While I do love the S2k, I have thought about getting something a bit further up the food chain and have been looking at the Cayman S but I'm seriously pissed off with the pricing now that the Boxtser S gets the same engine and is still 5k less.

So...

A very good mate of mine could sell his GT3 should the right offer come his way - knowing I've been looking at a Cayman S and he asked whether I'd like to have a look at his MY00 GT3.

Starts off with him piloting the car... just pottering around where he lives. I'm already in love with the engine noise. We then head out on to the Dubai-Abu Dhabi road. He takes it up to 280kms (175mph) and I comment that it's quite a rapid car...

He pulls over and I get in the hot seat.

I have to say that 360bhp was nice but the way it was delivered suited me to a T. I instantly felt able to deal with it. Having a S2000, I felt very at home. Now I'm sure some of you will scream blue murder at me for saying that but it's a very similar delivery, just more... Oh, btw, the Honda still has by far the better gearbox.

The noise that the P made was pretty much the bollox - rumbled away and then went silly - the change at 6k is soooooooo very mechanical.

Ok, next bit - the steering - first of all I realised very quickly that if I cough, I'm in the next lane. I've never driven a car that has steering that chats to you and I mean, never shuts up. I first thought that it was way too busy but after a while, I started to understand what was being said. It tells you every thing, absolutely everything. Quite amazing.

Brakes - a so called weakness on the Mk1s. Far less servoed than the Honda but extremely progressive and very stompable.

This car, hmmmm, I was cruising on the freeway back to my mates place at 125mph with the rpms at pretty much 12 o'clock, which I think was just under 6k and I know it could have done that all day long. The car is far to fast for the UK - it is suited to dealing with triple digits. Dubai? fine.

I was very cautious with the car - I was still travelling rapidly but I was extremely respectful. I found that when you punched out of 2nd gear corners, the front would push out quite a bit and i'd have to ease of a little - I think that I hadn't had enough time to get to grips with the physics of the rear engined aspect - saying that, I came into one corner very hot and thought that I'd have to deal with the back coming round (my mate started to grip the door - hahaha) but no drama. Mid corner the car can be perfectly balanced on the throttle and then you punch out - very nice indeed.

Quite intoxicating - I need one.

PS - I got back into the Honda straight afterwards and, bar the gearchange, felt very, very lightweight.

 

Saw your same post in the PH forum about this, Asterix.

Not surprising that the S2000 pales in comparison with the GT3, I suppose. You could do far worse as a replacement!

 

Ok, disable the traction control on that car and repeat the exercise and let me know when you're out of the hospital....
BTW fooled around with that not all that long ago with a carrera S4...rather interesting to say the least.
In short a porche 911 - in principle - is a stupid idea-

 

Hmmm, bit of a sweeping statement there!

 

What about a conservatory 1822? Now you ARE talking..

 

"In short a porche 911 - in principle - is a stupid idea-"
forgot to add :
but brilliantly executed...

 

Before you make a silly comment do some research


LL - it's not so much that the S2K paled in comparison - it's still a car that does what it does very well. It was more that it felt dainty. The clutch I nearly put through the floor after the GT3, the brakes, while very good, have nowhere near the progressiveness and felt over-servoed.

Was good fun even though it was a bit intimidating as the car reactes to your every input however small - gripping the steering wheel results in the car jumping all over the place, when I relaxed and let the wheel chatter in my hands it (and I) calmed down completely.

Interstingly - it didnt 'turn in as well as the Honda but I suspect that was my lack of experience setting the car up for corners. I can understand why long term owners feel that it's a car that takes a good while to master (if ever for mere mortals).

It's the fastest car I've driven - I was surprised that I felt at home with the acceleration but it was the ability to sit at 125mph as if it was 60mph was very special.

 

Isn't the GT3 the one known as the 'Widow maker', or was that the GT2?

 

so was the TC on or off?

 

I'd guess the MK1 GT3 doesn't have traction control, hence the nickname