Z-man

Ok, all the 130 mph threads got me thinking about why I enjoy my Porsche so much.

So, this morning, instead of driving my Subaru to work, I took out my 944S2. Funny, I got to work a bit earlier than I normally do! Cruising on the highway at around 70-75-ish, (What?!?! Z-man driving over the speed limit? ? ? Impossible!!!) I started to think about what I enjoy so much about my car. I started getting goosebumps down my back, and my smile got bigger and bigger as my mind replayed the following scenario:

- Going down the straight at WOT, around 120-130mph. The braking zone markers loom off in the no-too-far distance.

- I pass the "6" and "5" markers still at WOT. The cars ahead of me (at around "4" and "3" are getting on the brakes HARD.

- I pass the "4" marker still at WOT, and close in on the car ahead of me. (The joys of driving a 'momentum car!')

- At marker "3" I back off the throttle to 3/4.

- At marker "2" I squeeze on the brakes. Firmly first, allowing them to grab and smoothly transfer weight to the front of the car. Then harder, Harder, HARDER! I feel the harnesses hold back my body in the seat.

- Somewhere between "harder, Harder, HARDER I engage the clutch, and blip the throttle. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the tach needle sweep just past 5,000 rpms.

- As I complete my braking, I downshift to 3rd, disengaging the clutch as the needle falls to around 3000 rpms. If I do this right, I feel no significant change in the car's decceleration.

- I start my turn in, looking 'around' the corner in toward the apex. I fight the urge to crank my wheel over too early.

- If I'm in a long sweeping turn, I set my steeringwheel and modulate the throttle: dancing on the edge between oversteer and understeer, I continue to point the car towards the apex.

- Just before the apex, as my car takes it's 'set,' I dial in more and more throttle. More, MORE, MORE! I'm already looking for my track-out point.

- If I hit the apex at the right place and speed, the car's momentum carries me out to my track-out in a nice, controlled oversteer condition. There's not much that I can do now: again, I'm at WOT, and need to stay calm and smooth in order to keep the car going in the right direction. I can hear my tires complaining as they try to grip the asphalt that is quickly going by underneath them. I wonder if I'll make it: perhaps a greater entry speed has caused the trackout to come up quicker than expected...

- As I track out, the car gets close to the edge of the track, perhaps going over the rumble strips with the two outside tires. The car settles in, and I accelerate down the straight, grabbing the next gear as the tach approaches the redline.

- On the straight, I do the following:
Breathe - Check temp guage - Check oil pressure guage - Check gas level
- Check tach - Breathe again - Pay attention to the next braking zone...
(If there is time, check the speedo)

- At the end of the straight, the process starts all over again.

- Lap after lap, repeat until the checker flag drops....

Track driving: there is no substitute.

So, what do you enjoy most about your Porsche?
-Zoltan.

ToxicSlick

The way it sounds when I shut the door...
Or driving home late over the mountian when its pouring down rain with the stereo on, with copious oversteer, just enjoying how balanced the car is.

ErichCS

I also enjoy the door shut on my car. My all time favorite would have to be how light the car feels in the twisties, keeps pushing me to drive faster and faster as i approach the posted speed limit...What a rush, back roads 35mph
-Erich

tifosiman

The way that my car makes me appear to be a better driver than I really am.

RMills944

The rain doesn't do much for me except cause tire spinning and the back end swings around a lot, and thats exciting. MY TIRES SUCK!!!

There is nothing like a nice sunny day in the fall driving through a forest down a nice twisty road though. A Porsche may cost a lot to maintain, but it's well worth the fun no matter what anyone says.

AndyK

I like the little crests on my tire valve caps! Just kidding...

Great story Z! I too like how light the car feels...and the door closing sound. Best thing about the car--the sound you hear with the engine at 5k!

Rich Sandor

What I love about my car:

1: Looks ****en KILLER

2: Handleing is telepathic

3: It's got power, lots of power.

4: Everything in the interior is perfect. I love it.

It doesn't matter where I am; track, street, dirt, rain, snow - I love driving this bloody car - it's just that much fun.

The only toy that could be more fun would be a BD-5J

ToxicSlick

Yeah, really the best is a nice cool crisp autumn afternoon with the windows down and the roof off, leaves rustling as you woosh by, engine screaming as you hear the sound change going by a guard rail... thats nice to.

Now im sad that im inside, not driving my car, wahhh luch is soo far off!!

Marc Gelefsky

Z, Nice story, Thanks for totally depressing me. I HATE WINTER!!!

(I do however like cold dense air!)

Baron009

Its really easy to go over the speed limit in these cars. I'm passing people on the highway and it feels like I'm just casually driving around in the city.

but typically I don't go that fast cause I won't be able to afford insurance if I get traffic convictions.

Fishey

I love the balance of the car!
I also love how things seen on the 944 over 13 years ago are just now starting to show up on other proformance cars...

AndyK

I don't get why people store their cars all winter. When the ground is dry, and the temps are low, the car LOVES to go fast! If it snows for a few days, fine. I'll keep the car inside the garage. But there are plenty of bright, cold days in the winter to drive the car fast! Why wait till the heat of summer?

EZRider

The curves, plenty of it this baby is out right sexy. Like the way she growls at me on idle "Let's get MOVING!". Like the way she makes me feel. I FEEL GOOD!

Jon Moeller

The potential.

Car's been in the garage going on 3 weeks. Up in the air, naked underneath, waiting for me to put it back together. I haven't sat behind the wheel, since it went under the knife. But, I look at the lines of the car, the new parts on the floor, and the fresh tread on the displaced wheels, and I think of April.

In April, she'll be ready to take on the track, no longer sprung by dead dampers and tired stock springs, but with new Ledas and fresh springs. No longer hobbled by a worn ball joint or rock hard all-season radials, rather revitalized with new rubber in the suspension and on the ground. Gone will be the soft brakes and poor brake bias.

In April, I'll no longer wish for the return of my old BMW and it's familiar handling and stable nature. I'll relish in my latest "compromise car" that does no such thing. I'll trek to the track in all the comfort that a 26 year-old could want, then I'll drive the track at speeds that the BMW could only dream of.

In April, I'll banish the demons that spurned from my lack of confidence in an ill-prepared car, one year prior. I'll resume my pursuit of the answer to the question the BMW presented, "If I can pass guys in faster cars with a slower car, what could I do in a faster car?" I'll look to earn my entry into the "advanced" run group.

Until then, I'll pilot my lowly Geo (gripping at the 10-and-2, shifting smoothly, and looking to the next corner) developing the skills that will hopefully be second nature by the time I hit the track in April.

-J

James86-951

1) The feeling when you are going down the freeway and think,"I need to accelerate to get over for my exit......WOOOOSH!! Then you begin to smile."

2) The feeling of the car when going through winding roads. (Or in the city when you take exit ramps at speed.)