2021 Porsche 718 GT4 Miami Blue - Build thread
04-27-2021, 05:13 AM
#32
Instructor
Thread Starter
Last Sunday (25th) I finally drove the car as it was meant to be driven - aka I attended a track day close to where I live. And here are my impressions...
First of all, the track... It is called Transilvania Motor Ring and it opened 2 years ago. It is build on top of a hill and, over the past 2 years, the hill started to move... The track is, as such, very bumpy and, in parts, dangerous. I new bump appeared on a heavy braking zone - braking from 210kph / 130 mph for a chicane - and that caught me off-guard. Hence I used the run off space and no drama:
Some repairs will be done to the track but they will only start at the end of May. There is another track day scheduled before and I am planning to attend that one as well.
The event (trackday) was organized by a rally driving school and it was extremely crowded. That is a good thing, in general, since I prefer to see people pushing their cars on track instead of the public roads, but not ideal for me because I really wanted to see what the car is capable of and there was no space. One thing that really annoyed me is that the drivers were only occasionally watching their rear view mirrors and, a lot of drivers were using the ideal line even on cool down laps and with faster cars coming from behind. I think I had 1 or 2 laps without traffic (out of the 54 laps the Porsche Track Precision App recorded until the phone died) and these were with passengers. So I couldn't really push 100% and the car was noticeably heavier with 90kg / 200 lbs extra. None the less, I managed a 1:42.6 with the GT4 (alone in the car), l compared to 1:48.5 with the 981 Black Edition. I can still go lower - traffic, different suspension setup, better driver.
Here is the best lap:
The data overlay is from the Porsche Track Precision App.
All in all, it was nice to spend some time on the track with some new and old friends.
Next up, the best passenger lap, a few more things about the car setup and a few ideas about the video and data overlay.
Any thoughts / advices are welcome.
Cheers!
P.S. Found a good use for the rear spoiler
- drying the T-Shirt
First of all, the track... It is called Transilvania Motor Ring and it opened 2 years ago. It is build on top of a hill and, over the past 2 years, the hill started to move... The track is, as such, very bumpy and, in parts, dangerous. I new bump appeared on a heavy braking zone - braking from 210kph / 130 mph for a chicane - and that caught me off-guard. Hence I used the run off space and no drama:
Some repairs will be done to the track but they will only start at the end of May. There is another track day scheduled before and I am planning to attend that one as well.
The event (trackday) was organized by a rally driving school and it was extremely crowded. That is a good thing, in general, since I prefer to see people pushing their cars on track instead of the public roads, but not ideal for me because I really wanted to see what the car is capable of and there was no space. One thing that really annoyed me is that the drivers were only occasionally watching their rear view mirrors and, a lot of drivers were using the ideal line even on cool down laps and with faster cars coming from behind. I think I had 1 or 2 laps without traffic (out of the 54 laps the Porsche Track Precision App recorded until the phone died) and these were with passengers. So I couldn't really push 100% and the car was noticeably heavier with 90kg / 200 lbs extra. None the less, I managed a 1:42.6 with the GT4 (alone in the car), l compared to 1:48.5 with the 981 Black Edition. I can still go lower - traffic, different suspension setup, better driver.
Here is the best lap:
The data overlay is from the Porsche Track Precision App.
All in all, it was nice to spend some time on the track with some new and old friends.
Next up, the best passenger lap, a few more things about the car setup and a few ideas about the video and data overlay.
Any thoughts / advices are welcome.
Cheers!
P.S. Found a good use for the rear spoiler
- drying the T-Shirt
04-29-2021, 07:54 AM
#33
Instructor
Thread Starter
Since I anticipate I will be very busy over the next days (Easter, spending time with the family, etc) and since I also received some photos of the car, I thought of sharing those and sharing the impressions of the car from the previous track day (without the passenger lap video yet).
So, photos first :
And about the car:
- awesome engine - pulls like crazy (for my standards) and it's extremely responsive
- awesome engine noise from inside the cabin. I only need a louder exhaust for the people watching but that is not important right now.
- the car is definitely more rigid compared to the 981 Black Edition even if the 981 was with the sport chassis turned on and the 718 is with the sport suspension turned off. The 718 is definitely better suited for trackdays - no surprises there)
- the brakes are great but they do need some improvements - started fading if pushed hard for a lot of laps. I will have the Manthey Racing pads and the steel brake lines which should solve the problem. My car is not unbalanced when braking hard from high speeds, like other cars over here on stock setup.
- the cars' balance is great, but not exceptional. Please keep in mind I am 100% stock, I have not changed the alignment or sway bars. The car understeers more than I would like but I guess this will be solved in July when I visit Manthey Racing as well.
