Cayman R, Spyder, 997(s) back to back to back
#1
07-09-2011, 12:06 PM
Cayman R, Spyder, 997(s) back to back to back
I've mentioned in a thread elsewhere of an absolute automotive malaise that I have NOT been able to shake. I have no rhyme or reason for it, but nothings been able to just emotively shake this funk.
For two years now I've been trying to get excited about buying a new ride. To no avail.
You can pretty much see my joy in this pic. That is me on the left side of the pic, legs extended, enthralled with my Evo phone and annoyed with the other people in the tent already. There may have been only three "drivers" in the room, myself, the guy in the orange pants, and some guy whom you can't see that was a friggin rocket. The rest where just status seekers.
So last week I had the chance to push some P-cars around a track; and the results where pretty surprising.
Porsche set up in two parking lots down at Turner Field in Atlanta. In one lot they set up an autocross course, and in the other, they set up a "road" course designed to let a driver open the car up a bit.
On the autocross course, were the Caymans, base and R model; along with Boxsters and Boxster Spyders. Obviously the course was designed to accentuate the places where the cars perform best.
On the road course were the 997's: c2, c2s, c4, c4s, and c4s cab. The road course was designed to let a driver put go fast button all the way down on the floor on one straight away, and allowed some twisties elsewhere.
The other cool factor of driving these cars back to back was that in the car with you, were instructors from the Porsche Driving school. Now I've been to motorcycle racing schools (Schwantz, Code, and a couple smaller outfits); and I can say, these guys were INCREDIBLE. The amount of information that they were able to convey accurately and quickly was just amazing.
First up for me:
The Guards Red Cayman R.
Man... when I parked my 210 ass in those Recaro seats; it was like strapping the car on. No way I was going to move in those seats. It was tight, yet the cockpit never felt less than expansive, and safe.
Now, all of the cars were PDK, which I've never been a fan of. So I did not have high hopes about this aspect of the drive. That would change...
So we rolled out to the edge of the course; and my instructor told me what he expected out of my as a P-car owner. Said expectations set a little higher because of my damn driving shoes...
It involved getting the pedal to the floor, some breaking and a sweet turn in.
He said go, I angrily stepped on that go button like I'd step on a fire ant that just bit me in the man cans. To me surprise, the car was just as angry about that ant as I was. That R took off like the red rocket it appeared to be. With some righteous guidance on slight braking and turn in plus proper exit from the turn; the R's tires were happily squealing and hurling me to the next turn.
Rinse, repeat turn after turn. I've had a bit of driver training from the military, law enforcement, two wheel racing schools; so I can confidently say I can drive perty good. I got no where near this cars limits. In fact, the car that started my ride with an angry leap, was probably laughing and asking if that was all I had when my time was over.
Suffice it to say, this car was an absolutely BLAST to drive. It just felt fast, even on a tight autocross course. I hate to use the cliche; but the damn thing handled like it was on rails.
I have to say that this Cayman R, in the guards red and blacked out wheel and trim looked down right mean; even just sitting still.
The same applied to the Boxster Spyder. What a stunning car this is. The one I drove was a loaded white Spyder, with black trim. Gorgeous car, that once you get the RPM's up, howls. I can see why someone would buy this car in a heart beat. It is a raw, drivers car. I do not care if one is a 911 bigot, if you look down your nose at this car; it is simple irrational hate. A hate crime in fact.
All of the Cayman R's characteristics applied in this car. The difference being that it wasn't as tight; but in saying that, know that I'm splitting hairs. It would take a hard core gear head to find this car's limits. Surprisingly enough, even though the "roof" isn't a convertible roof per se; literally a piece of cloth you manually pull over, there was little wind/road noise.
The base Cayman and Boxster, also fun cars; but noticeably down on power. That power statement is still a very relative statement because these cars, even in their "base" form will best most anything else on the road. I make the comment because after driving these R models, the difference in power was very noticeable.
The other noticeable difference is the handling between the R's and the base cars. Also, a relative statement. There was just a little bit more wheel squeal on the base Cayman and Boxster. Still, these cars are far more car than the average driver can handle.
I have to say, I can now totally understand why the PDK is so popular. I enjoyed these cars so much that I almost allowed myself to think that, IF I do another P-car, I might consider the PDK so that I could share the joy with my wife. There is a joystick joke in there somewhere...
Now it was time to switch gears and tracks.
After crossing the road from the autocross course, to the road course; it was time to insert into the 997's.
Lined up and purring was the majority of the 997 line.
First up for me, the C4s Cab.
My instructors name was Brian, so I felt a bond. What this man lacked in height, he made up for in juevo's and ability to tell someone how to push a Porsche. Holy hell this guy caused me to have a religious experience. Surly little ****er he was, and I love him for it.
More than my last instructor, he emphatically stated the position of the gas pedal upon the go statement. He said go, I go'd.
