Hi

Will do. Just having to work through my garage space. I also need to let the better half know as the decision was somewhat in the moment...though I think she has found out and playing dumb for effect when told.

I expect to have it up here late next week or so.

Cheers
Richard

 

Until the 2k cup gear goes I'm playing the equivalent of garage tetris. Even then there is only so much space and parking yet another 'toy' in the dry while my wife parks outside would not be a smart move.

 

Thanks David re your Stewart Island knowledge offer. We have a holiday house booked. Will email you :-)

I often wonder how you are getting on after the Kaikoura disaster wiping your income source. I want to include Kaikoura on our SI trip to spend holiday money there but being one way in and out again (from the wrong direction -South) it isn't going to work this time.

Thinking about leaving my car in chch for a few weeks and flying back with Jan for a w/e at Akaroa. With flying so cheap it works pretty well.

 

me neither unless its in a polo or similar in 4th gear struggling up the hill

 

Have just signed up for the 26th, except for Nigel Kay it's all GT cars plus Steve R and Sam T with the M4, should be a good temp and loads of fun.

Dave, Sam T had a look at the UK 997.2, reckons it was a bit furry underneath but still worth a look considering the ask price.

What time is Fridays HD day kicking off? I have a appointment in Bombay at 10am, might swing by the track for an hour, have a chinwag beforehand.

 

Great work on the sign up mate. Be good to see you back on the track. Looks like it's going to be a great day.

Friday kicks off around 9.30am...

 

Thanks Pel,
Not buying of course but good to know. 997.2's don't come up much and this one seems to be hanging.

 

I thought you were ready to maybe move an air cooled and try the dark side. Understand your concerns re values, however having something in a garage you don't need to give a celebratory dashboard tap once surviving a track day is also very enjoyable.

 

996.2 GT3

Any dets on this ?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used...1263873777.htm

 

:Owned by Fritzle - so seriously abused, kept in a dungeon with whips & chains etc...

 

Wow. A barn find! NZ new 61k km. This one will be a good guy for you Buba...I wonder if its one of the few factory clubsport 003 versions that were sold new in NZ?

 

someone called nigel is bidding on it???

 

True, I am some time off a newer 911, still preferring the old metal of which I have yet to sample a few more of - if only the prices would settle down. I could not place a newer 911 except for being a daily driver but for similar money there is so much on offer these days. Depreciation on a 997.2 would be under control whereas a performance near new BMW for example wouldn't be. The 911 being older you would expect more to do maintenance wise whereas a newer euro would be the dealers problem. Anyway, I seem to be reliving my youth with euro hot hatches these days - all the car you would ever need and then a couple of oldies for fun.

 

A mini review of the MY2017 Ford Focus RS for anyone who may be interested.

I picked the car up from the Taupo Ford dealer yesterday afternoon and it is now in Auckland having racked up 500km in a variety of conditions/useage.

First up, the car has way more presence in the flesh than in photographs. Particularly the colour which is very hard for the lens to capture accurately.

First drive yesterday was 100k of Taupo B roads, mostly fast flowing ones with no traffic. It was dry and relatively warm (26c).

Build quality and interior were a nice suprise. I have had Focus rental cars in the last 12 months and wasnt convinced the RS would be better. Its made in Germany and they have used some better quality plastics in the car. It is fitted with firm, manual Sparco bucket seats which I was skeptical of but found to be perfect, dare I say even more comfortable than the ones in my GT3!

The car comes with a whole load of new tech, most of which eludes or confuses me. Keyless entry and start, stop/start (hate it), back up camera, distance sensing HID headlights, Apple CarPlay etc.

In a straight line the car pulled well but didn't take my breath away. I guess this is the result of already owning a 0-100 in 3.5s car.

The gearbox and clutch are very good. Not as good as the GT4 but better than most others Ive driven. The car doenst have the auto downshift blip function, which is good as Im not a fan of these preferring to heel and toe myself, but unfortunately the brake pedal is too high in the FocRS to do this easily. There is an aftermarket spacer kit to address this and I will probably order it.

Steering is good with nice weight but not a highlight. Its an EPAS system and doe not have the feedback and feel of the current GT3/GT4/. It has a "slow" rack but on the move you dont notice it, but when parking/maneuvering you do.

