GT3, how to drive it properly!?

[tomvcarter]

Now I'm lucky enought to be in a GT3, I'm keen to make the most of it, so am looking for some direction on how to get the best out of it.
- Does anyone have any driving tips?
- Are there any Porsche driving instructors? (pref in the South)
- What's the Porsche Experience and is it worth it?

[Sandy59]

Firstly great choice of car, pretty sure you'll enjoy it.

Personally on a used GT3 even if it's been inspected, my first step would be a visit to Center Gravity or similar to verify the suspension set up is spot on. One bonus with Chris at CG is he'll take time to discuss different settings for different driving styles, and he'll also show you how to drive it pretty fast on the road to an extent. Downside may be travel distance and waiting time.

You can take your own car to the Porsche experience centre for about £350/half day I think, I found this a great way to get a proper feel for my 968 a while back. The instructors are very good and you won't ruin your tyres or brakes esp on the low friction areas.

If you really want to see how to drive a GT3 in anger, look at hiring someone like Sean Edwards for a few hours at a track day - not for the faint hearted though !! You will get some brake and tyre wear with this option.

Generally for road driving in the dry I just go fast in faster out, within some sort of reason of course !!
If you have Michelin Cup tyres just be careful with standing water, damp roads are no problem.
Good luck.

[S1MMA]

tomvcarter said:

- Does anyone have any driving tips?

Yes:

1) Do not turn the TCS button to off
2) Keep it on your side of the road, facing the right way preferably
3) Don't crash

In all honesty, it really all depends on your experience and talent behind the wheel. Are you a good/well experienced driver? Have you got lots of track experience? Do you have a lot of experience driving 911s?

If you are aren't the best/most experienced behind the wheel, just take your time getting used to driving it smoothly on the road. Start to match the revs on the downshift, make sure you get good clean gear changes every time. Learn the car.

If you have some good experience in cars of this nature, and some track driving, then the above should hopefully be easier, and I'd suggest after you're comfortable on the road, do some trackdays in it with some tuition. I found myself in a bit of a mess when taking the GT3 on track for the first time, everything was happening very quickly, I wasn't used to LHD gear changes, also wasnt used to the 911 weight distribution and had to alter driving style (speed into corners vs exit speed) to compensate. There was a lot going on for me, and it took me a while to really get used to it, I'm slowly getting there.

How do you rate yourself and what do you want to achieve?

Edited by S1MMA on Wednesday 23 November 09:34

[CPBRI]

Get plenty of track time with an instructor familiar with the GT3. It's a fun car on the road, but to really exploit its capabilities, you need a track.

[threesixty]

S1MMA said:

Yes:

1) Do not turn the TCS button to off
2) Keep it on your side of the road, facing the right way preferably
3) Don't crash

In all honesty, it really all depends on your experience and talent behind the wheel. Are you a good/well experienced driver? Have you got lots of track experience? Do you have a lot of experience driving 911s?

Also worth noting that the sport button winds the traction control off quite a bit too. I'd check the condition of the tyres too, theres every chance its got some summer/track type tyres on that will make it even more of a handful in the winter! I bought my car in November last year, wet roads and the half worn pzero corsas it came with made for an interesting learning experience.


I think it really depends on your previous experience, be patient though. 15K miles in mine and I'm still getting used to it.

[Steve Rance]

To be honest, the chasis on a GT3 is so good that providing you are driving sensibly and according to the weather conditions on the road you won't need to drive it any differently to anything else that you've driven. It's only when you are pushing the performance envelope on the track where it requires a very specific driving style. To learn it, i'd use an instructor with proven 911 skills such as a Carrera cup or super cup driver like Sean Edwards, another front running 911 Driver or good Old Mr Wilds who is an ex F1 driver and has driven 911 derivitives at Le mans.

[terryb]

Another vote here for Mike Wilds - he will give you great tips for road driving as well as track driving. But I also agree that it needs to be set up properly and unless you are sure that the geometry settings are as they should be, then it's well worth a small spend to get it right.

[monthefish]

Listen to what the car is telling you.

In my opinion, the biggest difference between a 911 and most other cars is the ‘feedback overload’, and the confidence that that inspires once you learn how to read it.

My experience is based on a 996 turbo, so I’m guessing the GT3 takes this concept to the next again level.

I would also suggest a day either with an instructor that knows Porsches (and their unique handling traits) and/or a day at Porsche Silverstone for a 'play'. Both will help you get to know the car.

