I’ve been thinking about it since since I acquired the 993 a few years back.
It is, of course, simple to walk straight. The only thing I can say is that it’s useless to rev the engine and let the clutch out. That causes the death of a non-turbo factory standard engine. Regarding braking, it’s important to develop good toe-heel technique and maintain vehicle balance as you slow down.
But there is greater disagreement over how to take a corner properly. This is a crucial question due to the enormous weight of the engine being behind the car’s center of gravity. Although the rear gets a ton of traction, the front end is left feeling rather light.
Vic Elford in the “Porsche High Performance Driving Handbook” states that you should progressively relax the brake off right up to the apex. Beginning track drivers are cautioned to always brake in a straight line. To retain the weight on the front wheels for as long as feasible, this makes sense. This is referred to as “trail braking.”
I attended Trackdays at Rockingham with a friend (very quickly in his 996). Although it was a lovely occasion, not many people showed up. I was able to ask this question of Mike Wilds, a very talented race car driver and teacher, during a seminar that was almost completely empty. He also owns a Porsche 911, it turns out. These are a few of his remarks.
- Look through the corner and up. Skip checking your dials.
- Up to the turn-in, smoothly apply the toe-heel brake. Position is crucial.
- Turn the steering wheel only once (“commitment”) and do not make any steering changes.
- Never alternate your hands. If necessary, pass the wheel through one hand while keeping the other in place.
- Until you can consistently drive the race line well and hit a perfect tangent at the apex, don’t bother going fast.
- “Slow in, fast out” refers to entering the corner more slowly than you might anticipate and accelerating faster as you exit. You’re approaching the corner too quickly if the automobile is understeering.
He didn’t think trail braking was actually necessary. This is consistent with the “point and shoot” 911 driving description I’ve heard. However, he did mention that trail braking was acceptable as long as you used the technique of applying the throttle just before turning in while keeping the brake on all the way to the apex. It never occurred to me to use both at the same time.
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Turning
The 911 can corner faster than the majority of its rivals, but you must be careful not to slide the back end. Photos by Juha is the photographer.
rely on your grip:
It’s a common mistake to overslow the 911 when entering a turn, especially in medium- and high-speed corners, which results in the vehicle losing a lot of momentum.
What works well is this: The front tires can handle faster cornering speeds than anticipated because there isn’t any engine mass up front to overload them. In other words, let the car fly through the medium- and high-speed turns after letting off the brakes. Maintaining momentum and a neutral weight distribution are essential for making that work.
If you need to stop before a corner at a high speed, do it straight ahead so you can resume using a light maintenance throttle immediately after the turn. This will prevent engine braking and aerodynamic drag from slowing you down. Additionally, by shifting weight back to the rear wheels, it will balance the platform. The amount of lock and preload will dictate precisely when you may start feeding the gas. A small amount of maintenance throttle will also keep the differential locked and the car steady.
Take Off Your Hands and Use Your Feet:
Consider accelerating later and more smoothly the next time around if you see that you’re understeering at turn exit. I frequently see the error of increasing steering lock on a 911 that is understeering.
To alter your steering, slow down your hands and pay attention to your feet. It’s astonishing how quickly the car changes directions when you wait just a second longer to press the accelerator, allowing you a clear shot out of the turn. People who believe that the change from the brake to the throttle should occur instantly frequently experience a significant mid-corner shove. Be patient.
Avoid sliding the back:
Grip is compromised when the back end slides, which reduces speed. For the majority of 911s, a little rear roll on corner entry is acceptable and fairly usual. In comparison to other types of vehicles, the 911’s engine mass produces a little bit more movement. Apply the throttle and roll with it without getting nervous. By being aware of the difference, you can drive your 911 as fast as it can be when entering and leaving high-speed sweepers.
What characteristics form the ideal driver’s car? The anatomy of handling
The white Porsche 911 turns at an angle. The driver quickly rises and then flattens the throttle at the top of the third gear corner rather than carefully guiding the vehicle into the apex, controlling its mass, and maintaining the laden tyres inside the circle of adhesion where longitudinal and lateral forces constantly struggle for grip. The vehicle sides out in an instant.
It wants to spin, but the driver stops it by steering towards the rapidly moving tail. However, there is no attempt to recover. Instead, the foot remains on the ground and the tail continues to extend while pulling a ball of extremely hot, atomized rubber particles. Then it snaps straight and howls up the straight beyond, but it still reaches the apex and exit. A short while later, the driver of the car lowers the window, comes to a stop in the pit lane, and declares to everyone listening, “That is what I call handling.”
And I have a feeling that neither you nor I would be too interested in that. But just because something is real doesn’t mean it’s the full truth or, as I’ll try to demonstrate, even a significant portion of it. What follows is my attempt to define handling, which, for the most part, has little to do with the awful twins of oversteer and understeer, and to outline the characteristics that must be built into a car in order to offer handling.
Are Porsche 911s track vehicles?
