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I'm happy to see others got the finished photos, but man I'm pissed I didn't get one. Doesn't make a lot of sense either as it's obviously not a person who takes it. Oh well, when the car's here it won't matter..
Siem Confucius arrived at Port in Emden overnight. Fingers crossed my car makes it on, as it's been stilling at Emden for 3 weeks now. My destination port is Baltimore, so I'm hopeful I can still take delivery of my car in early May. Who else has their car sitting in Emden, Baltimore bound?
I am. It's been 4 days since it pulled in and still no updates. My car has also been sitting at Emden for over 3 weeks! What dealership is your car headed to?
I am. It's been 4 days since it pulled in and still no updates. My car has also been sitting at Emden for over 3 weeks! What dealership is your car headed to?
I hope they reroute and send that boat to the west coast. I’ve been waiting longer. 😁
Houston for me. Siem Cicero.... Should arrive Emden this Friday. I am tracking every click on the map. :-)
A little trick I found for free tracking. If you go to SIEM CICERO Itinerary - Midnight & Midday Ship Positions | AIS Marine Traffic Or your ship. It will show the Lat / Long positions. Copy that and past into Google maps and you get the real position. The Show on Map on the Marine Traffic site only shows the last in range position for free views it seems. Or I guess you can pay for live tracking.
In the spirit that TigerHonaker, Jeff Jones, halfmonkey and a few others did, I am going to share my initial thoughts on my 718 now that I’ve taken delivery. I am including a bunch of pictures, as what is hopefully the gentlemanly way to officially depart the “Waiting Room” thread.
Background: My V70 Order Demand was placed on the 12th of January 2021 after I came to accept that BMW had ruined the new M3 (for me) and something lighter in weight and more fun to drive with better dynamics and a good manual trans was what I wanted.
The Wait: Yes, it was long. 11 months passed between my Order Demand and receiving notice that an allocation/production spot had been assigned to my build. I spent many nights revising and updating my spec, and even changed my color from Guards Red to Shark Blue when my wait went into model year 2022. The wait was bad, but got much worse when I sold my 911. My garage at that point had gone from having four cars to having one. Thankfully, my SA was exemplary throughout and kept me up to date with printouts from the PVMS any time I asked.
Tracking progress: I largely enjoyed it, as I just accepted that TYD was about as reliable as The New York Times: Given enough time, corrections are made quietly at night to what made no sense in the light of day.
Delivery: I knew within a day or two when my GT4 was going to be delivered, but sure enough it got delivered early one morning before the dealership received the email from the port stating that the truck was on the way. Nonetheless, I spotted it later that morning tucked in the back corner. My SA got the keys and we went out to collect all of the production/processing documents as I had asked. I wanted to keep the Build Sheet, the Shipping Docs, etc. And my SA laminated the Monroney Sticker for me. The Shark Blue color looked great, and it varied a lot based upon lighting.
The actual hand-over was set for a couple days later, and it was arranged to accommodate my best friend from college days coming up from Maryland in his C8 to join me at delivery. We drove his Vette over at the designated hour, took a little time to look over the eye-candy in the showroom, and then I started on the paperwork. (I say ‘paperwork’, but it was all done electronically using a stylus on a projected image in the desk surface.)
Yes, this is the time that most any dealer is going to try and sell you something else. I had already looked into all of the offerings beforehand, so knew exactly what I was interested in. I wanted the wheel protection package in case I get a stone stuck in the barrel and it scores a wheel, or some pothole gets past me and ‘curbs’ the wheel in the process. The wheels seem to me a high risk item that are expensive to replace. I also signed on for PPF done by their local preferred provider. (Just not until I get a weekend of driving first!)
And, FINALLY, I got outside to see my buddy with my car staged next to his in the dealership’s lot. We grabbed a few photos before my SA went through the basic controls with me. Thankfully, he didn’t bore me with details on how the radio works and such. We were off shortly thereafter, on a mission to find a roadside location where we could replicate an old photograph we had taken in 1982 when we both had gotten our first track-ready cars up to par.
