Johannes Van Overbeek - GT3T Driving Impressions
08-03-2023, 06:33 PM
#46
My personal feeling with all versions of the GT4 (that I've owned or driven on track and street, except the 4RS which I have not driven yet) is that the entire chassis felt over sprung and under damped. It's one of the reasons I sold my 981 gt4, I really didn't like the chassis feel or compliance. I don't feel this way about the 991/992 gt/rs cars. The damping is much better with those, the 992 being very good. And miles better than in my long-term 997RS with the stock dampers - though it's had onlins ttx on it for so long I've not forgotten how bad it was.
Yeah, I was quite disappointed with the damping on my 718 GT4, coming directly out of my SS 1LE. I thought it was so awful on the roads I normally drive on that I almost sold it. If the C8 Z06 had been avail. I would have traded for it. Having said that AND since the C8 Z06 is vaporware, I put money some in my GT4 suspension and after putting on MCS dampers and supporting suspension hardware, the car is quite amazing now and DO LOVE the lightweight mid-engine platform.
Unfortunately for me, the 992 GT3 (even if I could get an allocation) is out of my price range, and I feel that a GT4 (with high end dampers) can be made to be almost as good and I can keep that mid-engine dynamics that I love.
08-03-2023, 06:36 PM
#47
I had a GT3 and can relate, my hands would sweat from death gripping over bumpy backroads. I currently have a GTS 4.0 with SPASM, and it's perfect for backroads, soaks bumps, no tramlining, i prefer it greatly over the magride in my GT350 (which wasn't bad), but SPASM is really quite perfect. But I understand your point, i haven't ridden in a Ferrari with magride, so I can't say how SPASM would compare with that.
I never tried a GTS and I probably should have, but to me moving from an SS 1LE to a GTS was going to be a little bit of a downgrade in performance based on track times between the two. I had to go GT4, and am glad I did after going down the suspension modding route. I just didn't know I would need to do that before I bought it. All water under the bridge now though, as equipped now, my GT4 is a long term keeper.
08-07-2023, 11:26 AM
#48
Interesting stuff this as it’s not popular to criticise the hero of all cars!
I bought my 992 touring after driving a 991.2 and loved it, it was planted on bumpy back roads in Scotland.
I couldn’t get the last of that model so ordered the 992 as none to test drive in 2018. Big mistake, I wanted the touring just for the understated looks and knew the suspension was apparently the same, if anything it would drive better than the 991.2!
However on taking delivery of my keeper in pts, I headed out my favourite glen to start the break in.
On wider open flat roads the car was good, but you had to drive it fast to enjoy it, once it was broken in I tried it on my favourite roads which are all mainly narrow Scottish roads with a poor surface, not third world but not great. The car tried to kill me by tramlining at moderate speeds (80mph) and wanted to jump into the hedges, it was hard work and I could have and did drive my 718 Spyder and my 991.2 GTS faster in more safety. On track it was reactive and fast fun.
I decided after trying lots of different suspension changes that the front set up and suspension is just not great for my type of road driving.
I drove a Ferrari 296GTB std suspension on the same roads in a test, and even though the 296 is wider, it actually felt smaller and I could stay on my side of the road in safety.
The surprising bit was it’s engine which revs to 8500rpm and sounds the dogs even at lower rpm.
You guessed, I now have what I hope is my ideal car.
Off course I really bought it to save the planet!
Just my opinion
R
I bought my 992 touring after driving a 991.2 and loved it, it was planted on bumpy back roads in Scotland.
I couldn’t get the last of that model so ordered the 992 as none to test drive in 2018. Big mistake, I wanted the touring just for the understated looks and knew the suspension was apparently the same, if anything it would drive better than the 991.2!
However on taking delivery of my keeper in pts, I headed out my favourite glen to start the break in.
On wider open flat roads the car was good, but you had to drive it fast to enjoy it, once it was broken in I tried it on my favourite roads which are all mainly narrow Scottish roads with a poor surface, not third world but not great. The car tried to kill me by tramlining at moderate speeds (80mph) and wanted to jump into the hedges, it was hard work and I could have and did drive my 718 Spyder and my 991.2 GTS faster in more safety. On track it was reactive and fast fun.
I decided after trying lots of different suspension changes that the front set up and suspension is just not great for my type of road driving.
