aras314

Here's the situation. I bought last year a 2006 997s convertible and on two occasion I had the opportunity to track the car on different circuits. For me it was a revelation, the beginning of new passion that I wish to pursue on a more regular basis.
I love to drive top down and I would also like to have a more oriented track car. I'm i being well served by my convertible ?
Or should I just upgrade toward a GT3 ?
In a perfect world I'd have one of each.

racer

Some tracks/clubs may require more than the factory roll hoops for protection... which means a rear mounted rollbar.

imho, I am not sure I would want to be in a car capable of say 150mph on track, with only a cloth roof over my head. The factory hardtop doesn't really provide much in the way of rollover protection either.

I'd consider getting a coupe.. whether its a 997 or an older car that may help you develop more as a driver is a wonderful debate too.

Glad to hear you are getting hooked on track driving though.. its LOTS of fun!

CBnAT

You have to make a choice as to the purpose of the car. A 997 drop top will outperform a lot of other vehicles on a track, but it will be outperformed by it's hard topped siblings. If you really want to track a car I'd try to find a hard top, just for saftey alone.

Edgy01

Most of the differences will be seen by the driver--not the car.

cbzzoom

The real answer is to get a Cup car.

Tracking is a spectrum and different cars are appropriate at different stages of the journey.

Seriously though, it seems all people who seriously track wind up giving up on the idea of a street/track car. Get a caged 944 for the track and keep the cab for the street.

utkinpol

the logical answer is - go to track with your current car until you get signed off into solo group, after that you will anyway want a gt3 car with proper 6 point harness, seats, full cage, etc. meanwhile as you start getting used to 997 platform - drive what you got. you will probably need to install RSS roll bar into your cab but I never read those rules regarding what is required for cabs safety equipment at PCA DEs.

aras314

Ccbzzoom I love the way you think.

This is exactly what I am aiming for.
But in the meantime this year I will be tracking the convertible. As far as safety goes how much of a risk am I taking ??? I have never heard of a rolled over porsche at any of the track that I've frequented.

Minok

For doing track events, where you are not racing other cars (ie you should not care how fast the rest of the field is going, only how you are improving against your own past performance), I don't see why the cab would be an issue.

Tracking what you drive allows you to really drive the car without having to have an eye out for a speed check. You don't have to drive it at the edge of capability to still get a lot of enjoyment out of a track day.

Minok

I've never bought into that. If the logic is you should get a dedicated track car, then why do you have a cab for the street? Having a car that can comfortably do 140mph but you never getting above 75mph in it would suggest you just purchase a much more mainstream commuter vehicle for your road car, and not a sports car.

I don't see why someone cannot track their road car just fine.

Caughtacab911

A 997.1 (especially S) cabrio is definitely track worthy. If you've got good tires, its performance "limits" greatly exceed that of most beginning track drivers. I was signed off to solo last year, which made for a few amazing track days before the season ended. It's easy to look at the dedicated track cars and start thinking in that direction, but I also enjoy driving mine every day. I bought a 911 cab because I had wanted one my entire life - there's nothing like top down cruising on a summer day. The fact that it's also track-worthy is a real bonus, but not why I bought it.

As for permissibility on the track (without modifications), that varies by organization and in some cases by track. PCA groups generally allow 996 and 997 cabs because they have standard pop-up roll bars that they consider adequate. The PDA (http://www.pdadrivingschool.com/article.php?id=2), a Northeast outfit that runs a weekend in Oct at the Glen where I've gone the past few years, allows such cars to run with the top down (see pic). SCCA will not allow cabs at all - I appealed to their board last year and lost. Check with the group that's running the event.

My opinion is that I have a way to go before I reach the limits of the car I drive. I also don't intend to race as some do; the 4 HPDE classes should provide plenty of adrenaline for years to come. And if you're worried about a roll-over, well, you're not enjoying yourself.

Relax and enjoy the car - on and off the track!

Gene
_________________________________________________
05 911 C2S cabriolet, arctic silver/black/full leather/chrono plus/nav/bose/tooki/sat/SRX = exhilaration
01 MB E320 4Matic wagon, midnight blue/beige = winter driver/summer hauler

RF5BPilot

Do you want to go to the track for enjoyment and to learn how to be a better driver?

Or are you thinking that you need to beat others, win money, make a living and satisfy sponsors?

If the former, your cab is the perfect car as whatever you do will translate directly to the street. If the latter....hm-m-m-m.

kosmo

the short answer is YES.
your skill level is whats important. If you are a novice the CAB proves more than adequate.
I was shocked the 1st time I had my 09 C2S Cab out on the track.

mdrums

This really is the truth. I started out in a 2006 Carrera S Cab. Drove it for 2 years on the track and it was awesome. A Cab will not hold you back from learning the basics of driving on a track nor will it hold you back from learning advanced techniques on the track.

Go sign up for your event and enjoy the car. It's a great performer.

aras314

Merci

I appreciate all of your impute. I will definitely be driving the cab on the track.

blake

Definitely track the CAB! However, when you start to push the car above 7/10th of its ability (all about the driver), you will need to consider a dedicated track car like a Coupe/GT3/Cup. Safety equipment becomes even more important, and things like power to weight ratios become things you can really feel. Look over on the 996GT3 board at the guys who are now building dedicated "stripper" GT3s and shedding 700+ pounds...

One word of caution - if you really commit to track driving, you will crash at some point because you committed to push yourself and shed time. I know of MANY totaled cars at DEs, and have personally seen 5 at my local track. That is why safety equipment is so important. Additionally, I know of one Rennlisters who died in a DE crash, so never underestimate safety.

Good luck!

-Blake