Prospective 981 GT4 Owners Discussion Forum.

Prospective 981 GT4 Owners Discussion Forum.

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Stunters

575 posts

193 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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Today I had my half-day experience in the Cayman GT4 at PEC Silverstone.

After an excellent lunch, a thorough drivers’ briefing and a quick look inside the Human Performance Centre (including a go on the Batak machine, I scored 36 in 30 sec) it was time to get in the GT4 and see what the fuss is all about. Conditions were wet all day...

My instructor, Mike Dunville, was excellent. We chatted over lunch regarding my experience and what I would like to get out of the day, and he tailored the time accordingly. His instruction was very clear and I found him to be a funny and interesting bloke. I was really impressed by him.

As most of you will know, they have 3 GT4s at PEC: a yellow one, a black one and a white one. I was in the yellow car which is actually a pre-production car on German plates and apparently known as “Seb”. Because it’s a pre-production car, it isn’t allowed to be driven on the public road. This was potentially a bit of a shame because I wanted to see how it felt in everyday conditions, so instead we did a lap of the perimeter road at Silverstone. This was actually very useful as I could spend 5 minutes or so getting comfortable with the car before going into the PEC facilities properly.

This was the first time I’ve driven a 981-generation car of any description and also the first time I’ve driven a car with an electronic parking brake. Whilst I’m not a fan of it, I got used to it pretty quickly. The clutch is very similar in weight to my current 987.1 Cayman S and the ride is perfectly fine. It’s not ridiculously noisy either, even with the sports exhaust on. The car would be absolutely fine in daily use. It’s nothing at all like an Elise or Exige, for instance.

The gearshift is shorter of throw than in my car with its standard manual ‘box; this was noticeable for the first five minutes and then it just felt normal! The rear view is dominated by the spoiler, which again you notice for the first few minutes and then just treat it as normal. The steering is a bit lighter in weight than in my car but it’s not too light by any means. There is some steering feel, although it’s fair to say that it doesn’t wriggle and writhe and I think my 987.1 is still slightly better. That said, I found it perfectly acceptable (which is quite high praise from me) and I don’t think it will be a concern day-to-day.
Most importantly for me, the 918-style bucket seats suited me perfectly (I’m 5’10” and 11-and-a-half stone). I’m now VERY happy with my choice of these.

So, back into the PEC facility and we started with a few laps of the handling circuit. The car flows really nicely if you adopt a neat and tidy driving style and the ceramics are tremendous. There’s a bit of understeer, but it’s the sort you get when you’re being a bit clumsy on corner entry rather than it being a fundamental problem with the car.

After that we went onto the kick plate. I’d had trouble with this on the brief goes I’d had here previously but this time Mike helped me with some simple, clear instruction. After mastering it straight away with the systems on, we then did it with the systems off, and then deliberately inducing two more slides after catching the initial one. I only spun twice during this last phase, but worked it out fairly quickly!
Then we went onto the low friction circle. The idea here was to send the car into oversteer, catch it and then hold the drift on the throttle (i.e. hold it all the way round the circle, and ideally hold it for more than one lap of the circle).

Initially I found this difficult, because it’s something I have never deliberately induced on the road or even on a trackday and I couldn’t work out what I needed to do. So we swapped over and Mike then demonstrated, while I watched how he caught it (quick hands and a lot more lock than I had been applying), how he kept it going (throttle control, relatively few movements of the wheel) and then how he exited it (unwinding the lock and balancing the throttle).

So now that the penny had dropped regarding what to do, I set about trying to do it! The best I managed was one complete circle and I got quite a few starts and holds, but a lot of the time I would spin (by giving it too much throttle after the initial catch) or understeer (by giving it throttle with too much initial lock, or not getting the initial corrective lock on quickly enough). But I certainly got a much better feel for it.

After this we went on to the ice hill. Now I’ve done this going downhill before, but never going uphill. After one run with the systems on, we turned them off and aimed to go left, then right with a send (to slide the car), then left with a send (to catch and slide the car the other way, with the aim of making smooth transitions between the slides ideally as nice tidy drifts. I managed to do this reasonably well, “Just like Tiff Needell” said Mike...