The first thing I noticed was that it was easy for me to get the base sport seats into a good position for me. It occurred to me that they might never be moved again. I found them plenty comfortable and better side support than cars I’ve auto-x in the past. (Almost any of my BMWs for a start)
The next thing I noticed is that I have an old habit that doesn’t lend itself to the car. Back when I learned to start a manual trans sports car we (1) put the car in neutral, (2) put the clutch in, and (3) started the car. Once the engine started and ran for a while and settled down, only then would we release the clutch (in neutral) to spin up the input side of the transmission. Then, if all seemed well, we would put the clutch back in and choose a gear before feathering the clutch back out to move away.
The problem with this technique is you have to touch the brake pedal with your foot to allow the parking brake to release. ‘Normally’ I would release the parking brake with my left hand when I put the clutch in and choose a gear. So, I sat there and pushed a pulled a number of times before it dawned on me this setup could be like cars with automatics, where the brake pedal needs to be used to allow release of the parking brake. (I’ve since modified my process to release it before the clutch is depressed the 2nd time.)
The next thing I noticed was how easy the clutch is to engage. OMG, it’s ridiculously easy. Nothing like competition clutches in the old days that have very little between ‘on’ and ‘off’. This makes it super easy to pull away smoothly with very little slip needed. The clutch is also much lighter than I would have guessed, although I did get a very springy feel (and sort of sound) upon exercising it. It wasn’t a pedal box feel like classic 911s, but a uniform motion with lots of room to progressively engage a gear. It’s like totally being spoiled, especially if you’ve ever spun your tires just to make sure you didn’t stall pulling out on a steep grade at a traffic light.
I originally thought that having the light on for deactivating the start/stop feature was going to bother me. I’m not sure now, as I prefer the ‘Sports Exhaust’ button ‘on’ always, the ‘Sport Chassis’ button ‘on’ nearly always, and the ‘Auto Blip’ button ‘on’ always. So, with all four lights on it passes for normal operation. I wish they were green when they are on, and red lights used for warnings like ‘ESC Off’, etc. Sort of more aircraft like.
The next thing that surprised me was that the cabin was quieter (under 4000rpm only so far) than I had expected based upon posts on RL. The intake noise must really come on-line at higher rpms – which I look forward to soon, but I haven’t heard it yet. There is a distinct change in character at 3,800 rpm though. Below that the power feels strangely like an E36 M3. I have not yet explored above 4k, as I am only at 120 miles presently. Once I get over 150 miles I’m going to transition to a 5krpm max.
The noise I DO notice is outside the cabin and it reminds me of a sleeper Mustang I drove years ago which we had built with needle bearing roller rockers. So, I think there is a good bit of valve train gear noise – akin to a fancy ‘sewing machine’ sound.
Similarly, I found the base climate control system easy to operate and effective. The weather varied a good bit over the weekend so I got to run AC at some points and Heat during others. (The base system also means there’s no risk of my wife reaching over to change my settings on a dual-climate control because she’s cold and wants to warm up faster.) Ask me how I know…
The local roads around here are ideal for break-in, up and down, 90 degree corners around fields, smooth corners with a variety of apex shapes. Lots of opportunity to vary speed and load. Short straights offer opportunity for bursts of acceleration. I think the injectors must shut off completely when one gets off the gas while still in gear, as there is a good amount of engine-braking – which feels and sounds nice. The car turns in flatter than anything I’ve ever owned. I can only imagine what it could do with properly warmed up tires.
One little gripe is the car cover. We bought the factory cover with the GT4 stripe on it. It is VERY tightly fit --- which is counter to what I want for an indoor cover. I want a loose-fit cover that catches pollen and such in the air. This fits so tight I’ll be worried about rubbing the slightest amount of surface dust/dirt into the PPF or paint. My wife (fashion designer) also pointed out that for the money it should have been much better measured and sewn for size without wrinkles in the seams.
