Finally understand the Porsche thing.
Discussion
Now don't get me wrong, if I bleed it is a mixture of 105 octane and the finest Italian sauce that comes out, and up until now, I would have rather sold body parts that proclaim to wanting a Porsche.
To be honest, apart from the odd GT3 RS and a couple of Carrera GTs, I have always held back from driving any Porsche as I just have never seen the point in them.
Sure, they are no doubt outstanding pieces of modern engineering, but a fierce rivalry defending Lamborghini against Porsche with my best friend in my school days has stuck, so I have always gone with the Italians whenever the choice has presented itself.
Until last night.
For work reasons, I had to take a 996 C4S home and put some miles on it to give it a final check. I live relatively far away from London, out in the sticks, and there is a route I can take which is pretty much deserted country lanes, with short straights and fun corners. Yes it is the longer way home, but with the traffic last night, I took it.
The roads were less than perfect, and for once, every other person on the road had found my secret short cut.
But my god, that car absolutely tore the road apart. Now don't get me wrong, this is my Managing Directors car, and as you all know, I'm not a Ferris Bueller type of valet driver, but in those conditions, with the point and squirt security of the 4 wheel drive system, it just fell into place.
The ability of the car, allowing me to be progressive when the opportunity arose, and the amount that the PSM allowed me to get away with has totally changed the way I feel about this marque. There was none of the expected twitching from the rear when loaded up, the steering told me all I needed to know, and I arrived home shocked at the squashed beetle on my drive and just what it had delivered.
I have no doubt that I would have had as much fun in a Lambo or a Ferrari, but until I had to, I would never have chosen a Porsche to have that drive in.
I just hope my school friend isn't on PH!
To be honest, apart from the odd GT3 RS and a couple of Carrera GTs, I have always held back from driving any Porsche as I just have never seen the point in them.
Sure, they are no doubt outstanding pieces of modern engineering, but a fierce rivalry defending Lamborghini against Porsche with my best friend in my school days has stuck, so I have always gone with the Italians whenever the choice has presented itself.
Until last night.
For work reasons, I had to take a 996 C4S home and put some miles on it to give it a final check. I live relatively far away from London, out in the sticks, and there is a route I can take which is pretty much deserted country lanes, with short straights and fun corners. Yes it is the longer way home, but with the traffic last night, I took it.
The roads were less than perfect, and for once, every other person on the road had found my secret short cut.
But my god, that car absolutely tore the road apart. Now don't get me wrong, this is my Managing Directors car, and as you all know, I'm not a Ferris Bueller type of valet driver, but in those conditions, with the point and squirt security of the 4 wheel drive system, it just fell into place.
The ability of the car, allowing me to be progressive when the opportunity arose, and the amount that the PSM allowed me to get away with has totally changed the way I feel about this marque. There was none of the expected twitching from the rear when loaded up, the steering told me all I needed to know, and I arrived home shocked at the squashed beetle on my drive and just what it had delivered.
I have no doubt that I would have had as much fun in a Lambo or a Ferrari, but until I had to, I would never have chosen a Porsche to have that drive in.
I just hope my school friend isn't on PH!
Glad to see your eyes are opening 
To be honest, I find my Porsche is a much better driving tool than my Lambo. Where the Lambo scores heavily though is that it makes every journey a butterflies in the stomach event. And the Pork has nothing on the Lambo's exhaust noise bouncing off a rock wall or in a tunnel, nothing.
To be honest, I find my Porsche is a much better driving tool than my Lambo. Where the Lambo scores heavily though is that it makes every journey a butterflies in the stomach event. And the Pork has nothing on the Lambo's exhaust noise bouncing off a rock wall or in a tunnel, nothing.
AndrewD said:
Glad to see your eyes are opening
To be honest, I find my Porsche is a much better driving tool than my Lambo. Where the Lambo scores heavily though is that it makes every journey a butterflies in the stomach event. And the Pork has nothing on the Lambo's exhaust noise bouncing off a rock wall or in a tunnel, nothing.