- the Porsche Track Precision App is absolutely awesome! I highly recommend it for the trackday videos.
- can't really feel the aero working because I am a bit too afraid to push in the areas where the aero is important.
All in all I love the way the car handles on track and it is clear that, besides the small alignment and brake mods, I should spend more time perfecting my skills.
None the less, this trip is a good starting point to measure the progress.
So, photos first
:And about the car:
- awesome engine - pulls like crazy (for my standards) and it's extremely responsive
- awesome engine noise from inside the cabin. I only need a louder exhaust for the people watching but that is not important right now
.- the car is definitely more rigid compared to the 981 Black Edition even if the 981 was with the sport chassis turned on and the 718 is with the sport suspension turned off. The 718 is definitely better suited for trackdays - no surprises there
)- the brakes are great but they do need some improvements - started fading if pushed hard for a lot of laps. I will have the Manthey Racing pads and the steel brake lines which should solve the problem. My car is not unbalanced when braking hard from high speeds, like other cars over here on stock setup.
- the cars' balance is great, but not exceptional. Please keep in mind I am 100% stock, I have not changed the alignment or sway bars. The car understeers more than I would like but I guess this will be solved in July when I visit Manthey Racing as well.
- the Porsche Track Precision App is absolutely awesome! I highly recommend it for the trackday videos.
- can't really feel the aero working because I am a bit too afraid to push in the areas where the aero is important.
All in all I love the way the car handles on track and it is clear that, besides the small alignment and brake mods, I should spend more time perfecting my skills.
None the less, this trip is a good starting point to measure the progress.
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UncleDude (04-29-2021)
04-29-2021, 08:44 AM
#34
04-29-2021, 09:47 AM
#35
Instructor
Thread Starter
Well, first of all, I have an Android phone (Pixel 4) so there is no connectivity to the PCM display as Porsche doesn't offer Android Auto 
.
I used the stock settings and I did not use the remote camera/gopro start feature yet - I only found out of this after the trackday
I just put the phone in the phone mount (as it is shown in the video above) and pushed start recording. I then exported the video and edited it with Corel VideoStudio 2020.
Regarding the timing, it is not quite as accurate as the VBOX spor (with external antenna) that I usually use. As an example:
VBox Sport with external antenna vs Porsche Track Precision App
01. 1:47.31 vs 1:47.43
02. 1:47.82 vs 1:47.61
03. 1:44.03 vs 1:44:16
04. 1:44.61 vs 1:44.62
05. 1:53.58 vs 1:53.62
06. 2:06.79 vs 2:06.72
07. 1:47.99 vs 1:48.05
08. 1:44.09 vs 1:44.01
09. 2:29.32 vs 2:29.09
10. 1:43.03 vs 1:43.08
I also downloaded the raw data from the app but I did not yet have to look at it - will do so shortly.
.I used the stock settings and I did not use the remote camera/gopro start feature yet - I only found out of this after the trackday
I just put the phone in the phone mount (as it is shown in the video above) and pushed start recording. I then exported the video and edited it with Corel VideoStudio 2020.
Regarding the timing, it is not quite as accurate as the VBOX spor (with external antenna) that I usually use. As an example:
VBox Sport with external antenna vs Porsche Track Precision App
01. 1:47.31 vs 1:47.43
02. 1:47.82 vs 1:47.61
03. 1:44.03 vs 1:44:16
04. 1:44.61 vs 1:44.62
05. 1:53.58 vs 1:53.62
06. 2:06.79 vs 2:06.72
07. 1:47.99 vs 1:48.05
08. 1:44.09 vs 1:44.01
09. 2:29.32 vs 2:29.09
10. 1:43.03 vs 1:43.08
I also downloaded the raw data from the app but I did not yet have to look at it - will do so shortly.
Last edited by v_rex; 04-29-2021 at 09:50 AM.
04-29-2021, 06:59 PM
#36
Thanks, that's really good info. I've noticed the PTPA can be a little inaccurate compared with official timing but very interesting to see how close it is to the Vbox. I have a feeling the PTPA uses the GPS antenna in the phone so not super accurate but still not too far off the Vbox.
I notice in your video the footage moves sideways around corners due to the G-force and image stabalisation in the camera. I find I have to turn image stablisation/hypersmooth off to get a stable image that doesn't move sideways around corners. Vertical stability is sitll perfect despite turning hypersmooth off when mounted on the cross bar.
Other problem I find is synching the PTPA data with the GoPro video footage is very tedious and hard to get perfect, probably due to the relatively low sample rate of the PTPA. Part of the problem is when I import the video into the PTPA it adds 11 hours to the time stamp so that adds further confusion knowing which session is which. Otherwise the overlay it generates is quite nice but as you point out some of the metrics can be a little out.