I drove a Ferrari 296GTB std suspension on the same roads in a test, and even though the 296 is wider, it actually felt smaller and I could stay on my side of the road in safety.
The surprising bit was it’s engine which revs to 8500rpm and sounds the dogs even at lower rpm.
You guessed, I now have what I hope is my ideal car.
Off course I really bought it to save the planet!
Just my opinion
R
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Manifold (08-07-2023)
08-07-2023, 04:01 PM
#49
Racer
@Diablo Dude after creating this heretical thread criticizing the ride of Porsche GT products...what is your take? I haven't seen any comment from you in this thread haha
08-07-2023, 05:46 PM
#50
Race Car
Thread Starter
@Diablo Dude after creating this heretical thread criticizing the ride of Porsche GT products...what is your take? I haven't seen any comment from you in this thread haha
I cant believe that a former Cup driver like Van Overbeek didnt realize that his pressures were off, but then again it was the first thing I thought of.
We'll never know unless someone reaches out to him here in the East Bay.
Perhaps he'll show up at one of our local "Cars & Coffee".
He actually said that the Pirelli's sounded like a "jet engine spooling up".
Perhaps he was on a stretch of Highway 50 that was covered in a slurry seal and not asphalt?
Aside from a very rough patch of concrete on 680 southbound near San Ramon at 80 mph with overinflated pressures, I've never had van Overbeek's experience. In fact, quite the opposite. I've been going with 29/31 on my Pirelli's and the ride is so compliant that my Touring could very easily be a daily driver compared to my 981 GT4 that was on Michelin's. Of course, I now have 18 ways instead of the LWB's that were in my GT4, but still. The ride is so much more compliant and the "grip" is just massive in my GT3. The RWS and double-wishbone front end is definitely a "game-changer" over my GT4. The ride quality isnt even close in comparison.
Just one man's opinion.
Hope this answers your question.
Last edited by Diablo Dude; 08-07-2023 at 05:49 PM.
08-08-2023, 04:14 PM
#51
Like many others that I've heard from, my Touring was (also) delivered with tire pressures that were in the high 30's and pushing 40 psi.
I cant believe that a former Cup driver like Van Overbeek didnt realize that his pressures were off, but then again it was the first thing I thought of.
We'll never know unless someone reaches out to him here in the East Bay.
Perhaps he'll show up at one of our local "Cars & Coffee".
He actually said that the Pirelli's sounded like a "jet engine spooling up".
Perhaps he was on a stretch of Highway 50 that was covered in a slurry seal and not asphalt?
Aside from a very rough patch of concrete on 680 southbound near San Ramon at 80 mph with overinflated pressures, I've never had van Overbeek's experience. In fact, quite the opposite. I've been going with 29/31 on my Pirelli's and the ride is so compliant that my Touring could very easily be a daily driver compared to my 981 GT4 that was on Michelin's. Of course, I now have 18 ways instead of the LWB's that were in my GT4, but still. The ride is so much more compliant and the "grip" is just massive in my GT3. The RWS and double-wishbone front end is definitely a "game-changer" over my GT4. The ride quality isnt even close in comparison.
Just one man's opinion.
Hope this answers your question.
I cant believe that a former Cup driver like Van Overbeek didnt realize that his pressures were off, but then again it was the first thing I thought of.
We'll never know unless someone reaches out to him here in the East Bay.
Perhaps he'll show up at one of our local "Cars & Coffee".
He actually said that the Pirelli's sounded like a "jet engine spooling up".
Perhaps he was on a stretch of Highway 50 that was covered in a slurry seal and not asphalt?
Aside from a very rough patch of concrete on 680 southbound near San Ramon at 80 mph with overinflated pressures, I've never had van Overbeek's experience. In fact, quite the opposite. I've been going with 29/31 on my Pirelli's and the ride is so compliant that my Touring could very easily be a daily driver compared to my 981 GT4 that was on Michelin's. Of course, I now have 18 ways instead of the LWB's that were in my GT4, but still. The ride is so much more compliant and the "grip" is just massive in my GT3. The RWS and double-wishbone front end is definitely a "game-changer" over my GT4. The ride quality isnt even close in comparison.
Just one man's opinion.
Hope this answers your question.
Sounds like you are local to me.
You should feel what the GT4 feels like with MCS dampers on it.
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Peruna (08-08-2023)