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having been informed the night before of our American hero being denied his reward our superhero shows up at the heart of the operation that has denied him his due satisfaction. Given the awkwardness of the situation both Porsche and our hero decided "detente" is the only answer. They know they've done wrong, our hero knows they've done wrong, but taking one's death star to the location and nuking and paving the factory from orbit will only achieve fleeting happiness - no we must be more strategic - we must preserve our greatest wrath for the true enemy of the people, the real reason we can't have nice things, the main culprit of much of the world's dismay and problems…Murphy's Law!! Yes we will spare these mindless watch makers their transgressions, and save our wrath, our anger, our pity, and finally our main death ray for Murphy - he needs to look out, cause our hero is coming for him and OMG when I find him - yes there will be justice!!! If nothing goes wrong during the attack…
meanwhile there is 75% worth of a Porsche European delivery to be completed - and we focus on the task at hand while planning our sweet revenge for much later
delivery appointment was scheduled for 12:30 - so one wakes up early cause one is excited - and still a bit in the wrong time zone. Leipzig is quiet, confident, and building bustle - my wife had informed me of my trangression in Starbucks cup acquisition protocol (subsection 3, paragraph 27 article 12) and I'm back at 7 am at the near by Starbuck for the "Germany" cup. Breakfast is leisurely and my party awakes this morning on their own schedule - there is more walking around this lovely city while we all wait for the anointed hour for our carriage to take us to Porsche Customer center in Leipzig.
Arrivial is a brief 23 minutes from the hotel, and if you've not been to Leipzig factility it is impresssive. What a gorgeous site. We walk in, get registered and everyone is oh so nice to our party and just a bit chagrinned due to the situation - but all is not lost - while I will not received my decrepit GT3 RS today my dear friend and college buddy will received his 2023 992 911 GT3 Touring - expectations are high - the bar is set…very high and we are on guard for any slight misstep so we can pounce. But Porsche rises to the occasion and we all have a lovely time, and myself and my friend will end today's odyssey with an acceptable but sub-optimal loaner car for myself and gorgeous 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring generation 992…
for those that don't know a delviery consists of 4 main "events" in any order (you don't get to dictate the order)
A fabulous meal
A factory tour
some track time in a similar vehicle
the vehicle delivery itself
We arrive and are immediately granted a wonderful lunch in the Leipzig restaurant with a panoramic view of the test facility track and OMG what a track/factility it is. It's also busy with other Porsche' faithful doing their thing while we eat. Taycan's are leading Turbo's - Cayman's are sliding on the skid pad and every two of 3 minutes a Macan may be seen on the 1 to 1 replica of "the ring" carousel or the Laguna Seca cork screw simulation. Yes my friends the facility is stunning and I can't wait to drive - but first lunch…
After lunch we have some time to kill and it's easy - because there is a "mini Prosche" museum with more cars for us to absorb - well displayed, well curated, and with great amounts of information. The time between lunch and our factory tour passes quickly as we enjoy viewing the cars on display.
2:15 and we're up for the factory tour, a quick well done introduction video informs us of Porsche's mastery of manufacturing techniques and that this factory makes the Macan and Panamera on the same assemblly line, and is already modified for integrated and simultaneous production of the Macan EV. We deposit our various electronics in provided lockers (no photos or video's please) I think it was the longest my 21 year old daughter has ever been with out her phone since age 11…we walk a short distance and the curtain is pulled back and we enter the mythical chocolate factory. I'm a sucker for a factory tour and have been fortunate over the the years to be afforded opportunities for many - this one does not disappoint. Macan's and Panamera's (including the new Panamera along with the previous generation) are all being assembled right in front of us. The factory is noisy, but quietly earnest, chaotic but organized, but there is a sense of purpose and 500'ish vehicle's a day roll out of here each one of which is bespoke…and it's amazing how they pull it off. Our brief 45 min tour is hardly enough and I'm left wanting more but also eager for the next step…
The track experience - given Porsche's humility I'm in a position to demand most anything and I choose my request carefully. Normally one is afforded two 30 minute sessions of "driving" - you can choose track or off road and you or your guest can do one of the 30 minute sessions. My daughter is with me and I'm keen to give her her first track experience - so I've requested extra time for my driving session, and it's granted - we begin with a fun off road course with a new Cayenne - there are hills, river's, bridges, mud, every thing one could want to show off the capabilities of a world class SUV and I let my daughter enjoy the session - it's over all too quickly but well worth it. Next up is the main event…
