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    Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    All of you know I did Portimao the last few days. Well the event just finished and I am transiting back home via London.

    We stayed at the onsite hotel, with the 12 owners getting rooms facing the circuit. The view out the balcony is of the section between turn 8-9 or turn 9-10, depending on how one counts, but it's the section after Samsung corner. :)

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    And arriving at the track, with a fleet of Cayenne Turbo S and Cayenne GTS.

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    GT3RS as far as the eye can see, there are also 6 918s, 8 .1 Cup cars and 1 .2 Cup car. In total Porsche brought with them 87 cars to Portugal. Granted they were not all for us, they ran 2 sessions of the 918 owner's event and also had their Sports Driving School there, a Master-RSR course and a Sports Driving School.

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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

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    The 12 owners initially were divided into 4 groups

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    4th group is car dynamics. Skip pads, slaloms, autocross in a GT3RS. All in all, we basically spent abut 6-6.5hrs in the cars everyday for 2 days. 


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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Owners were assigned one instructor each, so it's a personal training for 2 days. For myself, they assigned the same  instructor from my Master-RSR course in Leipzig back in April, so he knows my ability and tendencies already. Their top instructors are also on hand, Jens Richter and Matthias Hoffsuemmer included.

    An extra treat was Porsche also had Timo Bernhard flew in straight from Shanghai after his race to be our guest instructor. He drop by to say hi on Monday but he was visibly jet lagged and his session with us didn't start till Tuesday.

    Porsche had custom made Stand21 race suit, helmets, gloves and shoes made for us with 918 Spyder Circle logo and our car's limitation number, in black and acid green, very nice touch. Just that set alone would be around 4000 Euro. 

    Anyway, I started with the GT3RS on the track, proceeded to the 918 and then the Cup car, rinse and repeat for 2 days straight. What a blast! Instructors uses the GT3RS as the lead car for the GT3RS and Cup car sessions and another 918 when we do the 918 sessions. The GT3RS is just soooooooooooooooooooooooo good on the track. very forgiving and capable. Astonishing grip on the big sweepers. One time, during the initial sessions, I noticed that the instructor hit the brake briefly just before taking the last turn, being the idiot that I am, I tried taking it without braking, big mistake, there was a bump just before entering and that upset the car a little bit, not a problem when we enter it at around 150ish, but it is at 170+. So I proceed to lose the tail at 170+ but the electronics stepped in, and I caught back up to him without losing much time. Not quite scary, but more about fun. A few more turns I also briefly got the tail out a little, but my instructor kept pressing on even when he saw those as he knows me enough that I wasn't in too much trouble haha. 

    In the 918, hmm. What can I say, it's a blast again haha. It's just astonishing how explosive the car is on corner exits, it just about touches 290km/hr at the end of the front straight, for comparison, the GT3RS only did around 240-250km/hr with me at the wheel. We drove with Race mode on, as I am not quite a competent driver, my instructor was always pulling away from me after every corner, then I realized I can cheat! I turn on Hot Lap mode and boom, it made a hugh difference in corner exits, I can actually catch him, he was a bit surprised too until after the session I told him about the little cheat indecision

    Cup car was just on another planet, they can corner soooooooo hard and brake so hard it's not even funny. I drove one before and I said I only used 60%, this time I think I got better and I think I got to 70% now, still long ways to go that's for sure. 

    At the end of the day, I am putting up just around the same lap times between the 3 cars, around 2:06ish or so. For comparison, they the instructors are doing 1:58s in the GT3RS, 2:00ish in the 918 and around 1:50 in the Cup car. The .2 Cup car is in the 1:47-48 range. I know what Chris Harris did in the 918 at Portimao, but when he did his laps the temperatures are much warmer than now, so the times aren't really compatible. At Leipzig I was a good 20+ seconds behind the instructors in the Cup car, now it's less than that and I am quite satisfied. As the time says, I had gotten more out of the 918 than I did in the RS, shocking to me too as I thought I was more comfortable inside the RS. 

    At the end of the second day, Timo did hot lap taxi rides in the .2 Cup car. Even with an extra person inside the car, I can feel the extra kick from the increased mid range torque of the new engine, fantastic to be sure. 

    The event was not without drama, a couple Cup cars got wrecked, but no one is injured and that's the most important thing. Cup car has no electronic safety net and it can bite if one is not careful with the throttle. Huge respect to those that drive them for a living. 

    I am so looking forward to next year's events, we will again have ice driving in Finland in March, Hockenheim track event in May, South of France in early June, Goodwood again in late June, track day event again at Paul Ricard in November and then another secret event in November also. 

    P.S. During their Sports Driving School, a GT4 ran around the track at 2:02, not far behind the 918 Smiley
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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Empty tire truck:

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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    2 last parting pictures.

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    The 918s had a hard life, the lowest mileage one has almost 80,000kms on it, the highest one should past 100,000km by the end of the track events. 


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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Thanks for sharing as always.  

    Now that you have a race car, do you feel less safe driving road cars w/o roll bar / harnesses / halo seat?  Then again, some of these tracks have quite generous run off space.


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    The RS all have the factory roll cage, and 6 point harness which a select few of us also elected to wear a HANS with. Same 6 point in the 918 too but no roll cage but I also trust the carbon tub. 

    As for feeling safe or not, a lot has to do with the track layout, as you said, with generous run offs, the track feels quite safe. It also depends on my driving style too. I could just as carelessly nailing the throttle at the wrong time to put myself in danger.

    When I do these track events, I am not racing, I don't need to gain the extra 1/10 or so off corner exits, safety is always my biggest concern, on tight turns, I am just rolling in the throttle, and most of the time I am not even flat on the gas at all, maybe 90%. I know I can gain more if I am more judicious with throttle but that also put myself and the car in danger too, and I don't trust my skill is good enough to save the car in every possible situations.


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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    You mean, the instructors are slower in 918 compared to RS?

    Great event, btw...


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    One last thing about the 918, and the hybrid system in the 919.

    Timo mentioned that the first 50-100m of every corner exit is the most important, and that's where the 918 and 919's hybrid system comes in. The explosive exit speed means they can maintain a great edge till end of the straights, even if they other cars have a greater top speed, they are playing catch up on the whole straight and they will be going faster and that means had to brake earlier too. 

    An interesting philosophy discovery by Porsche Motorsport, and Dr Frank Walliser. Hence how the 918 was designed, they gave up the useless top end that's only meaningful for a second or 2, but enhanced the bottom end and mid range that get used many many times over even a single lap.


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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Boyko23:

    You mean, the instructors are slower in 918 compared to RS?

    Great event, btw...

     

    Yes, at Portimao the last 2 days, the GT3RS are quicker cars. The higher cornering grip and speed made up for the lower top speed achieved on the long straight. Even accepting for the explosive accelerations from corner exits by the 918.

     


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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Fabulous ! Thanks for sharing !


    --

    Nicolas
    2016 991 Carrera 4 GTS PDK


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Great stuff! If you don't mine me asking, what does an event like this cost?


    --

    One of history's few iron laws is that luxuries tend to become necessities and to spawn new obligations.


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    nberry:

    Great stuff! If you don't mine me asking, what does an event like this cost?

     

    30k Euro. Of which slightly more than half is the car rental cost.


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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Very interesting, thanks.. looks like an amazing event... very jealous..

    Also surprised the RS was a couple of secs quicker than the 918! Must have been a lot quicker in the corners..


    --

    2015 911 GT3, 1964 Type 1


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Fantastic Nick, Any thing you can say about .2Cup car technical point of view?


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Will the .2Cup engine be in the .2GT3 with some modifications?


    --

    One of history's few iron laws is that luxuries tend to become necessities and to spawn new obligations.


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Yes, with different power/torque rating.


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Thanks a lot for sharing Whoopsy, very cool.


    --

    1992 Mercedes-Benz W124 500E / 2003 BMW M3 CSL (sold) / 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RS / 2013 MINI John Cooper Works GP / 2014 BMW Alpina D3 biturbo Touring


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Thanks a lot, must have been a great event. Very interesting is the comparison between the cars. I wonder how many seconds I would loose compared to an instructor, must be maaaaany... angry


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Great event ! I am impressed to what length Porsche is going to make these events so special . There is probably no other car manufacturer that does it so well, in every aspect . 

    It must of been a dream event for any car nut ! Thanks for sharing 

    When are you ordering the .2 Cup ? smiley


    --

     964 Carrera 4 --  997.2 C2S , -20mm --  991 GT3 RS 


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Fantastic Review and pics - I was just yesterday in Weissach Motorsport Division and saw all those cars incl. a few more - the new Engine was also on Display at the entrance kiss Once yr hooked yr hooked...wink


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Not ready for a Cup car yet, still have much to learn smiley Gonna at least get 90+% out of my GT4CS before I will graduate to the Cup car.

    But some owners can actually drive and quite capable on the track. The instructors have their moments too on the track where they sort of went into corners a bit too hot and got out of shape, or wiggle a bit around corners just because we pushed them a bit hard. Granted, they were also looking at the mirrors a lot to check up on us but we did made them work to stay ahead, especially the faster guys in the Cup car chasing them in a RS. 

    Porsche realized they shafted the CGT owners before, and changed their approach to 918 owners and created a nice community that they aimed to maintain properly, all through until the next hypercar and beyond. All the events each year they put up are top notch, that's why I am signed up to every one of them and will plan my schedule around their events.

     


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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Thanks for sharing! Looks great! kiss


    --

    2015 981 Cayman GT4 | Powerkit White - The fastest car on Rennteam
    2013 Audi S3 | Glacier White


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Did you have Mattias as an instructor for the whole event ? He is sort of a "Sports Driving School inventory" for ages already and he is always fun on and off the track...I wish I could have the budget for such event, however, I enjoyed your report and pics very much, thank you for sharing ! Smiley


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Yes, Matthias is attached to us for the whole event, as was he last year at Paul Ricard. He is after all the head 918 instructor and no one in the whole world has more seat time inside a 918.


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    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Nick, I cannot thank you enough for sharing these photos and your experience with us. Smiley Smiley

    Thank you so much!!! 


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Audi R8 V10 Plus (2017), Mini JCW (2015), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Thanks for sharing! Fantastic event and epic cars to play with  angel


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    Terrific photos and narrative! Thank you for sharing with us.


    --

    "Don't worry about avoiding temptation, as you grow older it will avoid you"  Churchill


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    KresoF1:

    Yes, with different power/torque rating.

    The .1GT3 had 472hp. Is it possible that the .2GT3 will have less than 485hp which the Cup engine has?Smiley


    --

    One of history's few iron laws is that luxuries tend to become necessities and to spawn new obligations.


    Re: Porsche 918 owners track event at Portimao

    That must be such an amazing experience, you're living it up wink I would do every single event if I could too kiss 

    Thanks for sharing your experiences and pics 


    --

    1986 BMW 325i Cabrio Alpine Weiss/Black Leather - German Spec 
    2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 Black/Black Leather 

    Ex: ''91 BMW 535i, '91 BMW 318i, '89 BMW 525i, '74 Mercedes-Benz 280E, '87 BMW 325is, '86 BMW 325e, '05 Ford Focus ZX4 S, '85.5 Porsche 944

     


     
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