911Jetta

I'm tired of reading about leaky 964s, so here are some pictures of the 964 at the track this past weekend.

I enjoyed a wonderful sunny but cool Saturday at VIR. We had a reserved day at the track with an on-track limit of 6 cars per session. We were driving VIR's 3+ mile full course, so there was LOTS of room to play. Actually it was quite an amazing experience for such a small group to have the whole place to ourselves!

I drove a 20 and a 30 minute session and the car preformed flawlessly during both. It's amazing that I could drive the car so hard, lap after lap and pull in to the pits and the engine oil temp would still be at 8 o'clock? (50 outside) It's a mostly stock 20+ year old 964, so it's far from track tuned but I didn't let that bother me, it's the experience that counts. I was smiling driving to the track, smiling while driving on the track, and smiling while driving home. That's what these cars are all about.

This was also the first time that I've ridden in a 997. I was lucky to be able to get a ride along in a 997S C4 and a 997 GT3. Both driven by highly skilled drivers, showcasing that there's more than one way to skin a cat. The C4 just clawed its way through everything, you could feel the front pulling the car around the corner. PDK is a really smooth system. Click, click, click...gear, gear, gear. Anytime, anywhere. Then came the ride in the GT3, you notice the sound difference immediately. It is one super direct car, with amazing brakes. I will have one of these in ten years.

There was also a Cayenne Turbo and Panamerica Turbo crushing the straightaways. Whatever Porsche makes, don't be afraid to bring it out to the track!

August West

VIR sounds like a great place to go...you're lucky you live in that part of the world.

So, 911Jetta, just how different was it going from a 964 to the 997s on the same track? Was it night and day or just shades of a difference?

KaiB

Good fun!

First few laps on a really cold track are interesting, are they not?

911Jetta

August,
I google mapped Redway, CA. You are teasing me, right. I drove right past Redway this past spring on my way to Shelter Cove. I would trade many track days to drive my 964 on those roads. One day.

I was fortunate to experience both cars on the track in quick succession. Both cars felt so solid with endless brakes. In the C4, it felt like point and steer and through a combination of both the car would always track nicely through the corner. Sometimes you feel the front but most of the time the car just felt amazingly efficient and confident. Towards the end of the session the tires were going so the car would really start to rotate, but even from the passenger seat you could feel the C4 systems nicely pulling you through the corners. PDK also added greatly to the feeling of security. You could basically shift anywhere and not unsettle the car. This is how you make a 911 faster through technology. After doing laps in my car...that was a really nice feeling! The C4 is a super nice everyday 911 that you can change tires and beat the hell out of on the track for hours. It's a special looking and feeling modern 911.

I'm really happy to say the GT3 felt like a much stronger, more grown up 964 C2. Natural right? On the track, Porsche has screwed nothing up. It just builds on the 911s strenghts. Every thing on the GT3 felt solid and very direct (except the doors...). After the first turn, you could tell that you earn your lap time in this car, and its a big thrill to do so. Theirs a much bigger push out of the turns and now you are flying into the next turn, feeling exactly what the front and rear tires are telling the driver. Did I mention the sounds?

I think that if you come from a 964 C4, you'll love what Porsche has done with the 997 C4.
If you come from a 964 C2, you'll find the 997 C2 (GT3!!!) still gives you the same classic thrill.

Both cars just do it in a bigger package, and at a little bit higher speed. It's a lot of fun seeing the different generations together! I followed the C4 home and it looks amazing for the rear.

From frost to night....

911Jetta

Yes in deed. I think this track group gave me a new nickname.

Laker

VIR looks like a great setup! Glad the 964 was right at home with the more "sophisticated" younger brothers.

August West

Hey, 911Jetta, if you drove out to Shelter Cove, you drove right past my house as I live two miles outside Redway on the way to Shelter Cove! Were you in the Porsche? I hope you got to go on HWY 1 out of Leggett!

I'm glad you enjoyed our roads out here and hope the pot holes weren't too bad. We've got great twisty-turnies but don't really have anything in the way of tracks, especially of the VIR caliber. Thunderhill is probably 4 hours away, same for Infineon, and Laguna Seca is probably six hours from here.

I was in your neck of the woods last year picking up my Porsche with the plan to run up the Blue Ridge Parkway for the Fall colors...that's until I found out the speed is limited to 35mph! Still, a supremely gorgeous part of the world and the Appalachians reminded me of Humboldt County in many ways.

Great photos...Slate grey is one of the great colors!

So, what's your new nickname?

Andy Roe

Good stuff Udo! I'm glad to see you're using the car properly!

Ciao from Italy!

I'm planning to take the car out for it's first spirited drive in the hill around Bologna this weekend! (I need to look for the good roads first!)

Andy

911Jetta

I glad you see you finally moved to Italy...I was getting tired of seeing you in Paris. Bologna is much better for the 964.

Regarding roads (for a day trip), head south!
Googlemap: Bologna to Zocca (100 KM total trip)

on the way out: Via Lagune to Zocca is 49 KM @ 1hr 11 minutes!!!!
on the way back from Zocca take SP27 to Bologna to complete the loop. (47 KM @ 1hr 15 minutes.

I love that a 100 KM loop just south of town could take a over two+ hours of drive time! Coffee stops are extra.

ChaseN

What a day, and great experiences with different cars!

I'm moving down to Charlottesville, VA at the end of the month...about a 2.5 hour shot down Rt 29 to VIR. Hope to meet you there one day!

Porsche964FP

NICE! Great shot of your car at the fuel station!