How long did it take for you to become one with your 997? I think I am very close after 2 years. It makes driving this car so rewarding. Like finding the best seat adjustment and driving position, making precision turns and shifts, no problem with notchy 1st gear, knowing whats in the owner's manual and making the programing adjustments, finding that perfect cleaner and wax for that perfect shine, etc. I know some of you will say it takes track time to learn its limits and to become one.

 

For me it's all about seat time and talking to and taking coaching lessons from the pro drivers. I am into the "sport aspect" of a sports car so finding my limits and the cars limits at the track is what it's about for me.

I have only been driving a 997S since 2006. I have 83 tracks days, over 12,500 track miles and still work on perfecting my driving. I wish I would have started younger!

 

For me, it was a combination of doing a PCA Driver Training session to learn the limits of the car, plus a 3000 mile trip from LA to Vancouver and back. There is nothing like seat time to become bonded to the car IMO. And for me, after 3 years, it still gets better every time I get in the car.

 

Mine's a daily driver only, but I enjoy it more and more. I have 5000 miles, and find that the love grows with time. It's almost as though you continually "discover" a new wonder with your car. It was the same when I had the Cayman.

It's kinda like Love, where true love grows, lol. The opposite case for me, for example, was with my previous Audi, where I was wowed on Day 1 (--what a spectacular interior!, great leather, drives so easy, etc--) but was bored after like 4 months.

 

I have been driving a 997C2S since 2006 (this is my second 06) and I agree that tracking it is a great way to learn how these cars perform. I wish I had as many days as you, but I am only about 1/2 of your days, which isn't bad considering the tracks aren't that great for 6 months out of the year up in the PNW.

 

For me it's been 9 Porsches and experiencing the evolution of the model line noticing the changes with each and spending seat time in all of them. It's been differentiating between the Turbo and non Turbo cars as well as manual and anow PDK.
It's been about driving the car stock and then tweaking it or in the case of the Turbo tweaking it through numerous stages.

Sometimes I learn the most as the car changes because what i learned in the past Porsches is stored and applied into the next one.

 

I never took my first boxster to the track. But my second did and with that and PSDS I really started to understand what these cars could do.

With that understanding I went and added the carrera and it's been 18 months of having two exceptional cars to drive. And I am still a beginner with very modest skills with lots more bonding tomlook forward to.