Discussion
I think I'm really beginning to unlock the sports car in the 991.
As anyone who owns one will tell you, the 991 is a quantum leap ahead of its forebears in terms of continental cruising comfort and urban upmanship. And, at the press of a button, the 991 with PDK transforms into an asphalt-munching wildcat... snarling, sleek and savage... But the transformation, initiated as it is by the car's electronics, could be described as clinical, even artifical. So I've been on a quest to explore beyond the playstation switch from Jekyll to Hyde (or Jag to GTR if you prefer) to find the true soul of the car.
It's a cliche that with each iteration of the 911, a little of the character is lost. And it's a given that I'm not a very good driver, or at least not a particularly fast one, although this is my 4th Porsche sports car, so other owners may have taken a quarter of the time to reach my level of understanding. But I think I'm really getting it now. Just a little background: my 991 is a Cab S, bought new to order in July of this year. Being a bit of geek I added all the performance acronyms, including crucially PDCC. I'd been approaching the driving of the 991 like an old school 911. Slow in, fast out. And the cornering has been faultless but lacking just a little in feel compared to the GTS it replaced.
This last week however, I've taken two cross country trips to the Lakes (winter climbing is my thing) on frozen roads with new winter tyres. 100 miles each way across two national parks. And I've been testing the car's capabilities in the light of some comments I read from an engineer on Rennlist. He suggested that the more confidence and assertiveness the driver exhibits, the more the 991 will reward with pure handling talent. In contrast, driven cautiously, hesitantly (or plain badly) the car will adopt a defensive attitude anathema to driving pleasure. So, though still turning in on the brakes, much more gently now on the middle pedal, more positively with the steering wheel, and, crucially, MUCH earlier on the throttle....
All I can say is WOW!!
Unbelievable poise, feedback, traction.... incredible sensations channelling through your hands and seat. This is what it's all about: the feeling of connection with the machine, slicing through corner after corner, whipping round the curves. I have never felt so much grip this side of a go-kart track. Bear in mind this is at an ambient temperature of -3 degrees!!
How much of this is down to the PDCC?
I believe that PDCC's main performance benefit is to generate the strongest and largest contact patch for the tyres. And logically the extra grip thus generated would counteract the loss of traction at the rear associated with oversteer. Turning in with lighter braking would also tend to maintain more grip at the driven wheels (by reducing load transfer). Combine these benefits with the wider track (the improvements to turn-in counteracting the loss of load over the front wheels and you have the most deliciously performing rocket ship.
Anyway, I'm not an engineer so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. But I know myself. And I know when I've fallen in love. Not just with the (very nice) luxuries, the comfort, the relative calm, but with the sporting essence of the car.
She's filthy dirty... wails like a banshee... craves strong handling... and likes her entries firm and fast.
As anyone who owns one will tell you, the 991 is a quantum leap ahead of its forebears in terms of continental cruising comfort and urban upmanship. And, at the press of a button, the 991 with PDK transforms into an asphalt-munching wildcat... snarling, sleek and savage... But the transformation, initiated as it is by the car's electronics, could be described as clinical, even artifical. So I've been on a quest to explore beyond the playstation switch from Jekyll to Hyde (or Jag to GTR if you prefer) to find the true soul of the car.
It's a cliche that with each iteration of the 911, a little of the character is lost. And it's a given that I'm not a very good driver, or at least not a particularly fast one, although this is my 4th Porsche sports car, so other owners may have taken a quarter of the time to reach my level of understanding. But I think I'm really getting it now. Just a little background: my 991 is a Cab S, bought new to order in July of this year. Being a bit of geek I added all the performance acronyms, including crucially PDCC. I'd been approaching the driving of the 991 like an old school 911. Slow in, fast out. And the cornering has been faultless but lacking just a little in feel compared to the GTS it replaced.
