GT3 Nut

Track was VIR this past weekend.
Car is great. Not too much in the way of criticism .
Gearing is a little bit tall but really not an issue to worry with. In some ways the taller 2nd was helpful in some slow corners. Any lower and it would not have been much use. I kept playing with dropping to 2nd in some corners vs. leaving in 3rd. If I had a clear shot through the corner I could carry more momentum and leave it in 3rd. Thats probably faster but with traffic it was hard to determine for sure. Many times I would lose too much momentum due to traffic and therefore had to drop into 2nd. Overall lap times didn't change but I don't have any data to use as a definitive comparison for each corner. I almost would just prefer lower 3-4-5 to be honest. Leave 2nd as it is. That's just my opinion....

I’m not a fan of the tires for the track but that’s just minor. The tires are the limiting factor on the car at this point. I am on the Michelin Sport Cup 2.
If I had Hoosiers I could certainly brake later and carry more speed in the corners.
But being able to drive to and from the track without trailering the car or changing out tires and still turning 2:05-2:06 lap times at VIR is nothing to complain with.
Without any traffic I can say I could likely get into the high 2:04s with the car as it sits now. (By the way, I DON'T have any voodoo electronic control module for the PASM as some people think is needed. I can't honestly comment on if it would benefit the car because I have never used it but the lap times show the car is a capable performer in its stock set up).
I am sure a pro would be able to extract another second or 3....from the stock car.
When I get harnesses in the car that will also help. Now under braking it is difficult to not use the steering wheel to hold myself back in the seat. And when I do that it makes the car unsettled from the slight steering inputs even though I try not to. With harnesses I could have much better steering feel and control as I am braking - primarily an issue at the end of the straights. I would brake even later if I was more comfortable with harnesses holding me in place.

Car is nicely balanced overall. Still has some push in long slower corners - like turn 1. I have the bars set to full stiff in rear and the front has 1 side at full soft and the other in the middle. I was trying to fine tune the front without going full soft on both sides. I'm not sure if I went to full soft that it would have made it a little loose. The way the car is now is pretty good. I was still able to throttle steer as needed - like in turn 5b. The car wanted to push a little there but I just add a bit more gas and it does well. Strange it works there but not so much in turn 1. I am no expert or engineer so I cant really comment on why I felt that.

Tire pressure was a moving target but ultimately I think that 30 front and 32-33 rear HOT is what seems to work best. When it climbed above that the car was sliding a lot more.

I did add the toe links and shims in order to get enough camber. I am running around 2.6 in front and 2.1 in the rear. A little more camber might be helpful but for me its is still primarily a street car.
Thanks to John from BGB for the toe links and the setup info!

For what its worth I think this car is equal in my list of favorites to my 987 Spyder. That car just connected with me and this car has a similar feel.
The steering feels right. The brakes are amazing. Everything just seems to work very well together. Porsche did a good job on this one.

BryanCO

Thanks for sharing. Great information.

paradocs98

Very helpful--taking notes!

needmoregarage

Great write up thank you. I especially appreciate the comment about comparing it to the 987.

As much as I look forward to the GT4 (May/June) I'm nervous about giving up the Cayman R which I love. I'm completely bonded with the R but it sounds like I'll be at least equally happy (if not more) with the GT4 (which is my hope- otherwise would not have made the move). The only thing I know for sure I'll miss on the R is the Peridot paint.

9001rpm

Awesome car and nice review!

I would disagree that the tires are the limiting factor based on your own post. I would personally try pushing harder on the Cup2s before jumping to Hoosiers. Especially if you feel there is ~3 seconds on the table (stock) with a better driver.

GT3 Nut

Okay - I am the limiting factor - true. Thanks for pointing that out...
Yes the cup2s can do a little more in some respects but for me I feel like the braking would be much better with Hoosiers. The stock brakes are way more capable than the stock tires can handle.
And the confidence level also impacts how I drive. I just dont have as much confidence in the Cup2s. Maybe with more seat time on them I would get to know them better...
But more importantly I think Hoosiers would actually be cheaper than the crazy prices on the Cup2!

I would love to know how other GT4s have fared at VIR in comparison and also see what a pro can do. That would give me a good gauge.
I just always assume there is more time to be had. And I realize that I just may not have enough skills to extract it.

GT3 Nut

The 987 Spyder (and by extension the Cayman R) is a great car! It was my favorite STREET car that was also very capable on the track. I had as much - if not more fun in it at the track than any previous GT3 I owned. Dont get me wrong, the 997.1 GT3 RS was also one of my favorites. The 987 Spyder was just unique and felt right. But the GT4 is a worthy replacement. I am not much on convertibles but for some reason I preferred the 987 Spyder over the R. But in the case of the 981, the GT4 is preferred over the Spyder - at least in appearance since I have not driven a new Spyder. The GT4 is a great package and I am sure you will not be disappointed. You can always have the GT4 done PTS in Peridot, or do a full color vinyl wrap...
I would consider a vinyl wrap myself on my white car. I have always preferred black and gray. But I got white and I am not in love with it. Now I am considering a vinyl wrap....

ChrisFL

Can you let us know what brake pads and fluid you were running? that can also be a factor on braking

needmoregarage

Thanks for the insight.
I think PTS may be "done" so I don't hold much hope. I've considered vinyl wrap but understand in addition to being expensive (relatively speaking) it's quite thin and doesn't offer nearly the protection of a film like Xpel Ult. Also - I worry about someone dissembling much of the car to hide edges. I know it's done on very expensive cars (much more $ than GT4) but still - if it's wrapped and then has rattles/squeaks cause it wasn't put back 100% correctly -- will I be happy with the result? Tough questions and I'll cross that bridge (and obviously GREAT problems to have).

I previously tracked a C6 Z06 (just before C-R) and had other stupid high HP cars before that. The Z06 was my first "real" track car (and manual) but I loved the R so much more because it was incredibly nimble. I missed the HP every so often at certain exits of specific corners but the fun elsewhere more than made up for it. I became confident sliding the car a LOT (I run on MPSS) and I'm hoping I can find the same sweet spot in the GT4. It'll take time but that's what I hope I love as much as the C-R.

I generally prefer coupes. I find the lines more visually pleasing and don't care about having the top down.

Your comments are helpful - thanks!

GT3 Nut

Stock fluid. Pagid RS29.
Will flush and put Castrol SRF in at some point before the spring.

myBailey07

Thanks for the report. Good read. I am also having some trouble with the tire pressures. When getting to the mid 30's and above the car does get "slidey"; however, I have my front bar soft to counter under steer, so, when I drop pressures lower the tires start having more rollover that kills the outside edges.

I only have max stock camber (-2.1F) and feels that the car handles okay, but seems like I might be forced into after market parts just to not destroy the outside tire edges :-(

David Schacht

I haven't even seen an anti sway bar on a GT4, so this may be a dumb question.

Is it possible that adjusting the anti-sway bar differently (side to side) in the front has created a cross weight situation? It seems to me that there is either static cross weight / pre-load, and / or the dynamic cross weight induced when turning would be different when turning left vs right.

jenk12m

Thanks for the that Matt

TraqGear

Yep. I think those lap times are darn good for an out-of-the box street car. Can't wait till March!!

GT3 Nut

Not a dumb question in my opinion..
I wondered similarly. I called John at BGB and he said it would work fine.
I wont try to explain it technically but from the way I understand it, the bar works as a whole - not per side. So changing by one hole on one side is like moving 1/2 a hole on both ends.
However, I dont claim to be an expert so dont take my explanation with much confidence.