We then did the ice hill downwards, to practice controlling lift-off oversteer. Again after one run with the systems on, we did two runs with the systems off – right with a send and then left with a send. Both times I spun after sending the car the first time! Ah well...

Then onto the new part of the PEC facility that opened last year. This comprises another handling circuit, and two straights of about 350 metres where you can do acceleration and braking runs. The handling loop is pretty good; it’s mostly second gear with some tight technical corners and then a straight where you get up to about 80 or so before a second gear right. I liked this loop and again the car rewarded a precise, neat style very well. Despite it being wet, the car has loads of grip and the front-end feel gave me plenty of confidence. Again any slight clumsiness on corner entry was down to the driver inputs and you can clearly feel when you get it right.

So on to the straights. We did three exercises. First, a 0-60-0 with a full-on ABS stop. Second, we repeated this, but for the braking part, Mike said to take your hands completely off the wheel. Finally, we did a couple of 0-70-0 runs, but this time incorporating a lane change under full ABS (right to left on the first run, left to right on the second run). Now I’ve done these type of exercises before, but it’s always impressive how well the car stops and how clever the electronics are. And goodness me, what a noise the GT4 makes when you give it the full beans and change up at 7000 or so!

To finish, we had a few more goes on the kick plate, a couple more attempts on the low friction circle (I’d definitely peaked at 1 full circle) and a handful of further laps of the first handling circuit. Two and a half hours of great instruction, and full concentration. The yellow GT4 has no aircon or climate control, so I was pretty sweaty when I got out!

So, in summary – I think the GT4 is bloody awesome. It’s going to be fine on the road – even on Pilot Sport Cup 2s in the wet - and properly capable on the track. The 918-style buckets fit me really well, I’m glad my car will have climate control, and I’m really looking forward to taking delivery, whether it ends up being this year or next. Sapphire Blue, steel brakes – bring it on!

Oh - and when I arrived at about 11.45am, I bumped into David (PorscheGT4). A pleasure to meet you and I hope you had a successful outcome :-)

PorscheGT4

Original Poster:

21,146 posts

264 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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Hi :-)

daro911

769 posts

251 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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PorscheGT4 said:
Hi :-)
? Were you impressed GT4 v R
Long ratios as bad as suspected
Spill the beans

Stunters

575 posts

193 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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So how did it go then David? PM me if you'd prefer smile

franki68

10,330 posts

220 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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sone said:
cc3 said:
My build has come forward to next week from Nov.
What seats have you ordered?
Wouldn't read too much into that,I've got 918 seats and they have brought my car forward .

paralla

3,528 posts

134 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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daro911 said:
I went and visited this car last week before its new owner took delivery and out of my 10 pics the posted 2 are very accurate the website pics of the actual car and my other 8 pics were way off the real deal as is this example sent to me by a dealer in Canada when I first ordered Voodoo
Thanks for that. Blue seems to be notoriously difficult to get a proper idea of online. Some pictures of Sapphire look stunning and in others it looks fairly lack lustre. It's ordered and locked now, nothing to do but wait. I guess it will add to the occasion when we see it for the first time on collection. I'm getting it detailed and a front end wrap applied before I see it so it should be looking its absolute best.

cc3

2,786 posts

115 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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So PDK Clubsport confirmed for race series

jackwood

2,607 posts

207 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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i presume this isn't a road car?

braddo

10,399 posts

187 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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fioran0 said:
Sorry I missed this. I posted some details on the upcoming racer Cayman a while back in another thread.
The race car will be using PDK and will be a bit below GT4 series level in terms of pitch. It is aimed at the club racer in the main, offering a factory supplied entrance/gateway to Porsche racing. Support etc will come from main dealers.
That was last I heard/saw and I haven't heard anything to the contrary. Until it drops as a physical unit though there is always potential for changes in all directions of course.