I notice in your video the footage moves sideways around corners due to the G-force and image stabalisation in the camera. I find I have to turn image stablisation/hypersmooth off to get a stable image that doesn't move sideways around corners. Vertical stability is sitll perfect despite turning hypersmooth off when mounted on the cross bar.
Other problem I find is synching the PTPA data with the GoPro video footage is very tedious and hard to get perfect, probably due to the relatively low sample rate of the PTPA. Part of the problem is when I import the video into the PTPA it adds 11 hours to the time stamp so that adds further confusion knowing which session is which. Otherwise the overlay it generates is quite nice but as you point out some of the metrics can be a little out.
04-29-2021, 07:37 PM
#37
Rennlist Member
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v_rex (04-30-2021)
04-29-2021, 07:41 PM
#38
Rennlist Member
Ha! me too! Believe it or not, Target sells them!
https://www.target.com/p/2020-porsch...s/-/A-82869760
https://www.target.com/p/2020-porsch...s/-/A-82869760
The following users liked this post:
v_rex (04-30-2021)
04-29-2021, 07:42 PM
#39
Rennlist Member
Thanks, that's really good info. I've noticed the PTPA can be a little inaccurate compared with official timing but very interesting to see how close it is to the Vbox. I have a feeling the PTPA uses the GPS antenna in the phone so not super accurate but still not too far off the Vbox.
I notice in your video the footage moves sideways around corners due to the G-force and image stabalisation in the camera. I find I have to turn image stablisation/hypersmooth off to get a stable image that doesn't move sideways around corners. Vertical stability is sitll perfect despite turning hypersmooth off when mounted on the cross bar.
Other problem I find is synching the PTPA data with the GoPro video footage is very tedious and hard to get perfect, probably due to the relatively low sample rate of the PTPA. Part of the problem is when I import the video into the PTPA it adds 11 hours to the time stamp so that adds further confusion knowing which session is which. Otherwise the overlay it generates is quite nice but as you point out some of the metrics can be a little out.
I notice in your video the footage moves sideways around corners due to the G-force and image stabalisation in the camera. I find I have to turn image stablisation/hypersmooth off to get a stable image that doesn't move sideways around corners. Vertical stability is sitll perfect despite turning hypersmooth off when mounted on the cross bar.
Other problem I find is synching the PTPA data with the GoPro video footage is very tedious and hard to get perfect, probably due to the relatively low sample rate of the PTPA. Part of the problem is when I import the video into the PTPA it adds 11 hours to the time stamp so that adds further confusion knowing which session is which. Otherwise the overlay it generates is quite nice but as you point out some of the metrics can be a little out.
04-29-2021, 07:50 PM
#40
Rennlist Member
Ha! me too! Believe it or not, Target sells them!
https://www.target.com/p/2020-porsch...s/-/A-82869760
https://www.target.com/p/2020-porsch...s/-/A-82869760
05-03-2021, 05:54 PM
#41
Instructor
Thread Starter
As far I saw the video quality is quite low... And I couldn't figure out what (if anything) it had on top of the VBox Sport...
Thank you for your comment!
Yes, I think the PTPA uses the phone's GPS antenna
Regarding the video stabilization, I thought about it before the trackday. I chose to have it turned on because I think it shows a bit better what is happening in the car (bumps, left/right turns, etc). Truth be told, even if I thought of it, I didn't turn the stabilization off to see how it looks with it off... I think I will give it a try next trackday.
And about synchronising the PTPA with the GoPro video, I never tried it... I am doing the synchronization afterwards in Corel Video Studio Pro and it is quite easy - I just find a frame when the traction control goes on (which is visible both on the GoPro and the PTPA)
I will play a bit more with the PTPA until my Nurburgring trip to get the data and video footage just right then. BTW, I think I spent like 3 hours trying to export the best passenger lap - it would export the lap but without the data overlay (which is the reason I need PTPA in the first place). In the end I managed to export the video, but please don't ask me how I did it because I don't think I can reproduce it.
Thanks, that's really good info. I've noticed the PTPA can be a little inaccurate compared with official timing but very interesting to see how close it is to the Vbox. I have a feeling the PTPA uses the GPS antenna in the phone so not super accurate but still not too far off the Vbox.
I notice in your video the footage moves sideways around corners due to the G-force and image stabalisation in the camera. I find I have to turn image stablisation/hypersmooth off to get a stable image that doesn't move sideways around corners. Vertical stability is sitll perfect despite turning hypersmooth off when mounted on the cross bar.
