Raising a glass to my old 996 GT2
#1
09-07-2010, 01:46 AM
Raising a glass to my old 996 GT2
It's Labor Day, I am hoffed, and am missing the GT2, so I figure I would post what I remembered of her before we had baby scud joining us, which resulted in us turning the car in instead of keeping it.
As most of you know, I switched between the GT2 and the E30 as my daily back when we still had the GT2. The E30 is, IMO, what a BMW should be. Light, well balanced, loves to rev, and oh so easy to drive fast and make you look like a hero (especially when passing E46 M3 on the track). The GT2 has most of the weight in the back of the car, is light for modern car standard (3350 with me in the car and full tank of gas), loves to try to kill the inexperienced drivers, and in general is a pain in the ass to drive fast, especially when a hamster powered E46 M3 passes you on the track.
But, after all this time, I firmly believe that the GT2 is the car that, in the long run, will make you the smoothest driver whether you like it or not.
We had the GT2 on a 3 year lease, and had every intention of buying it. But after baby scud joined us, it became apparent that we were going to give it back, since the car stayed parked most weekends because it only seats two. So, the last year of our time with the GT2, I have been driving the it, rain or shine, basically everyday.
I recall one rainy day in 2009, it started raining again after many days of no rain, and I left my Pasadena client to get on one of my favorite freeway, where I have every turn memorized. And I now have no doubt that this is the car that inexperienced driver will most likely get killed in after the first rain on places like this. Getting on it going towards LA, the first turn is a nice, long sweeper that can normally be taken flat in third gear, and half throttle fourth gear when condition is right in the GT2. Well, in that first post rain condition, I took it easy, was very gentle with the inputs, was in 5th going oh, maybe 80, finished the sweeper, upshifted to 6th, and the car promptly did a nice, big wiggle that I was able to catch. It did the wiggle because I was just a tiny bit too early in upshifting while completing my unwinding the wheel from the sweeper wheel setting.
A few days later, the road once again became dry, and I had a chance to drive on the same freeway again. It is a totally different driving style. Whereas in the E30 you can do the nice smooth dance with the steering wheel without much throttle input at constant speed, the GT2 does not like to be turned by the steering alone. If you want to change lane, you slightly back off on the throttle, and magically the car is where you want it to be, then you roll back on the throttle, and it just sticks like glue and goes where you point it to. And because it sticks like glue once you set the wheel, it is quite a bit faster than the E30. Although, before you are able to roll on the throttle, you must manage the weight correctly for the turns, or it's massive understeer or TTL.
On the south bound right before the uphill merge with another freeway into downtown LA, there is a quick right left transition with a nasty bumpy joint. In the GT2, you tap the brakes right before the joint, set the wheel, and can actually fully roll on the throttle and shoots up hill past the 5 merge ramp. And the sure footedness of its on throttle behavior really is amazing. This I believe, is how in the hands of experienced driver, the GT2 is so incredibly fast.
But if you try to drive the same section like you can with the E30, which is, you simply follow the transition with your wheels, then keep feeding it throttle, the GT2 will basically refuse to make any directional changes. You can try driving it like the GT2, but the 50/50 simply does not help you that much in the roll on acceleration, not in the way a properly managed 30/70 GT2 can.
It is that sensitive to throttle input. So, with careful throttle management, I hardly ever have to turn the steering wheel. Whereas in the E30, more steering was required, because the car simply isn't that sensitive to throttle change to the degree that the GT2 is. Now keep in mind, this movement of the steering on the E30 is still quite small, if you are using your HPDE experience to drive the line. So it is incredible to me how smooth the GT2 can feel, if you use its designed weight distribution instead of the wheel.
Essentially, the GT2 does not allow you to handle it, it demands that you dance with it, smoothly. Where the E30 will eagerly accomondates you, the GT2 simply has two stages of going from "I don't think so," (massive understeer) to "OK you're dead" (oh nooos oversteer). When you are on throttle, it simply does not want to change direction, period. And if you try to force the issue, out comes the back. Yet, once you have some seat time, just the tiny amount of variation in the throttle will put you where you want to go, keeping the wheel exactly where you have it.
So there you have it, smooth throttle control gets you very far in the GT2. And in the rain, smooth throttle control is required for bodywork to remain intact.
Disclaimer: The unit of speed discussed in this post is in meters per hour.
As most of you know, I switched between the GT2 and the E30 as my daily back when we still had the GT2. The E30 is, IMO, what a BMW should be. Light, well balanced, loves to rev, and oh so easy to drive fast and make you look like a hero (especially when passing E46 M3 on the track). The GT2 has most of the weight in the back of the car, is light for modern car standard (3350 with me in the car and full tank of gas), loves to try to kill the inexperienced drivers, and in general is a pain in the ass to drive fast, especially when a hamster powered E46 M3 passes you on the track.