I believe cars will be delivering before December though. Some are looking like they might pop up in Continental GS class. The current Porsche there was a prepped 997 GTS. BGB also ran a 3.4 Cayman in there that did ok but was outgunned in terms of making podiums. Porsche Club Racing in the US should be opening up a series for the cars too starting next year so expect the bulk to head there since that is the market.


Edited by fioran0 on Sunday 4th October 23:04
Interesting, thanks. I didn't realise that the PDK gearbox would be a contender in a race series. It will be interesting to see how it holds up.

Are dual clutch gearboxes appearing in racing elsewhere, I wonder (VWs and BMWs in N'ring 24hr etc)?

paralla

3,528 posts

134 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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braddo said:
Interesting, thanks. I didn't realise that the PDK gearbox would be a contender in a race series. It will be interesting to see how it holds up.

Are dual clutch gearboxes appearing in racing elsewhere, I wonder (VWs and BMWs in N'ring 24hr etc)?
VW Scirocco N24 has a 6 Speed DSG.
http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/235305/vw_and_jb...

swimd

350 posts

120 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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jackwood said:
i presume this isn't a road car?
No, it's a racing car. It can be made street legal but you wouldn't want to drive it on the street.

A person at the last sport auto nürburgring meeting predicted this car would come (he even mentioned the cup front axle) and that it uses the GT3 PDK-S gearbox (hardware and software).
I brushed him off as a rumour-monger but looks like I was mistaken. He also said the GT4 would get an extended production run with the PDK-S as an option but take that with a large grain of salt.

isaldiri

18,406 posts

167 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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Surprising that the PDK gearbox has been used in the race series. As far as I have heard, any dual clutch boxes that have thrown a problem (pretty much in any car) have been blanket replaced by the manufacturer rather than allowing any maintenance to be done, even for simple seal replacement. Will be interesting to see how those hold up under racing conditions.

mdianuk

2,890 posts

170 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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daro911 said:
I went and visited this car last week before its new owner took delivery and out of my 10 pics the posted 2 are very accurate the website pics of the actual car and my other 8 pics were way off the real deal as is this example sent to me by a dealer in Canada when I first ordered Voodoo
So what is the colour of blue on the left...I like it!

daro911

769 posts

251 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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mdianuk said:
daro911 said:
I went and visited this car last week before its new owner took delivery and out of my 10 pics the posted 2 are very accurate the website pics of the actual car and my other 8 pics were way off the real deal as is this example sent to me by a dealer in Canada when I first ordered Voodoo
So what is the colour of blue on the left...I like it!
MEXICO Bluecool

88racing

1,748 posts

155 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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cc3 said:
So PDK Clubsport confirmed for race series
I think this is being inaccurately reported. Clubsport was already an option for the GT4 - a race version would be named GT4 Cup. PROsport in Germany have already independently proved the 981 Cayman in the European GT4 series and they guested with one of the cars at the final round of British GT at Donington where it qualified 23rd out of a 32-car grid (but didn't do particularly well in the race). I await its official announcement on 18th November.

PorscheGT4

Original Poster:

21,146 posts

264 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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I doubt it's being inaccurately reported

here is the Porsche press release

http://www.porsche.com/uk/aboutporsche/pressreleas...

EricE

1,945 posts

128 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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Interesting, that suggests that the R&D for PDK in the GT4 is already done and they're holding it back for other reasons.

Cazooch

163 posts

110 months

Bagso

61 posts

174 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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paralla said:
Thanks for that. Blue seems to be notoriously difficult to get a proper idea of online. Some pictures of Sapphire look stunning and in others it looks fairly lack lustre. It's ordered and locked now, nothing to do but wait. I guess it will add to the occasion when we see it for the first time on collection. I'm getting it detailed and a front end wrap applied before I see it so it should be looking its absolute best.
Who have you used for the wrap. Interested in getting the front end done

paralla

3,528 posts

134 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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Bagso said:
Who have you used for the wrap. Interested in getting the front end done
I haven't used them yet but this is who's going to do it for me.

http://www.elitedetailing.co.uk/News-Media-Details...
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