Here's the immediate sensation. In the Cayman R, pedal to the floor was like a high velocity sniper bullet leaving the barrel. The 997 was like a full on hulk flex and a war cry into a full on battle charge. It went, and it went with a lot of force; but it felt heavy compared to that Cayman R. Frankly, I'm sure that the 997 was going faster than the Cayman R, but it didn't "feel" like it.
Brian talked me through apexing turns and let me know that I totally screwed the pooch on a particular double apex; which I totally loved because it let me know how to do it better next time. At all times, all of the 997's felt safe. Depending on your personality, that could be a good thing. For me, I like a bit of a fight. Bear in mind, these statements are all relative; I cannot put the sheer amount of fun into words, even now.
I went through the C4 line; and as long as I did exactly what that instructor told me to do the car would get pushed, as would I (for those that have been to these schools you know what I'm talking about. You know what they're saying is correct, but it can be hard to actually do it).
In the middle of apexing a double apex, after being told to aim for the photographer...
My favorite 997 was the C2s by far. It was as "raw" as this line of cars could be. It is the 997 that felt the most on "edge". More specifically, I was able to get a sense of the work the car was doing; and the work that the engine was doing. Being a former 996 owner, I looked to see if I could break the rear end loose... didn't happen. The car remained on its rails.
The 997's made it easy to come as close to the cones and nip the chalk lines as possible. Especially if you listen to these god of war driving instructors; I can't say enough about them.
There is too much to right about 997's, and most of it has all been said. They are more car than most anyone could push, by far; but with the right training, you can at least see what the car is capable of. The same could be said about the Cayman Boxster lines.
The 997's are not the cars that they were even five years ago. How did Porsche take a top flight car and make it better? Who the hell knows; but they did it. Guess that is what happens when you're an engineering company that happens to make cars.
A 997 is a car that will thrill you to no end, and allow you to be comfortable doing it. But what I learned is that I need a car that will bite me back, and will make me fight with it to bend its will. The 997 makes that easy, the Cayman R makes it an experience.
My immediate impression after driving all of these things back to back is that, for me, there is no question; the Cayman R. It felt like a fighter jet, whereas the 997 felt heavy, and not as nimble. Disclaimer for the millionth time: These are very relative and subjective statements!!! But the sensation of driving these back to back make the experience of these cars quite viscerally obvious.
It could be that the Cayman R breaks the malaise. Now if I could go back to back with a Cayman R and a Vette Z06/Grand Sport on a track, we will be one step closer to excitement taking up residence in the garage once again.
For two years now I've been trying to get excited about buying a new ride. To no avail.
You can pretty much see my joy in this pic. That is me on the left side of the pic, legs extended, enthralled with my Evo phone and annoyed with the other people in the tent already. There may have been only three "drivers" in the room, myself, the guy in the orange pants, and some guy whom you can't see that was a friggin rocket. The rest where just status seekers.
So last week I had the chance to push some P-cars around a track; and the results where pretty surprising.
Porsche set up in two parking lots down at Turner Field in Atlanta. In one lot they set up an autocross course, and in the other, they set up a "road" course designed to let a driver open the car up a bit.
On the autocross course, were the Caymans, base and R model; along with Boxsters and Boxster Spyders. Obviously the course was designed to accentuate the places where the cars perform best.
On the road course were the 997's: c2, c2s, c4, c4s, and c4s cab. The road course was designed to let a driver put go fast button all the way down on the floor on one straight away, and allowed some twisties elsewhere.
The other cool factor of driving these cars back to back was that in the car with you, were instructors from the Porsche Driving school. Now I've been to motorcycle racing schools (Schwantz, Code, and a couple smaller outfits); and I can say, these guys were INCREDIBLE. The amount of information that they were able to convey accurately and quickly was just amazing.
First up for me:
The Guards Red Cayman R.
Man... when I parked my 210 ass in those Recaro seats; it was like strapping the car on. No way I was going to move in those seats. It was tight, yet the cockpit never felt less than expansive, and safe.
Now, all of the cars were PDK, which I've never been a fan of. So I did not have high hopes about this aspect of the drive. That would change...
So we rolled out to the edge of the course; and my instructor told me what he expected out of my as a P-car owner. Said expectations set a little higher because of my damn driving shoes...
It involved getting the pedal to the floor, some breaking and a sweet turn in. He said go, I angrily stepped on that go button like I'd step on a fire ant that just bit me in the man cans. To me surprise, the car was just as angry about that ant as I was. That R took off like the red rocket it appeared to be. With some righteous guidance on slight braking and turn in plus proper exit from the turn; the R's tires were happily squealing and hurling me to the next turn.
Rinse, repeat turn after turn. I've had a bit of driver training from the military, law enforcement, two wheel racing schools; so I can confidently say I can drive perty good. I got no where near this cars limits. In fact, the car that started my ride with an angry leap, was probably laughing and asking if that was all I had when my time was over.
Suffice it to say, this car was an absolutely BLAST to drive. It just felt fast, even on a tight autocross course. I hate to use the cliche; but the damn thing handled like it was on rails.
I have to say that this Cayman R, in the guards red and blacked out wheel and trim looked down right mean; even just sitting still.