I have been granted an audience and my seat time in a doppelgänger GT3 RS (Shark Blue) and the instructor picks a 992 GT3 as the lead car and explains the lead follow procedure - he will adjust his pace based on his assessment of my pace and we'll proceed from there. I get in adjust the seat, daughter next to me and we head out on to track - the first recon lap he's explaining basics of track driving the 3 blue cones (turn in, apex, track out) and taking a mild pace - as I am an accomplished amateur (renn list's words not mine) I'm on his bumper and line choice is nearly perfect, the pace quickens the instructor has less to say on the radio - by lap 2.5 the instructor has capitulated and notes I clearly have skills and he will cease talking on the radio so he can focus on properly waxing my tail in his "lesser" GT3 - and the real chase begins - I'm disappointed he can gap me in several corner exits, but the GT3 RS makes up ground in the braking zones - we are equally matched in straight aways as both cars have similar/identical power - yes people as speculated the GT3 RS will only be faster if you can drive it properly vs. the excellent 992 GT3 - by the last lap I'm finely getting "it' and I'm doing more RS things and the gaps are lessening - first time on this track for me, line choices must be precise if the RS is going to be faster than the GT3 - but the taste of what the RS could be is tantalizing - this car will only be fast with skill, not with brute force. The 992 GT3 is just too good to roll over purely based on name recognition alone - no the RS requires a driver not a financier to be quick. If you're not willing to invest the time and technique, the 992 GT3 will make you fast enough to embarrass most people - but the RS requires focus, determination, finesse and leveling up of one's skills, otherwise it's just another GT3 with nothing special - I can see greatness, but that's not going to happen today - for me it will take seat time, track's I'm familiar with and challenge me in my hobby - I'm not sure if I can master this beast, and only time will tell if I can be worthy of the RS as opposed to my pace in a GT3, but I'm willing to try and looking forward to the future…OMG I can not wait to get mine stateside and see if i can level up with this car…
the RS is exquisite but demands competence - a GT3 RS will withhold lap pace until you prove yourself worthy…you can match a GT3 - but being better than a GT3 - that's trickier with this guy.
finally we get some extra time and my daughter gets some epic seat time in a gorgeous 718 gentian blue Boxster spyder - the instruction is excellent and in a few laps my daughter is showing some actual novice pace and there is a big smile on her face - I may have just ruined her life - she says "it was fun"… I think she's hooked, but at 21 with no degree yet, job or career - we all know there is time but she's been exposed to the disease - we'll see if she over the years develops a full fever.
Porsche knows we have extensive travel plans, those plans were to include some travels in both cars. Porsche has arranged a loaner car. A base Cayman from Leipzig or a GT4 RS or 911 TurboS if we stop by Stuttgart - Stuttgart is a 4 hour detour from Leipzig and the day is late and I'm tired - the GT4 RS is _NOT_ a car for road tripping given it's noise level - and while the 911 TurboS is enticing it's still 4 hours out of the way - I choose not to subject myself or travel companions to the delay - and we head out for our next overnight destination Nuremburg as a way point to Davos switzerland - GPS says 3 hours - let's do this!! Some final photos, a brief snack at the cafe and we wave good bye to Leipzig and begin our journey - Murphy has a few more tricks for today - there is no carplay in my cayman, the PCM is all in german even though settings are configured to english, and Leipzig traffic is hideous - but after 40 min or so we achieve…escape!
yes my friends - we have unrestricted autobahn nirvana and I'm in a Porsche Cayman and my buddy is in 2023 GT3 Touring - let's do this! we are flying, we're having fun and it was epic. I had a great time. I'm not impressed with the Cayman, this is not a tight autocross course - the base engine sounds like a hampster trap, and the car is nervous on the suspension - put in "sport" mode suspension and the harmonics almost dangerously unsettle the car at 190 kph - turn that button off!! And is that a whiff of understeer on gentle curves of the bahn - yeah the Cayman is not for me -but it's a loaner not a purchase and my buddy is chasing me in one of the finest vehicle's ever made, his feedback is polar opposite - he's observing break in - so 5k RPM in 7th gear is only 120'ish mph - more than a match for the Cayman, but a walk in the park for the GT3 - he's flying, and the GT3's suspension dominance is evident. It's not nervous, it's not tapped out, it's engine doesn't sound like 67 hamsters screaming in agony - quiet competence and an urging to do more is it's game - this car was built for the autoban and it's dominance is oozing with anticipation - once the brake in period is lover this car is going to be be awesome…
we arrive hotel, under ground parking and collapse into our rooms - OMG what a day
Porsche tells me that Wed. was quite the sh*t show -once it was determined my car was non-functional apparently there was much institutional correction that has been invoked. This is simply not the Porsche or German way - my car was transported to Stuttgart, root cause will be determined, heads will roll - all future RS's deliveries will be better for it as Porsche finds root cause to make sure this never happens again - yes Rennlist I took one for the team, you're welcome! My RS will be fixed and send to California ASAP - Porsche was deeply chagrined and provided necessary effort to allow me to complete my trip. The Cayman is not my cup of tea but one could do a lot worse, and I'm looking forward to rest of the trip with my daughter, my friend and the epic locations we have planned - the RS is being diagnosed and cared for - and it will arrive in California in due time and I can feel it will quietly taunt me to be better, because that is what it will require, lap pace will be earned, not delivered - 10th's will only be shaved for technique not for pocket book and at the end of the day it will only reward mastery not simple presence in the driver's seat. This is going to be quite the journey - I can't wait to get started…
Upaid plug!!
