Driving a 996 GT3 RS with upgrades
Discussion
to be honest it don't sound that nice a drive lol
quote
"Then factor in the constant adjustments you make for the car reacting to the relief of the road and let’s just say the work rate when driving briskly is pretty high."
"you sense the suspension geometry altering and the car’s trajectory shifting as you get on the power or brakes"
" As implied a little earlier, first impressions involve a fair old bit of squat and dive, noticeable diagonal pitching and porpoising. There’s plenty of camber sniffing, a bit of wander and wiggle under braking, "
you can keep it ! :-) I don't call that feed back just hassle.
quote
"Then factor in the constant adjustments you make for the car reacting to the relief of the road and let’s just say the work rate when driving briskly is pretty high."
"you sense the suspension geometry altering and the car’s trajectory shifting as you get on the power or brakes"
" As implied a little earlier, first impressions involve a fair old bit of squat and dive, noticeable diagonal pitching and porpoising. There’s plenty of camber sniffing, a bit of wander and wiggle under braking, "
you can keep it ! :-) I don't call that feed back just hassle.
Should have moved that annoying twig first though! 
Porsche911R said:
to be honest it don't sound that nice a drive lol
quote
"Then factor in the constant adjustments you make for the car reacting to the relief of the road and let’s just say the work rate when driving briskly is pretty high."
"you sense the suspension geometry altering and the car’s trajectory shifting as you get on the power or brakes"
" As implied a little earlier, first impressions involve a fair old bit of squat and dive, noticeable diagonal pitching and porpoising. There’s plenty of camber sniffing, a bit of wander and wiggle under braking, "
you can keep it ! :-) I don't call that feed back just hassle.
By changing the set up you can engineer the life out of any chassis. It's very rare for a car to have this much feel and life buit into it, and what's more having so much more potential. That's why it is such an engaging car. But if you want a dead car, you could easily kill a 996 RS if you wanted to. Engineer the life out of it. But that would be missing the point somewhat. Tuning yourself into a well set up 996RS is probably one of the most rewarding things that any genuine driver can ever do quote
"Then factor in the constant adjustments you make for the car reacting to the relief of the road and let’s just say the work rate when driving briskly is pretty high."
"you sense the suspension geometry altering and the car’s trajectory shifting as you get on the power or brakes"
" As implied a little earlier, first impressions involve a fair old bit of squat and dive, noticeable diagonal pitching and porpoising. There’s plenty of camber sniffing, a bit of wander and wiggle under braking, "
you can keep it ! :-) I don't call that feed back just hassle.
Steve Rance said:
By changing the set up you can engineer the life out of any chassis. It's very rare for a car to have this much feel and life buit into it, and what's more having so much more potential. That's why it is such an engaging car. But if you want a dead car, you could easily kill a 996 RS if you wanted to. Engineer the life out of it. But that would be missing the point somewhat. Tuning yourself into a well set up 996RS is probably one of the most rewarding things that any genuine driver can ever do
I know too many people who don't like them inc me for road use. many have 964's and Cayman R's now which is interesting.So not something I'll get into on this thread, it's not for many people the 996 GT3 imo. And you have also stated pointless if not tracked many times.
I am not so sure you can engineer the life from it, while keeping it a true drivers car and exciting.
I guess gearing and new shocks helps 10 fold for most issues I dislike, but it's a risk if you end up with a car you don't like after punting another £10k into it to make it work !
I see your point but to be honest, these cars are really only something that a driver with several other cars in thier garage might buy. If you are a one or 2 car buyer then compromise is obviously neccessary. The more cars you have in your garage, the more pure are your options and therefore the option for each car to be more extreme. The 6RS is a contemporary version of a D Type or a 250GTO. None of these cars were built to compromise. The drivers that own them, will all have daily hooners that are far less compromised and far more practical. My daily hooner is an M2 these days. Great little car, much more practical that a 6RS in every way - but I know what car I'd rather be driving when i want to enjoy driving for the sake of it.
Steve Rance said:
I see your point but to be honest, these cars are really only something that a driver with several other cars in thier garage might buy. If you are a one or 2 car buyer then compromise is obviously neccessary. The more cars you have in your garage, the more pure are your options and therefore the option for each car to be more extreme. The 6RS is a contemporary version of a D Type or a 250GTO. None of these cars were built to compromise. The drivers that own them, will all have daily hooners that are far less compromised and far more practical. My daily hooner is an M2 these days. Great little car, much more practical that a 6RS in every way - but I know what car I'd rather be driving when i want to enjoy driving for the sake of it.
