How Hard Do You Drive Your Porsche?
Discussion
What model do you have and how hard do you drive it?
I have a 997 Carrera tiptronic.
It's meant to be my weekend car but I somehow "accidentally" end up driving it most days and commuting with it.
Most of the time I just wait till its up to temperature and just cruise along. Roads with humps I have to slow down to about 4 mph.
But then there are moments when I am with my friends or the road is clear and something happens inside where I change, the evil comes out and overtakes my sensible being.
I start pushing it all the way to 7.1 revs and really enjoying it. I don't get bored of the feeling and and it just gets me. The steering as well, I have never driven a car where the steering is right, other cars have it too soft or too hard for me. This Porsche one feels soft and easy yet somehow I feel I can be extremely accurate. In contrast I was driving a Mercedes E Class the other day and just felt I couldn't control the car with the steering.
I do feel a bit guilty afterwards though when I push it, I think am I ruining the car etc but it disappears very quickly and I'm back on it.
How about you?
I have a 997 Carrera tiptronic.
It's meant to be my weekend car but I somehow "accidentally" end up driving it most days and commuting with it.
Most of the time I just wait till its up to temperature and just cruise along. Roads with humps I have to slow down to about 4 mph.
But then there are moments when I am with my friends or the road is clear and something happens inside where I change, the evil comes out and overtakes my sensible being.
I start pushing it all the way to 7.1 revs and really enjoying it. I don't get bored of the feeling and and it just gets me. The steering as well, I have never driven a car where the steering is right, other cars have it too soft or too hard for me. This Porsche one feels soft and easy yet somehow I feel I can be extremely accurate. In contrast I was driving a Mercedes E Class the other day and just felt I couldn't control the car with the steering.
I do feel a bit guilty afterwards though when I push it, I think am I ruining the car etc but it disappears very quickly and I'm back on it.
How about you?
I owned a 2002 996 tiptronic cabriolet for four years, between 2007 and 2011. It was a lovely looking car, in Lapis blue with a factory aerokit attached. Buying this car was sort of the pinnacle of where my life had gone professionally and all that - I was so happy to finally be able to afford such a thing.
It was a fabulous vehicle to just cruise around in, and procured much attention whilst both being driven, and parked. I remember one example, for instance, when I was parked next to the cashpoints at the local Sainsburys, of all places, and a woman walking past pushing a trolley, stopped and asked me if it was my car. Following my confirmation, I will never forget her saying to me 'wow, what a beautiful car...'
Anyway, I digress, I apologise. So yes, as a PH'er and general car / performance enthusiast, despite it being by quite a considerable margin the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased, I mostly drove the f
king thing like I had stolen it.
My mentality was that I had bought a Porsche - a performance car, and so I was going to use it as such. So, for 95% of the times that I took it out for a drive, it was spanked absolutely to death (well, once it had warmed up properly of course) and I wasn't scared at all to give it as much as I wanted to.
The fact that it was by far the most unreliable car that I have ever owned, causing untold faults and many £0000's of repairs, which may have been down to my treatment of the vehicle, I don't know. But if all the faults and breakages I suffered WERE down to me using it, as I thought that it was intended to be used - then I am not impressed with the brand at all then!
I wouldn't ever buy another 911, that's for sure....
It was a fabulous vehicle to just cruise around in, and procured much attention whilst both being driven, and parked. I remember one example, for instance, when I was parked next to the cashpoints at the local Sainsburys, of all places, and a woman walking past pushing a trolley, stopped and asked me if it was my car. Following my confirmation, I will never forget her saying to me 'wow, what a beautiful car...'
Anyway, I digress, I apologise. So yes, as a PH'er and general car / performance enthusiast, despite it being by quite a considerable margin the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased, I mostly drove the f
king thing like I had stolen it. My mentality was that I had bought a Porsche - a performance car, and so I was going to use it as such. So, for 95% of the times that I took it out for a drive, it was spanked absolutely to death (well, once it had warmed up properly of course) and I wasn't scared at all to give it as much as I wanted to.
The fact that it was by far the most unreliable car that I have ever owned, causing untold faults and many £0000's of repairs, which may have been down to my treatment of the vehicle, I don't know. But if all the faults and breakages I suffered WERE down to me using it, as I thought that it was intended to be used - then I am not impressed with the brand at all then!
I wouldn't ever buy another 911, that's for sure....
I take super care of my Porsche. I let it warm up, drive it with enthusiasm, and then drive it home. In between I will wash and clean it, make sure it gets any necessary mechanical or preventative TLC.
The net result is that it NEVER skips a beat. Ray Luxury-Yatch, my experience has been very different to yours and in fact I would say for me the brand totally stands for the kind of engineering that allows slow and fast use unlike most others.
Here is an example clip of an enthusiastic drive
http://youtu.be/gEAtZxGqJhU
The net result is that it NEVER skips a beat. Ray Luxury-Yatch, my experience has been very different to yours and in fact I would say for me the brand totally stands for the kind of engineering that allows slow and fast use unlike most others.
