I can now stick with the GT3RS around The Ring, on 3 seperate occasions I followed 3 different RS's. I have to admit it wasn't that easy and I was drivin' the *** off the Turbo but still trying to keep concentration and as smooth as possible.

You have to make major changes to suspension and brakes to do this as the Turbo is a a lot heavier.

I will try and set up a video camera for the next time I'm out there!

 

I think 500 rwhp is about the max the TT can handle before traction becomes a hinderance and it takes access skill to pilot the car. Therefore faster than the stock TT. And even that depends on the tires on the car. If street tires, then I completely agree, but on R-Compound the TT can certainly use a little more power. And that's w/ AWD, it becomes more sketchy with RWD. But 600 and 700 whp will take some masterful skill to drive, unless the Rev limit and gears have been changed, and I think quite a few of them are doing it.


I agree with the TT at Auto-X because I did set a lap record at the Road Atlanta Auto-X.

 

Tom,

That is probably true of alot of people but I had no problem eating a new 997 turbo for lunch not only on the straights but also in the twisties. That car would be close to 400 rwhp, compared to my 600 rwhp. I also had no problem with a 996 GT3 in the twisties.

I have alot of driving under my belt so I am sure that helps.

 

That is it in a nutshell, and a testament to your ability. I'm willing to bet if you were both in 120hp miatas, you'd still beat him...


As said, 500hp to the wheels, is about the limit for a street-tire'd car. With more power, r-comps and the proper modifications between the ears is needed. Hey, don't get me wrong, I am not a "power-hater" or against having "more than enough" but at a point it starts to slow youdown.
The reason why race-prepped low-hp cars can go so fast (miatas, 944cups,Elise/Exiges) is that tey are able to put down just about all the power they have.
It's all about being able to use what's available, and once you enter into the "+500whp" range, the driver's skill must be there to use it....most don't...and I'm one of the "have-nots". At least I know my limitations...for now.

always a pleasure,
TomK

 

Ive really come to find that the turbo has either a really great advantage compared to a GT3 or a HUGE dissadvantage ad given tracks...its all about the low speed/med speed sweepers and turns...GT3s walk all over my car at turn 3 at summit but come the chute, Im right in their face again...and then after turn 10 onto the straight...well...TURBOS BABY!!!!

 

My car has KW v3 coilovers, sways front and rear, upgraded brakes and was running Pilot Sport Cups tires.

 

Honestly, its almost still not enough with your over 600hp...I am able to pass mannnny cars with over 550 hp with little hassle on most track days where they are present...hell...Ill lower the amount of hp one needs....I would say at over just 400, the amont of driver skill required to really take advantage of what one of these has to offer is MONUMENTALLY large...that said, our 996tts help to mask that A BIT as they offer HUGE grip and some forgivabiliy that a rwd car with 500 hp just doesnt have...you would need to move to a full, custom setup race system and honest to god hoosiers at a minium...

 

Buddy,

Many fine points made here already, but another data point to consider: you can drive like you're on a drag strip at the street (i.e, flooring it to get from a to b), but you can't really drive like you're on a road course on the street, at least not without risking the life and limb of yourself and, more importantly, others. Given that the massive majority of my car's time will be spent on the street, I don't mind having a lot of HP to play with.

One of these days I'll start modding

 

Buddy,

I am in the same camp as justinmm2. Hearing stories about brake fluid boiling and losing brakes one turn before a 150 MPH straight followed by a 90 degree right hander makes me think twice about it. I can't imagine what would have happened if that member (I forget who it was) lost his brakes on the following turn. Personally, I feel road course tracking is more dangerous and I'm not interested in pushing my luck. Seems like it would be very hard on the car, too. I even get a little concerned about an 11 second 1/4 mile run with trap speeds in excess of 130 MPH, but it does feel relatively safe. My car is a daily driver and I enjoy it for about 100 miles every day...throw in a couple of 1/4 mile days per season and I'm good. The PCA guys keep trying to get me out, but so far I just haven't been overly interested - I'm pretty satisfied the way things are...

 

LOL, I think you are talking about me (if not , my bad), I wasnt going 150, I was going 70 and VERY fortunate to get out of it with only plastic undercarriage replacement pieces.

There is no doubt that road racing is risky, but it's worth the reward, and as long as you keep your head and get some instruction, you'll be ok. Porsches are very durable on the track.

But, no doubt that drag racing is safer.

 

i've never drag raced any of my cars ever... rolling starts on a highway against friends sure, but not drag racing.

i'm a track guy thru and thru... been doing an average of 1 trackday every 6 weeks for roughly the past 5 years. i'm not the fastest, and am no michael schumacher... but its what i like. I'm sure drag racing is fun-- even doing the "3 honk" thing on the highway gets the adrenalin going pretty nicely.

but to really enjoy a car like a 911, i feel that the track is the way to go. that's what the porsche engineers and walter rohrl spend all their time on-- making the car handle better and outperform many other cars with more power.

the other thing is, at the track i have access to in my country, big power really doesn't count for a whole lot, as even the absolute fastest cars will struggle to break 110mph before braking at the end of the main straight. its all about weight and all about suspension setup and handling.

case in point, my friend's stripped out track spec'd honda civic with 180hp to the wheels is as fast as a 997 Carrera S. and while i'm faster in the 996 Turbo than I am in my '98 Nissan Silvia with 200rwhp (my latest toy,) i'm having much more FUN in the lighter, nimbler and infinitely cheaper Nissan. (GT3 is another story entirely though! )

would i rather have the Honda or the Nissan over the Porsche, if I had to choose? Of course not!

but i'm a firm believer in "the right tool for the right job". and for either going FAST (laptimes) or having FUN, there's going to be better and frequently cheaper alternatives to the Porsche.

for the overall performance car "triathlon" though-- street crusing, circuit racing, saturday night clubbing, and backed by solid reliablity... we know that there is no substitute.

(having said that, i'm back to developing my '98 Mitsubishi Evo for more track work! )

 

heavychevy, was that you? I thought you said that just after you lost your brakes there was a long straight and that if it had happened there instead, it would have been very bad when you hit the corner following the high speed straight...and that you were lucky it was a slower part of the track when they gave out. Anyhow, that's the point I was making - there's a lot more room for potential situations on a road course and that has a lot to do with why I have stayed away. Hell, I wear a firesuit, 6 point harness and R3 H&N restraint for my lame 1/4 runs

 

Disagree completely. I would never drive my cars on the street like I do at the drag strip.

 

John,

You can go as fast or slow as you want. For your first time out you will be in the slowest run group with an instructor and you don't have to move up if you don't want to. You should at least give it a shot at safe speeds before deciding it is not for you.

It is a ton of fun!

 

Yeah, that's what I said, I was lucky to go off on one of the slowest parts of the track. But you have to take a couple things into consideration.

#1 The length of the track, length of straights (they help brake cooling). I was on hoosiers on a very short track (1.5 miles), one that has boiled brakes on corvettes, vipers, cup cars and all other kinds of cars (of course I didnt know this until afterwards), some tracks are just VERY hard on brakes and it's easy to ask around and find out if the one you are going to is one of them. I was on the brakes hard 4 times a lap, and no way to cool them off.


#2 The speed at which you are going, because our cars are heavy, if yo uare going to track and are a fast driver ( I was faster than anyone there by 2 seconds, which is pretty big on a track that short) then you will stress parts of the car more than the average driver, and I can assure you you'll have a harder time on street tires and not going so fast on a more friendly track. I have stop repeatedly at Road Atlanta from 160+ down to 45 and never had a problem, it all depends on the track.