I had a wonderful time today . I had the chance to be invited to an event, with about 14 other people to play with 8 different sports car during the whole day . We had an old air field just for ourselves  with different  small ' tracks'  ( big slalom, small slalom, straights, big fast curves )  and also enjoyed driving on the open roads around Interlaken .

The line up was :

 2x  Mclaren MP4

1 x Ferrari California

1x Jaguar XKR

1x Maserati Stradale

2x Maserati Grand sport

1x Lamborgini Gallardo LP560

 

And here are my appreciations of each :

Grand Sport : a car for ..... non sports car fan or over 80's , nothing I liked about it, did not even take a pic, just horrible to drive  Smiley ( you can see them in the back of the first pic below )

Gallardo :

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it had an incredible sound and felt fast , but the gearbox was a let down ( you have to lift a bit your foot when changing gear in order that it it a bit smoother ) . I would not keep it on my list .

Stradale :

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It has a very nice sound and the chassis suspension was actually very good . The car felt light through the fast slalom but the gear box was terrible ( so slow and it ' stops' in the middle of the changes )  You sit way too high in the car and overall I did not like this car at all. Quality of materials inside of the car are bad .

 

California

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It is actually a nice car to drive , would be great on long distances. Great sound , exellent gear box, and easy to go fast with . But it's not a car for me. Too ' soft' .

XKR

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This car put a grim on my face ! I was so surprised as I have always looked slightly down on them. It is no real sports car , but the engine is great ( about 520 hp ) , very nice sound of the V8 , the interior was superb in it's finish and quality of materials  ( this car was a Special Edition )   . Comfortable . I could easely use this one as a DD  , it was such a pleasure to drive . Then in the slaloms or fast curves, it does not really cope, but it did not matter . The car is not made to go fast in twisties , just fun with great accelerations.

 

Carrera :

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I had a big fright with this one. I thaught at first that Porsche had definitly lost me as a Carrera customer. I tried the car first on open roads, and it was the most boring of all the ones I had tried before ( Jag, Lambo, California, ) . The inside ruins the 911 fell and this car was trying to be something it is not ( a comfortable GT ) .  We were  only 2 real Porsche fan at this event , and no one other liked the car ........ even worse so when they tried it on the air field ( that was different to me )  I don't think Porsche got this car right. They have tried too much to be like any other  sports GT and have lost the simplicity and purity of the 911 ( in looks inside and outside I mean  ) . 

But then when we did the fast slalom I discovered what a beast this 991 can be . I was faster by 10km/h ( 120 )  with winter tires on the carrera  ( the P was the only car equiped with winter tires ) then I was with the California for example  ( which had summer tires )  . It is so much easier to go fast , put the car in a slide , and the back is no longer as tricky ( if any of the trickyness was left on the 997 ) .  But then , most other guys could not drive the car fast as they all oversteered  and their comment was '' this is realy a s...it car ''  . Even my co-pilot, a guy that races a Radical could not be very fast with it and did not like the P and ended up in oversteers most of the time.

Porsche please keep the chassis of the 991 but please get rid of the Panamera inside and outside look Smiley

 

MP4

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MP4.JPG

 

It took me 30 seconds of driving to be in love Smiley

What an amazing machine ( specially the black one , as it had a nicer inside and the dark color hides a bit the numbness of the exteriour look ) . I have never driven a car that had a front that was as sharp and precise !!!!!! Absolutly perfect !! And the power is amazing ( after 3000 rpm ) . The car is very easy to drive fast as the electronics just correct everything without you noticing anything so you actually think you are the king of the track Smiley

The negatives points : not enough torque under 3000 rpm, the buttons + air vent are cheap grey painted plastic , and the brakes feel a bit strange the first fraction of second when you hit them ... a bit like cold ceramic brakes , but they are steal .

It was by far the fastest car in the slalom and just such a pleasure to drive .  I want one now Smiley


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 997.2 C2S, PDK, -20mm