GT4 RS/ Spyder RS Experiences, Driving and Technical
Discussion
dm.racing said:
Picked up a new 4RS on Friday afternoon. What a car! Got up early on Saturday to take advantage of empty roads and nice weather. Already up to 200 miles plus. Tried to keep it below 4K, but couldn’t resist and took it up to 5K. That’s about 112 in seventh (estimated of course).
Some early impressions. Suspension is very good and not too hard on the road, even with 2.3 F and 2.7 R pressures, which are somewhat higher than the book. My car came with Michelins. Standard wheels and brakes. The Internet thinks the spring rates are too high, leading to bouncing at the back over bumps. This is complete BS. The car felt very stable at high speed corners over broken roads that I know well.
Initial turn-in is relaxed but precise, very similar to the 991.2 GT3, which makes sense as they share the same front suspension setup. The gearbox in normal setting downshifts fast but is relatively slower on upshifts, maybe PDK sport cures it but I am not trying it during running in.
Another Internet red herring, the 4RS is too loud. Again this is completely off the mark, up to 5K the car is not louder than the 991.2 GT3. Obviously, in the 4RS you hear induction, not exhaust noise. When you’re out on a relaxed drive or going to the shops, you do not need to use more than 5K anyway. When you’re pressing on, hearing the engine is good, that’s why you buy this car.
Reading some of the comments about the 4RS on pistonheads and other forums, you are led to believe all sorts of myths, especially that the car is too loud and too hard for the road. So I’m sharing my impressions to bring some balance to the discussion. To any prospective 4RS owners, go try one and decide for yourself. If you’re in the market for one of Porsche’s most extreme track focused road cars, the 4RS delivers as expected.
HI Some early impressions. Suspension is very good and not too hard on the road, even with 2.3 F and 2.7 R pressures, which are somewhat higher than the book. My car came with Michelins. Standard wheels and brakes. The Internet thinks the spring rates are too high, leading to bouncing at the back over bumps. This is complete BS. The car felt very stable at high speed corners over broken roads that I know well.
Initial turn-in is relaxed but precise, very similar to the 991.2 GT3, which makes sense as they share the same front suspension setup. The gearbox in normal setting downshifts fast but is relatively slower on upshifts, maybe PDK sport cures it but I am not trying it during running in.
Another Internet red herring, the 4RS is too loud. Again this is completely off the mark, up to 5K the car is not louder than the 991.2 GT3. Obviously, in the 4RS you hear induction, not exhaust noise. When you’re out on a relaxed drive or going to the shops, you do not need to use more than 5K anyway. When you’re pressing on, hearing the engine is good, that’s why you buy this car.
Reading some of the comments about the 4RS on pistonheads and other forums, you are led to believe all sorts of myths, especially that the car is too loud and too hard for the road. So I’m sharing my impressions to bring some balance to the discussion. To any prospective 4RS owners, go try one and decide for yourself. If you’re in the market for one of Porsche’s most extreme track focused road cars, the 4RS delivers as expected.
this was my reaction when I picked mine up one year a go, I drove it home and thought what is all the fuss about. A14 low revs very nice I thought.
peoples reviews are bulls
t :-)But then you live with it and learn it, It is funny you post and give a review when you have not been over 5k revs :-) and then say people are posting bulls
t ! Because there are no myths, bulls
t or red herrings as you like to call it, Just honest user info.Lets go though it, I would not post but you uses Myths, bulls s
t and other words, so here we are :-) 1: The Internet thinks the spring rates are too high, and you say bulls
t. The internet is right, all the reviews are right all the track reviews are right all the tuning companies are right all the race car drivers who have driven it are right,, it's not bulls
t. SSR uses a 90/120 setup as an example, Duddon uses 100/120NM , my car bounced about not on bumps as such but dips and stuff and it's sprung way way too hard maybe not for track if it's smooth (I tracked mine) but on the road the damping cannot cope.. That's proven by 5 tuning shops and all the reviews and me :-) and the many people I know where the car did not even last a month as a road car.So your bulls
t is in fact not bull and every one else is right and it's a fact :-) the rear end is usless oem IF YOU DRIVE IT AS INTENDED.2: not a big thing as it is close to a 991.2 front end, I had both, but the 991.2 had a 9" front wheel and you could add more rake due to engine layouts.
They limted the 4RS with a 8.5" rim and you cannot add to much rake as you take away rear traction I found.
3: Another Internet red herring, the 4RS is too loud.