Here is an example clip of an enthusiastic drive
http://youtu.be/gEAtZxGqJhU
Edited by LaSource on Sunday 11th December 17:36
bimble about on the road mostly , rag it on track though.. https://youtu.be/e4DqejDGGI0
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
I owned a 2002 996 tiptronic cabriolet for four years, between 2007 and 2011. It was a lovely looking car, in Lapis blue with a factory aerokit attached. Buying this car was sort of the pinnacle of where my life had gone professionally and all that - I was so happy to finally be able to afford such a thing.
It was a fabulous vehicle to just cruise around in, and procured much attention whilst both being driven, and parked. I remember one example, for instance, when I was parked next to the cashpoints at the local Sainsburys, of all places, and a woman walking past pushing a trolley, stopped and asked me if it was my car. Following my confirmation, I will never forget her saying to me 'wow, what a beautiful car...'
Anyway, I digress, I apologise. So yes, as a PH'er and general car / performance enthusiast, despite it being by quite a considerable margin the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased, I mostly drove the fking thing like I had stolen it.
My mentality was that I had bought a Porsche - a performance car, and so I was going to use it as such. So, for 95% of the times that I took it out for a drive, it was spanked absolutely to death (well, once it had warmed up properly of course) and I wasn't scared at all to give it as much as I wanted to.
The fact that it was by far the most unreliable car that I have ever owned, causing untold faults and many £0000's of repairs, which may have been down to my treatment of the vehicle, I don't know. But if all the faults and breakages I suffered WERE down to me using it, as I thought that it was intended to be used - then I am not impressed with the brand at all then!
I wouldn't ever buy another 911, that's for sure....
I've had 10 Porsches over the years. A couple of minor electrical gremlins but aside from that never had an issue. Last 911 was from 1972. It got driven pretty hard (at least for road use) - did trips from SE to Wales and two to Scotland. Didn't miss a beat. So my experience not the same. Have has two Ferraris and both let me down big style (and at embarrassing moments). I would still have another though!It was a fabulous vehicle to just cruise around in, and procured much attention whilst both being driven, and parked. I remember one example, for instance, when I was parked next to the cashpoints at the local Sainsburys, of all places, and a woman walking past pushing a trolley, stopped and asked me if it was my car. Following my confirmation, I will never forget her saying to me 'wow, what a beautiful car...'
Anyway, I digress, I apologise. So yes, as a PH'er and general car / performance enthusiast, despite it being by quite a considerable margin the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased, I mostly drove the f
king thing like I had stolen it. My mentality was that I had bought a Porsche - a performance car, and so I was going to use it as such. So, for 95% of the times that I took it out for a drive, it was spanked absolutely to death (well, once it had warmed up properly of course) and I wasn't scared at all to give it as much as I wanted to.
The fact that it was by far the most unreliable car that I have ever owned, causing untold faults and many £0000's of repairs, which may have been down to my treatment of the vehicle, I don't know. But if all the faults and breakages I suffered WERE down to me using it, as I thought that it was intended to be used - then I am not impressed with the brand at all then!
I wouldn't ever buy another 911, that's for sure....
Longman66 said:
bimble about on the road mostly , rag it on track though.. https://youtu.be/e4DqejDGGI0
Errr yep that is properly ragged, I could hardly take my eyes off the rev counter, gulp.Brave driving sir.
I think we need to define hard.
My view is that you can drive your car at up to 10/10 with no issues as long as you are smooth and mechanically sympathetic.
A warm engine taken to the red line is no problem at all.
What causes the most wear in my view is erratic driving and the heavy handed operation of the controls. Eg,
Releasing the clutch quickly without matching revs (both going up and down the box)
Incorrect use of gears (especially labouring the engine in too high a gear)
Slamming the gears home unecessarily
Heavy and erratic use of brakes and not letting them cool before you park up
Not Letting turbo cars cool slightly in the last mile of driving ie no use of boost
Using more than 6/10 of performance whilst the driveline is cold
Poor maintenance
Porsches can be used to 100% of their capability!
My view is that you can drive your car at up to 10/10 with no issues as long as you are smooth and mechanically sympathetic.
A warm engine taken to the red line is no problem at all.
What causes the most wear in my view is erratic driving and the heavy handed operation of the controls. Eg,
Releasing the clutch quickly without matching revs (both going up and down the box)
Incorrect use of gears (especially labouring the engine in too high a gear)
Slamming the gears home unecessarily
Heavy and erratic use of brakes and not letting them cool before you park up
Not Letting turbo cars cool slightly in the last mile of driving ie no use of boost
Using more than 6/10 of performance whilst the driveline is cold
Poor maintenance
Porsches can be used to 100% of their capability!
4 ft of air no problem. 5 ft can be too much and damage the headers. Only last night my girlfriend asked why I slow to a crawl for a minor urban speed bump yet will spend hours hurling my car from crest to crest in the middle of nowhere... Porsches are tough. Really tough. You re unlikely to hurt it.
