Very interesting discussion. When I moved from F/R cars to a 911, it really exposed my driving flaws. The management of weight transfer is essential to driving 911s, thus braking needs to be done earlier, inputs smoother, the cars are very responsive to trail braking to initiate direction changes and manage entry speed, and you need patience with the throttle (at the apex). The 911s strengths are in acceleration coming out of turns (due to engine weight being over driven wheels) and in braking (engine in rear helps evenly distribute braking more evenly on all four tires and not too much on the fronts). This leads to really trying to lean into "point and shoot" driving..taking advantage of full throttle post apex and late braking, which results in significant weight transfer changes when trying to go fast. Now managing this weight transfer requires much more finesse because you are constantly harnessing the cars strengths while managing the magnified weight transfer effects. I found myself braking too late, over-slowing the car, not using gentle trail braking to help change direction and manage entry speed, and using throttle too early to make up for my over-slowing. I think once you drive a 911 well, managing the balance between point and shoot and momentum driving, you'll pretty much be a better driver in any other F/R or mid-engined car.
Love the weight manager description and totally agree - all cars require that and all have different characteristics, but that is what makes you a good driver.
A note about Donohue and the IROC Carrera. In his book The Unfair Advantage on page 320 he writes "I wasn't close enough to the program to know wat was happening. At the outset Roger told me ""Don't get involved with those cars, and don't talk to anyone who is working on them. Don't even look at them! If you so much as touch one you'll ruin the whole deal"" He writes that Peter Reinhart and Milt Minter did the set-up work.
There are Videos that show Walter Röhrl driving a historic Flatbeetle "Racecar" around the rainy Northloop. He is not steering with big inputs. But always.Literally. He always balanced every imput. More dancing than Wrestling.
As a first-generation German American, Porsche typifies how stubborn Germans are. Porsche took an incorrect design and spent the next 60 years improving the car, which proved that they were right the whole time.
So why has Porsche over the years been moving the rear engine closer to the rear axle if it was the ideal layout? In addition, they have been making it bigger to offset the rear weight bias of the early cars. Porsche...stop trying to defeat physics and show the world just how good the Cayman can be. "How do you tame a rear engine sports car? Make it bigger! "
Very interesting discussion. When I moved from F/R cars to a 911, it really exposed my driving flaws. The management of weight transfer is essential to driving 911s, thus braking needs to be done earlier, inputs smoother, the cars are very responsive to trail braking to initiate direction changes and manage entry speed, and you need patience with the throttle (at the apex). The 911s strengths are in acceleration coming out of turns (due to engine weight being over driven wheels) and in braking (engine in rear helps evenly distribute braking more evenly on all four tires and not too much on the fronts). This leads to really trying to lean into "point and shoot" driving..taking advantage of full throttle post apex and late braking, which results in significant weight transfer changes when trying to go fast. Now managing this weight transfer requires much more finesse because you are constantly harnessing the cars strengths while managing the magnified weight transfer effects. I found myself braking too late, over-slowing the car, not using gentle trail braking to help change direction and manage entry speed, and using throttle too early to make up for my over-slowing. I think once you drive a 911 well, managing the balance between point and shoot and momentum driving, you'll pretty much be a better driver in any other F/R or mid-engined car.
Love the weight manager description and totally agree - all cars require that and all have different characteristics, but that is what makes you a good driver.
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A note about Donohue and the IROC Carrera. In his book The Unfair Advantage on page 320 he writes "I wasn't close enough to the program to know wat was happening. At the outset Roger told me ""Don't get involved with those cars, and don't talk to anyone who is working on them. Don't even look at them! If you so much as touch one you'll ruin the whole deal"" He writes that Peter Reinhart and Milt Minter did the set-up work.
Thank you for the correction! You're totally right, that's embarrassing. My error-I've read Unfair countless times and loved it! - Sam
I wonder how much the Porsche 911 reputation comes from the MBA’s buying them and not being competitive drivers?
911 understeers when you start the turn in before the car is ready, and oversteers when you apply the power too soon.
There are Videos that show Walter Röhrl driving a historic Flatbeetle "Racecar" around the rainy Northloop.
He is not steering with big inputs. But always.Literally.
He always balanced every imput.
More dancing than Wrestling.
My 85 gt mustang will also oversteer w the blip of throttle. My next car is a 911 sc
You should do the original beetle
As a first-generation German American, Porsche typifies how stubborn Germans are.
Porsche took an incorrect design and spent the next 60 years improving the car, which proved that they were right the whole time.
Arguable that it's 'incorrect'
They have to hobble the Cayman in all forms for marketing purposes
@@colinbowman8816 Drive a 356 above 6/10's and let me know your thoughts.
@@Petrol_and_Cabernet would love to! I've only been lucky enough to drive one around the neighborhood before. Super fun car...
So why has Porsche over the years been moving the rear engine closer to the rear axle if it was the ideal layout? In addition, they have been making it bigger to offset the rear weight bias of the early cars. Porsche...stop trying to defeat physics and show the world just how good the Cayman can be. "How do you tame a rear engine sports car? Make it bigger! "
hurricane porsche seems a 964/993 ? given the viscous coupling on the front?
I found a 996 at southaby’s that claimed to be a 1000 horsepower SCCA race car called Hurricane.
So i can drive a 1987 911 turbo in the rain at its limits same as if i was in a civic si?
No it’s # 54 !
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