The other little oddity I may have to adjust for is the feel of the steering wheel in my hand. It gives me the feeling I should be wearing driving gloves to protect it. It does sort of force me a little closer to a 9 and 3 hand position over I guess my habit of using more of a 10 and 2 position.
In conclusion, I can’t help walking around with a huge smile on my face – rather like a dad at his kid’s wedding. I hope these observations help those early in the process just as I thank the RL’s whose observations helped me. A PDF of related images is attached for reference.
In the spirit that TigerHonaker, Jeff Jones, halfmonkey and a few others did, I am going to share my initial thoughts on my 718 now that I’ve taken delivery. I am including a bunch of pictures, as what is hopefully the gentlemanly way to officially depart the “Waiting Room” thread.
Background: My V70 Order Demand was placed on the 12th of January 2021 after I came to accept that BMW had ruined the new M3 (for me) and something lighter in weight and more fun to drive with better dynamics and a good manual trans was what I wanted.
The Wait: Yes, it was long. 11 months passed between my Order Demand and receiving notice that an allocation/production spot had been assigned to my build. I spent many nights revising and updating my spec, and even changed my color from Guards Red to Shark Blue when my wait went into model year 2022. The wait was bad, but got much worse when I sold my 911. My garage at that point had gone from having four cars to having one. Thankfully, my SA was exemplary throughout and kept me up to date with printouts from the PVMS any time I asked.
Tracking progress: I largely enjoyed it, as I just accepted that TYD was about as reliable as The New York Times: Given enough time, corrections are made quietly at night to what made no sense in the light of day.
Delivery: I knew within a day or two when my GT4 was going to be delivered, but sure enough it got delivered early one morning before the dealership received the email from the port stating that the truck was on the way. Nonetheless, I spotted it later that morning tucked in the back corner. My SA got the keys and we went out to collect all of the production/processing documents as I had asked. I wanted to keep the Build Sheet, the Shipping Docs, etc. And my SA laminated the Monroney Sticker for me. The Shark Blue color looked great, and it varied a lot based upon lighting.
The actual hand-over was set for a couple days later, and it was arranged to accommodate my best friend from college days coming up from Maryland in his C8 to join me at delivery. We drove his Vette over at the designated hour, took a little time to look over the eye-candy in the showroom, and then I started on the paperwork. (I say ‘paperwork’, but it was all done electronically using a stylus on a projected image in the desk surface.)
Yes, this is the time that most any dealer is going to try and sell you something else. I had already looked into all of the offerings beforehand, so knew exactly what I was interested in. I wanted the wheel protection package in case I get a stone stuck in the barrel and it scores a wheel, or some pothole gets past me and ‘curbs’ the wheel in the process. The wheels seem to me a high risk item that are expensive to replace. I also signed on for PPF done by their local preferred provider. (Just not until I get a weekend of driving first!)
And, FINALLY, I got outside to see my buddy with my car staged next to his in the dealership’s lot. We grabbed a few photos before my SA went through the basic controls with me. Thankfully, he didn’t bore me with details on how the radio works and such. We were off shortly thereafter, on a mission to find a roadside location where we could replicate an old photograph we had taken in 1982 when we both had gotten our first track-ready cars up to par.
The first thing I noticed was that it was easy for me to get the base sport seats into a good position for me. It occurred to me that they might never be moved again. I found them plenty comfortable and better side support than cars I’ve auto-x in the past. (Almost any of my BMWs for a start)
The next thing I noticed is that I have an old habit that doesn’t lend itself to the car. Back when I learned to start a manual trans sports car we (1) put the car in neutral, (2) put the clutch in, and (3) started the car. Once the engine started and ran for a while and settled down, only then would we release the clutch (in neutral) to spin up the input side of the transmission. Then, if all seemed well, we would put the clutch back in and choose a gear before feathering the clutch back out to move away.