This last week however, I've taken two cross country trips to the Lakes (winter climbing is my thing) on frozen roads with new winter tyres. 100 miles each way across two national parks. And I've been testing the car's capabilities in the light of some comments I read from an engineer on Rennlist. He suggested that the more confidence and assertiveness the driver exhibits, the more the 991 will reward with pure handling talent. In contrast, driven cautiously, hesitantly (or plain badly) the car will adopt a defensive attitude anathema to driving pleasure. So, though still turning in on the brakes, much more gently now on the middle pedal, more positively with the steering wheel, and, crucially, MUCH earlier on the throttle....
All I can say is WOW!!
Unbelievable poise, feedback, traction.... incredible sensations channelling through your hands and seat. This is what it's all about: the feeling of connection with the machine, slicing through corner after corner, whipping round the curves. I have never felt so much grip this side of a go-kart track. Bear in mind this is at an ambient temperature of -3 degrees!!
How much of this is down to the PDCC?
I believe that PDCC's main performance benefit is to generate the strongest and largest contact patch for the tyres. And logically the extra grip thus generated would counteract the loss of traction at the rear associated with oversteer. Turning in with lighter braking would also tend to maintain more grip at the driven wheels (by reducing load transfer). Combine these benefits with the wider track (the improvements to turn-in counteracting the loss of load over the front wheels and you have the most deliciously performing rocket ship.
Anyway, I'm not an engineer so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. But I know myself. And I know when I've fallen in love. Not just with the (very nice) luxuries, the comfort, the relative calm, but with the sporting essence of the car.
She's filthy dirty... wails like a banshee... craves strong handling... and likes her entries firm and fast.
BnB said:
I think I'm really beginning to unlock the sports car in the 991.
As anyone who owns one will tell you, the 991 is a quantum leap ahead of its forebears in terms of continental cruising comfort and urban upmanship. And, at the press of a button, the 991 with PDK transforms into an asphalt-munching wildcat... snarling, sleek and savage... But the transformation, initiated as it is by the car's electronics, could be described as clinical, even artifical. So I've been on a quest to explore beyond the playstation switch from Jekyll to Hyde (or Jag to GTR if you prefer) to find the true soul of the car.
It's a cliche that with each iteration of the 911, a little of the character is lost. And it's a given that I'm not a very good driver, or at least not a particularly fast one, although this is my 4th Porsche sports car, so other owners may have taken a quarter of the time to reach my level of understanding. But I think I'm really getting it now. Just a little background: my 991 is a Cab S, bought new to order in July of this year. Being a bit of geek I added all the performance acronyms, including crucially PDCC. I'd been approaching the driving of the 991 like an old school 911. Slow in, fast out. And the cornering has been faultless but lacking just a little in feel compared to the GTS it replaced.
This last week however, I've taken two cross country trips to the Lakes (winter climbing is my thing) on frozen roads with new winter tyres. 100 miles each way across two national parks. And I've been testing the car's capabilities in the light of some comments I read from an engineer on Rennlist. He suggested that the more confidence and assertiveness the driver exhibits, the more the 991 will reward with pure handling talent. In contrast, driven cautiously, hesitantly (or plain badly) the car will adopt a defensive attitude anathema to driving pleasure. So, though still turning in on the brakes, much more gently now on the middle pedal, more positively with the steering wheel, and, crucially, MUCH earlier on the throttle....
All I can say is WOW!!
Unbelievable poise, feedback, traction.... incredible sensations channelling through your hands and seat. This is what it's all about: the feeling of connection with the machine, slicing through corner after corner, whipping round the curves. I have never felt so much grip this side of a go-kart track. Bear in mind this is at an ambient temperature of -3 degrees!!
How much of this is down to the PDCC?
I believe that PDCC's main performance benefit is to generate the strongest and largest contact patch for the tyres. And logically the extra grip thus generated would counteract the loss of traction at the rear associated with oversteer. Turning in with lighter braking would also tend to maintain more grip at the driven wheels (by reducing load transfer). Combine these benefits with the wider track (the improvements to turn-in counteracting the loss of load over the front wheels and you have the most deliciously performing rocket ship.