Other problem I find is synching the PTPA data with the GoPro video footage is very tedious and hard to get perfect, probably due to the relatively low sample rate of the PTPA. Part of the problem is when I import the video into the PTPA it adds 11 hours to the time stamp so that adds further confusion knowing which session is which. Otherwise the overlay it generates is quite nice but as you point out some of the metrics can be a little out.
I notice in your video the footage moves sideways around corners due to the G-force and image stabalisation in the camera. I find I have to turn image stablisation/hypersmooth off to get a stable image that doesn't move sideways around corners. Vertical stability is sitll perfect despite turning hypersmooth off when mounted on the cross bar.
Other problem I find is synching the PTPA data with the GoPro video footage is very tedious and hard to get perfect, probably due to the relatively low sample rate of the PTPA. Part of the problem is when I import the video into the PTPA it adds 11 hours to the time stamp so that adds further confusion knowing which session is which. Otherwise the overlay it generates is quite nice but as you point out some of the metrics can be a little out.
Yes, I think the PTPA uses the phone's GPS antenna
Regarding the video stabilization, I thought about it before the trackday. I chose to have it turned on because I think it shows a bit better what is happening in the car (bumps, left/right turns, etc). Truth be told, even if I thought of it, I didn't turn the stabilization off to see how it looks with it off... I think I will give it a try next trackday.
And about synchronising the PTPA with the GoPro video, I never tried it... I am doing the synchronization afterwards in Corel Video Studio Pro and it is quite easy - I just find a frame when the traction control goes on (which is visible both on the GoPro and the PTPA)
I will play a bit more with the PTPA until my Nurburgring trip to get the data and video footage just right then. BTW, I think I spent like 3 hours trying to export the best passenger lap - it would export the lap but without the data overlay (which is the reason I need PTPA in the first place). In the end I managed to export the video, but please don't ask me how I did it because I don't think I can reproduce it
.
05-03-2021, 06:18 PM
#42
Rennlist Member
As far I saw the video quality is quite low... And I couldn't figure out what (if anything) it had on top of the VBox Sport...
Thank you for your comment!
Yes, I think the PTPA uses the phone's GPS antenna
Regarding the video stabilization, I thought about it before the trackday. I chose to have it turned on because I think it shows a bit better what is happening in the car (bumps, left/right turns, etc). Truth be told, even if I thought of it, I didn't turn the stabilization off to see how it looks with it off... I think I will give it a try next trackday.
And about synchronising the PTPA with the GoPro video, I never tried it... I am doing the synchronization afterwards in Corel Video Studio Pro and it is quite easy - I just find a frame when the traction control goes on (which is visible both on the GoPro and the PTPA)
I will play a bit more with the PTPA until my Nurburgring trip to get the data and video footage just right then. BTW, I think I spent like 3 hours trying to export the best passenger lap - it would export the lap but without the data overlay (which is the reason I need PTPA in the first place). In the end I managed to export the video, but please don't ask me how I did it because I don't think I can reproduce it.
Thank you for your comment!
Yes, I think the PTPA uses the phone's GPS antenna
Regarding the video stabilization, I thought about it before the trackday. I chose to have it turned on because I think it shows a bit better what is happening in the car (bumps, left/right turns, etc). Truth be told, even if I thought of it, I didn't turn the stabilization off to see how it looks with it off... I think I will give it a try next trackday.
And about synchronising the PTPA with the GoPro video, I never tried it... I am doing the synchronization afterwards in Corel Video Studio Pro and it is quite easy - I just find a frame when the traction control goes on (which is visible both on the GoPro and the PTPA)
I will play a bit more with the PTPA until my Nurburgring trip to get the data and video footage just right then. BTW, I think I spent like 3 hours trying to export the best passenger lap - it would export the lap but without the data overlay (which is the reason I need PTPA in the first place). In the end I managed to export the video, but please don't ask me how I did it because I don't think I can reproduce it
.
05-04-2021, 03:15 AM
#43
Instructor
Thread Starter
And the only passenger lap I didn't encounter any traffic is the best one - imagine that . I am only 0.4 sec slower than the lap above and, usually the passenger is costing me more than that... So there still is room for improvement.
Any advice is welcome!
. I am only 0.4 sec slower than the lap above and, usually the passenger is costing me more than that... So there still is room for improvement.Any advice is welcome!
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jake18 (05-04-2021)
06-03-2021, 12:57 PM
#44
Instructor
Thread Starter
Even if my last trackday was on the 21st of May, only a few days ago I managed to find a workaround for the exporting issue present in the Porsche Track Precision App... Without it I only had the VBOX data - speed, G-forces and location but not the RPM, gear, throttle and brake pedal positions or understeer / oversteer information. So, now that I have the PTPA data & videos, I can share this experience as well...
