991 GT3 - 'Shut up and drive' says Porsche GT3 boss
04-24-2013, 09:34 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
991 GT3 - 'Shut up and drive' says Porsche GT3 boss
This interview makes interesting reading and I'm inclined to give the car the benefit of the doubt. English might not be AP's first language but he's more articulate than most; good interview. It can be found at:
http://autos.sympatico.ca/features/1...rsche-gt3-boss
Autos: What are the GT cars, and the GT3 specifically.
Preuninger: The GT branch of cars came up in 1999 when we needed a car to homologate for the races. And at that time the race class we wanted to compete in was the GT3 class. So the codename for this car was the Carrera GT3. We didn’t think it was the name for the car. But it attached so much to the car, even the sales guys said why not name it the GT3? And that’s how GT3 came about.
Q: Is there still a connection between the GT3 cars and the race cars?
A: This is a unique point in Porsche, because it is really the same people taking care of the street legal cars and the race cars. We never develop the GT3 street car without the Cup car or RSR in mind, and visa versa. It is one big development project with different branches I would say.
You could consider them the special cars —the GTX cars. These are the cars developed by motorsport and not by the “normal” development centre that we have in Weissach.
Q: Can you give some background on these special homologation cars?
A: We always had the very sporty versions of the 911.
Everybody knows that in ’72 we had the 2.7 RS. That was done mainly for the same reasons why we did 996 GT3, the first one, we needed a basis for homologation of a race car. You have to have a number, 200 cars legally on the street to homologate all the gizmos onboard for racing.
After the 2.7 RS, there was not so much going on. In the beginning of the ‘80s we had the SC RS models.
But the tailwind to this whole RS/GT3 idea came from my perception with the 964 RS, a car that really hit the market big. It was such a blast to drive, so enjoyable, so direct, so pure. And after that with the 993 RS, same thing.
You tend to glorify things so it’s always good to drive these cars from time to time. People might say there was never a car which was so good as the 993 RS… which is a joke. Drive one today and you see what progress did since then.
Q: What was it like to develop the first GT3?
A: The first 996 GT3, if you look at the differentiation to the base model: We use the same rims that were available through Techquipment, slightly different tires, but it was the same aero kit you could buy on a normal Carrera. So we developed the bucket seats and threw everything out and made a complete new suspension; took the turbo engine and detuned it, put away the turbochargers and loaded the thing up with more compression. And that’s how the first GT3 model came about. It had 3.6-litres and 360 horsepower: 100 hp per litre. This was HUGE at that time.
Some people didn’t believe in the car. The same thing happened in ’72 with the RS. They said no, you can’t sell that car. Nobody will want that. Something similar happened with the 996 GT3. We sold so many more cars than were actually in the busness concept. And so a star was born.
I remember the headlines: the 911 is back! We had so much criticism about converting to water cooled engines: 'This car is like a piece of soap and it’s not raw enough.' And then the GT3 came, and they said, 'YES! Here is the 911 again.'
All these people that I started with in 1999, 80 percent of the people are still on my [GT] team. The development process of eight GT3 cars—this is the eighth we're doing now—all the lessons learned don’t go away.
Q: What was the challenge for this new 991-gen GT3?
A: This was the absolute biggest GTX project we ever did. Absoluately. New drivetrain including a complete new engine family—it’s not a 991 engine with a hotter cam. We just use the crank case. Everything else is new stuff. I dare say, the distance, the gap is wider now between GT3 and Carrera. There are 700 new parts in that new [GT3] car.
Q: Here’s the question you’re getting a lot: Why PDK only and no manual transmission?
A: The PDK that is so discussed so much—‘Why! How can you do this! Holy Manual and skip it overboard’—I say it’s a shut up and drive.
It’s a crucial period now, people complain, forming strong opinions about something they can’t judge because they didn’t have any opportunity to drive it and judge it realistically. But that will pass as soon as the first journalists come back with their feedback—and I know exactly what this feedback is going to be like.
I experience it too often. With every new RS: ‘Oh no! This colour scheme; Oh no! These decals; How can they do this; Blah blah bloop.’ And everybody bought it nevertheless and is happy.
Q: So the new GT3 hasn’t gone soft?
A: It’s more usable, but it’s not softer. If you look at the spring rates of the car, they’re way stiffer than on the 997—way stiffer. The ride is better because of the wheelbase, so the car has less roll, less pitch than the old one. But at the same time through the length of the body, it has more lets say, residual comfort.
Q: Can you explain the ‘Neutral’ function built into the paddle shifters? Can we use it like a clutch kick?
