Porsche 911 handling?

[MC Bodge]

Having re-discovered GTL and 'driving' these extreme versions of the 911 :



I'm now intrigued by what real old 911s were actually like to drive.

With the engine in the wrong place, oversteer is obviously a constant threat, but in GTL, unless you enter a bend relatively slowly and get onto a 'balanced' throttle, the Porsche cars understeer off rapidly. The cars seem constantly swiging between over and understeer.

They must be challenging to drive fast. I've seen the video of that Yellow RUF at the Nurburgring -I've a lot of respect to the driver!


ps. I've managed to pedal the 934 around reasonably (ie. laps of Laguna Seca without leaving the tarmac), although the 935 is a laggy beast.

Edited by MC Bodge on Sunday 5th December 14:30

[madala]

....if you have driven an old VW.....you have driven an old Porsche.....not that much difference apart for horsepower....I "cut my teeth" on old V-dubs....a great learning curve.....

[redgriff500]

I borrowed a 1986 911 off my Dad for 3 weeks.

I REALLY wanted to like it.

I loved how it looked and I'd fancied one for years.

But it simply didn't go, stop, corner nor give confidence like the two cars I was driving at the time - a 1996 BMW 328 and a 1991 Supercharged MX5.

They sound crap too, just like a Beetle.

I was very disappointed with it.

[AnotherGareth]

redgriff500 said:

I borrowed a 1986 911

Possibly the perfect driver's car, although you do need to know how to drive properly.

[adycav]

What's GTL?

[Isimmo]

AnotherGareth said:

redgriff500 said:

I borrowed a 1986 911

Possibly the perfect driver's car, although you do need to know how to drive properly.

So true, I drove an '86 911 around Castle Combe in 1991 as a swap drive with our quattro and I drove it like a granny because a) it wasn't mine, b) it was a 911, and I was st scared of it, and c) I had no idea how to catch it if it 'exited-stage-left'...

The 911 owner reported pretty much exactly the same.

I think to 'really' understand them, you have to own them (911 we're talking)...

Also drove a 944 Turbo a while back on the Public highway, and it was very good, excellent fun... But it was slightly tweeked...

[snuffle]

The engine is not in the wrong place, it's supposed to be in the rear.


but I've never driven a car as powerful as a 935 round laguna seca. I did drive a Renault Laguna once though, it was great, it had electric windows and they worked.

Edited by snuffle on Sunday 5th December 19:45

[DangerousMike]

GTL is a very good simulation of old (60s and 70s) GT and touring race cars. THe kind of cars that race in FIA historic GTs.

I totally agree about the handling characteristic in that game... you have to trail brake in very hard to get the front to grip which then makes the tail a bit nervous... which is best dealt with by getting on the power right after turn it... its very tricky to drive.

there is a brilliant video of someone driving this kind of 911 around spa here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ84Fa-AqXY

its one of the best displays of driving i've seen on youtube - perfect gear changes, some incredible passes, amazing out round the back of spa in the quick corners before the bus stop. The handling characteristics you describe from the game are very obvious in the video above too.

[topless_mx5]

DangerousMike said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ84Fa-AqXY

its one of the best displays of driving i've seen on youtube - perfect gear changes, some incredible passes, amazing out round the back of spa in the quick corners before the bus stop. The handling characteristics you describe from the game are very obvious in the video above too.

That is an incredible moment a 2:49. It's amazing that it goes sideways at every corner though, were early 911's really that difficult? Plus on that video it looks like the throttle is so far over to the right, it should be operated by the passenger!

[adycav]

DangerousMike said:

GTL is a very good simulation of old (60s and 70s) GT and touring race cars. THe kind of cars that race in FIA historic GTs.

OK thanks.

[Matt UK]

DangerousMike said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ84Fa-AqXY

Thanks for this - fantastic video, absolutely loved it.

Do you know where there's more footage of this car/driver combo.

[james_gt3rs]

DangerousMike said:

there is a brilliant video of someone driving this kind of 911 around spa here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ84Fa-AqXY

That is just immense car control.

[markmullen]

You'll not "get" a 911 in a short drive.

You'll need a few weeks with one learning how to get the best from it and then suddenly as you thread through a set of twisties you know well you'll feel the car doing the work for you and it will all come together and you'll understand what the fuss is all about.

[BertBert]

topless_mx5 said:

It's amazing that it goes sideways at every corner though, were early 911's really that difficult?

I think the fact that it goes sideways everywhere shows that it's not difficult.
Bert

[Isimmo]

james_gt3rs said:

DangerousMike said:

there is a brilliant video of someone driving this kind of 911 around spa here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ84Fa-AqXY

That is just immense car control.

I just laughed all the way through that... brilliant... It's like the steering wheel is on the wrong way, steer left to go right etc...

[RSGulp]

redgriff500 said:

I borrowed a 1986 911 off my Dad for 3 weeks.

I REALLY wanted to like it.

I loved how it looked and I'd fancied one for years.

But it simply didn't go, stop, corner nor give confidence like the two cars I was driving at the time - a 1996 BMW 328 and a 1991 Supercharged MX5.

They sound crap too, just like a Beetle.

I was very disappointed with it.

I'm sorry that you didn't 'get it' but fortunately they're not for everyone. 911s don't give confidence, it has to be earned!

I still don't get what a GTL is???

[james_gt3rs]

RSGulp said:

I still don't get what a GTL is???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GT_Legends

[Olivera]

Its my experience that even modern 911s are tricky to drive at the limit, this was from peddling a Palmersport 996 at Bedford autodrome. Go in too fast and the front washes wide, power out the corner too early and expect the back end to pendulum round. Lots of fun though!

[RSGulp]

james_gt3rs said:

RSGulp said:

I still don't get what a GTL is???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GT_Legends

What? People are commenting on driving rear-engined 911s based on a computer game!

Edited by RSGulp on Sunday 5th December 22:12

[DangerousMike]

its more of a sim than a game like Gran Turismo or Forza...