The position that you choose to sit in will determine both, your ability to control your Porsche and your level of comfort. This position may change with the type of driving you wish to accomplish. The proper position, however, should be your first choice in any situation. Interstate driving may allow for some variation. The other exception may be at the track where the addition of a helmet may not permit you to sit in the ideal position.
Your seat bottom should permit you to push the clutch in all the way without extending your toes or leaving your left knee bent when fully extended. Next, especially for taller drivers, raise the front of the seat bottom to provide better thigh support. Dropping the back of the seat bottom helps accomplish the same thing.
Rake, or angle, of the seat should permit you to sit up straight. This can be measured by keeping your shoulders firmly against the seatback, make two fists and put them together while extending your arms with your elbows locked in the straight position. Your wrists should now be able to rest on the top of the steering wheel.
The position of the steering wheel should permit clear visibility of your instruments. The bottom of the wheel should not encroach on your thighs.
Once you have accomplished these exercises, your hands can now be placed at the three and nine o’clock positions. This should leave your elbows bent. Most Americans like to drive with their elbows straight, “und you should drive mitt zee elbows bent”.
In this position, your right hand should now fall on the shifter without looking. Amazing what those engineers accomplished. You’d almost think they did that on purpose.
The dead pedal, footrest on your left, will provide for extra support and balance when driving in a spirited manner. You will also find it easier to work the steering wheel from this position, and, amazingly, lessen the chance of fatigue after a long, challenging drive. Some of you will be instantly impressed with this position while others will have to work at it a little before it becomes natural. Any deviation should be limited.
Most highway and track maneuvers will not require your hands to leave the original three and nine positions. The advantage of this is that you always know where the straight-ahead position is by moving your arms back to their original position. Another method is shuffle steering that keeps your right hand in the right hemisphere, and your left in the left. This requires a little coaching and practicing until it becomes natural.
The position of your head and eyes now makes the biggest difference in your ability to travel briskly without surprises. Most drivers tend to look at what’s directly ahead of them. You can still see what’s directly ahead of you when you pick up your eyes and look down on the road (or track). The further you can look ahead, the fewer surprises you will encounter.
You will also find that by being able to process information at a more comfortable pace, you can make your inputs slower and more deliberate. The slower and smoother your inputs are, the faster your Porsche can go. By not jerking the steering wheel, or slamming on the brakes, or stabbing the accelerator; your Porsche will remain more stable and capable of doing what it is intended to do.
All these factors will permit you to release that “death grip” on the wheel and turn white knuckle driving into smooth, uneventful driving. The smoother you are, the faster you can go (safely).