I ordered this book, read it, then read it again. Its real help is scarce, and the self-agrandizing stories get dull quick. I've thrown it away.

This book is required reading for all serious sports cars enthusiasts. I disagree with the critic considering the racing stories and anecdotes in the text superfluous. I think those add value and context to the topic at hand. This is a book I reread often.

Great pictures and history lesson. If you want to read up on Porsche racing history, a little bit of driving tips, and a nice coffee table book, then this is a good book.

For a more serious driving technique book, especially if you already know quite a bit about performance driving, I would suggest looking elsewhere. The best driving technique book I have found so far is the Skip Barber, the art of race driving book. However, it can be a little heavy and complicated if you are only looking for a casual easy reading book.

Excellent book and an easy read... stories followed up by how to's. Not sure which I liked better, the stories or the how to's. Fun, entertaining and a great history lesson on the most awarded sports car ever made.

Well written and fun to read. Gives lots of examples from his driving history. It's an easy read yet filled with useful information. I am going to send some copies to some friends of mine. Its also just as useful for better driving of any car not just Porsches.

I, as others, found the book a little too much "Vic Elford Racing Memoirs" and too brief on technique and explanation. Each chapter begins with a fairly long anecdote from Vic's racing days and you have to slog through that in order to get to the part where he's talking about you and not himself. It's an interesting read, don't get me wrong -- especially if you drive a Porsche. Just not as much meat as you might be expecting. For that, look at Ross Bentley's series.

From driving position, to handling physics, to a little Porsche racing history, a instructive and enjoyable read. I will be keeping it as a reference of both driver seating / feet placement and the physics of car control. While Porsche 911 centric, other engine / drive systems are also discussed in the handling sections.

There are also a few chapters on winter driving conditions and how that changes the handling (or lack there of).

Worth having in your reference library and reading / rereading prior to attending an advance driving courses or club driving event.

Vic Elford is uniquely qualified to write a book about performance Porsche driving. He raced Porsche 917 when most of us drove around in VW's. The book is fun to read and contains plenty of pictures (most of them 917...) and sketches of driving situations. The book is very basic, but covers all aspects of performance driving. A good book to have, or give to a Porsche enthusiast or owner. More advanced driving books are "Speed Secrets 1" and "Speed Secrets 2". I do recommend this book for Porsche lovers.

Informative,with some Porsche specific info and a pleasure to read. Vic adds in bits of personal stories that are entertaining.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RG5KF8N4HQUYT Vic's book is helpful for everyday driving as well as Drivers Ed days!You do have to have some understanding though already of the basics and terminology.

I've purchased this book for the second time after my first copy (signed by Vic himself) was lost by a friend. As other reviewers have noted, the book might not deliver quite what one expects. The title may be at fault, and it was possibly chosen by the publisher more than the author. But if you read the book for its insights into 1960s and early 70s sports car racing and rallying, you won't be disappointed. Elford brings an unusual blend of technical expertise, first-hand knowledge, and good writing skills to the task. It can be inspirational to know that the source of this driving advice was the real deal, someone who thundered around the 'green hell' of the Nurburgring fast enough to win it twice, and who earned the nickname 'quick Vic' while dragging around the slowest car (Cooper) on the F1 grid.

Another reviewer objects to there being so much Elford in this book. But instead think of this as a memoir with tons of advice and instruction thrown in. Elford himself (from someone who knew him) was much too modest to tell his story without trying to make it useful to others. In the end it doesn't matter what kind a car you drive. His attitude and insights in high performance driving situations are worth understanding. He may or may not make you a faster driver, but he'll probably make you a wiser one.

The title is a misrepresentation. This is not a handbook for driving a Porsche quickly or professionally. I bought this book because in 2 months I am going to drive my rear engined 993 on a F1 circuit. I have no circuit experience, and cannot get any coaching or any circuit experience in the country I live in. Since this is a rear engined car which I have little experience with I was particularly wanting some tips particular to rear engined cars. There is nothing in the whole book which is particular to driving Porsches or rear engined cars. The only reason I will not throw this book out is because it has some interesting 1960's and early 19970's Porsche racing pictures (poor quality black and white though). Also to be fair there are some good racing stories. He is undoubtedly a very impressive driver having been successful at the highest levels in rallying and sports prototype endurance racing. A better title would be "My Porsche Racing History". If you want a book on fast driving I would highly recommend Ross Bentley's "Speed Secrets" in place of this book.

This is more of a "Vic is the greatest driver in the world book" than a "How To" book on high performance driving. If you're looking to read boastful stories about the author then this is the book for you. If, however, you're looking to learn about high performance driving look elsewhere.