The problem with this technique is you have to touch the brake pedal with your foot to allow the parking brake to release. ‘Normally’ I would release the parking brake with my left hand when I put the clutch in and choose a gear. So, I sat there and pushed a pulled a number of times before it dawned on me this setup could be like cars with automatics, where the brake pedal needs to be used to allow release of the parking brake. (I’ve since modified my process to release it before the clutch is depressed the 2nd time.)
The next thing I noticed was how easy the clutch is to engage. OMG, it’s ridiculously easy. Nothing like competition clutches in the old days that have very little between ‘on’ and ‘off’. This makes it super easy to pull away smoothly with very little slip needed. The clutch is also much lighter than I would have guessed, although I did get a very springy feel (and sort of sound) upon exercising it. It wasn’t a pedal box feel like classic 911s, but a uniform motion with lots of room to progressively engage a gear. It’s like totally being spoiled, especially if you’ve ever spun your tires just to make sure you didn’t stall pulling out on a steep grade at a traffic light.
I originally thought that having the light on for deactivating the start/stop feature was going to bother me. I’m not sure now, as I prefer the ‘Sports Exhaust’ button ‘on’ always, the ‘Sport Chassis’ button ‘on’ nearly always, and the ‘Auto Blip’ button ‘on’ always. So, with all four lights on it passes for normal operation. I wish they were green when they are on, and red lights used for warnings like ‘ESC Off’, etc. Sort of more aircraft like.
The next thing that surprised me was that the cabin was quieter (under 4000rpm only so far) than I had expected based upon posts on RL. The intake noise must really come on-line at higher rpms – which I look forward to soon, but I haven’t heard it yet. There is a distinct change in character at 3,800 rpm though. Below that the power feels strangely like an E36 M3. I have not yet explored above 4k, as I am only at 120 miles presently. Once I get over 150 miles I’m going to transition to a 5krpm max.
The noise I DO notice is outside the cabin and it reminds me of a sleeper Mustang I drove years ago which we had built with needle bearing roller rockers. So, I think there is a good bit of valve train gear noise – akin to a fancy ‘sewing machine’ sound.
Similarly, I found the base climate control system easy to operate and effective. The weather varied a good bit over the weekend so I got to run AC at some points and Heat during others. (The base system also means there’s no risk of my wife reaching over to change my settings on a dual-climate control because she’s cold and wants to warm up faster.) Ask me how I know…
The local roads around here are ideal for break-in, up and down, 90 degree corners around fields, smooth corners with a variety of apex shapes. Lots of opportunity to vary speed and load. Short straights offer opportunity for bursts of acceleration. I think the injectors must shut off completely when one gets off the gas while still in gear, as there is a good amount of engine-braking – which feels and sounds nice. The car turns in flatter than anything I’ve ever owned. I can only imagine what it could do with properly warmed up tires.
One little gripe is the car cover. We bought the factory cover with the GT4 stripe on it. It is VERY tightly fit --- which is counter to what I want for an indoor cover. I want a loose-fit cover that catches pollen and such in the air. This fits so tight I’ll be worried about rubbing the slightest amount of surface dust/dirt into the PPF or paint. My wife (fashion designer) also pointed out that for the money it should have been much better measured and sewn for size without wrinkles in the seams.
The other little oddity I may have to adjust for is the feel of the steering wheel in my hand. It gives me the feeling I should be wearing driving gloves to protect it. It does sort of force me a little closer to a 9 and 3 hand position over I guess my habit of using more of a 10 and 2 position.
In conclusion, I can’t help walking around with a huge smile on my face – rather like a dad at his kid’s wedding. I hope these observations help those early in the process just as I thank the RL’s whose observations helped me. A PDF of related images is attached for reference.
Fantastic write up. Sounds like a great experience on pick up day, and that you are enjoying the car so far. I do not have drive time with these cars yet (that will change at the end of next month when I go to Atlanta for a family trip), but because I have a history with M’s, I feel like I could understand this easier. Thanks for taking the time to write this and I hope you finish the break in period soon and continue to provide us updates.
edit: can you provide your spec? You mentioned the steering wheel - is that race Tex or leather? I’ve been told the race Tex is slightly slimmer than the leather wheel and as you know, both of those wheels are much less girthy than M wheels. Do you think that having an effect? You also had a 911 so maybe not, but I am
curious.
