... a Porsche 911 (997) GT2




0-170 quicker than you can say "FUUUUUCKING HELLLLLL!!!!!"

did it via the mailshot of "Invitation to drive the porsche 911" basically they invite you out for a few hours testdriving all the 911 models at rockingham. when i got there the guy handed me the keys to the GT2 and said "you can drive"


before i even got in the car i shit myself, not only have i heard the car has a tendancy to KILL people, i was bricking the thought of damaging a 100k+ supercar don't think ive ever driven so slowly on the road... EVER! anyway first thing that hit me (other than about 10 squillion bhp) was the heviness of the clutch and box, all felt "proper" and the grip was AMAZING. on rolling starts in first gear there was no hint of wheelspin whatsoever! amazing.

anyway first port of call was the oval, and into the top lane at 97mph to show me that you can go round with no steering input, very scary driving round something banked! then he told me "try n keep it under 130, thats the speed limit" but f*8k me that was REALLY hard, even a few seconds of throttle in 6th gear saw the speedo shoot past 130

anyway going at a constant speed was getting boring, so then it was off to the 1mile straight... didn't look very long but off we went in first gear. i couldnt help hitting the limiter in 1,2, and 3, it just comes up SOOO quickly as soon as it's on boost. anyway as we're hitting silly speeds, we pass the half mile mark! still got loads further to go!!!! then the 3/4mark and i start to brake, i was too scared to look at the speedo but he told me it was reading 173!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUUUUCK!!!!!!

over to the short handling circuit and i'm getting excited, but alas, i'm sent to the passenger seat the dissapointment was soon gone when we went round this tight little BLIND circuit at STUPID speed, the car was AMAZING, no oversteer, grip that seemed to laugh at the laws of physics and just SO much power out of the corners. driver was pretty shit hot too!


anyway, then we swap cars and i'm given the Carerra S with the chronosport package (26bhp up on the standard S) and went and did the hill curcuit, this was a bit like some nice alpine roads, 2 lanes long sweepers, was good fun, but i was driving really slowly, didnt want the porsche guys thinking i wasa c*nt again really good car, was pretty quick aswell, felt like it had loads of go, i was impressed, i didnt realise how good the non-turbo models could be.

unfortunately i was then banised to the 911 Carerra4 CABRIOLET

hated it, utter shite fucking convertible 911? homo's car... and the 4WD? it doesnt need it, just sapped all the power and made it feel boring. the interior was GASH too, red leather... yuk

did a few more laps of the hill circuit, then hoped theyd let me have a go in the turbo (someone blew the GT3 up the day before by putting it in 3rd at 150) but alas, it was time to return to the hotel, and i had to drive the cab back to the hotel with it's tiptronic gearbox. i felt like a poser driving around in a convertible 911, and the gearchange buttons on the 911 are for your thumbs rather than paddles. it felt weird, and i didnt like it at all. much rather have the proper manual (now i understand what clarkson means!)


anyway all in all a top day out, if anyone gets one of these thru the post... DO IT

oh, and mike R... get rid of that old escort and get yourself one of these, you'll love it!

 

Sounds like you had a fab day!!!


You need to drive lee's..... that will soon change your mind about 4wd turbo!

 

ha ha fair play! so when you getting one?

 

sounds like a proper blast!

 

nice write up pal, sounds like you had a top day! i'm not fortunate enough to get an invite to something like that

 

cool fair play mate i would love to have a blitz up in a gt2 or 3 a bloke down the road from me has one an it looks the bollox

 

maria, lee's one is a proper car.

the bog standard model 4wd cabby is not it's for posers

and yes i know i cant afford either, but i still feel i can comment

 

SOunds like an ace day out

RW

 

decent experience that, something to aim for Jim

 

They may be more affordable than you think honey!!

so which one was your favourite over all?

 

Awesome car, and quicker than a Carrera GT apparently! 130 smackers too!!!

I love it!!

Your one lucky man!

 

Jim,

Nice write up and day out by the sounds of it. You buying a GT2 for the ring trip in september? I'll supply the money for fuel

 

Lee's is awesome, quickest car ive driven by a mile, Made the R8 feel like it was an astra van!

 

sounds like an awsome day mate

 

Hi Jim

Sounds like an ace day! Very jealous that you got to drive the GT2 - proper car that!

Ref convertible 911's - could not agree more! Convertible porsche 911s are for the pricks that cant drive that are far far more interested in being seen in their prick extensions! Fuck em, and fuck porsche for pandering to these pricks!

Needless to say, I fall on the same side of that fence!

JJ

 

souns excellent - except that none of it happened at rockingham - sounds like millbrook to me

 

I LOVE Millbrook.

Did an Audi day there years ago. (S4, S3, TT225) Amazes me that no car clubs try to book it for their national day. I guess its the closest thing to the Nurburgring in the UK,

 

yeah sorry it was millbrook

 

Sounds a good day, Jim!

Need to earn the money to afford these toys tho, some of the pics going round a while ago of the Porsche GT3 RS in someones garage, well that was SICK!

Fair play to the people that can afford them tho

 

So where do we sign up for it?