But, after all this time, I firmly believe that the GT2 is the car that, in the long run, will make you the smoothest driver whether you like it or not.
We had the GT2 on a 3 year lease, and had every intention of buying it. But after baby scud joined us, it became apparent that we were going to give it back, since the car stayed parked most weekends because it only seats two. So, the last year of our time with the GT2, I have been driving the it, rain or shine, basically everyday.
I recall one rainy day in 2009, it started raining again after many days of no rain, and I left my Pasadena client to get on one of my favorite freeway, where I have every turn memorized. And I now have no doubt that this is the car that inexperienced driver will most likely get killed in after the first rain on places like this. Getting on it going towards LA, the first turn is a nice, long sweeper that can normally be taken flat in third gear, and half throttle fourth gear when condition is right in the GT2. Well, in that first post rain condition, I took it easy, was very gentle with the inputs, was in 5th going oh, maybe 80, finished the sweeper, upshifted to 6th, and the car promptly did a nice, big wiggle that I was able to catch. It did the wiggle because I was just a tiny bit too early in upshifting while completing my unwinding the wheel from the sweeper wheel setting.
A few days later, the road once again became dry, and I had a chance to drive on the same freeway again. It is a totally different driving style. Whereas in the E30 you can do the nice smooth dance with the steering wheel without much throttle input at constant speed, the GT2 does not like to be turned by the steering alone. If you want to change lane, you slightly back off on the throttle, and magically the car is where you want it to be, then you roll back on the throttle, and it just sticks like glue and goes where you point it to. And because it sticks like glue once you set the wheel, it is quite a bit faster than the E30. Although, before you are able to roll on the throttle, you must manage the weight correctly for the turns, or it's massive understeer or TTL.
On the south bound right before the uphill merge with another freeway into downtown LA, there is a quick right left transition with a nasty bumpy joint. In the GT2, you tap the brakes right before the joint, set the wheel, and can actually fully roll on the throttle and shoots up hill past the 5 merge ramp. And the sure footedness of its on throttle behavior really is amazing. This I believe, is how in the hands of experienced driver, the GT2 is so incredibly fast.
But if you try to drive the same section like you can with the E30, which is, you simply follow the transition with your wheels, then keep feeding it throttle, the GT2 will basically refuse to make any directional changes. You can try driving it like the GT2, but the 50/50 simply does not help you that much in the roll on acceleration, not in the way a properly managed 30/70 GT2 can.
It is that sensitive to throttle input. So, with careful throttle management, I hardly ever have to turn the steering wheel. Whereas in the E30, more steering was required, because the car simply isn't that sensitive to throttle change to the degree that the GT2 is. Now keep in mind, this movement of the steering on the E30 is still quite small, if you are using your HPDE experience to drive the line. So it is incredible to me how smooth the GT2 can feel, if you use its designed weight distribution instead of the wheel.
Essentially, the GT2 does not allow you to handle it, it demands that you dance with it, smoothly. Where the E30 will eagerly accomondates you, the GT2 simply has two stages of going from "I don't think so," (massive understeer) to "OK you're dead" (oh nooos oversteer). When you are on throttle, it simply does not want to change direction, period. And if you try to force the issue, out comes the back. Yet, once you have some seat time, just the tiny amount of variation in the throttle will put you where you want to go, keeping the wheel exactly where you have it.
So there you have it, smooth throttle control gets you very far in the GT2. And in the rain, smooth throttle control is required for bodywork to remain intact.
Disclaimer: The unit of speed discussed in this post is in meters per hour.
Last edited by stuka; 09-07-2010 at 10:23 AM. Reason: hoffed
#6
09-07-2010, 10:23 AM
Josh, you keep mentioning a "baby scud." Just wondering which car you're referring to. I assume this is what replaced your GT2.
All those comments about the "wiggle" is exactly why this car is referred affectionately as the "widowmaker." This car simply demands respect...there's no messing around!
Thanks for sharing your tale with us.
All those comments about the "wiggle" is exactly why this car is referred affectionately as the "widowmaker." This car simply demands respect...there's no messing around!
Thanks for sharing your tale with us.
#7
09-07-2010, 10:43 AM
Andy, you keep mentioning a "baby scud." Just wondering which car you're referring to. I assume this is what replaced your GT2.
All those comments about the "wiggle" is exactly why this car is referred affectionately as the "widowmaker." This car simply demands respect...there's no messing around!
Thanks for sharing your tale with us.
All those comments about the "wiggle" is exactly why this car is referred affectionately as the "widowmaker." This car simply demands respect...there's no messing around!
Thanks for sharing your tale with us.
Yeah, the car really only wiggles when you are not smooth with the input, which really is great, since it straightens out your driving and forces you to drive properly.