[Steve Rance]

The 997GT3 probably filters more feedback out that your 996 turbo to be honest. It is not a car that will intimidate a driver with feedback

[Slippydiff]

Steve Rance said:

The 997GT3 probably filters more feedback out that your 996 turbo to be honest. It is not a car that will intimidate a driver with feedback

+ 1, my thoughts precisely Steve. You'd have to be going very fast indeed in a 997 GT3 on the road to get the sort of feedback that you'd get in a well set up Mk 1 or 2 996 GT3/RS at relatively sane speeds.

As I've said before, Stuttgart engineered a huge amount of the "911ness" out of the 997GT3. In doing so they did a brilliant job AND made a very accomplished road car, albeit one that requires you to drive at massive speeds to make it come "alive".

[911Thrasher]

S1MMA said:

1) Do not turn the TCS button to off

I would actually argue this point - I am not a racer, yet ON TRACK I do turn the TCS off as it saves a lot rear brake pads and you get a better feel of the car when it is on the edge - if you loose it, it's probably that you were going too fast for your own good anyways.
And I reckon most GT3 owners will tell you the same.

Personal opinion of course.

[pete]

Isn't the 991 GT3 gen 1 traction control system entirely engine based? I thought it was only the gen 2 that had full PSM stability control, and thus a tendency to hammer the rear brakes.

Pete

[Slippydiff]

pete said:

Isn't the 991 GT3 gen 1 traction control system entirely engine based? I thought it was only the gen 2 that had full PSM stability control, and thus a tendency to hammer the rear brakes.

Pete

Nope, Gen 1 997 GT3s have been eating through their rear pads (frequnntly quicker than the fronts) since the day folk started to track them.

[911Thrasher]

Slippydiff said:

Nope, Gen 1 997 GT3s have been eating through their rear pads (frequnntly quicker than the fronts) since the day folk started to track them.

Correct! On my 7.1RS I always check my rear pads first, and if needed (60% worn) I change them all around at the same time.
But indeed when removed, the rear are always more worn out than the front.

[Steve Rance]

Slippydiff said:

+ 1, my thoughts precisely Steve. You'd have to be going very fast indeed in a 997 GT3 on the road to get the sort of feedback that you'd get in a well set up Mk 1 or 2 996 GT3/RS at relatively sane speeds.

As I've said before, Stuttgart engineered a huge amount of the "911ness" out of the 997GT3. In doing so they did a brilliant job AND made a very accomplished road car, albeit one that requires you to drive at massive speeds to make it come "alive".

Yep, that is what separates the 996GT3 and the 997GT3. The newer car targets a much larger driver group and as a result is far more friendly to the less hardcore driver. The 996 is far more focussed and - although lots of people may say that's what they want in a car - in reality appeals to a much smaller driver group.

[tomvcarter]

Sandy59 said:

Firstly great choice of car, pretty sure you'll enjoy it.

You can take your own car to the Porsche experience centre for about £350/half day I think, I found this a great way to get a proper feel for my 968 a while back. The instructors are very good and you won't ruin your tyres or brakes esp on the low friction areas.

If you really want to see how to drive a GT3 in anger, look at hiring someone like Sean Edwards for a few hours at a track day - not for the faint hearted though !! You will get some brake and tyre wear with this option.

So what happens at the Porsche Experience Centre?
Sounds like the place to start... them on to tuition.

[S1MMA]

911Thrasher said:

I would actually argue this point - I am not a racer, yet ON TRACK I do turn the TCS off as it saves a lot rear brake pads and you get a better feel of the car when it is on the edge - if you loose it, it's probably that you were going too fast for your own good anyways.
And I reckon most GT3 owners will tell you the same.

Personal opinion of course.

I don't disagree, I turn it off on the road as well as the track. But I've been driving it for nearly a year and a half so am used to it now. OP has just got his, so I would leave it on with sport engaged so he can get a feel for it before going for it sans any protection. For anyone not used to this type of car, and not a racing driver, turning the tcs off and gunning it means your life expectancy is drastically reduced IMO. The rear is catchable, but it's not that easy in a GT3 on semi slick 12" wide cup sports with high limits IME.

[pete]

Slippydiff said:

Nope, Gen 1 997 GT3s have been eating through their rear pads (frequnntly quicker than the fronts) since the day folk started to track them.

Oho, thanks Thrasher and Slippydiff, maybe I should RTFM I really must get around to taking the GT3 on track though...

Pete

[Magic919]

pete said:

Isn't the 991 GT3 gen 1 traction control system entirely engine based?
Pete

Only time will tell. Must be at least a couple of years off.

[pete]

Magic919 said:

Only time will tell. Must be at least a couple of years off.

Doh, 99*7*