Macca

Sam. thanks for the write up. Very interesting to hear your feedback. I concur on most points. Well have to key swap when I get the Alfa Giulia QV landed.

GT3 allocations are pretty hard to get anywhere, let alone UK where they seem to be heavily subscribed. I dont think anyone will know till the allocations are released. I do however believe everyone who orders one will eventually get it. They will make record numbers of these.

To the best of my knowledge GT3 was still available to order in NZ as of last week...

996tnz

TLDR: Because the car is less engaging with ABS and when ABS fails it can fail big time (much worse than just 'OFF").

Long version, with background via PSM:

Jake, it was actually an Ultima 535HP on TradeMe some 7 odd years back that got me looking into supercars. The Ultima offered great performance but very poor practicality for a street car, especially the harness it had instead of a 3-point, and an apparent tendency to overheat in traffic jams. Plus some due diligence on handling and safety threw up that it had no ABS, and I think no airbag either nor much in the way of effective crumple zones. A South African street race gone bad has seen a Lambo driver walk away but the Ultima pretty much just splat. Plus a fairly well-known YouTube clip of a (probably fatal) ABS-less Viper crash exiting a tunnel or overbridge also gave cause to think. At the time, I was also out to replace my BMW 540i so I went and test drove, I think, an S600, an E55 Kompressor (both written off for poor handling and disappointing interiors), a 996 Cabrio (that was ailing and down on power) and then the Turbo - which was the priciest but also by far the most engaging of the three (probably helped by a bit of an autocross like demo and test drive on the fresh roads of a North Shore subdivision). And that was me sold on her so I picked her up the following night.

Pretty much from the start however, PSM would fail out on her occasionally. Most typically 100 or so meters on from any of a number of sharp right hand bends over crests that saw at least one front wheel of the car maybe get some momentary air.

And I noticed almost immediately that she was far more eager, responsive, predictable and fun to drive after her PSM had failed out - and so I just held to the traditional 911 mantra of 'don't lift no matter what' while exiting corners.

So when I went to my first track day (Contis Advanced Performance Driving, at HD), the first thing I told my track intructor (Jonny Reid) was not to worry if the PSM warning light came on as I was well used to driving without it, and that it was bound to fail out on the first or second corner. Which was fine by him, and which it duly did.

My next track outing with her was at the Dual Sprints where I diced with Paul in his R-Comp shod Carrera 3.0. Somewhere around that time - and maybe next time out - her ABS went out mid-run (a red light joining PSM's orange one, coming up to the sweeper) but initial concern soon just gave way to more attentive braking.

In 2KCup too, it made no difference to me which car I drove despite just one having ABS (or was it just BB without it?) as I drove all three the same regardless and couldn't actually tell you now which had it, beyond remembering from this forum that some drivers had apparently flat-spotted BB's tyres at times. Yes, we sustained contact damage at times in 2K but that resulted not from underbraking and hitting the car in front, but most often from some pursuer diving to the side when being outbraked and then fishtailing back into her flanks.

About the only time I remember actually looking to see if my ABS happened to be operational was on the motorway drive home over patches of standing water during the Clevedon storm some days ago. Don't remember now whether it was on or off but I do remember leaving extra room to the car in front and was hunting decent grip throughout that drive.

So from my point of view ABS is occasionally useful but is also just one more system that gets between the driver and the tyres. It is also a system that can go wrong (with unwarranted engagement of ice mode being at the top of my list there: particularly prevalent when running R-comps or slicks over bumpy braking zones, ice mode is triggered by overly fast deceleration of at least one wheel, upon which it cuts max braking power to 20% or less of normal - at all four wheels, and for at least a crucial half second). I can't now remember if it was ice mode or (I think) a failed ABS component, but the Koeniggsegg One:1's mega crash at the 'Ring was put down to ABS actively messing up the car too.

The only time I've ever intentionally disabled ABS was at a grass (well, mud) gymkhana, but on track in my car I consider myself safer - if perhaps just a little slower - without it so rather welcome it faulting out.

All that said, great ABS is widely recognised as making for quicker laps though, so if I end up LVVing the yellow terror after a future upgrade I may yet look to put a proper motorsports ABS system in since they are more reliable, dont suffer from ice mode, and are less intrusive than the buggier street versions.

I know of people retro-fitting ABS to their F40s, so I imagine I'm very much in the minority but today's me likes the idea of a new Yellowbird that is true to the original, so yes, it would please me if the 2017 model RUF Yellowbird had no ABS, else a delete option for it, or- failing that - at least an ABS off-switch.

gt38088

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/spot...-spotted/35895

This is you Walt and seemingly a good deal

996tnz

Thanks Graeme. Certainly wouldn't send her away if she turned up in my driveway, but putting a percent or two of Kermit the RUF CTR's price tag into the Turbo to deliver Kermity performance on the far side of 100kph looks more likely.