First of all, it was a nice and warm day, perfect for a track day. But it was, once more, a very crowded event. A Porsche club from the Ukraine also decided to join so there were 20-30 Porsche present - most of them with very quick cars (GT3's or 992 Turbo S's) but with no particular track knowledge or skill. Also a lot of the participants, even if they were slow, or on their cool down laps, they would still drive the racing line and you had to be very careful not to cause an accident. I, once more, had a handful of laps with no traffic - I think that I have to attend more exclusive events if I want to have more freedom...
Anyway, the car behaved great, except for some corners (especially right corners) where the understeer seemed even greater that the last time. I still have the OEM alignment - I am scheduled for a change only in July, at Manthey Racing. With this setup, due to understeer and the lack of camber, the left front tire took a beating and this is the result:
So, a pair of new PS Cup 2 have been ordered.
I tried to find alternatives, but besides the Trofeo R, I didn't manage to find other track tires 245/35 R20 and 295/30 R20 (per the laws where I live, I am obligated to have these tire sizes). Any ideas?
Tires aside, I had a great time with my friends and it was quite nice to have a few "taxi" laps. This prevented me from improving my overall best time, but it was worth it...
I would only like to share with you 2 consecutive laps with a good friend of mine - Stefan.
He is the owner of the VW mk5 Golf (TDI) below.
With him I've had a number of chase videos since 2010 - when we first met on track. Until now, we always had close cars and we are of similar skill (he is a bit better than I am). His modified mk5 was faster than my stock(ish) 981 Black Edition but now, the GT4 is considerably faster than his Golf (the Golf has ~240hp, 1200kg, PSS 10 coilovers, sway bars, AP Racing BBK, AR1's and other mods). Below are a few laps where Stefan is in the passenger seat.
I know a few areas where I can improve, but any advice about lines / approach / etc is welcomed.
Next up, tire change and than the trip to Nurburgring - July 5th-6th
P.S. I truly love the fact that I can use the car on track just as it came off the production line... Yes, there are areas of improvement (understeer and tires) but the cars is awesome... The gearing is long but it is not affecting driving enjoyment on track... Still, I don't love it as much as the 981 though (might have to do with the sound).
First of all, it was a nice and warm day, perfect for a track day. But it was, once more, a very crowded event. A Porsche club from the Ukraine also decided to join so there were 20-30 Porsche present - most of them with very quick cars (GT3's or 992 Turbo S's) but with no particular track knowledge or skill. Also a lot of the participants, even if they were slow, or on their cool down laps, they would still drive the racing line and you had to be very careful not to cause an accident. I, once more, had a handful of laps with no traffic - I think that I have to attend more exclusive events if I want to have more freedom...
Anyway, the car behaved great, except for some corners (especially right corners) where the understeer seemed even greater that the last time. I still have the OEM alignment - I am scheduled for a change only in July, at Manthey Racing. With this setup, due to understeer and the lack of camber, the left front tire took a beating and this is the result:
So, a pair of new PS Cup 2 have been ordered.
I tried to find alternatives, but besides the Trofeo R, I didn't manage to find other track tires 245/35 R20 and 295/30 R20 (per the laws where I live, I am obligated to have these tire sizes). Any ideas?
Tires aside, I had a great time with my friends and it was quite nice to have a few "taxi" laps. This prevented me from improving my overall best time, but it was worth it...
I would only like to share with you 2 consecutive laps with a good friend of mine - Stefan.
He is the owner of the VW mk5 Golf (TDI) below.
With him I've had a number of chase videos since 2010 - when we first met on track. Until now, we always had close cars and we are of similar skill (he is a bit better than I am). His modified mk5 was faster than my stock(ish) 981 Black Edition but now, the GT4 is considerably faster than his Golf (the Golf has ~240hp, 1200kg, PSS 10 coilovers, sway bars, AP Racing BBK, AR1's and other mods). Below are a few laps where Stefan is in the passenger seat.
I know a few areas where I can improve, but any advice about lines / approach / etc is welcomed.
Next up, tire change and than the trip to Nurburgring - July 5th-6th
P.S. I truly love the fact that I can use the car on track just as it came off the production line... Yes, there are areas of improvement (understeer and tires) but the cars is awesome... The gearing is long but it is not affecting driving enjoyment on track... Still, I don't love it as much as the 981 though (might have to do with the sound).
Last edited by v_rex; 06-03-2021 at 01:03 PM.
06-03-2021, 01:02 PM
#45
Rennlist Member