A: That’s easy. If you pull both paddles towards you, it’s the same as if in a manual you press the clutch with your foot. And you can do that at any time, middle of a corner. That’s why we did it because in the middle of a corner when you want to initiate a drift you can use the jolt it gives when you let go of the clutch. You have to disengage the traction control stuff and then it comes exactly like a SNAP.
Or, if you have all the systems engaged, and you just want to make all your rear wheels load free this is good too. Just imagine you’re coming down a wet street, you’re too fast which can happen, and there’s a curve and there’s a big puddle of water standing there. Not good. So, what do you do? Normally, when I encounter a problem like that I press the clutch. Why? I want the rear wheel to be free of any overrun or traction influence to have the maximum potential of the tire for building up side forces. And that’s what you do simply by pressing the paddles.
It gives you more freedom, There’s additional man-machine interface. There’s no automatic upshifts in manual mode either. If you hit the rev limiter, you hit the rev limiter.
Q: So this is the future then, obviously?
A: Even in racing you have to have [computerized, electronic] systems to get faster. And we don’t want to lose the podium on that car just to have more involvement of driving. It’s a different involvement now. Okay, you lose your left foot action. You can’t modulate the clutch when you go. But there’s so many other things that you get instead, that overcompensate, clearly, from the emotional side.
Normally, when I’m going in an automatic gearbox car I’m bored in 10 minutes and I put it into full auto mode. Not on that [new GT3] car. Not at all. And I’m sure 99% of our followers will see that as soon as they’ve driven the car.
We did [GT cars] eight times. And we did it right. And I don’t think we’ll fail this time.
Q: What makes a car thrilling for you?
A: Precision. Precision and feedback. It’s these two things.
When you’re sitting in this bucket seat that you get all the information through the seat rails, through the hands, everything. So the information the car gives you about the status it’s in, this is the satisfying thing for me. And this is what the GT3 stands for: feedback.
But you can’t put it in one word. It’s emotional. It’s things like noises as well. I like a car to have a satisfying noise. It doesn’t have to be too quiet because I grew up with combustion engines. I couldn’t live with electric – it just bores the hell out of me with: zzzzzzzz. It’s not my thing.
Yeah, I think it’s the precision and feedback….
But why is something fun? It’s hard to pin down. Nobody needs a GT3. But most people want to have one. So why is that? Because it’s pleasure.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. With thanks to Porsche for making the interview possible, and apologies to Gay Talese for the lede.
http://autos.sympatico.ca/features/1...rsche-gt3-boss
Autos: What are the GT cars, and the GT3 specifically.
Preuninger: The GT branch of cars came up in 1999 when we needed a car to homologate for the races. And at that time the race class we wanted to compete in was the GT3 class. So the codename for this car was the Carrera GT3. We didn’t think it was the name for the car. But it attached so much to the car, even the sales guys said why not name it the GT3? And that’s how GT3 came about.
Q: Is there still a connection between the GT3 cars and the race cars?
A: This is a unique point in Porsche, because it is really the same people taking care of the street legal cars and the race cars. We never develop the GT3 street car without the Cup car or RSR in mind, and visa versa. It is one big development project with different branches I would say.
You could consider them the special cars —the GTX cars. These are the cars developed by motorsport and not by the “normal” development centre that we have in Weissach.
Q: Can you give some background on these special homologation cars?
A: We always had the very sporty versions of the 911.
Everybody knows that in ’72 we had the 2.7 RS. That was done mainly for the same reasons why we did 996 GT3, the first one, we needed a basis for homologation of a race car. You have to have a number, 200 cars legally on the street to homologate all the gizmos onboard for racing.
After the 2.7 RS, there was not so much going on. In the beginning of the ‘80s we had the SC RS models.
But the tailwind to this whole RS/GT3 idea came from my perception with the 964 RS, a car that really hit the market big. It was such a blast to drive, so enjoyable, so direct, so pure. And after that with the 993 RS, same thing.
You tend to glorify things so it’s always good to drive these cars from time to time. People might say there was never a car which was so good as the 993 RS… which is a joke. Drive one today and you see what progress did since then.
Q: What was it like to develop the first GT3?
A: The first 996 GT3, if you look at the differentiation to the base model: We use the same rims that were available through Techquipment, slightly different tires, but it was the same aero kit you could buy on a normal Carrera. So we developed the bucket seats and threw everything out and made a complete new suspension; took the turbo engine and detuned it, put away the turbochargers and loaded the thing up with more compression. And that’s how the first GT3 model came about. It had 3.6-litres and 360 horsepower: 100 hp per litre. This was HUGE at that time.