Sorry it is ***** loud, I had mine at 116DB in the car,again as have many many reviews, you have not been above 5k revs lol, 116DB is loud, esp when you are on a trip with a few cars and they are turbo cars, and they want to over take every thing, you find you are living up and over 6k revs most of the time and to keep with a turbo F8 or AMG you are dropping 2 gears to get the power., it's not a shopping car after all. Red herring busted, it's VERY loud. On track you need ear plugs 100%. or your ears bleed and you would damage them for life.
The nice thing is the short ratio's in the 4RS but all this does is then allow you access to the BHP in the higher revs where it is loud because at 4k revs you have 200bhp and then why buy a 4RS to drive about with 200bhp ! my GTS is faster at 4k revs :-)
I like you have posted a 1st impression and I would not have even made a comment , but you did say the whole internet and forums are bulls
t and myths when you have not tracked the car, you have not been above 5k revs and you have then not driven it hard on the road where it falls apart under WOT on dips. The car is stable, but it's rock hard and on WOT on a dip it cannot cope at all then you get the bounce and traction lights. I would have kept mine if the damping and shocks worked, the noise thing is a bit of fun and you can make the car quiter i did and got it to 110DB then it's ok ish.report back in 2k miles when you have driven it as "Porsche’s most extreme track focused road car" and I would think with your history you might then agree with the whole internet, all 5 tuning companies and the many owners and even me :-)
I loved to track the car, I hated it on the road which did bring tears to my eyes in frustration, and on track you could get away with not buying shocks I had no real issues on the smooth tracks I did and keeping it off the curbs. it's very fast car. A set of shocks and some pillows in the back would make it an amazing car :-)
I see since 2 owners have posted since your post , one saying it's loud, the other saying they have now had a rear end skip :-)
:
GT_cars said:
HI
this was my reaction when I picked mine up one year a go, I drove it home and thought what is all the fuss about. A14 low revs very nice I thought.
peoples reviews are bullst :-)
But then you live with it and learn it, It is funny you post and give a review when you have not been over 5k revs :-) and then say people are posting bullst !
Because there are no myths, bullst or red herrings as you like to call it, Just honest user info.
Lets go though it, I would not post but you uses Myths, bulls st and other words, so here we are :-)
1: The Internet thinks the spring rates are too high, and you say bullst.
The internet is right, all the reviews are right all the track reviews are right all the tuning companies are right all the race car drivers who have driven it are right,, it's not bullst. SSR uses a 90/120 setup as an example, Duddon uses 100/120NM , my car bounced about not on bumps as such but dips and stuff and it's sprung way way too hard maybe not for track if it's smooth (I tracked mine) but on the road the damping cannot cope.. That's proven by 5 tuning shops and all the reviews and me :-) and the many people I know where the car did not even last a month as a road car.
So your bullst is in fact not bull and every one else is right and it's a fact :-) the rear end is usless oem IF YOU DRIVE IT AS INTENDED.
2: not a big thing as it is close to a 991.2 front end, I had both, but the 991.2 had a 9" front wheel and you could add more rake due to engine layouts.
They limted the 4RS with a 8.5" rim and you cannot add to much rake as you take away rear traction I found.
3: Another Internet red herring, the 4RS is too loud.
Sorry it is ***** loud, I had mine at 116DB in the car,again as have many many reviews, you have not been above 5k revs lol, 116DB is loud, esp when you are on a trip with a few cars and they are turbo cars, and they want to over take every thing, you find you are living up and over 6k revs most of the time and to keep with a turbo F8 or AMG you are dropping 2 gears to get the power., it's not a shopping car after all. Red herring busted, it's VERY loud. On track you need ear plugs 100%. or your ears bleed and you would damage them for life.
The nice thing is the short ratio's in the 4RS but all this does is then allow you access to the BHP in the higher revs where it is loud because at 4k revs you have 200bhp and then why buy a 4RS to drive about with 200bhp ! my GTS is faster at 4k revs :-)
I like you have posted a 1st impression and I would not have even made a comment , but you did say the whole internet and forums are bullst and myths when you have not tracked the car, you have not been above 5k revs and you have then not driven it hard on the road where it falls apart under WOT on dips. The car is stable, but it's rock hard and on WOT on a dip it cannot cope at all then you get the bounce and traction lights. I would have kept mine if the damping and shocks worked, the noise thing is a bit of fun and you can make the car quiter i did and got it to 110DB then it's ok ish.