Anyway, I'm not an engineer so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. But I know myself. And I know when I've fallen in love. Not just with the (very nice) luxuries, the comfort, the relative calm, but with the sporting essence of the car.
She's filthy dirty... wails like a banshee... craves strong handling... and likes her entries firm and fast.
Well said sir. As anyone who owns one will tell you, the 991 is a quantum leap ahead of its forebears in terms of continental cruising comfort and urban upmanship. And, at the press of a button, the 991 with PDK transforms into an asphalt-munching wildcat... snarling, sleek and savage... But the transformation, initiated as it is by the car's electronics, could be described as clinical, even artifical. So I've been on a quest to explore beyond the playstation switch from Jekyll to Hyde (or Jag to GTR if you prefer) to find the true soul of the car.
It's a cliche that with each iteration of the 911, a little of the character is lost. And it's a given that I'm not a very good driver, or at least not a particularly fast one, although this is my 4th Porsche sports car, so other owners may have taken a quarter of the time to reach my level of understanding. But I think I'm really getting it now. Just a little background: my 991 is a Cab S, bought new to order in July of this year. Being a bit of geek I added all the performance acronyms, including crucially PDCC. I'd been approaching the driving of the 991 like an old school 911. Slow in, fast out. And the cornering has been faultless but lacking just a little in feel compared to the GTS it replaced.
This last week however, I've taken two cross country trips to the Lakes (winter climbing is my thing) on frozen roads with new winter tyres. 100 miles each way across two national parks. And I've been testing the car's capabilities in the light of some comments I read from an engineer on Rennlist. He suggested that the more confidence and assertiveness the driver exhibits, the more the 991 will reward with pure handling talent. In contrast, driven cautiously, hesitantly (or plain badly) the car will adopt a defensive attitude anathema to driving pleasure. So, though still turning in on the brakes, much more gently now on the middle pedal, more positively with the steering wheel, and, crucially, MUCH earlier on the throttle....
All I can say is WOW!!
Unbelievable poise, feedback, traction.... incredible sensations channelling through your hands and seat. This is what it's all about: the feeling of connection with the machine, slicing through corner after corner, whipping round the curves. I have never felt so much grip this side of a go-kart track. Bear in mind this is at an ambient temperature of -3 degrees!!
How much of this is down to the PDCC?
I believe that PDCC's main performance benefit is to generate the strongest and largest contact patch for the tyres. And logically the extra grip thus generated would counteract the loss of traction at the rear associated with oversteer. Turning in with lighter braking would also tend to maintain more grip at the driven wheels (by reducing load transfer). Combine these benefits with the wider track (the improvements to turn-in counteracting the loss of load over the front wheels and you have the most deliciously performing rocket ship.
Anyway, I'm not an engineer so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. But I know myself. And I know when I've fallen in love. Not just with the (very nice) luxuries, the comfort, the relative calm, but with the sporting essence of the car.
She's filthy dirty... wails like a banshee... craves strong handling... and likes her entries firm and fast.
drmark said:
It was the sentiment, not the grammar, that stuck in my craw.
It's your interpretation, not my sentiment. I was trying to convey the 991's uncanny ability to smooth out the rutted roads and pockmarked pavement that characterise our cities, rising above them, as it were... Sorry to have offended with my clumsy neologism.BnB said:
It's your interpretation, not my sentiment. I was trying to convey the 991's uncanny ability to smooth out the rutted roads and pockmarked pavement that characterise our cities, rising above them, as it were... Sorry to have offended with my clumsy neologism.
Then I apologise - I thought you were referring to the way the car enabled the owner to hold the tip of his nose slightly higher than other road users. 
Old Trout said:
Sounds ideal for testing the chassis limits of a performance car on a public road 
Mild weather for my part of Yorkshire Roads were very dry, to be fair. The following day (Friday) was carnage on the roads. Black ice everywhere.
Edited by BnB on Monday 17th December 14:14
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