a car thread, 911 to be precise
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 9,709
Likes: 1,167
From: Lewes, DE
Ditto here Dave, The S and now my BMW 228ix is enough for me. I remember when my 66 360 HP GTO would get to 60 in about 7.5 seconds. My 228ix with a 4 cylinder twin turbo and 240 HP gets there in about 5. Big difference in weight was probably why.
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 45,842
Likes: 8,344
From: Mish-she-gan
my '86 911 is about being the closest thing to a horse with four wheels you can have.
After a "workout" you can smell a scent of hot hydrocarbons while hearing the tink,tink,tink as she cools off.
Feeling the tires squirm at the edge of lockup as you haul down from 110 plus to the correct entry speed for turn 1 at the Glen.
Using all the RWD traction to climb up the esses foot to the floor with very light steering as the weight shifts even further back and you let the track turn the car on to the back straight.
Probably the best thing is pointing the car with your big toe as you go though the carousel.
The original 911s were base on a Beetle layout because that's all Dr Porsche had to work with at the beginning, since then the rear weight bias has been optimized to take advantage of the traction and braking advantages. ( many race cars are 60/40)
In summary, a totally mechanical, no helpers/nannies driving experience.
No brand offers this today, but the S2000 is the closest available to me.
After a "workout" you can smell a scent of hot hydrocarbons while hearing the tink,tink,tink as she cools off.
Feeling the tires squirm at the edge of lockup as you haul down from 110 plus to the correct entry speed for turn 1 at the Glen.
Using all the RWD traction to climb up the esses foot to the floor with very light steering as the weight shifts even further back and you let the track turn the car on to the back straight.
Probably the best thing is pointing the car with your big toe as you go though the carousel.
The original 911s were base on a Beetle layout because that's all Dr Porsche had to work with at the beginning, since then the rear weight bias has been optimized to take advantage of the traction and braking advantages. ( many race cars are 60/40)
In summary, a totally mechanical, no helpers/nannies driving experience.
No brand offers this today, but the S2000 is the closest available to me.
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,402
Likes: 2,625
From: Long Beach, MS
Driving down Highway 90 on my way home from the Mardi Gras store, I spot three vintage air-cooled 911s in formation. Now an air-cooled 911 is not quite a unicorn in South Mississippi but three in a row is a rare sight indeed. As I pulled up closer, I saw all three bore California tags. And to see three Cali tags, including two blue plates, is not an everyday thing around here either. I had to follow in hopes these guys would pull over before too long. I had to know what their deal was. And I'm glad I did.
Turns out the Porsches, a 912 and two 911 T's, pulled over to refuel in Pass Christian, just down the road. The cars were piloted by guys in their 50s or 60s, They had driven to Daytona for the Rolex 24 hour event and were on their way back to California. They had spent the night at the White House,a boutique hotel in Biloxi, and were headed to New Orleans via US 90, the scenic route to the Big Easy, where they planned to enjoy a weekend of Mardi Gras fun. They picked a great weekend. Two weekends before Fat Tuesday itself, Mardi Gras festivities will be in full swing but with less chaos than the next weekend when the crazy factor increases dramatically. Good planning, except for the weather which is expected to be fairly gloomy all weekend. But they will keep the P-cars under cover at their hotel until Monday when the sun is scheduled to return.
Imagine driving a vintage 911 from California to Daytona, Florida and back. Participants at the Rolex have nothing on these guys or their cars when it comes to endurance. And a special award should go to the significant-other who was riding in the navigator seat of the 912.
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,402
Likes: 2,625
From: Long Beach, MS
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,536
Likes: 64
IMHO, the older 911s have to be driven hard to appreciate or "get" them.
The more modern versions ( Post 993) offer some of the best if not the best "driving" you can get due to Porsches' dedication to the mission.
I stop in at the Pcar store next door when I have my truck serviced. I would love to be able to afford to drive one daily ( don't think I could stay out of trouble very long)
But, the power that no one can really use and the level of complexity has cooled my ardor significantly
The more modern versions ( Post 993) offer some of the best if not the best "driving" you can get due to Porsches' dedication to the mission.
I stop in at the Pcar store next door when I have my truck serviced. I would love to be able to afford to drive one daily ( don't think I could stay out of trouble very long)
But, the power that no one can really use and the level of complexity has cooled my ardor significantly