Has anyone hill climbed a GT4?

[I Like Tea]

Very niche question I guess. Trying to figure out if it would be a competitive car in its class. Anyone tried one on the UK hills?

[hunter 66]

Contact Yellow 491 on here and start with the `Porsche day at Prescott an absolutely mega weekend .

[TDT]

Snowy999 is a hill climber in his 981. He’ll be along shortly!

[Actus Reus]

I sprinted one if that counts?

Three entries, two class wins, one second place.

[Old Trout]

I asked my friend who is a hill climb instructor and record holder and he says there are a lot of Boxsters and Caymans, not aware of any GT4s.

This is a GT4 look alike.

https://www.youtube.com/live/M5anDzfHWQw?feature=s...

[Snowy999]

Yes if you are a properly good driver but you have to be absolutely committed; adjust suspension etc.

It's in the production > 2 litre class.

So you are up against turbo's like John Maycock's Mazda MX5 (won the class in the Midland Hill Climb Championship last year) and Rodney Eyles chipped Alfa 4C (PDK 950kg 380 bhp and a top driver who has competed since the late 70s in hills and rally and a very nice man too!) Turbo moves <2litre cars up a class.

It has taken me a while to get faster. Philip James also runs his GT4 at Prescott.

So my PB and his PB there are 48.7s and 49.3s respectively - so that gives you a par score for a GT4.

I reckon I have another second to gain in the bone dry and will take my cage out and stereo this year to drop c22kg or 1.5% (woohoo). It is about not backing off the throttle and braking very very late - GT4 brakes are obv super.

John and Rodney ran 46.95s and 46.93s (the >3l course record) in July last year - this is "good".

At this level John and Rodney beat pretty much every production car and modified production car but the Mitsu Evo VI chipped to c700 bhp and then only be a couple of tenths.

So GT4 competitive yes but probably need to be Senna to match John and Rodney if they are racing the same car, event and class this year.

I came close to beating Rodney at the Rallye Prescott day night event so perhaps GT4 is better in the wet - more tyres/easier to get power down than a turbo/chipped competitor. I expect he wasn't really trying !

Here is a recent example where Phil James competed in his GT4.

Prescott July Midland Hill Climb Meet

Class A(ii) Road Going Series Production Cars over 2000cc

Record Rodney Eyles 46.93 secs. Alfa Romeo 4C 24 07 22

40 Philip James Porsche Cayman GT4 3800 CM 50.84 49.42
41 Rodney Eyles Alfa Romeo 4c 1750 CM 50.10 47.39 2nd
42 Simon Tarling Porsche 996 GT3 3600 M 55.69 51.20
43 Jon Maycock Mazda MX5 1884 CM 49.33 47.00 1st
44 Ross Mcdonald Porsche 911 2.7 RS Replica 3300 CM 53.80 51.92
45 David Meek Vauxhall VX220 Turbo 1995 M FAIL 50.21
47 Grant Cratchley Porsche Cayman S 3400 59.67 57.34
49 Charles Boulton MG BGt 3528 55.74 55.51


I suppose my final thoughts are that if you hillclimb you need to be willing to lose the car to be truly competitive. Last year I saw a Clio, Lotus Exige and a Ferrari 488 GTB end their lives, all uninsured losses. I had a massive moment too. Drivers were all fine.

I love the sport (each run is like a qualifying lap) but there is pretty much no relevant run off.

Go and try a drivers school at Prescott or Loton and I expect you will be hooked.

Snowy

[I Like Tea]

Actus Reus said:

I sprinted one if that counts?

Three entries, two class wins, one second place.

Can you share your best times and where they were? Thanks.

[Snowy999]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JiJDXEdNFs

Posted this before but this is what its like to do 53s in the dark/wet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Qis8x1_78

from 2:17.28 gives you a view of a GT4

[Yellow491]

I Like Tea said:

Very niche question I guess. Trying to figure out if it would be a competitive car in its class. Anyone tried one on the UK hills?

The car would be competative,its if you are competitive enough and how much you want to win a class,so you say is it competitive,what is your true goal.
Dont be put off by snowy list of damaged cars,99% dont damage there cars and the risk is yours

[Snowy999]

Def not putting you off and there are no idiots on a hill climb (vs circuits) only your good self

[Actus Reus]

I Like Tea said:

Can you share your best times and where they were? Thanks.

I'll see if I can dig them out - it's regional sprinting around Hertfordshire so not sure how familiar you'd be with places like Debden?

One thing I can tell you, is that round the Snetterton 300 on a normal track day on Cup2 tyres I could do a 2:10.xx

[Snowy999]

Actus Reus said:

I Like Tea said:

Can you share your best times and where they were? Thanks.

I'll see if I can dig them out - it's regional sprinting around Hertfordshire so not sure how familiar you'd be with places like Debden?

One thing I can tell you, is that round the Snetterton 300 on a normal track day on Cup2 tyres I could do a 2:10.xx

That's fast ! Chapeau

[Actus Reus]

Snowy999 said:

That's fast ! Chapeau

Thanks - I must admit, it felt bloody fast too! Really enjoyed my GT4, but ultimately it had to go and gave way to a GR Yaris and a V8V for weekends out with my young son.

I suspect, for the money, a 911 could be made to go quite a bit faster.

[Zumbruk]

Snowy999 said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JiJDXEdNFs

Posted this before but this is what its like to do 53s in the dark/wet.