The same applied to the Boxster Spyder. What a stunning car this is. The one I drove was a loaded white Spyder, with black trim. Gorgeous car, that once you get the RPM's up, howls. I can see why someone would buy this car in a heart beat. It is a raw, drivers car. I do not care if one is a 911 bigot, if you look down your nose at this car; it is simple irrational hate. A hate crime in fact.
All of the Cayman R's characteristics applied in this car. The difference being that it wasn't as tight; but in saying that, know that I'm splitting hairs. It would take a hard core gear head to find this car's limits. Surprisingly enough, even though the "roof" isn't a convertible roof per se; literally a piece of cloth you manually pull over, there was little wind/road noise.
The base Cayman and Boxster, also fun cars; but noticeably down on power. That power statement is still a very relative statement because these cars, even in their "base" form will best most anything else on the road. I make the comment because after driving these R models, the difference in power was very noticeable.
The other noticeable difference is the handling between the R's and the base cars. Also, a relative statement. There was just a little bit more wheel squeal on the base Cayman and Boxster. Still, these cars are far more car than the average driver can handle.
I have to say, I can now totally understand why the PDK is so popular. I enjoyed these cars so much that I almost allowed myself to think that, IF I do another P-car, I might consider the PDK so that I could share the joy with my wife. There is a joystick joke in there somewhere...
Now it was time to switch gears and tracks.
After crossing the road from the autocross course, to the road course; it was time to insert into the 997's.
Lined up and purring was the majority of the 997 line.
First up for me, the C4s Cab.
My instructors name was Brian, so I felt a bond. What this man lacked in height, he made up for in juevo's and ability to tell someone how to push a Porsche. Holy hell this guy caused me to have a religious experience. Surly little ****er he was, and I love him for it.
More than my last instructor, he emphatically stated the position of the gas pedal upon the go statement. He said go, I go'd.
Here's the immediate sensation. In the Cayman R, pedal to the floor was like a high velocity sniper bullet leaving the barrel. The 997 was like a full on hulk flex and a war cry into a full on battle charge. It went, and it went with a lot of force; but it felt heavy compared to that Cayman R. Frankly, I'm sure that the 997 was going faster than the Cayman R, but it didn't "feel" like it.
Brian talked me through apexing turns and let me know that I totally screwed the pooch on a particular double apex; which I totally loved because it let me know how to do it better next time. At all times, all of the 997's felt safe. Depending on your personality, that could be a good thing. For me, I like a bit of a fight. Bear in mind, these statements are all relative; I cannot put the sheer amount of fun into words, even now.
I went through the C4 line; and as long as I did exactly what that instructor told me to do the car would get pushed, as would I (for those that have been to these schools you know what I'm talking about. You know what they're saying is correct, but it can be hard to actually do it).
In the middle of apexing a double apex, after being told to aim for the photographer...
My favorite 997 was the C2s by far. It was as "raw" as this line of cars could be. It is the 997 that felt the most on "edge". More specifically, I was able to get a sense of the work the car was doing; and the work that the engine was doing. Being a former 996 owner, I looked to see if I could break the rear end loose... didn't happen. The car remained on its rails.
The 997's made it easy to come as close to the cones and nip the chalk lines as possible. Especially if you listen to these god of war driving instructors; I can't say enough about them.
There is too much to right about 997's, and most of it has all been said. They are more car than most anyone could push, by far; but with the right training, you can at least see what the car is capable of. The same could be said about the Cayman Boxster lines.
The 997's are not the cars that they were even five years ago. How did Porsche take a top flight car and make it better? Who the hell knows; but they did it. Guess that is what happens when you're an engineering company that happens to make cars.
A 997 is a car that will thrill you to no end, and allow you to be comfortable doing it. But what I learned is that I need a car that will bite me back, and will make me fight with it to bend its will. The 997 makes that easy, the Cayman R makes it an experience.
My immediate impression after driving all of these things back to back is that, for me, there is no question; the Cayman R. It felt like a fighter jet, whereas the 997 felt heavy, and not as nimble. Disclaimer for the millionth time: These are very relative and subjective statements!!! But the sensation of driving these back to back make the experience of these cars quite viscerally obvious.
It could be that the Cayman R breaks the malaise. Now if I could go back to back with a Cayman R and a Vette Z06/Grand Sport on a track, we will be one step closer to excitement taking up residence in the garage once again.
#2
07-09-2011, 12:13 PM
Nice write-up.
A couple friends went and had a blast, same interpretation of the Cayman R.
If you have the chance and want to spend some more time pushing P-cars around, I highly recommend the Porsche Driving Experience over at Barber Motorsports Park
A couple friends went and had a blast, same interpretation of the Cayman R.
If you have the chance and want to spend some more time pushing P-cars around, I highly recommend the Porsche Driving Experience over at Barber Motorsports Park
#4
07-09-2011, 12:33 PM
Look at that pic of me in the cab at the top, and if you look closely; you can almost see him in the pic. That is one bad man.
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