Newbie looking to get a Carrera S


This will be my first RR (rear engine rear wheel drive) car. Heard a lot about the difference in control of such cars and wanted to sort out fact from fiction from your first hand experiences. So a few questions to those that dont mind.


How many of you had the tail snap out unexpectedly, perhaps even sending you into a spin?

Did you personally find it difficult to master the RR set up?

What advice would you give to someone driving/buying a 911 for the 1st time?




Thanx to all
and ahh, sorry for the double post as I put this in the wrong section the 1st time.

 

WOW!

Did I say something wrong?

 

Ok, I'll help. I just bought my first Porsche. I have been driving SUV's for about 10 yrs now. No problems at all. You just have to respect the machine, and get used to it. Don't try to hit 150MPH your first time out. I learned how to drive a manual transmission when I was 16. I am 33 now, and I had no problems with the manual trans.

You'll be fine as long as you respect the power and ramp up slowly.

No spinning or trouble with the Rear engine set-up.

Buy one, and don't look back.

Cheers.

 

The reputation that 911's have is mostly based on the old cars. The modern ones are very well balanced. The trouble you can get into is the same as any other high HP car. Keep the Stability and Traction Control (PSM) turned on and you are going to have no problems.

AA

 

Hmmm, not sure if I agree 100% on this... but then again I came from an AWD Audi A4. My A4 had a GT2871R turbo upgrade putting over 300HP to all 4 wheels so it was no slouch but the cornering was very controlled and predictable. This is my first Porsche and taking it into some canyons at speed it seems the power is harder to control in turns. I guess maybe it is that fear of having the rear end snap around! I am looking forward to my first DE event so I can get some seat time with a pro that can teach me the basics. I have never had a high HP car except for the AWD versions so there is a "learning curve" here. Still, I have taken the car up to 150 (safely with no traffic) and done some decent speed canyon runs and the car is unbelievably stable... but I noticed it was under part throttle on curves and the car had alot more in it. I think the toughest part is learning just how fast this car can go and still stick to the pavement, seems alot higher than most cars which can make it scary to take to 9/10ths! LOL

David

 

I wish the newer models lost their tails like the old ones. If you want to loose your tail get a gt3. The newer cars can be driven blind.

Aloha

Byron

 

The main reason people get into trouble with their rwd 911's is they brake or lift when the oversteer comes into play. This reduces traction to the rear when you need it most. A combination of steering and accellerating is needed. Find a big, open parking lot in the rain and practice.


tw

 

I strongly agree, learn to drive the car first, become familiar and comfortable with the car first at normal speeds and conditions.

Then find a large open lot to experiment on, especially in wet conditions.
These cars are a blast to drive and handling is top notch.

If you dont have PSM you have to be that much more carefull if you don't know how the car behaves in certain conditions.

Enjoy your first P-car, but remember, always respect it, too much too fast and it may bite.

Cheers, David

 

I would advise you to take it to a driving school. In San Diego, the local PCA has two Performance Driving Schools every year, at a ridiculously cheap $275. I'm not sure if other regions have similar schools, but if they do, you should attend for sure. If not, look into other options, like Skip Barber, etc.

I attended 1 month after purchase, and got lots of time on the skid pad (wet/soapy asphault) as well as a number of exercises designed to increase your comfort and safety with the car. You WILL exceed the limits of the car, but in controlled situations, and you will learn a ton from it.

Of course, you then get sucked into autocrossing, and next thing you know you are looking for a second set of wheels/tires, suspension upgrades, etc...


Oh, and on the point about the back end popping out, I'm fairly aggressive on the street, where it is safe, and I've never come close to having the back end break free. The normal street alignment dials in a ton of understeer, so you've really got to have bad traction or high speed off-camber action to be at risk specifically from oversteer. But, if you go to a track alignment, or otherwise de-emphasize the understeer, I hope you are a well trained driver with lots of experience in the car...

I rode with my instructor at the driving school, and he's got an older 911 that is set up for the track, and he spun several times during the mini-autocross. That car was FAR more susceptible to oversteer, though that was at least partly by design, as track drivers want to be able to 'pitch and catch', a technique of creating oversteer momentarily (by lifting off the gas) to rotate through a turn, and then regaining rear traction (by squeezing back on the gas) to continue down the track. My car (2003 996 C2) is almost impossible to pitch, with its Porsche-approved street alignment.

 

Lot of good suggestions here. This will not be my 1st Porsche, I currently have a 968. Track time is a great suggestion. Summit Point is close to me but I believe I missed the instructor session as they only have it once a year. Will do the parking lot thing as I do w/ all of my cars.

Relieved to hear that the tail spin is a thing of the past. I’ve been doing my homework via magazines and episodes of top Gear, but nothing compares to 1st hand experience. As I look at the offset and size of the rear tires its hard to imagine breaking traction with any ease.

 

It really depends on your own experience level with high performance cars and the level of your car's setup. Stock these cars are very easy to drive with some caveats. Yes these cars are rear engined and rear drive and handle different than front engine rear drive cars or front engined front drivers. Are they anymore difficult than others? Not really. It just depends on what your used to and how fast you can adapt.

You can make a 996 handle like an edgy tail happy beast but it will have to be set up that way. Stock they are very forgiving and you can almost be hamfisted and get away with it. TTOS was very limited in a near stock 02 I drove.

As said before, take a High Performance Driving Event (HPDE). If you are close to Summit Point, it's a great facility and have good tracks. Porsche club runs one of the better schools there along with BMW club.

Also try Autocross, as it's a safe slower way to understand the dynamics of your car.

Hope this helps,

Pete

 

No problems with normal driving with the 996 layout. But for some experience of spirited driving I recommend some track days. After that you don't have much problems when tossing the car around some silent roads...(but you might have at the track...because you find it that exciting hobby! )

There's no 996 Carrera S...you can buy the 996 Carrera 4S though - it's a 4WD with a clear rear wheel drive bias. (I would go for a normal rear drive Carrera with the aero kit - it has the looks of a GT3 and a real rear wheel drive)