In other news (for those who haven't found it anyway), after spending an age trying to find details on how to best exit a drift some five years ago, last night I discovered that Chris Harris has it covered nicely now:

Macca

305k for a base 991.2 GT3 in NZ!

Yikes with even a basic spec (bucket seats etc) its foing to run 320K

I cant see 991.1 GT3 prices dropping too fast. They were 275K base....in 2014

http://cc.porsche.com/icc_euro/ccCal...fmodelstart%2f

gt38088

dangerous times - too much stuff coming out and its all good. Very easy to lighten the wallet in a big way.

O2GO

Nice write up Sam. Good that you are having lots of fun with your interim ride. You'll have to keep away from the modern pcar stuff or you'll catch the disease. I still love my RS60 and shes 987.1 old tech. Lots of bang for the buck down there :-)

I'll be in for an early sunday SH22 run to Raglan for coffee Dave. Just holler. Bit wet at the moment though of course.

I've conditionally signed for a moderate mileage Q5 3.0D small economical runabout with 2t towing capacity. Ive been missing the old Cayenne S but need something smaller that doesnt cost a fortune in gas. My first non-tractor oil burner LOL. Impressed with the 500NM torque, she'll just tow the boat (on paper the boat is on the 2t limit, but we are kiwis right. i hardly ever tow the boat with anything other than the ford 4000). This will eat the trip to Oakura and back with 3 of us and a trailer for those family weekends and maintenence projects.

For those on FB you'll see from John and Carol's posts the roads up north are currently under water in places. Should be good for that too :-)

Dave, i hope the orange T will be ready for our August trip. And John, either Herman on the road by August or hurry up and harden up the project car (TPC) which needs a new name. BTW welcome home from Perth.

O2GO

Oh, and Macca... Your GT4 colour choice gets a thumbs up from me. Looking forward to seeing her in the flesh. How the hell are you going to choose what to drive???

John McM

Easy, Macca will drive the one he doesn't sell to Paul

John McM

Back from Perth now. Good grief that Auckland Airport arrival area is a disgrace. It looks third world. If they put as much effort into it as they do to gouging travellers for parking etc they might have something to be proud of. Rant over.

Some engine tools tools arrived while I was away. The bulk come in this weekend with clearance by Tuesday. However that's the only fast bit in this process, I suspect the first engine job is going to be very slow going i.e. multiple Months. I plan to take the Project car on a solo road trip to see how reliable it is so I have alternatives. August is a reasonable way away to sort any issues out. It seems quite solid so far.

As for names, now that I talk to people outside RSG about them I find myself just calling them the White and Silver car. That may stick longer term (I'm not looking to sell either anytime soon, if at all).

Macca

Life short. Long time under ground. Children will not spend it wisely. Seize the day Graeme ;-)

gt38088

yea I am coming around to the view that doing more stuff in Europe might be a good way to go

Macca

Ha Ha.

Anyone want to see the Green GT4 will be at CCS on Monday and OCD Tuesday till Thursday.

Ill put it on the market next weekend when the photos have been done. I dont expect it to hand around long. It truely is a unique and gorgeous machine, Im sure the GT4 we will be talking about ion a decade time as it changes hands in the sea of white, black and silver ones. Like my old 996.1 GT3 (Speed yellow) or 993RS.

Whatever sells first Ill keep the other. My GT3 will go on market for $239,990 next weekend. Just had new calipers, rotors, full big service, tranny and clutch pack fluids (a few years ahead of time and expensive) as well as new tyres, new Calipers (warranty - long story but they are 8K brand new and now fitted) and its running very strong. Its a clupsport spec car with no lift or Navi (they arent needed). Its in fine fettle, 26K km, has the new and latest engine and has a brand new 2 year warranty (so covered for 2017 & 2018). This can be extended. Ill do a good deal for any RSG members. I think these will hold value quite well know the equivalent 991.2 GT3 car will be 325K+

John McM

Good luck Macca. I look forward to seeing the ad pics and copy. No doubt you'll get it spot on. From the original ad for the Project Car on it beggars belief how many Porsche sellers put up crappy pics and then put copy in that makes it sound like they are tossers to deal with.

996tnz

Good thinking Graeme. Experiences trump possessions I reckon, though sometimes possessions do open the doors to them.