So I take the new-to-me 996 out for a drive tonight. There's not a lot of good roads around my place, but there's a ski hill (a mountain actually), and in the summertime, the roads which leads up to it is absolutely empty and pretty much perfect for testing ones skills and getting a few thrills. Some nice longish straights, some sweepers, some switchbacks, all uphill of course which I've always found lends a nice dynamic to a spirited drive.

In the "old" days I was able to wring my little 911 out pretty much as far as it woud go. I'd hit speeds of 100 mph, maybe 120 on some of the longer stretches, get the tail out on the tighties, flat six wailing it's three litre guts out at redline through the Dansk exhaust. I'd usually come away feeling like Jeff Schwartz (famous Porsche rally driver/hillclimb champ for you 997 guys), or Walter Rorhl back whn he was my age.

So this was kind of my first chance to take the 996 up the hill. Cold air, moon out, absolutely deserted, and yah - what can I say. 100+ mph dials up like RFN (right foolin now) and I'm still not at redline, and certainly not in top gear. Whoop here comes a turn, I don't remember this road being so short! I can see I have a lot to learn in this car. The 911 was fast (see my sig) but not like the 996 is fast. Serious piece of machinery boys.

Along those lines....I took the new owner of my 911 out for a drive recently. He says hey, your 996 is fast, but not the same kind of fast as my 911. I told him nope, it' s the faster kind of fast.

Anyway. I guess I'm grown up now. Time to learn to drive all over again...TO THE TRACK!

 

agreed, track is the only way to appreciate the machinery even more.... without driving off a cliff... hopefully

 

Yeah, cars are so fast and handle so well these days - I get a kick out of self-proclaimed experts arguing about whose car is faster (vettes, 911s, M3, etc.) and have never even been to a track. If your getting everything out of these cars on public roads, you might need to be locked up

 

Good write up jasper! I agree that the track is the place to re-learn driving these wonderful mashines in a safe environment close to their limits; especially without PSM (I don't have it either and know that after a few track days I started to not miss PSM anymore).

 

I hear ya Jasper... I recently transitioned from a 350Z to a 996 and am learning to drive all over again.

 

it's a different drive.... i have a 350z tt...... fast as hell... but the drive is absolutely different then my 911........ different beast, different taming

 

If your getting everything out of these cars on public roads, you might need to be locked up

I would expect that you meant jail, but I would suggest they should be locked up in an insane asalyum. As someone who raced on many occassions on controlled track environments with other drivers who had at least a minimal degree of proficiency in driving cars at 10/10ths, I would say that anyone who races a stranger with questionable and probably highly deficient skill sets on a public road with all the variables that adds, is crazy. Public roads are replete with immovable objects like trees, poles, and bridge abutments that are waiting to catch the driver whose driving skill sets are not nearly as robust as he may believe.

 

Seymour or Cypress? I'll bet Cypress.

 

Seymour actually - I live in Blueridge. They're similar as you know, but Seymour is well and truly deserted given there is no official lookout. The view is just as nice though - totally different perspective. I'm kicking myself for not bringing my camera. Next time