In the world of Porsche, nothing is different. We all agree that a 911 GT3 RS is an excellent vehicle for traveling at breakneck speeds around a track, but the truth is that any contemporary sports car sold by the German automaker is outstanding on a racing circuit, to to the dismay of many Porsche weenies.
A supercar, is the Porsche 911?
Porsche has a long history of producing innovative vehicles. Their cars are always made to an incredibly high standard, and the 911, their most well-known model, is no exception. But many still ponder whether the Porsche 911 qualifies as a supercar.
Without a doubt, the Porsche 911 qualifies as a supercar. It can compete with some of the best high-performance automobiles in the world and, in certain cases, even win races against them. It’s understandable why the Porsche 911 has long been regarded as one of the best vehicles ever produced.
Porsche succeeded in creating an iconic vehicle with the 911. Since the 911’s birth, the car’s design and appearance have stayed loyal to their originals, resulting in a famous and identifiable supercar. Let’s have a closer look at the Porsche 911.
The Porsche key is on the left, why?
Porsche produces some of the most sought-after sports vehicles on earth and has a large following of devoted owners and admirers around the world. This is due to the brand’s reputation for producing high-quality sports cars as well as its storied history and ongoing success in the motorsports industry.
Porsche has won the most races at Le Mans with a total of 19 victories. This achievement demonstrates not just Porsche’s prowess in producing incredibly fast and dependable race cars, but also its engineers’ ability to “think outside the box” in order to win valuable track seconds.
The racetrack in this instance is the Circuit de la Sarthe, where the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been contested annually since 1923. The “Triple Crown” of the top three auto races in the world includes this endurance contest, the Indianapolis 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix.
Le Mans races have always started on foot, requiring drivers to dash to their vehicles, start the engines, and then race off. Porsche engineers discovered that by placing the ignition key slot to the left, drivers could use their left hand to start their engine while their right hand concurrently engaged first gear, saving valuable time at the start.
Can I take my Porsche to the track?
A place where you may fully immerse yourself in everything Porsche. The 1.6-mile driver development track is the ideal place for you to discover more about your driving style, get a feel for a Porsche’s dynamic personality, and leave with a big smile on your face. It is demanding, gratifying, and challenging. A must-see for any aficionado, the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta also provides a virtual simulation lab for visitors of all ages, a dining experience, and an ever-changing display of vintage vehicles from the museum and notable collectors.
What should I know before I drive a Porsche?
The 911 demands a unique method when braking for the curves due to its rear-engine design. Wayne Flynn is the photographer.
ABS Approach:
You might have antilock brakes if you drive a late-model, street-based 911 or a 996 Cup car. If you know how to make the most of them, this isn’t a bad thing.
In Germany, I used to race in the Super Cup and Carrera Cup, and I learned that a little ABS engagement is okay. Here is my primary guiding principle: When braking hard, it’s good to feel a small amount of ABS pulsating through the steering wheel; if you feel ABS through the brake pedal, however, you’re probably applying too much pressure and losing the last 10 to 20 percent of bite.
It’s a fine line, but you should maintain pressure and go further into your hairpins and tight bends if the ABS isn’t kicking back through the pedal. You may be able to extend the previous straight further than you initially believed.
Absent ABS, no issue
Avoid tricking yourself into thinking you have too much forward bias in non-ABS vehicles. Remember that when you turn in, the front of the car will begin to roll, making the inside-front tire very light and vulnerable to locking. To keep that tire spinning as you turn in, practice trailing off the brakes. The driver may need to adjust his approach and driving style to achieve the optimal setup adjustments.
Using the Clutch to Downshift:
I tend to use the clutch for all downshifts on all gearboxes. It’s controversial, but I think using the clutch stabilizes the chassis and lengthens the life of the gearbox.
Also, whether I’m using a conventional gearbox or a sequential one, I’ve never seen a reason to skip gears. I believe it is inefficient and detrimental to the engine to hold down the clutch while slamming through the gears. Additionally, I believe shifting through each gear keeps the platform neutral, which improves handling and braking.
Of course, correct throttle blipping is required with all of this downshifting. If downshifting requires you to blip the throttle to match the revs, your pedal box has to be updated or modified. Borrowing a manual car and spending the day figuring out what it takes is an additional alternative.
It’s absurd, but there are racing professionals out there who are incapable of performing a heel-and-toe downshift. Many of these negative behaviors are caused by excessive left-foot braking; if that describes your driving style, keep in mind that the 911 prefers matched revs on downshifts.
Taking on hairpins
A track’s corners won’t all be quick, and in hairpins the late, hard braker will always prevail. Use the aerodynamics of the high speeds to aid increase brake bite as you first enter the brake pedal.
It’s crucial to concentrate on bleeding off the brakes as you approach the corner to prevent the tires from locking up. Leaning into the tight turns with a little trail-braking pressure will also help the car rotate at the apex. Additionally, it will keep the rear agile and light. Depending on your setup, you should trail brake to a certain extent when entering a hairpin in a 911.