I have a nice '04 996T manual. I drive it now once every two weeks (less than I used to) and it is kept on a trickle charger in a garage. I won't go out now when it is wet / salty. I sometimes drive with my little lad so extra care is needed. I let it warm up for 10 minutes or so, 'til the needle is well on it's way to 1130 where it normally sits. I tend to then drive it for at least half an hour before shutting it down, possibly (hopefully) longer. Usually, this is a five minute drive down to the A34 likely involving little or no boost and no more than 4.5K revs, I then open the car up on the slip road once pointed straight and this might involve 0.4bar of boost and 6K revs from 2nd to third gear. Once on the dual carriage way I will keep the car in 3rd or 4th and have a brief burst at full throttle which could be 0.7bar; then through the gears up to 6th. Ken at 9e recommends use of full boost (do bears .... in the woods) every time the turbos are driven to make sure the actuators are used properly and the car is driven through. It is comparatively safe and legal and my little lad likes it, as does dad. I also try to use the brakes where I can but they need pressing quite hard with regularity to develop the bite they should. They work better when hot and are not good cold.
Last night I drove back from London and took the more scenic route off the M40 back to school and pressed on. I have owned 2 NA 996s before and all of the cars like to be driven with alacrity. They seem to really flow when driven harder. What do I mean by this? Being revved beyond 5K revs, occasionally into the red (I hit the limiter once a year); swift gear changes carrying throttle ideally rev matching, though the car seems designed to get it about right with a third throttle carry; decent use of the brakes, though not as a nasty jerk; determined steering. All of this can be done legally on British country roads. The turbo is fairly urgent, however. Round corners I probably never go more than 6 tenths of what it can do - perhaps not a surprise, but on the straights I will press the car harder, which is what turbos do well. I have almost never lost traction of any kind in 8 years. IMO to lose traction in the turbo I would be driving really quite quickly indeed. I fully understand what the journos say about the new 991T and how you cannot get to the level of playfulness the car exhibits when nearer the edge of the envelope on public roads. Safety and mechanical sympathy first for me.
Last night I drove back from London and took the more scenic route off the M40 back to school and pressed on. I have owned 2 NA 996s before and all of the cars like to be driven with alacrity. They seem to really flow when driven harder. What do I mean by this? Being revved beyond 5K revs, occasionally into the red (I hit the limiter once a year); swift gear changes carrying throttle ideally rev matching, though the car seems designed to get it about right with a third throttle carry; decent use of the brakes, though not as a nasty jerk; determined steering. All of this can be done legally on British country roads. The turbo is fairly urgent, however. Round corners I probably never go more than 6 tenths of what it can do - perhaps not a surprise, but on the straights I will press the car harder, which is what turbos do well. I have almost never lost traction of any kind in 8 years. IMO to lose traction in the turbo I would be driving really quite quickly indeed. I fully understand what the journos say about the new 991T and how you cannot get to the level of playfulness the car exhibits when nearer the edge of the envelope on public roads. Safety and mechanical sympathy first for me.
boringbeige said:
4 ft of air no problem. 5 ft can be too much and damage the headers. Only last night my girlfriend asked why I slow to a crawl for a minor urban speed bump yet will spend hours hurling my car from crest to crest in the middle of nowhere... Porsches are tough. Really tough. You re unlikely to hurt it.
boringbeige said:
4 ft of air no problem. 5 ft can be too much and damage the headers. Only last night my girlfriend asked why I slow to a crawl for a minor urban speed bump yet will spend hours hurling my car from crest to crest in the middle of nowhere... Porsches are tough. Really tough. You re unlikely to hurt it.
I guess from this post you are into rallying ? If so, I would love to hear more 
No, I'm a circuit racer.....but I drive the back country like a rally stage!! I get up early and beat the day trippers. There's a jump on the way in to Hawes on the road from the south west that gives good air, considerable hang time, and i've never broken a porsche over it despite taking the piss.
boringbeige said:
No, I'm a circuit racer.....but I drive the back country like a rally stage!! I get up early and beat the day trippers. There's a jump on the way in to Hawes on the road from the south west that gives good air, considerable hang time, and i've never broken a porsche over it despite taking the piss.
Good man! 
I have had some 'air-time' in mine a fair few times. A memorable 'jump' was barrelling down a pass in Switzerland with a dip followed by a crest over a railway track.
Felt like.....
In reality it was probably only an inch or so
Whilst getting the Boxster serviced years ago:
Porsche Dealer: Mr Don. Are you aware that your tyres are very worn?
Don: I should think so, too, after what I've been doing to it.
Porsche Dealer: Want us to replace them?
Don: No. I'll just wear them all the way out on the way over to Micheldever, thanks.
Porsche Dealer: Mr Don. Are you aware that your tyres are very worn?
Don: I should think so, too, after what I've been doing to it.
Porsche Dealer: Want us to replace them?
Don: No. I'll just wear them all the way out on the way over to Micheldever, thanks.
I drive it in the way it deserves. My Porsche is a lowly old Boxster, and some times yes I do use it to trundle to work in.
But of course the beauty of a lowly 5 speed 217hp car is you can ring its neck through the first (3, ahem!) gears all within sensible speeds.
Its also getting its first Track outing over Christmas, can't wait.
But of course the beauty of a lowly 5 speed 217hp car is you can ring its neck through the first (3, ahem!) gears all within sensible speeds.
Its also getting its first Track outing over Christmas, can't wait.
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