mitch236

Probably don't want to push the tires too hard if they are balding. Just too unpredictable.

Get newer tires and go to a big enough parking lot. Drive around in a circle faster and faster until the tires start to get noisy and lift! Now you know what it feels like to spin!

On a serious note, I think it is an advantage that you don't have PSM. On another thread, we are discussing the disadvantages at this moment!

Rob in WA

I think it's pretty easy to get the back end loose, but you have to try. It's not nearly as easy as it was in the older 911s, but I regularly get the back end loose in my C4 w/PSM on. It's very predictable and controled. I have a few curves by my house that I'm always trying to get the 'perfect drift' on - once out of fifty can I nail the heel-toe into the 'perfect drift.'

TD in DC

Rob in WA

What's confusing about that? (I'm talking about drifting not lifting off the throttle - I've never had the back end come out that way.)

TD in DC

I do not understand what you are trying to say. I have always understood heel-toeing to be a technique pursuant to which you can shift while braking in a manner least likely to upset your car or break your transmission. I am not certain how you could use heel-toeing to induce a drift. I simply do not understand what you are saying. Do you mean that you trailbrake to induce a drift? I mean no insult, just trying to understand.

Rob in WA

Sorry for the confusion, not using heel-toe to induce drift, just the combination of moves which is so rewarding in the rear engine configuration. There is an S curve after a short straight - I heel-toe into the first corner (before apex) and then throttle through the next two trying to achieve optimum drift (I'm at the end of a closed road so it's safe to cross the line).

TD in DC

Ok, that makes sense. I am sure in retrospect you can understand my confusion, right?

Rob in WA

Darren

I think this would be a great test for him to try....Go to a parking lot, and do your damndest to try to get the rear end to come around. Lift or brake in a hard turn, do whatever you can. It's not so easy to do. Of course, this doesn't mean it defies the laws of physics, that mass is still in the rear, and at some point the inertia can't be overcome.

I had the same initial anxiety because the 996 was the first 911 I ever drove. In reality, its a very easy car to drive.

agio

For me, the 996 is prone to a bit of understeer. The "nortorious" oversteering which was present in the older 911, was (as previous noted above) engineered out lfor the most part. But as has been said, get the car on a skid pad, do some DE's, work with adjustments in tire pressures, etc. and you'll get the "feel" of the car over a reasonable amount of time.
Having said this, it does not hurt to have a healthy respect for the car, but not a fear of it.

skipp

thanks again everyone....went to the NC mountains today and had a ball on the long sweeping turns acending and decending the mountains.