Big thanks to Steven's Creek Porsche of San Jose- they have supported both myself and my friend in this endeavour and have always done well by me for my many Porsche deals over the years. I can highly recommend them to anyone for their Porsche business. Tell them I sent you so that they continue to treat you and I well! Even though there was the snafu on delivery - the arrangements, process, and actual purchase of the vehicle's has been stellar. And had my GT3 had it's unfortunate problem with a US delviery, experience has taught me that the servcie crew at Steven's creek are simply excellent and offer great factory/dealer service. Get your next Porsche from them! They have not sponsered me -I'm their customer - but with out their support and engagement none of this would be possible - I would have never had the joy and agony of a european delivery. I appreciate the fact that I'm doing this at all, even though there was a snafu. Thanks guys/gals!! We'll do this again in a few years hopefully!
some pics…
a loaner… a daughter an instructor a facility a race car a future challenge
Last edited by daveo4porsche; 09-01-2023 at 05:33 PM.
I have been granted an audience and my seat time in a doppelgänger GT3 RS (Shark Blue) and the instructor picks a 992 GT3 as the lead car and explains the lead follow procedure - he will adjust his pace based on his assessment of my pace and we'll proceed from there. I get in adjust the seat, daughter next to me and we head out on to track - the first recon lap he's explaining basics of track driving the 3 blue cones (turn in, apex, track out) and taking a mild pace - as I am an accomplished amateur (renn list's words not mine) I'm on his bumper and line choice is nearly perfect, the pace quickens the instructor has less to say on the radio - by lap 2.5 the instructor has capitulated and notes I clearly have skills and he will cease talking on the radio so he can focus on properly waxing my tail in his "lesser" GT3 - and the real chase begins - I'm disappointed he can gap me in several corner exits, but the GT3 RS makes up ground in the braking zones - we are equally matched in straight aways as both cars have similar/identical power - yes people as speculated the GT3 RS will only be faster if you can drive it properly vs. the excellent 992 GT3 - by the last lap I'm finely getting "it' and I'm doing more RS things and the gaps are lessening - first time on this track for me, line choices must be precise if the RS is going to be faster than the GT3 - but the taste of what the RS could be is tantalizing - this car will only be fast with skill, not with brute force. The 992 GT3 is just too good to roll over purely based on name recognition alone - no the RS requires a driver not a financier to be quick. If you're not willing to invest the time and technique, the 992 GT3 will make you fast enough to embarrass most people - but the RS requires focus, determination, finesse and leveling up of one's skills, otherwise it's just another GT3 with nothing special - I can see greatness, but that's not going to happen today - for me it will take seat time, track's I'm familiar with and challenge me in my hobby - I'm not sure if I can master this beast, and only time will tell if I can be worthy of the RS as opposed to my pace in a GT3, but I'm willing to try and looking forward to the future…OMG I can not wait to get mine stateside and see if i can level up with this car…
the RS is exquisite but demands competence - it's will not simply hand you lap pace…
Awesome writeup, what an unparalleled way to begin to understand your car. Love it
Awesome write up - you have a great attitude given the circumstances. Have you considered a career in writing? Hope everything goes a little smoother the rest of the way..
Just an absolute bummer you couldn't get your actual car while you were there. Glad you were able to make the best of it. Admittedly I would have struggled to not raise an unholy level of hell if it was me. Your approach was 100% the right way to go.
yes Rennlist I took one for the team, you're welcome!
My RS will be fixed and send to California ASAP - Porsche was deeply chagrined and provided necessary effort to allow me to complete my trip. The Cayman is not my cup of tea but one could do a lot worse, and I'm looking forward to rest of the trip with my daughter, my friend and the epic locations we have planned - the RS is being diagnosed and cared for - and it will arrive in California in due time and I can feel it will quietly taunt me to be better, because that is what it will require, lap pace will be earned, not delivered - 10th's will only be shaved for technique not for pocket book and at the end of the day it will only reward mastery not simple presence in the driver's seat. This is going to be quite the journey - I can't wait to get started…
08-30-2023, 05:54 PM
Hope everything goes a little smoother the rest of the way..