Hey! Congrats @ausgang ! Many happy and safe miles. Keep the new delivery diary going, especially if you have tips / warnings. Sounds like I’ll steer clear of the factory cover.
I am. It's been 4 days since it pulled in and still no updates. My car has also been sitting at Emden for over 3 weeks! What dealership is your car headed to?
I keep checking to see if there has been any updates on the Siem Confucius, but still nothing. Is it typical for a ship to be at port for this long? My car is heading to Porsche Cherry Hill (NJ).
Hopefully we'll get an update in the next day or so, as the ship already appears to be behind schedule.
I'm happy to see others got the finished photos, but man I'm pissed I didn't get one. Doesn't make a lot of sense either as it's obviously not a person who takes it. Oh well, when the car's here it won't matter..
I haven't gotten any pictures yet, much less a finished one...I am hoping something shows up soon.
In the spirit that TigerHonaker, Jeff Jones, halfmonkey and a few others did, I am going to share my initial thoughts on my 718 now that I’ve taken delivery. I am including a bunch of pictures, as what is hopefully the gentlemanly way to officially depart the “Waiting Room” thread.
Background: My V70 Order Demand was placed on the 12th of January 2021 after I came to accept that BMW had ruined the new M3 (for me) and something lighter in weight and more fun to drive with better dynamics and a good manual trans was what I wanted.
The Wait: Yes, it was long. 11 months passed between my Order Demand and receiving notice that an allocation/production spot had been assigned to my build. I spent many nights revising and updating my spec, and even changed my color from Guards Red to Shark Blue when my wait went into model year 2022. The wait was bad, but got much worse when I sold my 911. My garage at that point had gone from having four cars to having one. Thankfully, my SA was exemplary throughout and kept me up to date with printouts from the PVMS any time I asked.
Tracking progress: I largely enjoyed it, as I just accepted that TYD was about as reliable as The New York Times: Given enough time, corrections are made quietly at night to what made no sense in the light of day.
Delivery: I knew within a day or two when my GT4 was going to be delivered, but sure enough it got delivered early one morning before the dealership received the email from the port stating that the truck was on the way. Nonetheless, I spotted it later that morning tucked in the back corner. My SA got the keys and we went out to collect all of the production/processing documents as I had asked. I wanted to keep the Build Sheet, the Shipping Docs, etc. And my SA laminated the Monroney Sticker for me. The Shark Blue color looked great, and it varied a lot based upon lighting.
The actual hand-over was set for a couple days later, and it was arranged to accommodate my best friend from college days coming up from Maryland in his C8 to join me at delivery. We drove his Vette over at the designated hour, took a little time to look over the eye-candy in the showroom, and then I started on the paperwork. (I say ‘paperwork’, but it was all done electronically using a stylus on a projected image in the desk surface.)
Yes, this is the time that most any dealer is going to try and sell you something else. I had already looked into all of the offerings beforehand, so knew exactly what I was interested in. I wanted the wheel protection package in case I get a stone stuck in the barrel and it scores a wheel, or some pothole gets past me and ‘curbs’ the wheel in the process. The wheels seem to me a high risk item that are expensive to replace. I also signed on for PPF done by their local preferred provider. (Just not until I get a weekend of driving first!)
And, FINALLY, I got outside to see my buddy with my car staged next to his in the dealership’s lot. We grabbed a few photos before my SA went through the basic controls with me. Thankfully, he didn’t bore me with details on how the radio works and such. We were off shortly thereafter, on a mission to find a roadside location where we could replicate an old photograph we had taken in 1982 when we both had gotten our first track-ready cars up to par.
