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yeah, even w a v1, thats a real downside to having this car and road tripping since it almost requires a concerted "effort" to not creep up past 65/70mph suddenly finding you're doing 80+ .. and i wouldn't push my luck, driving unknown geography v1 or no. out of state citations are a b*tch.
unless i was ( maybe ) in WY/TX or NV. still, it's not often we get to set/use cruise control ha!
Running the most received V1 in my 6TT, with the ESP it tends to filter out tons of junk that my older one that lives in one of the Audi's tends to go haywire from blind spot mirrors/adaptive CC ect. Tend to just drive along with the flow of traffic on long road trips and try not to attract unwanted attention.
I think mine has been back forth from SLC to SoCal 4 times it's a great drive. Most of the trip is going though southern UT and the speed limit is 80 so set the cruise at 85 make great time and don't even worry about tickets.
Didn't get my project done for the Power Tour. Won't drive "stock" or "slow" on the Power Tour....so I'm taking the GT2 at less than 3" of ground clearance on the tour. I've always sworn the JRZ Pro's were some of the most comfortable shocks I've owned.....guess I'll test them off track this time. Hopefully the new shoes get here in time so I'm not on track worn rubber.
Didn't get my project done for the Power Tour. Won't drive "stock" or "slow" on the Power Tour....so I'm taking the GT2 at less than 3" of ground clearance on the tour. I've always sworn the JRZ Pro's were some of the most comfortable shocks I've owned.....guess I'll test them off track this time. Hopefully the new shoes get here in time so I'm not on track worn rubber.
I went from PSS10's to the JRZ rsPros and had the same experience, better on and off track than the Bilsteins.
I think mine has been back forth from SLC to SoCal 4 times it's a great drive. Most of the trip is going though southern UT and the speed limit is 80 so set the cruise at 85 make great time and don't even worry about tickets.
Yea, I only use cruise control for short times because steady constant speed makes me feels less attentive. Good part is most of this trip would be in areas with higher limits(70-80) so a little over shouldn't be too bad.
I've done 2 800 mile round trips with my son, was great fun and felt great. stock suspension here. Waze and Radenso were key. why not do it? Bluetooth for tunes a big help.
OK OK, I'm convinced!
Thanks guys for all the nice reply's
One thing I hadn't seen commented about is protection from inaccurate radar/laser readings.
What are you guys that road trip using?
My V1 is all I've used recently but I typically like to to use my eyes/head and pick my spots/go to the track.
Over the years on long (or short) road trips I have not encountered any instances of inaccurate radar or laser readings.
What I have encountered a few times is incompetence by the operator.
In one case I was cited -- about 50 miles east of Flagstaff on I-40 -- by an AZ state trooper who got a radar signal from an SUV coming up fast behind my Porsche (Boxster). This SUV had been "racing" me for miles. He'd get a head of my car then get caught in traffic. Because I drive quite a bit and am bit more aware I'd manage to get ahead of him again -- without speeding. After some miles here he'd come again. This happened several times and it was the last time he was coming up I got a signal on the V1 and then spotted the cruiser coming over the median and when he came in behind me I knew what was going to happen.
I tried to tell the officer he made a mistake -- he admitted he had been on duty for way longer than the normal hours and was very tired -- but I got the citation anyhow. No biggie. On the way back through Flagstaff I consulted with an attorney -- no charge -- who gave me some advice and I followed his advice and lack of proof of insurance got dimissed after I faxed proof of insurance to the court. ( I had it I just couldn't find it when the officers (shortly after I was pulled over a 2nd officer showed up to nip the crime wave in the bud) were at the car.)
The speeding ticket (nearly 90mph in a 75mph zone) -- was a one point $75 fine ticket after speaking to the PA (as suggested by the attorney) and then going before the judge.
Another time down in Texas at night I got an early warning from the V1 and was picking up CB radio traffic on my handheld CB radio from truck drivers about a "city kitty" in the middle up ahead. I slowed to 5mph under the limit just before cresting the ridge and coming into view of the radar trap. Another car with an impatient driver passed my Boxster and ran straight into the radar trap. I saw the cruiser's lights come on and settled in to watch the show but I got pulled over. As I was being pulled over I heard one of the truckers over the radio say "He's pulling over the wrong 4 wheeler."
Not supposed to but in this case I put up a bit of an argument. I pointed out I had the V1 and knew a few miles before I reached the officer's location he was there. I had CB radio reports. I even had a GPS NAV unit in the car that showed my maximum speed was 65mph which was at the time the night time limit in Texas.
He was caught a bit off guard but I must have been convincing because he gave me a "warning" then let me go.
That's 2 times out of I can't remember how many times I've been through radar/speed traps over the years since Jan. 2002 when I got my first Porsche.
Both the Boxster and Turbo stick out. (Surprisingly in almost 40K miles of driving my 2006 Torrid Red GTO under the same conditions over the same roads I never got pulled over once.) If there are two or more cars on the road and one of them is speeding be prepared to get pulled over. All you can do is be situationally aware and use this when (if) the time comes. Arrange to speak with an attorney who specializes in traffic citiations (mostly DUI's but his office will handle the lesser citations too) for advice. My motto is $$$ for defense not 1$ for reparations. I don't mind payng a bit of money to get a ticket dimissed in order to keep the points off my driving record. If you have any points and get pulled over you are going to get a ticket. And when you go to fight the ticket it becomes harder because you are judged to be a "habitual" speeder. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
Might mention it is not all that bleak. I have been through a number of radar traps with other cars speeding and *not* been pulled over. In my Turbo on I-40 east of Barstow late at night. Got a chirp on the V1 and slowed down under the limit. A Lexus in a hurry zoomed on past and as we crested the rise and had the black expanse of I-40 and the surrounding desert before us the V1 went crazy. The Lexus continued on oblivious. Sure enough in hardly any time the cruiser parked on the shoulder light's came on and off it went after the Lexus.
As I drove past the pulled over Lexus I patted my V1.
Another time this time in town going down a section of road posted 35mph and with a radar speed limit sign. And nearby a sign saying the speed limit was radar enforced. The V1 gave me the speed limit sign signal but another radar signal too and I suspected it was a radar trap. Since I never speed in town I didn't have anything to really worry about but a car passed me going at least 10mph over the limit. She went past the speed limit sign flashing "Slow down" in red but continued on and passed the motorcycle cop with the radar gun. Watched him take out after her and pull her over.
Be aware that while other cars/other drivers can get "away" with 10mph over you won't. I got pulled over on I-40 east of Amarillo TX going 10mph over. I was singled out -- this time in my Turbo -- for a citation when I was just keeping up with traffic. A minor speeding ticket in Texas is no big deal. Texas has probation before adjudication and getting speeding tickets handled with very little drama is easy peasy.
(Speaking of getting away...In AZ pulled over once for not using my turn signal when changing lanes and leavng the freeway. I was so tired I was fighting falling asleep at the wheel and I think I was using the OBC stalk instead of the turn signal. Anyhow, the state trooper who pulled me over told me he holds drivers of cars like mine -- Turbo again -- to a "higher standard" than drivers of other cars. He's right and he's not alone is my experience. Some time prior to this on another road trip through AZ I watched a passenger vehicle change lanes on I-40 just east of the Colorado River so abruptly the state police cruiser officer had to brake to avoid contact. The expected pulling the passenger vehicle over never happened.)
Bottom line is you have to be aware and observant on the road. Not only is there the slight risk of getting pulled over but you have to watch for things on the road -- a tire carcass ruined a road trip in my Boxster one night -- and another time a mule deer ruined road trip in my Turbo. In the mountains I've spotted portable TV sized rocks in the roadway having fallen from above. Those "Watch for fallen rocks" signs are there for a reason. In my GTO I came upon a rock too sudden to avoid it and while the rock was not TV sized, it was large enough -- soft ball sized -- to ruin the sidewall of the right front tire of my GTO.
I drove from the flat plains of Kansas to Colorado Springs. While in CO we drove up Pikes Peak, to a ghost town, to Keystone, to the Royal Gorge and ended up with almost 1500 miles on the car. It was an awesome experience.
I'm a little late to this thread, but upon buying my car, I had either the audacity or stupidity to drive it 1,400 miles to its new home not 100% certain of its maintenance history. Very comfortable driving, but to put it in old trucker parlance, it was really hard keeping the hammer in the tool box and not creeping up to triple digits. It's that stable.
Bottom line is you have to be aware and observant on the road. Not only is there the slight risk of getting pulled over but you have to watch for things on the road
Totally agree, I always have to laugh when people say 'xyz radar detector sucks BECAUSE I GOT A TICKET!'. The radar detector detects radar, your eyes are what prevent you from getting a ticket.
I drove my SY TT from Munster Indiana to Dana point, California. A little over 2100 one way.
My car has the X73 suspension and the GT3 Euro bucket seats.
Quite a fun drive! A few people were surprised I drove that far with the seats. I actually find them more comfortable then the OEM sport seats once you are in them.
Left it there over the winter and drove back in the spring
Sure, one can take a 996 Turbo on a long road trip. But how well it is enjoyed depends I think on several things;
1. Does the car have stock suspension, and if not, how compliant is the suspension that is on the car? My 996 Turbo has Porsche's X73 suspension, and it is without question "tight". You feel every bump and surface imperfection. The car does handle very well with X73, and it is much more planted at speed versus the stock suspension, but those things come at a price. Can my suspension be tolerated on a long road trip? Of course. Then again, people also rode across the U.S. in Conestoga wagons back in the day. I've driven my Turbo on several long road trips, and while enjoyable, it wasn't as comfortable or enjoyable as it would have been had I driven my MB CLK55 AMG Cab.
2. Does the car have the stock exhaust, and if not, how bearable is the aftermarket unit on the car at the cruising RPM range you think will be used? The impact of hours of exhaust drone will have an impact. You could always use ear plugs though.
3. How well do you fit in the seat? Even though my Turbo has an adjustable lumbar support, I still can't achieve a sitting position that is equal to or better than the sitting position I can achieve in my other cars, especially my MB. This requires more frequent stops to stretch, but after a couple of days on the road, it starts taking a toll on the body. I don't have this problem with my MB.
My answer to which car to take on longer road trips? My MB.