Hmmm, looks like I'll take the car out basically stock (new brake fluid and race pads) and see what I need to upgrade from there...

 

While it is true that the 996TT can be greatly improved with suspension mods, I am guessing that with your skill level, you will still be able to go out and whip up on almost everyone in nearly stock trim. Add some sway bars and an ECU flash, and for under $2k you have a very fast car.

If you haven't tracked a 911 before, the main thing that you have to learn is the counter-intuitive addition of throttle when the car is feeling a little squirrely. You need to push a little weight back to make the rear end bite and go.

Jon

 

I've never tracked a rear engine car before, I'm looking forward to playing around with one.

I've had awd cars in the past that acted similarly, the more gas you gave them, the better they gripped...

 

The best thing you can do when getting learning the ins and outs of tracking is track time, track time track time.

 

Yes, no worries there, I instruct with NASA, Audi and will most likely start with PCA this season...

 

Correct... It take's some time, but really depends upon the driver as well.. To a very aggressive/experienced driver who's sole purpose is improving it FOR the track, you tend to be overly picky especially when tuning it for YOUR driving... That was my problem. I was able to make the car go fast whenever I wanted it, at every track but I was NOT comfortable so to speak doing so, it just wasn't giving me the confidence I needed to get to the next level..

That is a GREAT baseline I just put up, which took tons of time and info/knowledge from people who do it for a living.. SO, if you decide to, build from that spec sheet

Turbo out of the box is terrible on the track, it's VERY FAST and that's when you feel the weight/wallow and weight transfer... You carry much more speed into a braking zone, around sweeping turns/off camber turns etc and the car feels so unbalanced and body roll is horrible..

At Limerock, I had a bone stock e46 M3 there on PS1's and my 996TT as well on stock Pirelli's, it had the euro row suspension which is a little lower and stiffer then a US spec.. I was 2 seconds faster in the M3, granted driving the rear engine car was brand new to me, and I was very comfortable with the M3...

 

2 seconds at Lime Rock is a lot! So the turbo is just very softly sprung then...

 

Yea, but also take it for what it's worth.. It was my first time on track with a rear engined car/Porsche, it's a feeling you have to get use to having that weight back there, I wasn't comfortable at all.. The M3 is just so easy to drive at the limits!

 

The M3 is very benign, you really have to do something stupid to get it way outta whack.

 

I am really soaking in all the good info on this thread.

The only thing really missing in this thread is some perspective of how "bad" the 996tt is on the track. A comparison to a very light, stripped and purpose built GT3 is probably not a good comparison IMHO. Neither is a built Miata or MR2. What are some of the AWD cars with similar weight and power that out perform this car on the track while being a reliable daily driver? Cars like the GT3 will always be a purpose built track that is not really a "daily driver" by any means.

Also which car will provide a better platform for tracking, daily driving and still not have to trailer it to DEs? The M3 is pretty damn good track car(especially the E36 variety), but is the 996tt a better platform on which to build for tracking?

 

No, I don't think the TT is a better platform than an E36 or E46, it's easier to mod to get to certain speeds, but not as good of a "teaching" car as they would be. To me the better platform is that one that works the most WITH (not for) the driver to obtain speeds, which is why the Turbo will never be elite in that category, but still a great drivers car compared to other AWD cars (Evo is the other).

 

The BMW's are very easy cars to drive quickly, they don't bite you and communicate quite well. Same thing with the STI/EVO...

 

One of my buddies has a Subaru WRX Sti. Not as fast as my car by about 2 seconds on a 1:20 road course. I've not driven it, but I have ridden with him. He is also a PCA instructor. It seems to be a good driver's car. It likes to go through the corners somewhat sideways. Maybe that reflects its rally origins. Doesn't have the power of 996TT.

 

Doc...I think your plan is a good one. Slide in some track pads, use better fluid, add some more brake duct cooling and adj sway bars and it should be tolerable on track for at least a season with not that much investment. I sorta did things exactly back a$$ward...got a tune, exhaust, suspension, roll-bar and harness and brakes

But the car is set up pretty nicely for the track...but rotors/pads and tires do become high turnover disposables...front tires (14-18 runs), rears (26-32), front pads (25-30 runs), rears (38-40 runs), front OEM rotors (30-35 runs), rear rotors (56-60 runs).

FYI, some of these are open track runs that are 25-35 minutes long. Can't really go that much longer since I run out of gas or the tires/brakes start getting greasy/soft on me. Net-net, lots of fun on the track with the turbo but not really a track car - I affectionately call my car the flying pig (as opposed to Flying Lizard for all you race fans...)

 

Friend of mine was in a highly modified STi (2005 model making about 460HP) and I was in my car when it was making about 510WHP with lots of lag, and still learning (fall 2007) and he was lapping about 1:26 per lap at Summit point (*2.1 mile course) and I was lapping in the 1:20s. This was also with a pretty tame suspension alignment of -1.5 front and -2.0 rear and on MPSCs and stock rotors/calipers.

Getting the suspension balanced and good fluid/Pads is a great start.

Mike