GT4 RS Driving Impressions
05-08-2023, 09:27 AM
#406
Instructor
I was running convoy with a couple of other 4RSs which had more miles than mine and they were pulling away slightly on the straights. Some of this maybe due to mine being tighter and also an element of me being slightly careful of avoiding full revs. My 3RS felt like it had more torque at lower revs although my most recent memory was with it at 7-8K miles so fully run in.
05-08-2023, 10:18 AM
#407
That explains it. Mine seemed to be perkier on the drive home from the track day. The more I think about what you said the more convinced I am now that the ECU was playing a role up to about 900+ miles.
05-10-2023, 02:53 PM
#408
Early observations (disclaimer: under break-in protocol) >>
1) All the talk about the car being too hard-core for the street, the ride too punishing etc. >> Safe to ignore. Not only is the suspension setup perfectly fine for daily driving on street, I plan to leave mine on firm setting. The soft setting still gives too much travel, too much body motion for my taste, at least on reasonable, non-broken pavement.
2) Ditto, all the talk about the car being too loud >> Safe to ignore. Up to 4K the cabin sound level is perfectly fine even under deep throttle, thus perfectly fine for daily driving where most of the time you'll be under 4K anyways. I plan to leave my PSE on closed. In the open setting there's a constant drone/boom/resonance.
3) The vaunted GT3 engine >> Does not feel or sound special imo. Under 4K it feels not much different from my GTS 4.0 engine. Throttle response does not stand out. Not razer sharp, unlike other exotics, e.g. Ferraris.
4) The vaunted induction noise >> Mainly absent under 4K. Do hear a guttural growl from ~3500 when under deep throttle. But sounds like it's coming from farther back, more like exhaust than airbox.
5) PDK >> In all candor, from a 3-pedal guy, it sucks (a) Haptics: The paddles are terrible. There's almost no travel. The engagement is vague. Feels like a cheap plastic switch, which is exactly what it is. Dreadful engineering, compared to a Ferrari's machined aluminum paddles, which have proper, damped travel with a distinct, soft but positive engagement point. I mainly left the paddles alone and used the shifter like with a sequential box. Even that feels not all that precise. A few times I pushed to downshift and nothing happened. Had to push a 2nd time. (b) Action: downshifts are fine, but upshifts under less than deep throttle you can barely feel (or hear.) Like I am in a Lexus. (c) Shunting: the thing clunks and shunts when slowing to a stop. On Ferraris I would downshift, and from 2nd I would put it in neutral and coast the last bit under braking. But I can't seem to put the thing into neutral by clicking both paddles. Does not seem to work in "manual" mode. I have to move the shifter doglegged into neutral. (d) The "bark" on downshifts will scare bystanders. (e) No doubt great on tracks, but a distinct negative everywhere else.
6) Build quality >> rock solid.
1) All the talk about the car being too hard-core for the street, the ride too punishing etc. >> Safe to ignore. Not only is the suspension setup perfectly fine for daily driving on street, I plan to leave mine on firm setting. The soft setting still gives too much travel, too much body motion for my taste, at least on reasonable, non-broken pavement.
2) Ditto, all the talk about the car being too loud >> Safe to ignore. Up to 4K the cabin sound level is perfectly fine even under deep throttle, thus perfectly fine for daily driving where most of the time you'll be under 4K anyways. I plan to leave my PSE on closed. In the open setting there's a constant drone/boom/resonance.
3) The vaunted GT3 engine >> Does not feel or sound special imo. Under 4K it feels not much different from my GTS 4.0 engine. Throttle response does not stand out. Not razer sharp, unlike other exotics, e.g. Ferraris.
4) The vaunted induction noise >> Mainly absent under 4K. Do hear a guttural growl from ~3500 when under deep throttle. But sounds like it's coming from farther back, more like exhaust than airbox.