report back in 2k miles when you have driven it as "Porsche’s most extreme track focused road car" and I would think with your history you might then agree with the whole internet, all 5 tuning companies and the many owners and even me :-)
I loved to track the car, I hated it on the road which did bring tears to my eyes in frustration, and on track you could get away with not buying shocks I had no real issues on the smooth tracks I did and keeping it off the curbs. it's very fast car. A set of shocks and some pillows in the back would make it an amazing car :-)
I see since 2 owners have posted since your post , one saying it's loud, the other saying they have now had a rear end skip :-)
For context just how many miles and track days did you drive in the year you owned your car?this was my reaction when I picked mine up one year a go, I drove it home and thought what is all the fuss about. A14 low revs very nice I thought.
peoples reviews are bulls
t :-)But then you live with it and learn it, It is funny you post and give a review when you have not been over 5k revs :-) and then say people are posting bulls
t ! Because there are no myths, bulls
t or red herrings as you like to call it, Just honest user info.Lets go though it, I would not post but you uses Myths, bulls s
t and other words, so here we are :-) 1: The Internet thinks the spring rates are too high, and you say bulls
t. The internet is right, all the reviews are right all the track reviews are right all the tuning companies are right all the race car drivers who have driven it are right,, it's not bulls
t. SSR uses a 90/120 setup as an example, Duddon uses 100/120NM , my car bounced about not on bumps as such but dips and stuff and it's sprung way way too hard maybe not for track if it's smooth (I tracked mine) but on the road the damping cannot cope.. That's proven by 5 tuning shops and all the reviews and me :-) and the many people I know where the car did not even last a month as a road car.So your bulls
t is in fact not bull and every one else is right and it's a fact :-) the rear end is usless oem IF YOU DRIVE IT AS INTENDED.2: not a big thing as it is close to a 991.2 front end, I had both, but the 991.2 had a 9" front wheel and you could add more rake due to engine layouts.
They limted the 4RS with a 8.5" rim and you cannot add to much rake as you take away rear traction I found.
3: Another Internet red herring, the 4RS is too loud.
Sorry it is ***** loud, I had mine at 116DB in the car,again as have many many reviews, you have not been above 5k revs lol, 116DB is loud, esp when you are on a trip with a few cars and they are turbo cars, and they want to over take every thing, you find you are living up and over 6k revs most of the time and to keep with a turbo F8 or AMG you are dropping 2 gears to get the power., it's not a shopping car after all. Red herring busted, it's VERY loud. On track you need ear plugs 100%. or your ears bleed and you would damage them for life.
The nice thing is the short ratio's in the 4RS but all this does is then allow you access to the BHP in the higher revs where it is loud because at 4k revs you have 200bhp and then why buy a 4RS to drive about with 200bhp ! my GTS is faster at 4k revs :-)
I like you have posted a 1st impression and I would not have even made a comment , but you did say the whole internet and forums are bulls
t and myths when you have not tracked the car, you have not been above 5k revs and you have then not driven it hard on the road where it falls apart under WOT on dips. The car is stable, but it's rock hard and on WOT on a dip it cannot cope at all then you get the bounce and traction lights. I would have kept mine if the damping and shocks worked, the noise thing is a bit of fun and you can make the car quiter i did and got it to 110DB then it's ok ish.report back in 2k miles when you have driven it as "Porsche’s most extreme track focused road car" and I would think with your history you might then agree with the whole internet, all 5 tuning companies and the many owners and even me :-)
I loved to track the car, I hated it on the road which did bring tears to my eyes in frustration, and on track you could get away with not buying shocks I had no real issues on the smooth tracks I did and keeping it off the curbs. it's very fast car. A set of shocks and some pillows in the back would make it an amazing car :-)
I see since 2 owners have posted since your post , one saying it's loud, the other saying they have now had a rear end skip :-)
Cant resist answering!
So I am closing in on 5k miles, two track days and one hill climb. Ive had only 3 Porsches though….
1. It is only as loud as my 981 GT4 at full chat I measure my GT4 at Prescott Hill climb at 113 dB. I calibrate my decibel meter, same result in GT4RS. The sound on the 981 GT4 was something that marks out that car against others.
2. My GT4 RS has MR shocks which raise the front spring rate. I agree with Mr Demon that the car is a better ride with properly calibrated shocks and geo. However I think that the products we see are being produced by savvy Porsche specialists who make stuff to satisfy what rich customers think they want - reflecting the “truth” of the internet and driving sales. Good for them. But “all specialists” dropping spring rates is not right - Manthey isn’t and they’ve owned and run a few Porsches.
3. I find my car awesome on bumpy UK roads but I dont really push cars on public roads. However Oulton Park is pretty much a fast bumpy road. My car and other better driven 4RS’ spent the day eating/matching GT3s/turbos and Turbo S and being smited by the awesome GT3 RS. The breakaway was even and the front end grip awesome.