Your 964 prob lol A car I would like a drive of please. ;-) Been a while since I've had any chance to catch up with PH and I come back to this and another great article on the 991.2GT3. When you read these two pieces back to back, as I just have, you really do get a picture that is just plain 'on-it', it terms of brutal honesty and transparency. Every time I read a piece you have written, I am left with a feeling of hope, that a brave manufacturer such as Porsche, will take heed and just go completely Banzai and bring on a true masterpiece in simplicity and tactility that so missing in todays world. Reading about the 996RS is a sad reminder of what we are leaving behind at an ever increasing rate.
I would love to hear your thoughts on something truly quirky like a Citroen DS.
Keep up the great work Jeremy
I would love to hear your thoughts on something truly quirky like a Citroen DS.
Keep up the great work Jeremy
Interesting car. Good write up.
PS Would you be offended if an old hack offered some advice regarding your writing style?
Your prose would be crisper if you avoided cliches like “from the get go”, “so to speak” etc.
Always choose the best words rather than favouring those that rhyme or alliterate.
And never use exclamation marks for emphasis - only after words like bang!
Sorry to be a pedant but a magazine / newspaper sub-editor would be making those changes. Bloggers don’t get this input. Now you can tell me to f
k off 
PS Would you be offended if an old hack offered some advice regarding your writing style?
Your prose would be crisper if you avoided cliches like “from the get go”, “so to speak” etc.
Always choose the best words rather than favouring those that rhyme or alliterate.
And never use exclamation marks for emphasis - only after words like bang!
Sorry to be a pedant but a magazine / newspaper sub-editor would be making those changes. Bloggers don’t get this input. Now you can tell me to f
k off Cmoose. I think that you have summed up the 6RS well in this piece. The biggest fallacy spouted about the 6RS by numerous writers is that 'it is a handful'. Cars that are 'a handful' have difficult handling traits that need to be countered by the driver. A TVR tuscan is a handful, a mark 1 Elise can be a handful on exit due to it's poor rear roll control. The 6RS absolutely not a handful. It is a car that has a beautiful balance. It is entirely predictable and easy to drive quickly. What it does do is translate everything to the driver through it's chassis leaving him or her to react accordingly. The best thing about the car is that it can back up just about everything that the driver can ask of it with a brillantly balanced chassis and superb engine and running gear.
I remember jumping into a well set up 6RS for a short road trip during a time that I was racing a 996 cup. I hadn't driven one for a few years and thought that having racked up a lot of hours in the 6 Cup the 6RS would feel diluted, blunt and vaigue. I couldnt believe how good the car was. It felt so similar to the cup. Not loosely genetically linked like say the 997 GT3 is to the 997Cup (which is a handful), the 996RS was almost the same drive. There is no compromise in the 6RS, it isnt a one car for all circumstances its just a pure bred driving tool. Incredible car and to this day the best 911 that i've ever driven.
If you want excellence there can be no compromise. The new generation of GT cars mask this well. But jump into a passive version of a 991 GT3 with propper damping, mechanical diff and no rear wheel steer and see what you are missing.
I remember jumping into a well set up 6RS for a short road trip during a time that I was racing a 996 cup. I hadn't driven one for a few years and thought that having racked up a lot of hours in the 6 Cup the 6RS would feel diluted, blunt and vaigue. I couldnt believe how good the car was. It felt so similar to the cup. Not loosely genetically linked like say the 997 GT3 is to the 997Cup (which is a handful), the 996RS was almost the same drive. There is no compromise in the 6RS, it isnt a one car for all circumstances its just a pure bred driving tool. Incredible car and to this day the best 911 that i've ever driven.
If you want excellence there can be no compromise. The new generation of GT cars mask this well. But jump into a passive version of a 991 GT3 with propper damping, mechanical diff and no rear wheel steer and see what you are missing.
Steve Rance said:
....jump into a passive version of a 991 GT3 with propper damping, mechanical diff and no rear wheel steer and see what you are missing......
A phone call to your insurer and a visit to a bodyshop for a large number of drivers, who may be more familiar with wax brands than handling traits?Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff