Carrera Mike

This story is just amazing! Read it from European Car 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.

DaveH

I'd have described this story as dumb more than cool. I get embarrassed at phrases such as "I didn't even look over as I cruised past. After all, I'm in the Porsche." WTF?

timf

seemed a little childish - made me cringe.
But each to their own I guess.

HRS1

lucky he was racing hondas....c4s is sloooooow

steve c

Sad. Makes me ashamed to own a Porsche.

seravi

Well, here's another story, which at least _I_ find amusing..

So, I'm heading off from work Friday afternoon with my 996TT. I stop at the traffic lights, ready to head uphill on a curly wineyard road (I live in Switzerland) and whatcha know, a 360 Modena pulls behind me like there's no tomorrow. Fine, no big deal. There's a few cars in front of me and as the light changes to green, and the whole chain of cars starts heading up, I take over the cars - The 360 in 'hot-pursuit' needless to say. Fine, bigger deal. Up goes the spoiler so that the Fefe-boy knows we're in business and off we go. A straight opens - <2> floor it <3> floor it - a double-S curve with +50m steep fall on your left <2> heel-toe myself through the bends and the Fefe is already a few hundered meters away. Another straight opens and I luckly get the perfect spot to pass a few <ahem> slower moving objects. More curves and bends and the Fefe is only a memory now. Okay, I think, maybe the guy gave up. Fat chance, as soon as I get to the highway and reach my normal limit+20 (kph), the Modena does one of those 'ricer fly-bys' going +200kph.

No, I didn't chase him anymore. And no, I really think I didn't take big unnecessary risks. For that I'm heading to Dijon in a few weeks..

Ps. Sadly I didn't get any rush, neither in my head nor in my pants. The original story seemed to more about the lastly mentioned.. Maybe this one is too..

Carrera Mike

Seravi,

Way to go!

Sanjeevan

My $0.02 But, I may be in the minority.
The funny thing is the story did not sound "dumb" or "childish" , after reading it I am neither embarassed nor ashamed to own a porsche. I certainly did not cringe upon reading the story and I am damn sure I don't feel the C4S to be slooooowww ( may be compared to a TT or ZO6).
I have to confess however, the few occasions I was stuck behind a slow car on the passing lane and I find a few car lengths of space on the right lane, I do a careful pass on the right and step on my gas only to find the car on the left lane a mere speck on my rearview mirror but still trotting along on the left lane trying to pass the vehicle, brings me a funny sort of satisfaction and a smirk. May be this is why I can kind of relate to the story. These cars never stop amazing me.

Ruf-Racer

Nevada open road race. shut down was caused by turbo hose blowing off after the house turn. First radar trap was 206 mph. See "Elko Mov.@

02_TT_Menlo Park

2 words describe this post...

VERY LAME!

Ruf-Racer

>>VERY LAME!<<
As lame as racing on a public highway? Sorry to offend you 02_tt, the point is there are ways to enjoy high performance without doing crazy stuff on a public highway.

cheers,
R

02_TT_Menlo Park

No offense taken. The speeding is fine, its just that the story is not worthy of the subject line... 'must read'? You must be entertained easily mr Rufricer.

DaveH

I don't think people's comments are about giving it a bit of the old right foot - more so the pathetic and sad attitude towards people who haven't got as "nice" a car. ******* drive Porkers just as much as they drive Civics with ironing boards stuck on their trunks. This guy's account proves that.