Some people didn’t believe in the car. The same thing happened in ’72 with the RS. They said no, you can’t sell that car. Nobody will want that. Something similar happened with the 996 GT3. We sold so many more cars than were actually in the busness concept. And so a star was born.
I remember the headlines: the 911 is back! We had so much criticism about converting to water cooled engines: 'This car is like a piece of soap and it’s not raw enough.' And then the GT3 came, and they said, 'YES! Here is the 911 again.'
All these people that I started with in 1999, 80 percent of the people are still on my [GT] team. The development process of eight GT3 cars—this is the eighth we're doing now—all the lessons learned don’t go away.
Q: What was the challenge for this new 991-gen GT3?
A: This was the absolute biggest GTX project we ever did. Absoluately. New drivetrain including a complete new engine family—it’s not a 991 engine with a hotter cam. We just use the crank case. Everything else is new stuff. I dare say, the distance, the gap is wider now between GT3 and Carrera. There are 700 new parts in that new [GT3] car.
Q: Here’s the question you’re getting a lot: Why PDK only and no manual transmission?
A: The PDK that is so discussed so much—‘Why! How can you do this! Holy Manual and skip it overboard’—I say it’s a shut up and drive.
It’s a crucial period now, people complain, forming strong opinions about something they can’t judge because they didn’t have any opportunity to drive it and judge it realistically. But that will pass as soon as the first journalists come back with their feedback—and I know exactly what this feedback is going to be like.
I experience it too often. With every new RS: ‘Oh no! This colour scheme; Oh no! These decals; How can they do this; Blah blah bloop.’ And everybody bought it nevertheless and is happy.
Q: So the new GT3 hasn’t gone soft?
A: It’s more usable, but it’s not softer. If you look at the spring rates of the car, they’re way stiffer than on the 997—way stiffer. The ride is better because of the wheelbase, so the car has less roll, less pitch than the old one. But at the same time through the length of the body, it has more lets say, residual comfort.
Q: Can you explain the ‘Neutral’ function built into the paddle shifters? Can we use it like a clutch kick?
A: That’s easy. If you pull both paddles towards you, it’s the same as if in a manual you press the clutch with your foot. And you can do that at any time, middle of a corner. That’s why we did it because in the middle of a corner when you want to initiate a drift you can use the jolt it gives when you let go of the clutch. You have to disengage the traction control stuff and then it comes exactly like a SNAP.
Or, if you have all the systems engaged, and you just want to make all your rear wheels load free this is good too. Just imagine you’re coming down a wet street, you’re too fast which can happen, and there’s a curve and there’s a big puddle of water standing there. Not good. So, what do you do? Normally, when I encounter a problem like that I press the clutch. Why? I want the rear wheel to be free of any overrun or traction influence to have the maximum potential of the tire for building up side forces. And that’s what you do simply by pressing the paddles.
It gives you more freedom, There’s additional man-machine interface. There’s no automatic upshifts in manual mode either. If you hit the rev limiter, you hit the rev limiter.
Q: So this is the future then, obviously?
A: Even in racing you have to have [computerized, electronic] systems to get faster. And we don’t want to lose the podium on that car just to have more involvement of driving. It’s a different involvement now. Okay, you lose your left foot action. You can’t modulate the clutch when you go. But there’s so many other things that you get instead, that overcompensate, clearly, from the emotional side.
Normally, when I’m going in an automatic gearbox car I’m bored in 10 minutes and I put it into full auto mode. Not on that [new GT3] car. Not at all. And I’m sure 99% of our followers will see that as soon as they’ve driven the car.
We did [GT cars] eight times. And we did it right. And I don’t think we’ll fail this time.
Q: What makes a car thrilling for you?
A: Precision. Precision and feedback. It’s these two things.
When you’re sitting in this bucket seat that you get all the information through the seat rails, through the hands, everything. So the information the car gives you about the status it’s in, this is the satisfying thing for me. And this is what the GT3 stands for: feedback.
But you can’t put it in one word. It’s emotional. It’s things like noises as well. I like a car to have a satisfying noise. It doesn’t have to be too quiet because I grew up with combustion engines. I couldn’t live with electric – it just bores the hell out of me with: zzzzzzzz. It’s not my thing.
Yeah, I think it’s the precision and feedback….
But why is something fun? It’s hard to pin down. Nobody needs a GT3. But most people want to have one. So why is that? Because it’s pleasure.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. With thanks to Porsche for making the interview possible, and apologies to Gay Talese for the lede.