Dark, wet and ... people setting off flashguns in your face!

[I Like Tea]

Snowy999 said:

Yes if you are a properly good driver but you have to be absolutely committed; adjust suspension etc.

It's in the production > 2 litre class.

So you are up against turbo's like John Maycock's Mazda MX5 (won the class in the Midland Hill Climb Championship last year) and Rodney Eyles chipped Alfa 4C (PDK 950kg 380 bhp and a top driver who has competed since the late 70s in hills and rally and a very nice man too!) Turbo moves <2litre cars up a class.

It has taken me a while to get faster. Philip James also runs his GT4 at Prescott.

So my PB and his PB there are 48.7s and 49.3s respectively - so that gives you a par score for a GT4.

I reckon I have another second to gain in the bone dry and will take my cage out and stereo this year to drop c22kg or 1.5% (woohoo). It is about not backing off the throttle and braking very very late - GT4 brakes are obv super.

John and Rodney ran 46.95s and 46.93s (the >3l course record) in July last year - this is "good".

At this level John and Rodney beat pretty much every production car and modified production car but the Mitsu Evo VI chipped to c700 bhp and then only be a couple of tenths.

So GT4 competitive yes but probably need to be Senna to match John and Rodney if they are racing the same car, event and class this year.

I came close to beating Rodney at the Rallye Prescott day night event so perhaps GT4 is better in the wet - more tyres/easier to get power down than a turbo/chipped competitor. I expect he wasn't really trying !

Here is a recent example where Phil James competed in his GT4.

Prescott July Midland Hill Climb Meet

Class A(ii) Road Going Series Production Cars over 2000cc

Record Rodney Eyles 46.93 secs. Alfa Romeo 4C 24 07 22

40 Philip James Porsche Cayman GT4 3800 CM 50.84 49.42
41 Rodney Eyles Alfa Romeo 4c 1750 CM 50.10 47.39 2nd
42 Simon Tarling Porsche 996 GT3 3600 M 55.69 51.20
43 Jon Maycock Mazda MX5 1884 CM 49.33 47.00 1st
44 Ross Mcdonald Porsche 911 2.7 RS Replica 3300 CM 53.80 51.92
45 David Meek Vauxhall VX220 Turbo 1995 M FAIL 50.21
47 Grant Cratchley Porsche Cayman S 3400 59.67 57.34
49 Charles Boulton MG BGt 3528 55.74 55.51


I suppose my final thoughts are that if you hillclimb you need to be willing to lose the car to be truly competitive. Last year I saw a Clio, Lotus Exige and a Ferrari 488 GTB end their lives, all uninsured losses. I had a massive moment too. Drivers were all fine.

I love the sport (each run is like a qualifying lap) but there is pretty much no relevant run off.

Go and try a drivers school at Prescott or Loton and I expect you will be hooked.

Snowy

Thanks Snowy for your detailed reply. I guess from the video at Prescott you're running a 981 GT4 with manual gearbox? What tyres do you use?

I should have said that i do already hill climb, this would be a change of class for me. I was parked a few paddock spaces away from the Ferrari 488 that crashed at Prescott, horrible to see a car damaged, but as you say, it happens.

[andygo]

A video of my son and I competing at Curborough in my 981S. Won the class and came second, nice trophies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVh3ZgUC6W4

[Cheib]

Snowy999 said:

I love the sport (each run is like a qualifying lap) but there is pretty much no relevant run off.

Go and try a drivers school at Prescott or Loton and I expect you will be hooked.

Snowy

I did the Drovers School at Prescott a couple of years ago and am doing so again this year. I can confirm there is pretty much no run off…took me a while to find my balls

[Zumbruk]

Cheib said:

Snowy999 said:

I love the sport (each run is like a qualifying lap) but there is pretty much no relevant run off.

Go and try a drivers school at Prescott or Loton and I expect you will be hooked.

Snowy

I did the Drovers School at Prescott a couple of years ago and am doing so again this year. I can confirm there is pretty much no run off…took me a while to find my balls

Plenty of runoff at Semicircle. And a quick route back to the paddock.

[Snowy999]

Looks like the Midland Hillclimb Championship will feature at least 3 GT4s this year as one of the 997 GT3s has sold and bought a 718 pdk !

One other 997 GT3 owner is considering the same move ot a 718 pdk....so I will really see if I am any good in my manual 981 GT4 and if the GT4 is competitive. One of the other GT4 owners is an experienced and good driver.

I do think the 718 4 cylinder S/GTS with pdk would be awesome if you are willing to tune it to boost power and get the power to weight ratio up.

And on tyres after using Sport Cup 2s I now run A052 on 18" and 19". I like them even if their steering feel is a bit mushy vs the Michelins. On a warm day they warm up quicker and they have better grip in the wet.

OK that's enough opinion and rand facts from me.

R

[Skyedriver]

Harewood: bit of run off on most corners and the longest hill in the UK IIRC.
You can still hit something if you go off far enough but generally it's grass & gravel.
Don't venture north to Doune or Forestburn if you're looking for run off. At Doune, Garden Gate and Oak Tree seem pretty much permenantly secured to the ground, you can lose it in the Esses and bounce off the sleepers. Forestburn mostly stone walls IIRC (had my eyes shut most of the way up!)
Last event I was at at Doune, the "wrecker" did more miles than any of the comp cars.