John McM

Steve, if you were looking to dominate the roads with your C4 you are about 20 years too late to the party

The Autocross results with Craig Pye in his 3.0 matching Walter's 996TT for the last few rounds show that tight and twisty keeps the big hp cars honest, but the minute there's a straight it's good night nurse. It's something Doug and I have discussed with the road trips as the C4 can't 'comfortably' keep up with the Boxster et al over long distances. I need air cooled partners in crime to make it a good day for all.

mcginnis

Hello, if you want to buy from UK let me know.
Michael.

Spokes

No, definitely not trying to dominate the road in speed. Only in "classic style and reasonable performance".

gt38088

Hey Macca is that a skate board on the shelf? like to see your skills on that!!

996tnz

Or maybe Jake could do a demo with it next time out? If it's a skateboard, it does look just a bit like a triumph of design over functionality but it'd be fun watching while he finds out...

And yes, colour me plenty jealous of that garage Macca.

+ Paul, thanks for the pics and comments. Saturday's PCNZ autocross was so much fun that I'd consider everyone there a winner, including any who finished the day in borrowed cars.

IMO that autocross format rolled together what's best about gymkhanas (fast and furious driving) and sprints (cornering speeds demanding focus and committment). All topped off with extra helpings of speed when the full club track was opened up for track laps later.

gt38088

Congrats Walter, haha I can imagine you on the day ''focus and commitment" Bet you scraped off more rubber than everyone else

kiwi 911

JMc the format was to launch off the start finish line, put a couple of cones in before the first corner, allow drivers to race the lines of the inner track, and then break the straight up with a couple of cones at long distances - all 2/3 gear stuff and 80-120kph - but car on the limit of grip. Cars are released and 30 sec intervals so no hanging around.

So its fast, sweeping driving expereince on the limit.

You stop the car in a cone box - but the box is huge, so no biggie.

It appears I had a crack in a hose pipe ($50 to replace according to Gillies) - as you say the cars where all very close and was a lot of fun. I actually had no idea who won until I did the calc's of best 3 runs out of 8.

It was nice having the track to myself and discovering a new bit of tarseal for an hour before everyone turned up. 7am start - get a 'feel' for it and then worked with Steff on setting up cones. Was heaven.

Gave Steff a spin in the GT3 on the track - she's now hooked on GT3's......

Proof GT3 was there though..........

Macca

Thanks Steve. Interesting read. Having owned a 993 of similar specification (power, a little less torque, but probably a slightly better set up chassis) as the 964 that the original poster owns and compares the Focus RS to I have to say I agree in most part.

On like for like tyres on the track my 993 was/is still a faster machine (Vmax as well as ultimate lap times. But it wasn't a typical 993 as it had an additional 100K of development to make it lighter, more nimble and quicker.

I would wager in the dry on Cup2 wheel option the FocRS would still be 1.5s per 1m lap slower than my old 993 in the dry.

In the wet however the 993 wouldnt see which was the RS went. The same could be said on the road. In the dry the aero and weight work against it but in the wet the chassis makes up in spades.

I have ordered the Cobb AP hand controller with reversible maps to add 45bhp and 80nm of torque. It will be interesting on the SuperSport road tyres if it can crack the 1.50 at Taupo in this configuration. I think maybe just. Moving to Cup2 would probably give a 1.48 so still over 1s a lap slower than the 993.

The simple matter is however, the modern chassis is a revelation on the bumpy NZ back roads compared to the old girl. The 4WD chassis is the perfect marriage for fast road in mixed weather conditions (i.e. NZ friendly). Mostly we must remember this car cost me 69K and should be a slow depreciation of or miles per $ fun its a hard to beat package. I think the new software maps will really round if off nicely according to all the folk that are using them. Someone wanting a low hassle ownership proposition its a nice package.

I jumped in the GT3 today fresh from a big service, tyres and rotors. Have to say the Focus RS steering is as good. And although its 4WD it really has an adjustable chuck-able chassis. Sure its slower but you can buy 5x FocusRS for the price of a new GT3! That means a brand new Macan GTS for the wife and ski slopes, a Focus RS as a fun daily driver and grocery getter and a new Lotus Evora with track pack for track work the same money?

Makes you think aye.

John McM

Sounds like the perfect antidote to the arms race and likely easier on the cars as well (despite all of the breakdowns). I'll look out for the next one if there is one. Hopefully I will have a car to run by then

Macca

Ha Ha. Great spotting!

BMW Street Carver. Picked it up new 10 years back. Heavy but operates like a snowboard. Very clever design using some drop links from the M5 of the day. Really wonderful piece of industrial design. Around 1m long. Only seen use in the inside of a storage unit, aircraft hanger and now garage LOL! Im sure Jake could show me how to use it properly....

996tnz

Paul, that dawn shot of your GT3 is killer! Glad your leak proved to be a $50 fix as mine averaged about $1K each.

You and Steph nailed the course layout IMHO, with a 'wham - straight into it' chicane start and a tightening finish that kept me on edge right through to the last run - as you could perhaps tell by how loose she was getting around those last two staggered slalom cones before the garage.

John, I know you're not a traditional macrame gymkhana fan but I think you'd be right into this autocross stuff, as would most others here.

Update = crosspost John, I see you're already up for a future one.

Macca

Lovely sunrise shot Paul. Makes me want to to be a share milker again ;-)

Macca

Well done Walt! Would love to have attended. It was the day we moved South...

Got the garage "office" completed 2am Sunday morning. The Garage is now completed (turns out both those large steel racks are now bursting with Car models and stuff).

Judgement Day was 10am Sunday morning when wifey too a peak in the garage and adjacent office.

Can you imagine her surprise. 10 years worth of stuff collected and squirreled away almost all of which she had never seen. 100 large volume books, remote controlled cars, models. In my defence there is a pile of stuff almost as large as what I kept in the corner to list on ebay (that was my defense but it failed miserably).

What a shame I cant have the 100+ prints I have in tubes framed and mounted on the walls around the garage. There are now sides to tenancy...

John McM

I'm definitely not a Macrame fan and seeing the mess under the Project car I wouldn't do a wet grass gymkhana either.

I remember discussing something like the autocross with Paul a while back, but at that stage it was more of a run from just past T1 to the straight after barrel 51. It probably wouldn't have worked with the recycle time, but there was little choice with the big track whereas the club circuit evidently makes this easier. Even better for me if it was a bit wet

996tnz

Good to see someone else brave enough to venture the 'forgiveness is easier than permission" route Macca. Reminds me of my home theatre setup that disappeared into storage when the kids started roaming about on all fours. If I bring it back out now it will be seen as an assault on the living room I'm sure.

As for your walls, that 3M removable stuff does wonders in mounting damn near anything if you wipe the surfaces down with rubbing alcohol first. We own but I'm not big on house piercings so things up to and including a big hall mirror are stuck on around the place.