5) PDK >> In all candor, from a 3-pedal guy, it sucks (a) Haptics: The paddles are terrible. There's almost no travel. The engagement is vague. Feels like a cheap plastic switch, which is exactly what it is. Dreadful engineering, compared to a Ferrari's machined aluminum paddles, which have proper, damped travel with a distinct, soft but positive engagement point. I mainly left the paddles alone and used the shifter like with a sequential box. Even that feels not all that precise. A few times I pushed to downshift and nothing happened. Had to push a 2nd time. (b) Action: downshifts are fine, but upshifts under less than deep throttle you can barely feel (or hear.) Like I am in a Lexus. (c) Shunting: the thing clunks and shunts when slowing to a stop. On Ferraris I would downshift, and from 2nd I would put it in neutral and coast the last bit under braking. But I can't seem to put the thing into neutral by clicking both paddles. Does not seem to work in "manual" mode. I have to move the shifter doglegged into neutral. (d) The "bark" on downshifts will scare bystanders. (e) No doubt great on tracks, but a distinct negative everywhere else.
6) Build quality >> rock solid.
05-10-2023, 03:16 PM
#409
Funny. As someone that's had only manuals on the fun cars, the PDK is blowing me away with the upshift and downshift speeds.
05-10-2023, 03:22 PM
#410
Early observations (disclaimer: under break-in protocol) >>
1) All the talk about the car being too hard-core for the street, the ride too punishing etc. >> Safe to ignore. Not only is the suspension setup perfectly fine for daily driving on street, I plan to leave mine on firm setting. The soft setting still gives too much travel, too much body motion for my taste, at least on reasonable, non-broken pavement.
2) Ditto, all the talk about the car being too loud >> Safe to ignore. Up to 4K the cabin sound level is perfectly fine even under deep throttle, thus perfectly fine for daily driving where most of the time you'll be under 4K anyways. I plan to leave my PSE on closed. In the open setting there's a constant drone/boom/resonance.
3) The vaunted GT3 engine >> Does not feel or sound special imo. Under 4K it feels not much different from my GTS 4.0 engine. Throttle response does not stand out. Not razer sharp, unlike other exotics, e.g. Ferraris.
4) The vaunted induction noise >> Mainly absent under 4K. Do hear a guttural growl from ~3500 when under deep throttle. But sounds like it's coming from farther back, more like exhaust than airbox.
5) PDK >> In all candor, from a 3-pedal guy, it sucks (a) Haptics: The paddles are terrible. There's almost no travel. The engagement is vague. Feels like a cheap plastic switch, which is exactly what it is. Dreadful engineering, compared to a Ferrari's machined aluminum paddles, which have proper, damped travel with a distinct, soft but positive engagement point. I mainly left the paddles alone and used the shifter like with a sequential box. Even that feels not all that precise. A few times I pushed to downshift and nothing happened. Had to push a 2nd time. (b) Action: downshifts are fine, but upshifts under less than deep throttle you can barely feel (or hear.) Like I am in a Lexus. (c) Shunting: the thing clunks and shunts when slowing to a stop. On Ferraris I would downshift, and from 2nd I would put it in neutral and coast the last bit under braking. But I can't seem to put the thing into neutral by clicking both paddles. Does not seem to work in "manual" mode. I have to move the shifter doglegged into neutral. (d) The "bark" on downshifts will scare bystanders. (e) No doubt great on tracks, but a distinct negative everywhere else.
6) Build quality >> rock solid.
1) All the talk about the car being too hard-core for the street, the ride too punishing etc. >> Safe to ignore. Not only is the suspension setup perfectly fine for daily driving on street, I plan to leave mine on firm setting. The soft setting still gives too much travel, too much body motion for my taste, at least on reasonable, non-broken pavement.
2) Ditto, all the talk about the car being too loud >> Safe to ignore. Up to 4K the cabin sound level is perfectly fine even under deep throttle, thus perfectly fine for daily driving where most of the time you'll be under 4K anyways. I plan to leave my PSE on closed. In the open setting there's a constant drone/boom/resonance.
3) The vaunted GT3 engine >> Does not feel or sound special imo. Under 4K it feels not much different from my GTS 4.0 engine. Throttle response does not stand out. Not razer sharp, unlike other exotics, e.g. Ferraris.
4) The vaunted induction noise >> Mainly absent under 4K. Do hear a guttural growl from ~3500 when under deep throttle. But sounds like it's coming from farther back, more like exhaust than airbox.
5) PDK >> In all candor, from a 3-pedal guy, it sucks (a) Haptics: The paddles are terrible. There's almost no travel. The engagement is vague. Feels like a cheap plastic switch, which is exactly what it is. Dreadful engineering, compared to a Ferrari's machined aluminum paddles, which have proper, damped travel with a distinct, soft but positive engagement point. I mainly left the paddles alone and used the shifter like with a sequential box. Even that feels not all that precise. A few times I pushed to downshift and nothing happened. Had to push a 2nd time. (b) Action: downshifts are fine, but upshifts under less than deep throttle you can barely feel (or hear.) Like I am in a Lexus. (c) Shunting: the thing clunks and shunts when slowing to a stop. On Ferraris I would downshift, and from 2nd I would put it in neutral and coast the last bit under braking. But I can't seem to put the thing into neutral by clicking both paddles. Does not seem to work in "manual" mode. I have to move the shifter doglegged into neutral. (d) The "bark" on downshifts will scare bystanders. (e) No doubt great on tracks, but a distinct negative everywhere else.
6) Build quality >> rock solid.
The install process for changing paddles on these cars is a piece of cake.
https://rennlist.com/forums/718-foru...-992-more.html
The following users liked this post:
DFW01TT (05-21-2023)
05-20-2023, 05:47 PM
#411
Got about 500mi now. Keeping the revs to around <= 6k. Some more thoughts
Suspension
The car is stiff but not harsh. (suspension button off) Not crashy (like older bmws) but it is stiff. To me it’s a good thing but I can see how some might complain. Overall it’s a worthy trade off because the body is way more controlled in corners. Last night I went over a little whoop in the hills (hwy 35 heading south) that unsettled both the stock 718 GT4 I had and the 981 GT4. This car doesn’t get unsettled. The back end just feels way more buttoned down. 35 has a lot of bumps the 981/982 gt4 would smooth those out a bit better but at the cost of some confidence / control. Overall I’m happy with the improvement and willing to sacrifice some smoothness over bumps to maintain grip. The one exception is there are sometimes little whoops that cause the car to pogo off the ground - I’m talking bad pavement. So if you’re getting on the gas the TC steps in. Overall still more control - but I will always keep the TC on when doing backroads. I could see some people getting a nasty surprise.
Engine / noise
I love it. Imo the sound of this engine from 0-6k rpm really sounds like a better spiritual successor to the original GT4. The 718 while unique missed the musical tone the 981 GT4 had which replaced with a growl. The RS just sounds so good. I’ll say again - perfect for highway cruising no annoying drone like the 718 GT4.
I can see how this car is going to be quite loud when I finally reach the glorious crescendo at 9k. That said medium to full throttle up to 6k at least to my lousy ears doesn’t bother me. I would compare the noise in the cabin at those speeds to the 981 GT4 perfectly livable. Advice though if you want good noise but less loud the 991.2 GT3 is probably more tolerable in this respect.
Engine sounds exactly the same as the 991.2 GT3. All the metal noises the idle sounds etc. The way it changes as it gets heated up.
Some new noises I’m curious about from other owners:
Front axle lift ( or lack thereof )
Don’t miss it. I would have ordered it if I had configured the car. But it seems to have the same amount of clearance the 981/982 GT4s have. I haven’t scraped yet.
PDK
Never had a GT4 with PDK. I love it. Feel it suits the car. Don’t miss the manual. Well only occasionally. I run in manual mode. The shorter gearing is great.
Overall
This car sure can hustle. I find myself regularly 10-15mph higher cruising than I normally would in my old GT4s. It feels great at all speeds. The grip is much higher than the other cars. Maybe the wider track or out of the box alignment is better - but I can just lean on it more and it’s just gripping. Pretty amazing.
Such a great car feeling fortunate to have one. No regrets selling my ‘18 GT3 PDK for it. However - they are different enough that if I was willing to spare the money and had garage space I would have both.
Suspension
The car is stiff but not harsh. (suspension button off) Not crashy (like older bmws) but it is stiff. To me it’s a good thing but I can see how some might complain. Overall it’s a worthy trade off because the body is way more controlled in corners. Last night I went over a little whoop in the hills (hwy 35 heading south) that unsettled both the stock 718 GT4 I had and the 981 GT4. This car doesn’t get unsettled. The back end just feels way more buttoned down. 35 has a lot of bumps the 981/982 gt4 would smooth those out a bit better but at the cost of some confidence / control. Overall I’m happy with the improvement and willing to sacrifice some smoothness over bumps to maintain grip. The one exception is there are sometimes little whoops that cause the car to pogo off the ground - I’m talking bad pavement. So if you’re getting on the gas the TC steps in. Overall still more control - but I will always keep the TC on when doing backroads. I could see some people getting a nasty surprise.
Engine / noise
I love it. Imo the sound of this engine from 0-6k rpm really sounds like a better spiritual successor to the original GT4. The 718 while unique missed the musical tone the 981 GT4 had which replaced with a growl. The RS just sounds so good. I’ll say again - perfect for highway cruising no annoying drone like the 718 GT4.
I can see how this car is going to be quite loud when I finally reach the glorious crescendo at 9k. That said medium to full throttle up to 6k at least to my lousy ears doesn’t bother me. I would compare the noise in the cabin at those speeds to the 981 GT4 perfectly livable. Advice though if you want good noise but less loud the 991.2 GT3 is probably more tolerable in this respect.
Engine sounds exactly the same as the 991.2 GT3. All the metal noises the idle sounds etc. The way it changes as it gets heated up.
Some new noises I’m curious about from other owners:
- the intake housing buzzes at low revs when the car is cold. Do your cars do this?
- I noticed when applying the brakes then letting off there are new distinct “clicks” from the engine bay that the 981/982 GT4s didn’t have - do your cars also do this?
Front axle lift ( or lack thereof )
Don’t miss it. I would have ordered it if I had configured the car. But it seems to have the same amount of clearance the 981/982 GT4s have. I haven’t scraped yet.
PDK
Never had a GT4 with PDK. I love it. Feel it suits the car. Don’t miss the manual. Well only occasionally. I run in manual mode. The shorter gearing is great.
Overall
This car sure can hustle. I find myself regularly 10-15mph higher cruising than I normally would in my old GT4s. It feels great at all speeds. The grip is much higher than the other cars. Maybe the wider track or out of the box alignment is better - but I can just lean on it more and it’s just gripping. Pretty amazing.
Such a great car feeling fortunate to have one. No regrets selling my ‘18 GT3 PDK for it. However - they are different enough that if I was willing to spare the money and had garage space I would have both.
The following 4 users liked this post by bk_911:
05-20-2023, 06:38 PM
#412
Three Wheelin'
Stiffer springs + better shocks + wider track + a better stock alignment = much better grip and handling right out of the box. Porsche has already done the first round of modifications that so many of us here on Rennnlist like to pursue. They have just hit the car from all angles with a bunch of masterful upgrades.
05-20-2023, 07:19 PM
#413
Drifting
Put my first 36 miles on today. I cannot stop using the faux sequential. It’s hilariously fun. More later..
05-21-2023, 01:58 AM
#414
06-04-2023, 02:13 AM
#415
992 GT3 is just a fad. Got rid of mine already with no regrets. If I were to get another GT3, it would be a 991, or a 996 if I want a manual. Smaller. 992 improved the turn in but that's about it and still cannot mask the fact that it is a whale of a car. I really hate the size of the 992s, feel like I am in a Panamera instead of a proper 911.
Haven't driven the 992 GT3RS yet, but that one really is extreme for street/track. It is basically a track car that can be driven to the track. 997 GT3RS are the holy grails. 991 versions are nicer, more civilized, but yeah, 997 versions tops them all.
There was only 2 Porsches I won't sell no matter what. 918 of course. The other one is the 991 turbo S Exclusive. That car is so bespoke it is unreal. Even now, there still isn't another Porsche with copper weaved carbon fibre trims. It's just a work of art.
GT4RS just joined that list. I rank it way above my 911R, which I had gotten rid of. 911R really wasn't anything special, it was just a beta car for Porsche to test out the new 6-speed manual. And that manual is just too good, it takes out all the fun in mastering and driving a manual car. Fool proof. Never miss a gear. What's the fun in that when driving a manual? I might as well drive a PDK.
If I really want to drive a manual, I take out my turbo 3.6 or even my 968. Those old school manual boxes are the real deal. When you shift out of 3rd, it's 50/50 whether you got 2nd or 4th. To master that shift it takes REAL SKILL. Clutch hinges the wrong way, pedals that do not line up, yeah, that's what separate men from boys. Actually basically anything thing pre-993 with be good.
There is zero skill involved in driving modern Porsche manual boxes, the gates are super precise, there is rev hang to help shifting even when one don't press the shift match button, I can air press my left leg to pretend I am using a clutch pedal every time I click up shift and basically match the modern Porsche manual experience.
*putting on flame retardant suit readying for the incoming flame from those manual 'diehards'* 🤣
Haven't driven the 992 GT3RS yet, but that one really is extreme for street/track. It is basically a track car that can be driven to the track. 997 GT3RS are the holy grails. 991 versions are nicer, more civilized, but yeah, 997 versions tops them all.
There was only 2 Porsches I won't sell no matter what. 918 of course. The other one is the 991 turbo S Exclusive. That car is so bespoke it is unreal. Even now, there still isn't another Porsche with copper weaved carbon fibre trims. It's just a work of art.
GT4RS just joined that list. I rank it way above my 911R, which I had gotten rid of. 911R really wasn't anything special, it was just a beta car for Porsche to test out the new 6-speed manual. And that manual is just too good, it takes out all the fun in mastering and driving a manual car. Fool proof. Never miss a gear. What's the fun in that when driving a manual? I might as well drive a PDK.
If I really want to drive a manual, I take out my turbo 3.6 or even my 968. Those old school manual boxes are the real deal. When you shift out of 3rd, it's 50/50 whether you got 2nd or 4th. To master that shift it takes REAL SKILL. Clutch hinges the wrong way, pedals that do not line up, yeah, that's what separate men from boys. Actually basically anything thing pre-993 with be good.
There is zero skill involved in driving modern Porsche manual boxes, the gates are super precise, there is rev hang to help shifting even when one don't press the shift match button, I can air press my left leg to pretend I am using a clutch pedal every time I click up shift and basically match the modern Porsche manual experience.
*putting on flame retardant suit readying for the incoming flame from those manual 'diehards'* 🤣
How would you compare the GT4RS to the 918 in several bulletin points, i.e.: excitement, quality, comfort, looks/curb appeal, etc? I know they're not exactly in the same class but as an owner of two of the most desirable Porsches ever, I'd love to hear your take on a direct comparison.
The following users liked this post:
Odin (06-04-2023)
06-04-2023, 08:20 AM
#416
Rennlist Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Mid-Atlantic (on land, not in the middle of the ocean)
Posts: 13,316
Received 4,499 Likes
on
2,561 Posts
One guy loves car X, another doesn’t like it. It’s all subjective. Even if most people like or don’t like a car, you may be in the minority and not feel the same as them. Read/watch all opinions by others with this in mind.
08-28-2023, 10:41 PM
#417
Waiting to pick up my GT4 RS this weekend. Cannot wait! Has 240 miles so will have to be careful for a little on engine break in. Test drive impressions were that the ECU must be holding it back as someone mentioned above bc my 991.1 GT3 seemed to be quicker and pull harder. PDK to PDK. It also short shifts much earlier than I expected. Has to be the ECU.
12-15-2023, 02:22 PM
#418
- the intake housing buzzes at low revs when the car is cold. Do your cars do this?
12-15-2023, 02:28 PM
#419
Rennlist Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Mid-Atlantic (on land, not in the middle of the ocean)
Posts: 13,316
Received 4,499 Likes
on
2,561 Posts
Some people say the 4RS is difficult and scary to drive near the limit on track, even for experienced drivers. Is that true? Does it need a lot of setup or mods to drive well on the track?
12-15-2023, 02:44 PM
#420
Ive been daily driving and doing long trips with cars with coilovers and other suspension mods for a long time so Im definitely curious how tolerable the 4RS will be. Appreciating the feedback from everyone here.