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I went for my first really good drive of the season today. Temps in the 50's dropping into the 40's in the mountains.
We all know our cars are great but over the winter it can be hard to remember exactly how brilliant they can be.
Let me paint a picture for you of a narrow tree-lined canyon road. On one side is a steep mountainside that spits rocks and gravel onto the road at inopportune times. On the other side is a flimsy guard rail and an abrupt drop into a river filled with snow-melt runoff. The sides of the road are covered in mounds of snow, further narrowing the usable pavement. The canyon is steep sided, some corners see full sun while others are in the shade most of the day. The road surface is a mix of bare pavement, streaming water, snow edging in from the sides, patches of gravel and the occasional rock.
There is a stretch of this road that consists of unrelenting corners with camber and elevation changes throughout. 35 mph corners mixed with a few 20 and 25 mph bends. There are no straights in this section, just corners leading into corners leading into corners.
The stage is set.
On this road, on this day, my 993 was a monster. Massive traction through the dry sections, shrugging off the wet sections as if they didn't matter, getting loose but maintaining wonderful control through the patches of gravel, pushing through bits of snow and then charging ahead to the next piece of pavement. Pinpoint steering precision to avoid rocks, to chase the traction and follow the best line through each corner.
I thought I needed a C4 to tackle such a road, but I was wrong. The C2 is a perfect instrument, she always got the power down, went exactly where I told her and gave me the feedback I needed to feel confident threading between mountainside and river bottom.
Here's a picture from a quiet moment on this road earlier in the week when there was more snow. I posted it on another thread yesterday, but it really belongs here!
Thanks for the visual, I felt like I was right there. God I can't wait to get my distributor back. I have such withdrawal that I have just about watched every YouTube video on the 993. I can't wait for my first drive of the season.
Maybe I missed the answer in a previous post?
Much of the marvelous challenging drive you describe is tire dependent, as well as suspension set up.
What tires were on, much tread remaining, fairly new rubber?
Thanks for the visual, I felt like I was right there. God I can't wait to get my distributor back. I have such withdrawal that I have just about watched every YouTube video on the 993. I can't wait for my first drive of the season.
I wish I could have made a video for you, but I'm not that advanced .
Maybe I missed the answer in a previous post?
Much of the marvelous challenging drive you describe is tire dependent, as well as suspension set up.
What tires were on, much tread remaining, fairly new rubber?
Its true! I'm on Pilot Sport A/S 3+ with a couple thousand miles on them. They are truly great in mixed conditions and still have impressive grip on warm, dry roads.
Suspension is PSS10 with RS-hardness bushings everywhere, RS+10 ride height and RS alignment settings.
We were in shorts, 78° sunshine n sunglasses, mulling about Pelican Parts open house, and enjoying chicken n carne asada tacos with all the fixins.
Here's a coupla pics...Including Wayne's 959.
Thanks for sharing those pictures. That green RSR is tasty!
I was in San Diego last week and I wish I could have stayed just a little longer so I could have driven up to the open house. Would have been fun to meet you there.
I also like the analogue feel to our cars with very limited electronic input. Keeping the car tyre side down is largely down to the driver!
It certainly puts you in a different state of mind. When I drive a car with stability control I know there is a safety net. When I drive the 993 I'm hyper-aware of what would happen to me if I make a mistake. Its like the difference between a nice walk in the woods and hiking in a wilderness that contains Grizzly Bears and Mountain Lions.
A drive in the 993 activates risk centers in the brain that don't often come alive in our modern world.
No Hi-Jack intended...but I drove a genuine 73 RS, left hand drive in New Zealand a few years back. The car was owned by a Porsche Club of New Zealand founder...what a high. Left hand drive in a left hand driving country such as New Zealand is interesting
No Hi-Jack intended...but I drove a genuine 73 RS, left hand drive in New Zealand a few years back. The car was owned by a Porsche Club of New Zealand founder...what a high. Left hand drive in a left hand driving country such as New Zealand is interesting
I think there should be a rule that any thread can be hijacked at any time by a story about a 73 RS.
03-03-2017, 08:21 PM
An ode to the 993
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