice and rocks at these North American driving schools. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!
Driver’s Ed takes on new meaning when you sign up for these luxe driving experience across Canada and the US. Over the course of a few days, you get behind the wheel of your fantasy cars to find out what the vehicles are made of and also to see just how far you can push yourself. Enthusiasts of all skill levels are invited to get behind the wheel of their favorite cars and stare down sharp corners, slopes and surfaces on tracks specifically designed to challenge any sports car.
The Experience
Improve your off-road driving technique with one-on-one instruction from Land Rover certified teachers. You’ll learn important skills that are useful in day-to-day manoeuvring. Sign up for an hour, a full day or a two-day course.
Where
You’ll check in at one of the following locations: Quail Lodge Golf Club in scenic Carmel, California; the Biltmore Estate, an 8,000-acre property and historic home of George W. Vanderbilt, in Asheville, North Carolina; the beautiful Fairmont Le Château Montebello in Quebec; or the Equinox Resort & Spa in Vermont.
Behind the Wheel
Driving the latest Land Rover lineup – the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, LR4 – participants learn to properly navigate ascents, descents, side tilts and rocky terrain on purpose-built courses.
What You Get
Maximum driving time and private instruction catered to your specific skills and needs. Accommodations and meals not included in driving school price.
The Experience
This three-day driving event on Quebec’s ice and snow challenges the conventional wisdom that high-performance sports cars should be garaged for the winter.
Where
The base for the event is 90 minutes outside Montreal at the Esterel Suites Spa & Lakes, a luxe resort surrounded by lakes and forests. Driving takes place at Mecaglisse, a dedicated snow- and ice-driving “racetrack,” where a fleet of 20 Porsche Caymans and 911 Carrera models await drivers eager to carve through powder.
Behind the Wheel
The best way to get through winter, the German automaker enthuses, is sideways. You’ll learn effective braking, changing direction in emergency situations and hill starts on low traction surfaces through repetitive driving exercises that train your brain to develop “muscle memory.” Driving on snow will become second nature.
What You Get
All accommodations, meals and drinks and two driving days in Porsche 911 and Cayman models.
The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy
The Experience
Imagine taking hairpin turns at well-above-legal speeds on a real racetrack. You get to live out your Formula 1 fantasies, thanks to the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy’s full-day high-performance driving course, which also teaches you to master critical road situations under expert supervision.
Where
This program is conducted on purpose-built racetracks throughout Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver.
Behind the Wheel
Novices and enthusiasts alike apply advanced driving techniques in a racetrack environment. Paired with another driver you will be shown how critical elements such as vision, weight transfer and the use of vehicle-control systems ultimately affect traction and vehicle performance. You’ll also learn cornering, trail-breaking and vehicle balance.
What You Get
Breakfast, lunch and a full day of driving.
