Europe’s Exclusive Race Resort: The Ascari Club in a Porsche 911 GT3-R Rennsport

It’s summer, you’re in Malaga Spain, kicked back by the pool. Drinks are flowing, the cicadas are buzzing, it couldn’t really get much better, could it? 

Wrong, as 9400 rpm of Porsche GT3-R Rennsport flies past you by you, still poolside. Now this is a Euro summer.

There are very few places in the world where this combination of rest and adrenaline come together. Magarigawa in Japan, The Thermal Club in California and Spring Mountain in Nevada come to mind. But what do you get when you combine the Spanish art of relajación and the European passion for cars? That would be the Ascari Club. 

Following my trip with RennCurator to Leipzig, Germany, where we collected his brand new Porsche Rennsport, it was only right to take advantage of having such a car in Europe. These cars are made for driving, and there was absolutely no chance of this one being tucked away in a garage for the rest of its life, so straight onto the trailer it went. Next stop, Spain. 

Just a week after collection, we found ourselves at the giant front gates of the Ascari Club. Nestled in the rolling, rocky mountains of Southern Spain, the Ascari Club is a members-only establishment, much like a country club but with the addition of a world-class race track. 

Ascari Circuit is by no means a new build. Opened in 2003, the 5.4km ribbon of tarmac has had plenty of run time, even featuring in Gran Turismo 6 as a playable track. But after a change of hands in 2022, the circuit has since been converted into a members-only facility. 

With the change of hands came a number of renovations, including a full refurbishment to the pit lane, paddock and primary club house. Both of these are now reminiscent of high-end resorts, but maintain that Spanish touch.

The club does not plan to stop there though. Still in development during our visit was their new workshop and storage facility, coined ‘The Car Park’. Our brief tour through the as-yet-incomplete site was enough already to blow our minds. 

Club aside, the star of this show – the GT3-R Rennsport – a car perfect for such a setting. With four days to enjoy the facilities, there was ample time for RennCurator to get to know the circuit. For us, that meant hours of flat-six symphony, bouncing off the sheltering mountains and surrounding valleys; 114dB has never sounded better. 

Over those four days, lap times continued to drop, the Rennsport becoming ever more at home on the circuit. The track often hosts GT3, GT1 and even F1 cars, leaving quite a benchmark for the Rennsport to compete against. The track record is still to this day held by a 2004 F1 Jaguar R5.

Second to none, Ascari Club’s hospitality allowed us to take full advantage of the beautiful backdrop, keeping the circuit open for us well into the evening for the full golden hour experience. 

Much of my time in Spain was taken up shooting video, covering the experience, but how could you resist a few quick snaps when this is what’s in front of you? Ascari Club is situated conveniently down the road from one of Spain’s most idyllic cities, Ronda. You can’t go this far without chancing some street time in a Rennsport Porsche, and try we did. 

After much liaising with local authorities, the Ascari Club managed to allocate a slot of completely legal street driving through the town, and the result? The most absurd combination of modern Porsche race car styling and traditional Spanish old town streets. All in the best way possible. 

I’ve been lucky enough to share a similar experience at Japan’s Magarigawa Club, also with RennCurator and his GT2RS Clubsport 25 Manthey. Both Magarigawa and Ascari Club share much in common. 

Both have a trackside pool, restaurant, luxurious pitlane and clubhouse, but there’s a certain relaxing atmosphere to The Ascari Club that is yet to be replicated. For me, it’s the ultimate automotive experience. 

Massive thank you to RennCurator and The Ascari Club for allowing such incredible access and an experience to last a lifetime.