The Banana....1 year on
Discussion
Well, time does go quickly. Thought I’d give my thoughts about the car after 12 months and 8, 000 miles.
In a word……fecking awesome!
It is the first car I have ever owned that I have not become bored with. Every time I open the garage up, I get a light feeling in my belly with excitement walking towards it. It really is a very pretty car, and I think the colour scheme and GT2 body kit go well together.
From an ownership side it has been 100% reliable once the initial cat problems were sorted a few weeks after buying it. Service costs have been high, but only because the brakes and tyres get lots of hammer at Bruntingthorpe. The only modification I have had done was to have the Bilstein PSS 9 kit installed which transformed the handling and composure.
From a driving experience side, I am still probing the subtle depths of its dynamic repertoire, but I genuinely find it so thrilling when pushing on. I love the feeling when you can sense the weight of the engine out back during faster cornering, and the feeling of the engine’s mass transforming from foe to friend as you floor the throttle and make it work for you out of corners. The car still amazes me every time I drive it, its glowing abilities plainly showing the holes and shortcomings in my wheel twirling skills. Traction is never an issue; even under full power in the wet…..to me this is the most compelling attribute of the vehicle. The power delivery is endless and the red line comes so quickly. I now fully understand the comment made in EVO last year when they said the car just keeps on going and going through the gears, and it would literally take off if it had enough gears! I find the car almost urges you to take a familiar road that little bit quicker than last time, goading you to push it harder and further than before, all this accompanied by the whooossshhhhh and karsshhhhshhshhh from the exhaust as the turbos hit full boost.
The clock will be passing 60k miles very soon, but the car still feels so tight and strong despite the increasing miles and being 9 years old. The build quality is full on hewn from granite stuff.
Downsides….none really, apart from gear change has a long throw, although no short shift kits are presently available.
All in all, I am thoroughly smitten
I would encourage anyone considering buying one to go for it
In a word……fecking awesome!
It is the first car I have ever owned that I have not become bored with. Every time I open the garage up, I get a light feeling in my belly with excitement walking towards it. It really is a very pretty car, and I think the colour scheme and GT2 body kit go well together.
From an ownership side it has been 100% reliable once the initial cat problems were sorted a few weeks after buying it. Service costs have been high, but only because the brakes and tyres get lots of hammer at Bruntingthorpe. The only modification I have had done was to have the Bilstein PSS 9 kit installed which transformed the handling and composure.
From a driving experience side, I am still probing the subtle depths of its dynamic repertoire, but I genuinely find it so thrilling when pushing on. I love the feeling when you can sense the weight of the engine out back during faster cornering, and the feeling of the engine’s mass transforming from foe to friend as you floor the throttle and make it work for you out of corners. The car still amazes me every time I drive it, its glowing abilities plainly showing the holes and shortcomings in my wheel twirling skills. Traction is never an issue; even under full power in the wet…..to me this is the most compelling attribute of the vehicle. The power delivery is endless and the red line comes so quickly. I now fully understand the comment made in EVO last year when they said the car just keeps on going and going through the gears, and it would literally take off if it had enough gears! I find the car almost urges you to take a familiar road that little bit quicker than last time, goading you to push it harder and further than before, all this accompanied by the whooossshhhhh and karsshhhhshhshhh from the exhaust as the turbos hit full boost.
The clock will be passing 60k miles very soon, but the car still feels so tight and strong despite the increasing miles and being 9 years old. The build quality is full on hewn from granite stuff.
Downsides….none really, apart from gear change has a long throw, although no short shift kits are presently available.
All in all, I am thoroughly smitten
I would encourage anyone considering buying one to go for it
It's good to hear you are still well into your car, Martin. I loved it when I had a ride at Brunters.
I had a drive of my mate's 993 Turbo the other day. It's a standard car with a little less power than yours, but it was MUCH faster than my car. The torque was fantastic. It provided a genuine push into my back which my car doesn't really do. My car felt somewhat asthmatic when I drove home in it. Damn!
Makes me want that pesky Vic Cohen's car even more........
I had a drive of my mate's 993 Turbo the other day. It's a standard car with a little less power than yours, but it was MUCH faster than my car. The torque was fantastic. It provided a genuine push into my back which my car doesn't really do. My car felt somewhat asthmatic when I drove home in it. Damn!
Makes me want that pesky Vic Cohen's car even more........
Martyn, I hadn't realised you'd not had the car a year 
Thanks for the passenger ride at Vmax… real insight… one very quick banana, not to mention one that handles so fluidly… but the best bit was seeing the fact that you were enjoying flinging the car around the bends, with a bloody great big smile on your face
Thanks for the passenger ride at Vmax… real insight… one very quick banana, not to mention one that handles so fluidly… but the best bit was seeing the fact that you were enjoying flinging the car around the bends, with a bloody great big smile on your face
Excellent stuff, Martyn.
I can certainly vouch for Captain Yorkshire's enthusiasm: he's the only lunatic one can ring up at 0630 hours on a Sunday morning, not just to report on thine own velocitous progress but to hear of a simultaneous tale of rubber laying o'er North York's barrener moors.
Interesting to consider your thoughts on the car's fundamental indominatability, something which, I am happy to report, can be significantly overcome ~ particularly i'th'wet ~ by an excess of dilithium abuse over driving ability.
Edward Schevardnadze.
I can certainly vouch for Captain Yorkshire's enthusiasm: he's the only lunatic one can ring up at 0630 hours on a Sunday morning, not just to report on thine own velocitous progress but to hear of a simultaneous tale of rubber laying o'er North York's barrener moors.
Interesting to consider your thoughts on the car's fundamental indominatability, something which, I am happy to report, can be significantly overcome ~ particularly i'th'wet ~ by an excess of dilithium abuse over driving ability.
Edward Schevardnadze.
Great write up MOD. Your enthusiasm for the car is fantastic to see.
The couple of early weeks disappointment were painful to watch as the car was back and forward to the opc but now its fully sorted i'm sure that is long forgotten.
That early morning blat in the rain following DeR to brunters was something i will remember for a long time.
Its also been really interesting to see how much more you have been able to get out of the car as your confidence in its ability has progressed.
Stunning...
The couple of early weeks disappointment were painful to watch as the car was back and forward to the opc but now its fully sorted i'm sure that is long forgotten.
That early morning blat in the rain following DeR to brunters was something i will remember for a long time.
Its also been really interesting to see how much more you have been able to get out of the car as your confidence in its ability has progressed.
Stunning...
Thanks for the comments.
Glenn - I think the GT2 would suit you so well....go on you know you want to. There would no point me contributing towards it since my ass is too big to even fit in the CS seats it has fitted!!
Regards another dream 911, well, a 996 turbo S or X50 in the future may be the way forward. Although another plan involving the 993 winging its way to Germany for fettling under the careful eye of Adam's mentor also appeals. But not for a year at least.
Marki - a yearly service costs around £600, add a bit more for brakes and tyres if you were to track it. There are some costs in my car profile.
Fuel consumption hasn't been too bad either, around 19 mpg on average during a typical Sunday morning outing.
Glenn - I think the GT2 would suit you so well....go on you know you want to. There would no point me contributing towards it since my ass is too big to even fit in the CS seats it has fitted!!
Regards another dream 911, well, a 996 turbo S or X50 in the future may be the way forward. Although another plan involving the 993 winging its way to Germany for fettling under the careful eye of Adam's mentor also appeals. But not for a year at least.
Marki - a yearly service costs around £600, add a bit more for brakes and tyres if you were to track it. There are some costs in my car profile.
Fuel consumption hasn't been too bad either, around 19 mpg on average during a typical Sunday morning outing.
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