go to your local porsche club or any scca autocross and have an instructor show you how to push the car hard around turns.then you will figure out why we love these cars.

 

Once you've checked to make sure that the car is properly aligned, the focus is on the details of the symptoms you're describing (and by the way, none of the following comments are intended to be critical):
You stated the front end as feeling 'light'. Light is different than a lack of grip. Is that the symptom? Or does it just feel light?
The letting go of the steering wheel comment is just odd. What do you actually mean? I presume it's that the car doesn't have a strong on-center weighting. That is true. The low mass of the front end creates a level of dynamics that enable rapid directional change. Great for turn in, not as good for drinking a latte while steering with your knees (that one is hypothetical; I don't allow beverages in my P-car!).
The rear weighting, despite all of the improvements over the years does require the slow-in/fast-out technique which may be different than the way you drove your last car. Doesn't mean it's better or worse, just different and it does take some time to adjust. This may be part of the feeling that you have to grip the wheel tightly.
The rear-weighting does have a property that could be considered 'not good' though. That is the dreaded off-throttle oversteer in a turn. This is classic Porsche, though remarkably tamed over the 40 years of evolution. Basically, whereas in a front engine/rear drive car you might be able to lift your right foot if you find yourself too hot in the midst of a turn, in a Porsche it is technically considered to be 'a very bad thing'. No matter how hot you're in it, the lifting of your right foot will likely induce severe oversteer. Rear weighting, engine braking, weight shifting. All bad. Hanging in there is tough though. A bit like pushing the stick forward in an aircraft to exit a stall - even when you're very close to the ground (this I do know). You must will yourself to overcome your intuition.
Finally, as noted, Porsche's do have a tendency to 'rock' when under load in corners. I believe that it's related to the above-factors all working to enable a more dynamic environment. In the hands of a studied driver, this is all good stuff.
I suspect you'll learn to appreciate it. Most of us here are rather biased, but Porsche's really are magnificent machines. Enjoy the ride.

 

I am on Oahu. You should come check us out for one of our PCA cruises.

 

So you want to do twisties? I'd get a bike. Cars drift.

 

I am from Oahu too and was wondering when are the PCA cruises? I'm off island usually but make it back a few weeks out of the year. and would love to meet up with other porsche drivers.

 

Just a random thought to get peoples' juices flowing: good thing you didn't buy a Cab.

 

My experience as a new 911 owner was the exact same as the OP - and I still own my e46M3. The others' advice about DE is exactly right. Even after doing a free track day with PDE instructors locally I got a new level of understanding and confidence with how things felt in the car. The biggest thing is having the chance to go around a circle/loop faster and faster and see what happens. The understeer and loss of control of the car occurred far far later than I thought it would. There really is a lot of grip.

Compared to the heavier M3, and because the front end is so light, it will feel less stable with the front end. However, after more driving experience I do feel a lot more comfortable in turns with the 997 especially at speeds of 50-80mph. The only nervous turns for me now are the low speed turns in 2nd gear and some of the understeer from jumping on the throttle a little too hard too soon.

Check out this funny clip from Top Gear below. The fun starts at 4:20 and watch how he takes the hammerhead turn at 85mph at 6:00.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYWk-...eature=related

 

Just wanted to thank you experienced drivers for posting.

E46 M3 owner too.

I too experience the "light" front end feeling in the 997...feels like the nose is going to lift up during acceleration...like the front tires are skipping on the pavement. I've even got H&R lowering springs and a GT3RS front spoiler...

Thanks for the "slow in/fast out" info too...I've heard just the opposite from another racer recently...so I'll definitely be doing more DEs...just this time in a p-car.

Thanks again,
Cliff

 

Fast in/slow out is not a wise idea for a 911!

It's funny because now I'm used to getting on the throttle sooner in the 911 I find myself a little reckless in the M3 because I get on the throttle too soon and find myself kicking out the back end way too much, and it's not exactly safe on public roads, and will sure as hell get you a ticket if it is witnessed by a cop.

In fact, I've grown to prefer the fast out because I don't take public road turns any faster in the M3 than in the 911, but the difference is I can get on the throttle sooner in the 911 and it's more fun!

 

I had an e46 m3 and the feeling is normal. Give it a month and you will be use to it. Just trust the car and TURN; it will stick.....just keep the acceleration smooth, otherwise anything abrupt and the rear end will come around.

 

Thank you guys for the valuable inputs. I will definitely try out slow in/fast out technique. Anyways, this P car experience is quite novel to me. I never had to adjust so much to a new car and feel "nervous" about going into twisties. Unitl I bought my Porsche, I thought I was a pretty good street driver. But my new Porsche made me think otherwise. Anyways, I still love my P car and I would never trade it back with my m3. I would buy another m3 as DD but I would not give my P away for m3 now I'm hooked, whether or not i can/cannot go around a curve

 

I had similar feelings of uncertainty due to front-end lightness when I first drove a 911. Of course, in my case it was a C4S, so when I really pushed my luck I could feel the AWD reining me in.

I'd also recommend some DE with the car. Failing that, a wet parking lot and a few 2nd gear pulls should restore some confidence.

 

"fast in/slow out" wouldnt make sense......in that you always want to be coming out of a corner fast!

"slow in/fast out" is the traditional way of attacking a corner, making sure you have the right line so you can smoothly accelerate out of a turn.

With more experience you then can brake into a corner ("trail braking") which isn't the same as full braking (close to lock up) that you might do in a straight line, but easing of the brakes as you feed in more steering lock to help you rotate the car. That is for more advanced drivers and with car setups that are well understood by those drivers.

Doing a few car control clinics and DEs will get you the basics. Then it's seat time that will help you progress.

The M3 was a beautifully balanced car. A bit heavy, but not bad for a GT five seater.

The Porsche is a sports car.

 

apparently there is nothing as rewarding as re-learning HOW to drive and ripping around a track in an inherently INCORRECT designed vehicle.

but Porsche makes it work.

the m3 is way more confident inspiring, but the results you get when you start using a porsche are unparalleled.

i find it amusing how there is such admiration over on the m3f board about owning a porsche, and once you own one, you have to re-learn how to drive cars on a track. I guess that's a complexity of owning a Porsche. I also find it SOOOO amusing that once you sign sales papers to a porsche, owners suddenly get a superiority complex that nothing else can come close to a Porsche. That's why I take great pride and pleasure in reeling in "advanced" drivers in their 911s and making them give me the point by as my "GT Five Seater M3" smokes their asses.

All in all, a 911 driven properly will and should give you WAY faster lap times than an M3 will. But that "driven properly" takes seat time, and years of experience. So, get ready for a LONG learning curve.

 

If all drivers were chasing the same lap-time target, there'd be a lot of disappointed drivers. All but one virtuosic individual, I guess.

The rest of us are chasing the thrill of the drive, which is unique to each driver and their skill level. Is it so hard to believe that a car as different from the M3 as the 911 is might provoke these thrills across a broader range of driver skill levels?

If, as you put it, "[a 911 driven properly] takes seat time, and years of experience. So, get ready for a LONG learning curve." then the 911 driver can look forward to years of exciting driving, even as their skills continue to improve.