This book is simply not worth the money. I fully agree with the reviewers who said this book is good for stories ... but useless for teaching you how to drive fast. The practical tips are very few and far between. To be honest, most enthusiasts can give you more useful pointers over a pint of beer than you can get reading this book.

If you want to drive fast: practice in your own car (safely) and get yourself some hands-on teaching. If you want to sit yourself on a couch and hypnotize yourself into thinking you can drive faster, read this book.

The reason I give 2 stars instead of one is because the stories ARE pretty entertaining. And the pictures are better than in Bondurants book ... But come on: that's not why you're thinking about buying this book, is it ?

I don't think I'll ever drive my Porsche as enthusiatically as the author has done, but I really enjoyed the explanations of the 911's abilities. A good book for days when you can't get out in your own car.

Okay so I don't have a Porsche. I'm comfortable with that fact, and I'm not made at people who have one unlike other reviewers of this book. And what's up with going on and on slamming the rich people? If you a true racing fan and more specifically a rally fan you'll love this book. Like the title says, which other reviewers seem to forget, it is a HIGH-PERFORMANCE driving book that just happens to be done in Porsches. The author explains in easy to understand terms the principles of race and rally car vehicle dynamics and techniques to maximize these principles. He will present a topic maybe say maximum braking on various types of conditions, explain the techniques and the theory, and then tell some great story about his rally or race days which shows you a real-world application of what he was talking about. I bought this book a long time ago, lost it, and now have bought it again. It is one of my favorites both for its great stories, pictures (Vic got a 917 so sideways at Le Mans in the rain its a wonder he didn't crash it), and the basic principles that it conveys simply and effectively. This is a great beginners book on how to drive fast, and a great rally fans book with its stories. If you understand what this book is saying, and I guaruntee you will drive better and faster.

Just remember the other guys are just jealous.

Vic's book is an excellent starting point for any Porsche driver of any model. Nicely balanced between technical concepts and real-life examples, it stays interesting throughout. His emphasis on smoothness throughout the book echoes what you'll hear again and again at any instructed PCA Driving Event. It is a great preparation to becoming seriously involved in driving events and is equally valuable for having fun and being safe on the street. By no means is it the most complete or exhaustive book on the topic; rather, it is a marvelous and exciting introduction.

When I bought this book, I thought it would be a Handbook (manual with lots of practical advice) on Performance Driving (speeding on the street in everyday use) for Porsche DRIVERS (exclusively). I was wrong. It was heavy on anecdote, but weak on 'how to'. It stressed racetrack work but failed to emphasise how to apply this to street driving. Worst of all, it told about the author's experience with old Porsche racing cars but only paid lip service to modern Porsches and how to get the best out of them. The word 'Porsche' could have been deleted from the entire book without changing the content ! That's disappointing for us hardcore Porsche drivers (?fanatics) who want to know more from such a Porsche legend about how to best set up our 911s, 944s, 928s and drive 'em hard ...

However, after reading and rereading the book (the anecdotes ARE quite interesting reading despite lacking in practical help), I found that I was only disappointed because I wrongly assumed it was something it never set out to be. This book actually should have been titled 'A primer to driving for rich folk who can afford Porsches (but who are complete incompetents at driving)'. It's true that a large number of rich people buy Porsches for the pose value but are mediocre drivers at best. It may be embarassing for them to show up in their gleaming new Targa Turbo only to be stumped when friends ask about the car's 'oversteer characteristics' or 'how to heel-and-toe' the car. This book gives an easily digestible introduction to the basic principles of car handling which will allow these rich folk to bluff their way in conversations on high performance driving. It will allow its readers to talk the talk, just don't expect them to walk the walk ! I only realized that this book was aimed at these readers when Vic Elford suggests in one of his chapters that many readers probably owned or flew their own private aircraft ...

To me, this book seems inadequate. The book describes Vic's career, and that's fine: he's an accomplished driver. The pictures are neat, and the older exotics he drove are interesting. It's a neat history describing Porsche's racing heritage.

But it offers so little advice on driving, the book feels like a waste for someone who wants to learn performance driving.

It's not a driving manual: there's little theory, and sometimes the anectdotes lead nowhere: they don't provide a lesson!

And it's not a Porsche manual, in that the author offers very little advice on setting up the kinds of Porsches that entry-level drivers race today.

I think you're better off with Bob Bondurant's book, or one of the similar titles.

Elford's style is easy to follow and fun to read. Nice balance of anecdotes and applications. Easy to follow diagrams and well suited to those not looking for track advice. Good, practical advice for the everyday situations. Good value for money.