991 GT3 by Getawayer
09-15-2014, 08:24 AM
#62
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I'm not too serious about any of my observations about the new GT3 just yet. I just did a hundred miles around some fun roads today: some freeway, some "bloody hell this is a quick car" point-n-squirt holding it in 3rd and 4th and letting it build rpm, etc., still never more than 50% throttle, not more than 6000 or 7000 rpm, and never once did I slump back in the seat and say 'oh frig it, let's go home, this is crap' ...
What I would say is the steering continues being disappointing. I don't expect the tingling, lively feel of a '73 RS or the "run over a coin and tell you if it's heads or tails" feel of the 993. What I miss compared to the RS 3.8 is that satisfaction that you really know when you've done a good job. The same was true of the 996 GT3. Put in a good lap in the 996 and you really had no doubt and barely wanted to see the data other than for the joy of bragging about it ... : )
So I haven't gone anywhere near the 1000's of miles I've tracked in those cars, so who cares what I think, but my first day on track with the GT3 (and my next is next Sunday) I was in awe of what the car was doing with me as an interested passenger rather than what I could do with it as the driver in control of it. For next weekend, my focus is to be the driver and have the car do my bidding. I'll have better suspension and maybe the car will be reasonably well sorted out and ready to work for a living. Early days. I've got at least a year (grumble...) before the RS arrives ...
I imagine the electric steering is great for high speed stability and great for integration with all the other systems, great as an OEM line item in various supplier contracts and probably has all kinds of 3D maps the R&D folks can tweak just like engine tuners working their fuel/ignition maps. But rather like a well-tuned engine, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, not in the recipe or the quantitative analysis. If you drive a car and the feel of the engine is that wild, relentless scream all the way to the rev-limiter, you don't need to see the dyno chart.
The other thing I have for perspective is the opportunity to go directly from early cars to 90's to 2000's and into the 991 GT3 to make comparisons (however subjectively) and for now, I have to hand it to the 997 as the car to drive.
Still, tomorrow morning, I'll be reaching for the keys to the 991 GT3 and be honestly looking forward to quite a fun week ahead.
What I would say is the steering continues being disappointing. I don't expect the tingling, lively feel of a '73 RS or the "run over a coin and tell you if it's heads or tails" feel of the 993. What I miss compared to the RS 3.8 is that satisfaction that you really know when you've done a good job. The same was true of the 996 GT3. Put in a good lap in the 996 and you really had no doubt and barely wanted to see the data other than for the joy of bragging about it ... : )
So I haven't gone anywhere near the 1000's of miles I've tracked in those cars, so who cares what I think, but my first day on track with the GT3 (and my next is next Sunday) I was in awe of what the car was doing with me as an interested passenger rather than what I could do with it as the driver in control of it. For next weekend, my focus is to be the driver and have the car do my bidding. I'll have better suspension and maybe the car will be reasonably well sorted out and ready to work for a living. Early days. I've got at least a year (grumble...) before the RS arrives ...
I imagine the electric steering is great for high speed stability and great for integration with all the other systems, great as an OEM line item in various supplier contracts and probably has all kinds of 3D maps the R&D folks can tweak just like engine tuners working their fuel/ignition maps. But rather like a well-tuned engine, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, not in the recipe or the quantitative analysis. If you drive a car and the feel of the engine is that wild, relentless scream all the way to the rev-limiter, you don't need to see the dyno chart.
The other thing I have for perspective is the opportunity to go directly from early cars to 90's to 2000's and into the 991 GT3 to make comparisons (however subjectively) and for now, I have to hand it to the 997 as the car to drive.
Still, tomorrow morning, I'll be reaching for the keys to the 991 GT3 and be honestly looking forward to quite a fun week ahead.