The car is built for cornering. Its very neutral. Very little understeer. The torque is very useful for getting out of corners quickly, you can start laying down power from mid corner. It has much more torque than the GT3! The 4WD system is very trick and relatively benign. The bets driving mode was Race with the shocks set to normal. The damping is very very good for NZ roads, taking car of bumps well at speed. Maybe Im just used to firm rides though.

If you have every owned a Subaru WRC Version 4 or above STI this car is very similar in terms of performance, a little bit quicker and more neutral with better damping and more modern conveniences (and a better interior etc). The car builds speed very quickly and its deceptive as there is little wind or tyre noise (compared with say a WRX or a 911/GT3/GT4).

In Race mode (and even in Sport) the car does sound better than I expected from inside. Outside Im told it sounds pretty good too. But its not a patch on a GT3 driven in anger of course. That said it sounded almost as good as the GT4 I drove a few months back...

So I went to bed last night with only a short drive under my belt, thinking I needed more seat time before drawing a meaningful conclusion, but that this was probably a 7.5 car on the Macca Scale (my 991.1 GT3 I rank as a 9.0).

This morning as I left Taupo the rain started. It got heavier the closer I got to Auckland and it didnt let up for the entire drive. I took my usual long route via Manakino, Te Awamutu, Pirongia then SHW 22 etc.

I have to say I didnt hold much hope for this drive. But after 15 minutes I was in the groove and this thing was slaying the road. The 4WD was epic in the wet (car is shod with 19" x 235 MPSS). The torque means you can get out of most situations in 4th and rarely need 3rd except in the really tight stuff. I dont time myself on these types of drives, but I can say that the car covered ground as quickly as the GT3 in the dry! As confidence built in the chassis it became evident you can really push on with this car even in the wet once the tyres have temperature. I was blkoody impressed with the way it simply slayed the roads, took the bumps and not once in 340km did it slip, slide or put a foot wrong. I drove it in Sport mode with shocks in normal mode. Epic!

Downsides? Try an average on the trip to Auckland of almost 15L per 100km on a 50L tank! I needed to fill up before getting come from a fresh tank in Taupo, Ive never done that before. Otherwise, for that drive in those conditions I can hand on heart say that there isnt a car I own or have owned that was more capable for the conditions. It would be a great Targa Tour car

It would be really nice to bump it to 400 from 350 bhp and 550nm from 470nm, just to have the straight line pull that matches its cornering ability. There are plenty of proven options with a $650 USD Cobb handset and Tune+ tune being the favored choice by many. Mountune also have a warranty friendly version with 375 bhp and 500nm. Cheap horsepower here.

Off throttle response wasn't bad at all for a turbo. I think they have tuned for this somehow. Replacement parts are cheap when you are used to "Porsche Tax". A complete "crate" replacement engine is $9000!

Brakes were simply brilliant. Large Brembos up front. No one can fault them and I cant either, they were progressive, effective with zero fade or softness on the road at least.

If you want a really fund around town car (it does get around the streets quickly) and dont have to content with Auckland traffic on your daily commute then the new Focus RS is a very compelling package. Low depreciation, relative scarcity and brilliant handling (corners etc) coupled with a 4WD chassis and compliant but sporty ride with many different mode options makes it close the the perfect practical 5 door daily driver and weekend fun car IMO. I think with the heel/toe pedal modification and a Cobb tune to bump the power and toque up a tad you would have a 0-4.2s rocket ship that would keep up or better any exotic on a back road drive, whilst not breaking the bank.

So is it a 7.5 or is it an 8.0? After the drive to Auckland I was thinking its an 8.0, but I dont give that lightly, so Ill put another 500km on it on backroads in the dry and report back later.

I went into this with big reservations, and I happy to say the car bettered my expectations. Its not a Porsche but neither is it Porsche money/image. I think if you had one in your garage youd be pretty smug, as the value it offers cant be beaten. I spent the day before yesterday in a new Golf GTI in the dry on city roads. That car didnt sound as good (inside or out), had even less steering feel, had some understeer and torque steer (FWD) and didnt have the urgency of the RS. It has a nicer designed and built interior though and it was a fun car, but not particularly unique (I say 20 others that day on the roads in Auckland).

So we have the white car and the blue car, just waiting now for the red car (Alfa). I think the Alfa will eclipse the RS in almost every way, but with 510 bhp, rear wheel drive and P Corsa ultra high performance tyres there no way it will cover ground like the Focus in the wet!

Picture or it didnt happen (as I say colour and presence dont translate in pictures for this car)...

 

Thanks Macca, enjoyed that. Any plans to try it on the track?