Porsche is a fantastic high speed "Everyday Car" but it just lacks the feel good/presence factor that a Ferrari or Lamborghini give and i guess that no matter how much quicker the 997GT2 is to everything bar maybe the new Scud, it will never be viewed in the same breath. I felt on a downer when going from my friends Gallardo to my 996.To be honest, I find my Porsche is a much better driving tool than my Lambo. Where the Lambo scores heavily though is that it makes every journey a butterflies in the stomach event. And the Pork has nothing on the Lambo's exhaust noise bouncing off a rock wall or in a tunnel, nothing.
Many years ago I used to sell Porsches and enjoyed a similar penny-dropping moment.
Had to take a 85 Turbo Bodied 911 Coupe to a function, some 10 miles up a Gloucestershire small twisty A road.
Very frosty evening, white hoar frost and heavily salted road. No traffic so gave a couple of function guests (Porsche Club) a run up the deserted road in the then new model.
This 911 flew, absolutely flew.
Beautifully balanced, powerful brakes, absolutely stonking performance, lights, driving position, everything scintillating all at -2 degrees.
The other penny dropping exercise was over the not-so-successful 968. After running the company demo in, it didn't really appear to do anything exceptional. Then one evening coming back from a race meeting, it was time to let it out.
And that's when I found 120 mph
- with 2 gears yet to go.
Ah, I see; yes, a real Porsche. The harder you go, the harder/better it will respond.
Glorious.
Had to take a 85 Turbo Bodied 911 Coupe to a function, some 10 miles up a Gloucestershire small twisty A road.
Very frosty evening, white hoar frost and heavily salted road. No traffic so gave a couple of function guests (Porsche Club) a run up the deserted road in the then new model.
This 911 flew, absolutely flew.
Beautifully balanced, powerful brakes, absolutely stonking performance, lights, driving position, everything scintillating all at -2 degrees.
The other penny dropping exercise was over the not-so-successful 968. After running the company demo in, it didn't really appear to do anything exceptional. Then one evening coming back from a race meeting, it was time to let it out.
And that's when I found 120 mph
- with 2 gears yet to go.
Ah, I see; yes, a real Porsche. The harder you go, the harder/better it will respond.
Glorious.
Ive had 3 porka's ,2 996 turbos and a 997 turbo in succession .Just got rid of the 997 for a G coupe and i love it . I was expecting too much from the 997 although better than the 996 I guess i go bored ! The Gallardo stirs something deep inside that a stock porsche never will. That's only my opinion of course.
trackdemon said:
marlinmunro said:
trackdemon said:
And thats one of the weaker versions of the 996, itself less well regarded than the 993 or 997. Try a 997GT3 - now thats a fantastic bit of kit!
Every day car on UK roads has to be the 997 Turbo 
Had a 997 Turbo to play with recently. There is nothing that is quicker, safer and more reliable from A to B (preferably via the other 24 letters!). And I admire it more than any other car on the road. But you can't fall in love with a Porsche. But if it were an Aston or a Fezza or a Lambo......
InnovationJohn said:
Had a 997 Turbo to play with recently. There is nothing that is quicker, safer and more reliable from A to B (preferably via the other 24 letters!). And I admire it more than any other car on the road. But you can't fall in love with a Porsche. But if it were an Aston or a Fezza or a Lambo......
Carrera GT?I 'love' the GT3 more than any Aston........
trackdemon said:
InnovationJohn said:
Had a 997 Turbo to play with recently. There is nothing that is quicker, safer and more reliable from A to B (preferably via the other 24 letters!). And I admire it more than any other car on the road. But you can't fall in love with a Porsche. But if it were an Aston or a Fezza or a Lambo......
Carrera GT?I 'love' the GT3 more than any Aston........
Edited by dealmaker on Thursday 21st February 13:52
dealmaker said:
trackdemon said:
InnovationJohn said:
Had a 997 Turbo to play with recently. There is nothing that is quicker, safer and more reliable from A to B (preferably via the other 24 letters!). And I admire it more than any other car on the road. But you can't fall in love with a Porsche. But if it were an Aston or a Fezza or a Lambo......
Carrera GT?I 'love' the GT3 more than any Aston........
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