04-24-2013, 09:54 PM
#4
Instructor
Thread Starter
I'm a sceptic but I kinda feel bad for AP - he's taking a lot of flak. I don't mind the PDK as much as the EPAS which really sucks. Andreas keeps saying that he's not a 'marketing' guy but there's no doubt that he's excellent at sales! Sceptic or not, most of us would buy what he's selling! 
The sooner the journalists get their hands on the car, the better. I'm looking forward to it.
The sooner the journalists get their hands on the car, the better. I'm looking forward to it.
04-24-2013, 09:57 PM
#5
Nordschleife Master
He does a great job selling it! I think it's incredible they still have 80% of the original team working the development. That in itself says volumes!
Trending Topics
04-24-2013, 10:43 PM
#8
Nordschleife Master
Just like the air cooled zealets Porsche made a decision in which some disagree. It is obvious he could care less if those not wanting PDK do not buy a car as he knows there will be many more to replace those disenchanted.
04-24-2013, 10:44 PM
#9
any guesses on if the journalists are "persuaded" to review one way or another?
Are there kick-backs - or any of that type of thing?
Are there kick-backs - or any of that type of thing?
04-24-2013, 10:45 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Wishing I Was At The Track
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It’s a crucial period now, people complain, forming strong opinions about something they can’t judge because they didn’t have any opportunity to drive it and judge it realistically. But that will pass as soon as the first journalists come back with their feedback—and I know exactly what this feedback is going to be like.
I experience it too often. With every new RS: ‘Oh no! This colour scheme; Oh no! These decals; How can they do this; Blah blah bloop.’ And everybody bought it nevertheless and is happy.
I experience it too often. With every new RS: ‘Oh no! This colour scheme; Oh no! These decals; How can they do this; Blah blah bloop.’ And everybody bought it nevertheless and is happy.
If Preuninger really believes that everyone that bought the prior GT3 is happy then he has his head buried in a deep, dark place.
Faulty coolant lines, detonating clutches, bait-and switch center-lock maintenance schedules, voided track coverage. Yeah, we're happy.
AFAIK this statement is an insult to current 997 GT3 owners.
I say man up and stand behind the stuff you sell or SHUT UP. Back to your blah, blah, bloop Andreas.
04-25-2013, 12:46 AM
#12
Nordschleife Master
I agree, too bad though. PDK is the best thing ever for improving driving ability and keeping the car in the best power band, it's just too bad we don't have the choice to have manual if we want it.
04-25-2013, 01:33 AM
#13
Drifting
Write unfavorable review(s), and you probably won't get invited back to Europe (first class tickets!) to drive new sports cars on lightly trafficked and barely patrolled Iberian back roads by day, and eat and drink stuff you could never afford on your own dime by night.
04-25-2013, 07:11 AM
#14
Burning Brakes
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If Preuninger really believes that everyone that bought the prior GT3 is happy then he has his head buried in a deep, dark place.
Faulty coolant lines, detonating clutches, bait-and switch center-lock maintenance schedules, voided track coverage. Yeah, we're happy.
AFAIK this statement is an insult to current 997 GT3 owners.
I say man up and stand behind the stuff you sell or SHUT UP. Back to your blah, blah, bloop Andreas.
Faulty coolant lines, detonating clutches, bait-and switch center-lock maintenance schedules, voided track coverage. Yeah, we're happy.
AFAIK this statement is an insult to current 997 GT3 owners.
I say man up and stand behind the stuff you sell or SHUT UP. Back to your blah, blah, bloop Andreas.
If there was no such opposition/doubts that would be no reason for such words..
Simple as that ..
04-25-2013, 08:46 AM
#15
If Preuninger really believes that everyone that bought the prior GT3 is happy then he has his head buried in a deep, dark place.
Faulty coolant lines, detonating clutches, bait-and switch center-lock maintenance schedules, voided track coverage. Yeah, we're happy.
AFAIK this statement is an insult to current 997 GT3 owners.
I say man up and stand behind the stuff you sell or SHUT UP. Back to your blah, blah, bloop Andreas.
Faulty coolant lines, detonating clutches, bait-and switch center-lock maintenance schedules, voided track coverage. Yeah, we're happy.
AFAIK this statement is an insult to current 997 GT3 owners.
I say man up and stand behind the stuff you sell or SHUT UP. Back to your blah, blah, bloop Andreas.
If there was no such opposition/doubts that would be no reason for such words..
Simple as that ..
He's obviously responding/talking to the idiotic criticism on the forums - including the people in this one.