The first thing I noticed was that it was easy for me to get the base sport seats into a good position for me. It occurred to me that they might never be moved again. I found them plenty comfortable and better side support than cars I’ve auto-x in the past. (Almost any of my BMWs for a start)
The next thing I noticed is that I have an old habit that doesn’t lend itself to the car. Back when I learned to start a manual trans sports car we (1) put the car in neutral, (2) put the clutch in, and (3) started the car. Once the engine started and ran for a while and settled down, only then would we release the clutch (in neutral) to spin up the input side of the transmission. Then, if all seemed well, we would put the clutch back in and choose a gear before feathering the clutch back out to move away.
The problem with this technique is you have to touch the brake pedal with your foot to allow the parking brake to release. ‘Normally’ I would release the parking brake with my left hand when I put the clutch in and choose a gear. So, I sat there and pushed a pulled a number of times before it dawned on me this setup could be like cars with automatics, where the brake pedal needs to be used to allow release of the parking brake. (I’ve since modified my process to release it before the clutch is depressed the 2nd time.)
The next thing I noticed was how easy the clutch is to engage. OMG, it’s ridiculously easy. Nothing like competition clutches in the old days that have very little between ‘on’ and ‘off’. This makes it super easy to pull away smoothly with very little slip needed. The clutch is also much lighter than I would have guessed, although I did get a very springy feel (and sort of sound) upon exercising it. It wasn’t a pedal box feel like classic 911s, but a uniform motion with lots of room to progressively engage a gear. It’s like totally being spoiled, especially if you’ve ever spun your tires just to make sure you didn’t stall pulling out on a steep grade at a traffic light.
I originally thought that having the light on for deactivating the start/stop feature was going to bother me. I’m not sure now, as I prefer the ‘Sports Exhaust’ button ‘on’ always, the ‘Sport Chassis’ button ‘on’ nearly always, and the ‘Auto Blip’ button ‘on’ always. So, with all four lights on it passes for normal operation. I wish they were green when they are on, and red lights used for warnings like ‘ESC Off’, etc. Sort of more aircraft like.
The next thing that surprised me was that the cabin was quieter (under 4000rpm only so far) than I had expected based upon posts on RL. The intake noise must really come on-line at higher rpms – which I look forward to soon, but I haven’t heard it yet. There is a distinct change in character at 3,800 rpm though. Below that the power feels strangely like an E36 M3. I have not yet explored above 4k, as I am only at 120 miles presently. Once I get over 150 miles I’m going to transition to a 5krpm max.
The noise I DO notice is outside the cabin and it reminds me of a sleeper Mustang I drove years ago which we had built with needle bearing roller rockers. So, I think there is a good bit of valve train gear noise – akin to a fancy ‘sewing machine’ sound.
Similarly, I found the base climate control system easy to operate and effective. The weather varied a good bit over the weekend so I got to run AC at some points and Heat during others. (The base system also means there’s no risk of my wife reaching over to change my settings on a dual-climate control because she’s cold and wants to warm up faster.) Ask me how I know…
The local roads around here are ideal for break-in, up and down, 90 degree corners around fields, smooth corners with a variety of apex shapes. Lots of opportunity to vary speed and load. Short straights offer opportunity for bursts of acceleration. I think the injectors must shut off completely when one gets off the gas while still in gear, as there is a good amount of engine-braking – which feels and sounds nice. The car turns in flatter than anything I’ve ever owned. I can only imagine what it could do with properly warmed up tires.
One little gripe is the car cover. We bought the factory cover with the GT4 stripe on it. It is VERY tightly fit --- which is counter to what I want for an indoor cover. I want a loose-fit cover that catches pollen and such in the air. This fits so tight I’ll be worried about rubbing the slightest amount of surface dust/dirt into the PPF or paint. My wife (fashion designer) also pointed out that for the money it should have been much better measured and sewn for size without wrinkles in the seams.
The other little oddity I may have to adjust for is the feel of the steering wheel in my hand. It gives me the feeling I should be wearing driving gloves to protect it. It does sort of force me a little closer to a 9 and 3 hand position over I guess my habit of using more of a 10 and 2 position.