4. If I was Porsche I would probably bring out an unwinged GT4 RS “Touring” maybe with a manual. With Spyder spring rates and some noise reduction on the intake and the new foldy seats alongside the raw 4RS for the MY26 production run. I think this is what the US market (and Evo magazine) is actually looking for. But isnt that a GT3 touring? The 4RS was described as a road legal race car by Porsche, it is definitely that but perhaps too comfortable and lives in its own niche!
I expect Mr Demon would buy one and tell us it is the best Porsche ever.
I would love to ask a 992.1 GT3 owner for a drive though!!
So I am closing in on 5k miles, two track days and one hill climb. Ive had only 3 Porsches though….
1. It is only as loud as my 981 GT4 at full chat I measure my GT4 at Prescott Hill climb at 113 dB. I calibrate my decibel meter, same result in GT4RS. The sound on the 981 GT4 was something that marks out that car against others.
2. My GT4 RS has MR shocks which raise the front spring rate. I agree with Mr Demon that the car is a better ride with properly calibrated shocks and geo. However I think that the products we see are being produced by savvy Porsche specialists who make stuff to satisfy what rich customers think they want - reflecting the “truth” of the internet and driving sales. Good for them. But “all specialists” dropping spring rates is not right - Manthey isn’t and they’ve owned and run a few Porsches.
3. I find my car awesome on bumpy UK roads but I dont really push cars on public roads. However Oulton Park is pretty much a fast bumpy road. My car and other better driven 4RS’ spent the day eating/matching GT3s/turbos and Turbo S and being smited by the awesome GT3 RS. The breakaway was even and the front end grip awesome.
4. If I was Porsche I would probably bring out an unwinged GT4 RS “Touring” maybe with a manual. With Spyder spring rates and some noise reduction on the intake and the new foldy seats alongside the raw 4RS for the MY26 production run. I think this is what the US market (and Evo magazine) is actually looking for. But isnt that a GT3 touring? The 4RS was described as a road legal race car by Porsche, it is definitely that but perhaps too comfortable and lives in its own niche!
I expect Mr Demon would buy one and tell us it is the best Porsche ever.
I would love to ask a 992.1 GT3 owner for a drive though!!
Edited by Snowy999 on Monday 10th March 16:09
Hey Mr Demon, please don’t take my comments personally, they were not aimed at you or any other person. I was just excited with the new car and relieved that some of the comments I had seen online, that it’s too hard and too loud, proved inaccurate in my view. Clearly you have a different opinion. And of course nothing wrong with tuners trying to improve the standard setup of a car, but obviously you don’t ask a barber if it’s time for a haircut, you form your own view… Anyway, I will drive the car more, and if I change my mind, I will come here, admit I was wrong, and eat humble pie! For now, I still think it’s a well judged car, just as firm and noisy as a Porsche RS road car should be.
3. I find my car awesome on bumpy UK roads but I dont really push cars on public roads. However Oulton Park is pretty much a fast bumpy road. My car and other better driven 4RS’ spent the day eating/matching GT3s/turbos and Turbo S and being smited by the awesome GT3 RS. The breakaway was even and the front end grip awesome.
This is what good quality passive dampers can achieve ... for me the most decisive was the fast-bump ... dealing with circuit kerbs and road pot-holes in equal measure ...
The only advantage of the Manthey premium is their incorporation within the Porsche new and extended warranties. And yes, I thought that they made a massive difference.
Not up to speed with the car yet, and this was the first day of the new season, but not much else quicker other than properly driven 992 RS once the circuit dried out.
G readings - 1.47g Max Braking, 1.64g Max Lateral
Didn't feel held back by the suspension as such at this point. It might have looked more busy from the outside, as was commented upon to me - but I didn't have any issues in the car - it was just tons of fun. If I could nit-pick - maybe a touch more front spring rate would be good - which would help balance forces on braking and maybe settle the car a bit more overall - so reducing F/R ratio by stiffening front or reducing rear - but this is nit-picking at this stage.
I did find that I was 'favouring' the brakes a little - standard steels with OEM brakes, line and fluid. I'm sure they would be fine - but I've been so used to ST's over the last 2 years.
The steels have a load more feel - but I know with the upgraded ST based setup I'd trade off a little bit of feel for complete unburstability on braking lap after lap after lap. So something to be done in this area.
Cheap foam ear plugs in - just to take the edge off at max revs - great.
718 RS PDK is savage - I love it. ESC was off later in the day - car just thrives when driven hard.
Gassing Station | Boxster/Cayman | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff