Bucket list checkoff - I finally drove a Carrera
#1
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Hi everyone, thought I'd share this. It's a writeup on my first true drive of a late Carrera. Hard to believe it took me until my 5th decade to actually bang around in one! Curious to hear what long-time owners think of my impressions.
Cheers,
-Mirror
http://alltuner.squarespace.com/allt...r-carrera.html
Cheers,
-Mirror
I’m a long-time car nut. As a kid I didn’t play with G.I Joes or Play Doh, I was only interested in my massive collection of toy cars. All my Legos were used to create vehicles. I could tell a Ford V-8 from a Chevy at 8 years old, by sight AND sound. I’ve lapped an Audi R8 at Infineon raceway. I can describe Formula 1 engine technology in detail. I’ve owned everything from fire-breathing muscle cars to turbocharged rally specials, and I can explain the function of every single thing under your car’s hood. Add it all up and I cannot believe it took me until age 42 to actually drive a torsion bar 911.
OK technically I’ve piloted one before. That was two decades ago in a euro Carrera 3.0 for a total sum of 3 miles. It was the daily driver of my college girlfriend’s father, and I spent the entire time making sure no-one ran into me so I could return the car and impress him with my responsibility. The only thing I remember is that it had the world’s worst shifter – a 915 with bad bushings delivering that ‘stick in a bucket of oatmeal’ feeling.
This new experience is different. I have a well sorted one owner ’87 Carrera Targa at my disposal. It’s a sunny Saturday, and I will zing it along an epic backroad. All of my senses are on alert. The car is freshly detailed. Keys in hand, heart rate calm, I am truly ready to experience one of these things.
Opening the door and getting in reveals high quality materials everywhere. Seats, gauges, door handles, it may be aged but it is QUALITY. The doors close with that epic “ching” not heard anywhere else in the car universe…including later Porsches. I familiarize myself with the controlls, the bottom hinged pedals adding to the intensity. Even the start key is in a unique position; left of the steering column.
The ergonomics are combination of old school German function and “screw you”. I sit slightly offset to the right to reach the pedals properly. The steering wheel and shifter require a reach. The ventilation controls are WAY down low on the console. This all harkens back to the original layout of the early 60’s and not a lot has changed. To sum up, if you want to drive a car this special, you will adapt to it…not the other way around.
I fire the engine and get that classic bassy whir of air-cooled 911. Everyone knows what it sounds like; that rumbly rash from the rear. In the cockpit it’s the same, albeit with the bass turned up a notch.
Moving off from rest imparts a true sense of occasion. It just feels, sounds, even smells special. This car is a full 24 years old but passers-by still look as I burble past. The floor mounted shifter requires a decided reach but snicks into gear with a surprisingly direct and positive motion. This is a later G50 gearbox car, so that part of it is up to snuff. The flywheel is the perfect weight for the engine, making smooth shifts the norm instead of the exception.
After building the Carrera up in my mind for so long I expected a lot more torque from the 3.2L six down low but that just isn’t the case. It has decent shove under 4,500 rpm, but that’s about it….decent. Once 4,500 arrives it gets on the cams and goes, but below that I’m reminded that this is an old-school engine. There’s no variable valve timing, no Varioram, none of the tricks currently used to help motors punch above their torque weight. The compromises are felt here; it's a short stroke, big valve engine tuned to push out the power at higher revs instead of the low end and midrange. This puts more responsibility in my lap to extract performance from the car.
Once I’m in the twisties, the steering wiggles, worms, and and tugs in my hands like a live animal. This isn’t steering feel, it’s steering MUSIC. With no power assist it also requires two hands at all times unless you’re benching 4 plates on a regular basis. I’m soon aware that this car is a workout to drive. It’s not tiring per se, just physical. The brakes need a hard shove. The steering demands both arms and all muscles on deck. The shifter doesn’t fall to hand, I have to reach for it. Add it up and I can see what it was like to drive a race car in the old days….the design was to make the car fast, and driver comfort was definitely 2nd place.
As my pace increases, I decide not to push things too far. Kept under the limit of adhesion, there is no trace of that infamous tail happiness. The Carrera just corners flat and has great traction. I find I can be aggressive with my inputs and the car likes it. I feel the road not just through the steering, but every bump announces itself through the suspension into the body and then to my lower back and torso. After a while I get a really great flow going. Turning, shifting, on the throttle, off the throttle, it all starts to meld together into one continuous fluid motion. I move around in the seat, anticipating the car’s reactions and meeting them with my body positioning, and that burly soundtrack from the rear encourages upping the pace. This is truly engaging stuff.
It’s such a connected experience driving this car, this icon. Taking the helm imparts a sense of specialness that some feel is lacking in cars like the Boxster or even the 996. It’s like piloting automotive royalty. Even the brilliant 968 comes off as clinical compared to this Carrera. I can easily say that I “get it” now. These cars aren’t about outright speed or tire smoking acceleration, they’re about feel; sensory perception, sensory overload. You absorb feedback through your entire body, and your entire body is then required to extract the most from the car. It’s a terrific mental and physical challenge. After all this time dreaming about 911s I could have easily been disappointed, but the reverse is true. I now have more reverence for the car than ever before. Consider my head dunked into the river and my baptism complete people, what a glorious day.
OK technically I’ve piloted one before. That was two decades ago in a euro Carrera 3.0 for a total sum of 3 miles. It was the daily driver of my college girlfriend’s father, and I spent the entire time making sure no-one ran into me so I could return the car and impress him with my responsibility. The only thing I remember is that it had the world’s worst shifter – a 915 with bad bushings delivering that ‘stick in a bucket of oatmeal’ feeling.
This new experience is different. I have a well sorted one owner ’87 Carrera Targa at my disposal. It’s a sunny Saturday, and I will zing it along an epic backroad. All of my senses are on alert. The car is freshly detailed. Keys in hand, heart rate calm, I am truly ready to experience one of these things.
Opening the door and getting in reveals high quality materials everywhere. Seats, gauges, door handles, it may be aged but it is QUALITY. The doors close with that epic “ching” not heard anywhere else in the car universe…including later Porsches. I familiarize myself with the controlls, the bottom hinged pedals adding to the intensity. Even the start key is in a unique position; left of the steering column.
The ergonomics are combination of old school German function and “screw you”. I sit slightly offset to the right to reach the pedals properly. The steering wheel and shifter require a reach. The ventilation controls are WAY down low on the console. This all harkens back to the original layout of the early 60’s and not a lot has changed. To sum up, if you want to drive a car this special, you will adapt to it…not the other way around.
I fire the engine and get that classic bassy whir of air-cooled 911. Everyone knows what it sounds like; that rumbly rash from the rear. In the cockpit it’s the same, albeit with the bass turned up a notch.
Moving off from rest imparts a true sense of occasion. It just feels, sounds, even smells special. This car is a full 24 years old but passers-by still look as I burble past. The floor mounted shifter requires a decided reach but snicks into gear with a surprisingly direct and positive motion. This is a later G50 gearbox car, so that part of it is up to snuff. The flywheel is the perfect weight for the engine, making smooth shifts the norm instead of the exception.
After building the Carrera up in my mind for so long I expected a lot more torque from the 3.2L six down low but that just isn’t the case. It has decent shove under 4,500 rpm, but that’s about it….decent. Once 4,500 arrives it gets on the cams and goes, but below that I’m reminded that this is an old-school engine. There’s no variable valve timing, no Varioram, none of the tricks currently used to help motors punch above their torque weight. The compromises are felt here; it's a short stroke, big valve engine tuned to push out the power at higher revs instead of the low end and midrange. This puts more responsibility in my lap to extract performance from the car.
Once I’m in the twisties, the steering wiggles, worms, and and tugs in my hands like a live animal. This isn’t steering feel, it’s steering MUSIC. With no power assist it also requires two hands at all times unless you’re benching 4 plates on a regular basis. I’m soon aware that this car is a workout to drive. It’s not tiring per se, just physical. The brakes need a hard shove. The steering demands both arms and all muscles on deck. The shifter doesn’t fall to hand, I have to reach for it. Add it up and I can see what it was like to drive a race car in the old days….the design was to make the car fast, and driver comfort was definitely 2nd place.
As my pace increases, I decide not to push things too far. Kept under the limit of adhesion, there is no trace of that infamous tail happiness. The Carrera just corners flat and has great traction. I find I can be aggressive with my inputs and the car likes it. I feel the road not just through the steering, but every bump announces itself through the suspension into the body and then to my lower back and torso. After a while I get a really great flow going. Turning, shifting, on the throttle, off the throttle, it all starts to meld together into one continuous fluid motion. I move around in the seat, anticipating the car’s reactions and meeting them with my body positioning, and that burly soundtrack from the rear encourages upping the pace. This is truly engaging stuff.
It’s such a connected experience driving this car, this icon. Taking the helm imparts a sense of specialness that some feel is lacking in cars like the Boxster or even the 996. It’s like piloting automotive royalty. Even the brilliant 968 comes off as clinical compared to this Carrera. I can easily say that I “get it” now. These cars aren’t about outright speed or tire smoking acceleration, they’re about feel; sensory perception, sensory overload. You absorb feedback through your entire body, and your entire body is then required to extract the most from the car. It’s a terrific mental and physical challenge. After all this time dreaming about 911s I could have easily been disappointed, but the reverse is true. I now have more reverence for the car than ever before. Consider my head dunked into the river and my baptism complete people, what a glorious day.
Last edited by TheMirror; 05-05-2011 at 04:07 PM.
#2
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Mirror,
I think your impressions are spot on! My car is also an '87 and I had just about all of the same impressions you did when I first drove it. When sharing the thrill of finally getting a 911 I described many of the same things to my car buddies that you wrote about.
As I got used to my car in those first few weeks, I found myself grinning ear to ear at the way the car drove, how it reacted, and the effort required at times. I even laughed out loud at the ergonomics - we are definitely coddled in newer cars today.
I know other cars are faster, have more hp, are more comfortable, etc, but none of those are a truly iconic sportscar. (Just ask W00t). I am fortunate to be able to own one and I am still thrilled every time I drive it!
I think your impressions are spot on! My car is also an '87 and I had just about all of the same impressions you did when I first drove it. When sharing the thrill of finally getting a 911 I described many of the same things to my car buddies that you wrote about.
As I got used to my car in those first few weeks, I found myself grinning ear to ear at the way the car drove, how it reacted, and the effort required at times. I even laughed out loud at the ergonomics - we are definitely coddled in newer cars today.
I know other cars are faster, have more hp, are more comfortable, etc, but none of those are a truly iconic sportscar. (Just ask W00t). I am fortunate to be able to own one and I am still thrilled every time I drive it!
#4
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Great write up, and so different than how I look at the last of the torsion bar cars. They're plush and cushy. All of the edge that could be taken out of them was. Totally dependent on your frame of reference, and where you jumped on the merry-go-round of 911s. Just wait until you have the opportunity to drive a non-assisted brake car from earlier than '77..............
I'm so glad 911 is my first language, car-wise.
Oh, and don't confuse the power delivery through the rev range as cams. It's all pretty oversized intake. Same cams in a 35mm intake '80-3 3.0 SC make for a whole different driving experience.
I'm so glad 911 is my first language, car-wise.
Oh, and don't confuse the power delivery through the rev range as cams. It's all pretty oversized intake. Same cams in a 35mm intake '80-3 3.0 SC make for a whole different driving experience.
#5
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Interesting about the intake vs. cams. If that step up in power at 4,500 isn't due to cam profile and timing, what is it about the big intake that gives it a power surge there? Most curious.
Oh, and thanks everyone for the kind words regarding the writeup.
Cheers,
-Mirror
#6
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Take advantage of driving any 911 you can get your hands on, no doubt about that. Problem is there are so few early cars around that are out and about, it's tough. But finish up with a short wheelbase car on skinny 165s. Can't believe that was still considered decent when I got into these things!
The power surge is air velocity. Same cams (and for the most part, the timing on them) on all the 3.0 and 3.2 engines. At least the non-race engines we mere mortals are driving around.
The power surge is air velocity. Same cams (and for the most part, the timing on them) on all the 3.0 and 3.2 engines. At least the non-race engines we mere mortals are driving around.
#7
Drifting
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and one of the reasons many go from youngest to oldest. You get more connected, more feeling as you get into earlier cars.
I started with a 964 - then a g-50 cab - now a 1974... each one was a little more "connected"
I started with a 964 - then a g-50 cab - now a 1974... each one was a little more "connected"
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#8
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Mirror, thanks for throwing a bone to the Lurkers Without Portfolio (tm). That may well be the closest I get to driving my target 911 until after all three kids finish college. And the first one hasn't started yet! I only hope the G50's stay reasonable...
Regards from Brooklyn,
Robey
Regards from Brooklyn,
Robey
#12
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That sounds about right!! I have to agree with you g-50 cab, I started with a 996, and now I'm in an 84. I do miss the outright speed, but I wouldn't trade back. The quality, the feel, basically everything else is so much better than the newer cars. Not saying a new GT3 RS wouldn't be awesome to own, the older cars have that character that these newer cars just don't have anymore.
#13
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Wish these forums existed in 1980 so I had proof that some things never change. Same was said about that new and oh-so luxurious 911SC by the 356 guys when I first popped up at PCA events.
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#15
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Very nice write up.. Kudos and welcome to this lifelong disease. Needless to say, the 3.2 in my garage is my favorite 911 and I take this opportunity to make an emotional plea to all my fellow classic 911 owners: Please keep you cars forever. This is truly a special car. Paul and I got our 3.2s nearly the same time last year and I then started a series of threads (thanks to several members help: Ed Hughes, Whalebird, Ivangene, GothingNC, Paul (carrera3.2GL), Helios86, Rusnak, Iceman .. to name a few) as a tribute to the 911 icons. I believe that we all enjoyed that series and let me know if you are interested I can send the link (or you could search under the threads on my screen name). That is why Paul referred my name with the term icon. Paul's car happens to be my favorite color of the 3.2. I am proud to be part of this car and the people in this section. I repeat: This group is truly special. Thank you guys. I love you all.