In conclusion, I can’t help walking around with a huge smile on my face – rather like a dad at his kid’s wedding. I hope these observations help those early in the process just as I thank the RL’s whose observations helped me. A PDF of related images is attached for reference.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share. This will be my first custom ordered Porsche (my current one was dealer stock) so your details are appreciated. And about 2 months from lock date to Baltimore. I hope I am as lucky as my lock date is currently 4/29/22 so delivery to my dealer near Baltimore in early July would be fantastic.
In the spirit that TigerHonaker, Jeff Jones, halfmonkey and a few others did, I am going to share my initial thoughts on my 718 now that I’ve taken delivery. I am including a bunch of pictures, as what is hopefully the gentlemanly way to officially depart the “Waiting Room” thread.
Background: My V70 Order Demand was placed on the 12th of January 2021 after I came to accept that BMW had ruined the new M3 (for me) and something lighter in weight and more fun to drive with better dynamics and a good manual trans was what I wanted.
The Wait: Yes, it was long. 11 months passed between my Order Demand and receiving notice that an allocation/production spot had been assigned to my build. I spent many nights revising and updating my spec, and even changed my color from Guards Red to Shark Blue when my wait went into model year 2022. The wait was bad, but got much worse when I sold my 911. My garage at that point had gone from having four cars to having one. Thankfully, my SA was exemplary throughout and kept me up to date with printouts from the PVMS any time I asked.
Tracking progress: I largely enjoyed it, as I just accepted that TYD was about as reliable as The New York Times: Given enough time, corrections are made quietly at night to what made no sense in the light of day.
Delivery: I knew within a day or two when my GT4 was going to be delivered, but sure enough it got delivered early one morning before the dealership received the email from the port stating that the truck was on the way. Nonetheless, I spotted it later that morning tucked in the back corner. My SA got the keys and we went out to collect all of the production/processing documents as I had asked. I wanted to keep the Build Sheet, the Shipping Docs, etc. And my SA laminated the Monroney Sticker for me. The Shark Blue color looked great, and it varied a lot based upon lighting.
The actual hand-over was set for a couple days later, and it was arranged to accommodate my best friend from college days coming up from Maryland in his C8 to join me at delivery. We drove his Vette over at the designated hour, took a little time to look over the eye-candy in the showroom, and then I started on the paperwork. (I say ‘paperwork’, but it was all done electronically using a stylus on a projected image in the desk surface.)
Yes, this is the time that most any dealer is going to try and sell you something else. I had already looked into all of the offerings beforehand, so knew exactly what I was interested in. I wanted the wheel protection package in case I get a stone stuck in the barrel and it scores a wheel, or some pothole gets past me and ‘curbs’ the wheel in the process. The wheels seem to me a high risk item that are expensive to replace. I also signed on for PPF done by their local preferred provider. (Just not until I get a weekend of driving first!)
And, FINALLY, I got outside to see my buddy with my car staged next to his in the dealership’s lot. We grabbed a few photos before my SA went through the basic controls with me. Thankfully, he didn’t bore me with details on how the radio works and such. We were off shortly thereafter, on a mission to find a roadside location where we could replicate an old photograph we had taken in 1982 when we both had gotten our first track-ready cars up to par.
The first thing I noticed was that it was easy for me to get the base sport seats into a good position for me. It occurred to me that they might never be moved again. I found them plenty comfortable and better side support than cars I’ve auto-x in the past. (Almost any of my BMWs for a start)
The next thing I noticed is that I have an old habit that doesn’t lend itself to the car. Back when I learned to start a manual trans sports car we (1) put the car in neutral, (2) put the clutch in, and (3) started the car. Once the engine started and ran for a while and settled down, only then would we release the clutch (in neutral) to spin up the input side of the transmission. Then, if all seemed well, we would put the clutch back in and choose a gear before feathering the clutch back out to move away.
