Courtesy of Porsche Experience Atlanta
Porsche Experience Center
Atlanta, Georgia
This shrine to the luxury automobile brand is a dream destination for sports car enthusiasts, with dozens of different Porsche models available to test-drive on two distinct tracks designed to showcase each car’s capabilities. Ride shotgun while an expert coach drives the Formula-1-designed tracks, or take the wheel yourself as the coach guides you through a slalom course, off-road terrain, or the kick plate, which forces your car into a startling spin. Not up for the real deal? The center’s simulator lab lets you try different models on world-famous courses, utilizing force feedback and tilting for realistic sensory effects.
NASCAR Racing Experience
Lincoln, Alabama
Put the pedal to the metal with a solo driving adventure at Talladega Superspeedway, the world’s longest NASCAR oval track at 2.66 miles. Guided by one-on-one instructions from spotters on a two-way radio, race around the legendary circuit in real stock cars once driven by NASCAR professionals. After each eight-minute session jockeying for the lead with other drivers, make a quick pit stop with the crew before attempting smoother passes and faster speeds, which can exceed 100 mph.
Courtesy of Adventure Sports Innovation
Adventure Sports Innovation
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Few methods of exploring the outdoors are as unusual as a tour on a Swincar e-Spider, an all-electric buggy sporting articulated “legs” and a pendulum-inspired suspension system that keeps drivers safe and stable on sharp inclines and bumpy roads. Led by expert guides, expeditions wind through the 300-acre Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center and the backcountry trails of Lookout Mountain. There are even adaptive models of the vehicle available, so wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility won’t miss the adrenaline rush.
Courtesy of Good Vibrations Beach Rides
Good Vibrations Beach Rides
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
Founder and owner Chris Privitera uses his training as a mechanical engineer to strip and rebuild vintage Suzuki SUVs as fully kitted, off road–ready vehicles. Choose from an assortment of brightly colored rides and cruise, top down, to Carova Beach, an 11-mile stretch of undeveloped shoreline only accessible with four-wheel drive. Keep your camera ready: Carova is famous for its 100-plus population of mustangs, thought to be descendants of horses abandoned by Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s.
Revolution Adventures
Clermont, Florida
“Prepare to get dirty” is the advice for ATV riders on these 230 acres of rugged countryside alongside a 65-acre lake. Dress accordingly and watch the mud fly as you navigate swamp, forest, and hillside trails astride a quad bike, side-by-side two-seater buggy, or the Mucky Duck—a massive, eight-wheeled amphibious vehicle that can traverse the most extreme terrain then splash straight into the water.
This article appears in the Summer 2024 issue of Southbound.
