So on Friday, I went out with the new set up for the first time to Thunderhill (a very fast track indeed) and she scared the pants off me alright. In the right hands (aka not mine), she is a fricking grippy fast SOB. My instructor that day was a fellow-brit with a lightly modded 996 TT. He used to be a rally driver back in the day so he knows how to drift...












The good:
Turbos/Headers
The power and how it comes on. There's a lot of power with Kevin's turbos but I can't imagine what it'd be like with some lag. It's hard enough to drive a technical course like that without being inhibited by lag. The power which is lovely (way too much for me to be frank) comes on nice an early with minimal lag so the car never got bent out of shape around a turn etc...

Suspension
The suspension was fricking awesome (cheers for the recommendation Bob) as was the alignment (thanks to Brian @ Akkurat). The car was set up with 2.1 -ive camber in the front and 2.5 in the rear and slammed to high hell. My instructor had PSS9s in his car and going back and forth he said that there was just no comparison between the two coil overs. I also had the GT3 sways set to second stiffest in the rear and in the middle up front.

The grip of a stock turbo is downright insane to begin with. Going from 225s up front to 265s and then 315s in the rear from 295s only helped that. It's amazing to see it pushed closer (75%) to the limits like that.

The Pilot Sport Cups
Drove to the track on them. Drove on the track on them. Drove home on them. They still have plenty of tread. They are virtually silent on the track lol, unlike street tires that screech like crazy. But seriously once heated up, they are the bomb.

The brakes
Brembo was aware of my braking issues/woes at the shoot out and Jamie from Race Technologies stepped in. The new pads and were bedded in (cheers Brian, I took a shoulder bruise with me to the track lol) correctly and I only had a smidgen of ABS one time throughout the day. James and I individually took apart the rotors (screw by screw) and mounted the new rotors to the hats and back on they went.

The brakes got a good work out indeed and proved to be way better than the PCCB's on the instructor’s car. At the first braking point, my friend and the instructor both turned to me before the turn in and said "F##king hell, these brakes are insane!".

The sound
With the HKS BOV and the Cone Filter and a bunch of other crap removed, the sound of the car under WOT was intoxicating. I actually used Ruiner's exhaust (thanks buddy), the light weight B&B/Sportec or whatever it is and the sound was tight.

The instructor(s)
I lucked out and had two brilliant instructors with a lot of Porsche-only experience. Being a passenger during the time that they were showing me what the car could do, I really learned a lot. I'm a panzie.

The Bad
The PSM. I spoke to a few turbo owners/instructors that leave it "on". Once when I was driving and a second time when my friend, who grew up with his dad who for a living tested and raced Porsche race cars the PMS (as he called it) royally effed things up for us. In fact, it was downright dangerous. The car's handling characteristics were set up way way neutral and far from being understeer like in stock form. We powered down a straight, broke hard and went into the final two sharp bends on to the final straight with such grip and force but halfway through the PSM decided to kick in and take way our throttle, brakes etc.. and transfer that weight away from where we needed it most. It made the car understeer like mad and we went off a little into the run off area. I know there's been a lot of discussion about the "amazing" PSM saving people's lives but on the track and for the way my car is set up it seemed to be a bit of a nightmare. Both drivers, who are beyond an instructor level and familiar with Porsches had some nervy issues and did not like the change in handling characteristics that occurred at critical times. Perhaps the PSM, which is designed to work with the factory set up, suspension, tires etc... works a treat but with a modded car like mine I just didn't like it.

Brake Fluid light
Damn brake fluid light kept coming on. I used Motul which has a higher boiling temp so perhaps that was why the light went off like that. The sensor may be set for the stock fluid (ATE Gold I think?), which has a lower boiling point.

Me
I just plain suck. I might be able to deal with the 1/4mile but I'm no schumi, I'll tell you that. The car scares me on a track and it's going to take forever to get bored or anywhere close to the limits. At one point I saw a GT3 ahead of me and my tentative nature got shoved in the back seat. I caught up with it and at the final turn before the straight when this hot dog though he'd pass it, I effed up my turn in and came out slow, wide and squirly. I settled back down humbled. In general I just putted around like a chicken and should be ashamed of myself:P

Thanks for listening folks and remember, anyone that says a 996TT is too heavy/piggy and no good on the track is just wrong. I urge you guys to take the car out in whatever form (stock, modded etc..) and have a semi-pro/instructor driver show you the ropes and you'll be shocked. Out on the track and when in the right hands, there's very little that can touch it. Even cars that get tailored in. You can drive to the track, drive on it and go home all on one set of tires in the 996TT.


Hope you guys like da' pix:

 

 

Great post!

I have never been on a track but it is my goal to finally see what this car can do.

 

Thanks Controlit! I am really wondering how folks with modded cars like us deal with the PSM?

You really should go out there! Take it easy first time. I sure did... It's very humbling

 

Alex, nicely done my friend, that was a great day, I'll see about making sure I can go up with you to the next one. And much thanks to Dave for bring the easy-up sun shade (or else I'd be nice and toasty)

 

That was fun as heck:P Hopefully at the next one there won't be as many cars aka as much traffic and I'll come out of my shell a little more.

Cheers for driving last night. I was utterly sick of cars by then lol...

PS Ben you are worse than me playing with the BOV. Everytime we went past anyform Honda/Acura's etc... you just had to givem them a "psssshhhh" didn't you?

 

Great Sharkey, welcome to the traxk club. Tell everyone how highly you recommend this and how mech better of a driver it will make you.

I am just getting aquainted with PSM but at the track, I am leary. I will give my comments when I get my car out for a week next month.

 

i'm confused, you can't turn the PSM off?

 

hehe, sure thing man I felt awful myself, but I wasn't tired. Yeah, there's just something fun about that BOV man, can't explain it

 

Alex,

Great report! Did you try without the PSM on? If so, did it make the difference when trying to keep the car balanced, and power through corners?

 

Ah thanks man! I really can't stress enough that it's whole different world out on the track. I used to "think" I knew how to handle my car and drive it. I got out there and was in for a lesson- a good one! It's a lot of fun so anyone with a car like ours can go to the track out of the box.... Can't wait to hear your comments. Try it with and without the PSM... or PMS

 

You "can"... I was just leary of doing so. Even if you turn it off, it "can" come on. It's just one of those things that jumps in at the strangest of times...

 

awesome - i much prefer pics of filthy TTs in ACTION on the track vs spotless garage queens parked in a ACed garage w/ 10 coats of wax.

 

Sorry I didn't make it up that day...

Can't wait to join you on the track Alex!

 

Alex..nice pics!!car looks awesome on the track!!(of course off the track also)!!!!