The problem with this technique is you have to touch the brake pedal with your foot to allow the parking brake to release. ‘Normally’ I would release the parking brake with my left hand when I put the clutch in and choose a gear. So, I sat there and pushed a pulled a number of times before it dawned on me this setup could be like cars with automatics, where the brake pedal needs to be used to allow release of the parking brake. (I’ve since modified my process to release it before the clutch is depressed the 2nd time.)
The next thing I noticed was how easy the clutch is to engage. OMG, it’s ridiculously easy. Nothing like competition clutches in the old days that have very little between ‘on’ and ‘off’. This makes it super easy to pull away smoothly with very little slip needed. The clutch is also much lighter than I would have guessed, although I did get a very springy feel (and sort of sound) upon exercising it. It wasn’t a pedal box feel like classic 911s, but a uniform motion with lots of room to progressively engage a gear. It’s like totally being spoiled, especially if you’ve ever spun your tires just to make sure you didn’t stall pulling out on a steep grade at a traffic light.
I originally thought that having the light on for deactivating the start/stop feature was going to bother me. I’m not sure now, as I prefer the ‘Sports Exhaust’ button ‘on’ always, the ‘Sport Chassis’ button ‘on’ nearly always, and the ‘Auto Blip’ button ‘on’ always. So, with all four lights on it passes for normal operation. I wish they were green when they are on, and red lights used for warnings like ‘ESC Off’, etc. Sort of more aircraft like.
The next thing that surprised me was that the cabin was quieter (under 4000rpm only so far) than I had expected based upon posts on RL. The intake noise must really come on-line at higher rpms – which I look forward to soon, but I haven’t heard it yet. There is a distinct change in character at 3,800 rpm though. Below that the power feels strangely like an E36 M3. I have not yet explored above 4k, as I am only at 120 miles presently. Once I get over 150 miles I’m going to transition to a 5krpm max.
The noise I DO notice is outside the cabin and it reminds me of a sleeper Mustang I drove years ago which we had built with needle bearing roller rockers. So, I think there is a good bit of valve train gear noise – akin to a fancy ‘sewing machine’ sound.
Similarly, I found the base climate control system easy to operate and effective. The weather varied a good bit over the weekend so I got to run AC at some points and Heat during others. (The base system also means there’s no risk of my wife reaching over to change my settings on a dual-climate control because she’s cold and wants to warm up faster.) Ask me how I know…
The local roads around here are ideal for break-in, up and down, 90 degree corners around fields, smooth corners with a variety of apex shapes. Lots of opportunity to vary speed and load. Short straights offer opportunity for bursts of acceleration. I think the injectors must shut off completely when one gets off the gas while still in gear, as there is a good amount of engine-braking – which feels and sounds nice. The car turns in flatter than anything I’ve ever owned. I can only imagine what it could do with properly warmed up tires.
One little gripe is the car cover. We bought the factory cover with the GT4 stripe on it. It is VERY tightly fit --- which is counter to what I want for an indoor cover. I want a loose-fit cover that catches pollen and such in the air. This fits so tight I’ll be worried about rubbing the slightest amount of surface dust/dirt into the PPF or paint. My wife (fashion designer) also pointed out that for the money it should have been much better measured and sewn for size without wrinkles in the seams.
The other little oddity I may have to adjust for is the feel of the steering wheel in my hand. It gives me the feeling I should be wearing driving gloves to protect it. It does sort of force me a little closer to a 9 and 3 hand position over I guess my habit of using more of a 10 and 2 position.
In conclusion, I can’t help walking around with a huge smile on my face – rather like a dad at his kid’s wedding. I hope these observations help those early in the process just as I thank the RL’s whose observations helped me. A PDF of related images is attached for reference.
Nice write-up. The delicate nature of the alcantara is why a lot of us opt for the leather steering wheel and shifter. That being said, once it gets too grimy, it is about $1,500 to swap it out so not the end of the world.
04-18-2022, 06:07 PM
than M wheels. Do you think that having an effect? You also had a 911 so maybe not, but I am
