Petevb

I just got back from a Porsche event in Sweden where I was blessed with a few once in a lifetime experiences. Ice driving the new Cayenne GTS and Turbo S was fun, rallying older 911s on a single track and frozen lake was better, but the high point was undoubtedly a ride from the man himself, Walter Röhrl, in his 991 Turbo S down a frozen single track rally stage. We chatted about turbo lag and his old rally cars as he calmly drifted the course edge to edge with one hand, never hooked up. It's been said before, but he's definitely, unequivocally, the man.

Over dinner we chatted about a range of topics, but I asked more than a couple questions about the upcoming Cayman GT4, a car I've had a deposit down on for over six months. We talked headroom, feel etc. He couldn't tell me much, but when I leveled with him and asked if I should keep my deposit he looked me dead in the eye and said "get one". He has spoken...

I just got back to the US and stopped by my dealer, but he had unfortunate news. While I've got a #4 spot with one dealer and a #5 with another, he suspected neither would be high enough to guarantee a car in the first year. A follow on .2 model is expected the second year, including a PDK option, but from the sound of it this first year is going to be pretty hard to get. As we brainstormed options he asked me: know anyone with a 918? Well not exactly, but...

I don't know the rules, but I know those of you with 918s are far more likely to get the opportunity than mortals. I also suspect more than a couple of you are low on garage space. Hence I thought I'd put it out there- if one of you has an allocation you might be able to pass on I'd be eternally grateful. No sweat if not, of course, but I figure it doesn't hurt to ask. PM me if you do, though I suspect there will be a line... I'm in CA by the way, not that it matters.

-Pete

Walter and I mid chat below. Experience of a lifetime...

CAlexio

Great experience!!! Closest I came was having Hurley Haywood instruct me around Barber for the Porsche school.. Can't even compare

Petevb

It was true bucket list stuff, amazing. Walter was miles ahead of the course and car. The steering wheel was relatively quiet- much of the time it was entirely still as he casually balanced it with one hand, relatively little input and few large corrections required. Most of the steering was done with the throttle.

The car was preset far before the corner, and he was clearly thinking 3 corners ahead. He'd use left foot brake and throttle to initiate a slide 50 meters or more before the corner, put it into a mild drift, control the line with the throttle, then smoothly link that drift to the next one in a way that was almost slow motion and never jerky or violent. The car never actually hooked up.

There was never any understeer- he said that if he didn't provoke the drift before the corner then every 5th corner the car might get understeer. By setting the car into a four wheel drift before the corner he insured oversteer which he could control as opposed to understeer he could not, and from there he simply managed how much.

He said he clearly prefers normally aspirated for this application. The turbo's lack of throttle precision makes the car harder to place, because when he goes for the throttle he's never sure how much drift he'll get. I asked him how much less accurately he could place the car due to this- six inches, or 1 foot?

"I would say...." Walter thought for a moment, pregnant pause as he considered an answer before turning to face me fully, still at speed: "Two Feet". The moment he says that is the photo above.

vantage

Good luck Pete, hopefully someone can help you out. Does it sound like to you like PDK cars will be available in calendar 2016 as MY2017s?

Petevb

Would be my best guess, yes. Not clear if that's already as a .2 or not...

FORENN

Just saw this. Awesome stuff.

JS

Going to be a great car. Thanks for sharing.

nova996

Thinking about it more, I think being #4 or 5 is probably fine. Most of us won't get our cars until late fall or winter anyway. We'll get to stare at them in our garages all next winter and then by the time we really get to drive them it will be summer 2016 when the next batch is available. At that point you may have a facelift, maybe PDK as an option, etc.

So I'm #1 at a dealer, but I think you and I will probably have these cars out there for real next year anyway.

Well, unless you live in CA or FL.

Petevb

Yea, that'd be me (CA). FYI, a couple 918 owners tried to help out. One dealer wasn't flexible, another was. We'll see. Thanks very much to those who tried.

golfnutintib

Sweetness. Indeed. Thanks for posting Pete.