Carrera Mike

This story is just amazing! Read it from a magazine this morning and I had my "keyboard-speedster" daughter type it for me:

>>>>"03 Porsche 911 C4S/Education Through Being Stupid" by Scott Oldham.

Sometimes when you drive a car as special as a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, it's your duty to school others: here's why my car is better than yours. Last Saturday night was one of those times.

I was driving home from one of the many philanthropic programs I support. It was after 10, and I knew that if I got home by 11, I could settle in and enjoy a rerun of "Friends" and a nice glass of chardonay, a fine way to end a wonderful week of hard work and underpay, traffic was light, and I was making the most of the Porche's excellent high-speed stability. Usually I don't drive so fast, but I really wanted to see "Friends". My sixth sense was telling me it was the one when Ross wears the leather pants, plus I knew the California Highway Patrol changes shifts at 10 p.m.

So, with the digital speedometer reading exactly 100 mph, I was humming along the westbound free way, minding my own buisness and looking for Christina Aguilera on the radio because I think she's a much bigger talent than Britney. About 20 miles from home, I came up on a pack of tuned Hondas with the requisite big wings and load exhausts. They were cruising around 90 mph, being good citizens. I didn't even look over as I cruised past. After all, I'm in the Porsche. But one of the Honda Heads, a guy in a Prelude, felt frisky and latched onto my tail.

The school bell had wrung.

Leaving it in sixth, I increased my speed to 105 mph. Then 110. Then 115. Then 120. I couldn't believe it, but but as 125 mph I could still hear his obnoxious exhaust buzzing in the blind spot over my left shoulder.

Time to teach.

I downshifted to fifth gear and hit it down. The Porsche burst forward like it had been rearended by a bullet train. I could hear his exhause go up an octave in an attempt to keep up, but he couldn't. Not many cars could.

At such velocity, at night, on a public roadway, it's tough to check the speedometer or the mirrors, but I glanced down just after I shifted to sixth gear and reintroduced the throttle pedal to the carpet: 143 mph. My trusted sixth sense, the same one that alerted me to the "Friends" storyline, told me the Prelude had been successfully left behind.

What a car. Its behavior at that very stupid speed can only be described as dead stable. Despite expansion joints and other road irregularities, it never became nervous. Never made a bad move. Even when the suspension was forced into its full range of motion, and the chassis went into that classic corner-to-corner weight transfer every 911 driver has experienced for 40 years, the car's four big Michelins never even hinted that they might lose grip with the road.

With my luck sufficiently pressed, I slowed down to 85 and tried to blend in with the Camrys, Accords and Suburbans. I'll admit it: My heart was beating like I had to run up 10 flights of stairs and my brow wore just a hint of moisture. Fun.

About a minute later, just as I located the Christina classic, "Jeanie in a Bottle," on one of the easy-listening stations, my students came buzzing by like a swarm of killer bees, first the Prelude, then the throng of Civics. Not one looked over. Isn't education wonderful.

forklift

While some may write in about questionable judgement on going that fast on highway roads, I only question her taste in music.

Sun Ra

running hot by yourself invisible on an empty road has a risk level [a probability of loss or injury] i can accept.

"showing the lower classes" how fast your car is, in a group of unknown drivers all in triple digits is very high risk [a high probability of loss or injury]to the participants and the uninvolved on the road, a risk i can not accept nor impose on others. and it sounds like this was the first time the driver had drvien his car at speed. wow

while we have a gamut of people on rennlist from speed limit adherents to racers, each with shock and indignation for various deeds... i believe the CHP, and other parties see the risk differential in these 2 as well in accident rates.

but no judgement, just my opinion and glad i wasnt there

Carrera Mike

Autobahn

I feel so sorry for you guys. 125mph is something I would consider as cruising.

Carrera Mike

We(USA) need to have our own Autobahn!!! I know that there's one in Montana, Interstate Hwy 90 but it's limited to certain hours . I say, there should be one in every state.

Autobahn

I totally agree. I love the US but driving a Porsche within the speed limit day in day out would drive me mad. Our cars are the most fun when they can be driven fast. Everybody needs to stretch their legs once in a while.

Carl Young

For those wanting to "go fast" check out www.openroadracing.com and come out to some MKM racing Promotions events !! Carl

Carrera Mike

Carl, Thanks. That is interesting. This is why I miss the west coast. There are just so many things you could do there

Trader220

Everyone remember its an internet board here not exactly reality all the time. If I believed every story I read in the market chat rooms I would think that people are all as rich and good looking as they say. By the same token you cant believe all the Porsche stories people post on some of those other sites. Now which car should I drive tonight the the Ferrari 288 GTO, the 993 TT, or the brand new GT3 rs?