turbolite:
So this 997.2 tt now finally has to deliver a 'lupenreines' (perfect) test result without any modification (except the generally accepted UHP tires) to live up to the promise made to the customers!
Your post brings up yet another interesting point that I haven't touched upon. As much as I follow NRing time performance, I cringe whenever I see this type of statement by us amateurs (meaning me too), that hangs the success of a car, a daily-driver no less, entirely on NRing time.
Please allow me to explain. The NRing time is the work of the very best of professional drivers, driving all out, at a level that no amateur could ever hope to come remotely close. How often do you think the Turbo in customers' hand is driven at this level? Having sat next to a professional driver, I would say between 0 and .5% of the time.
This means, yes, track time is important but it is but one aspect of a car whose mission is for US dentists to use it to commute to work. Do you seriously think Porsche engineers could not make it faster? Just take a look at the spring rate and you will see the answer right there. And then look at GT3 and GT2. Yes they can, but then it would violate the mission of this car: a daily driver for car enthusiasts to drive to work. That is the promise from PAG re. the Turbo. (I do agree that Nissan forces Porsche into a difficult position: How to keep customers happy (daily driver) yet achieve great Nring time for advertisement, purely advertisement.)
I said it before: One has to understand the mission of a car. Nring time is but one very very narrow view of the evaluation of an all around daily driver like the Turbo (unlike GT2, GT3). I would suggest the view be widened to other minor objective and subjective factors: Handling feel, chassis feedback, brake, acceleration, road view, seating position, ugliness, how a near 3900 lbs car would feel. Factors in play when driving at up to 7/10 level and in effect 100% of the time.
Gorgeous Sunday morning, my wife would like to have brunch with me at a restaurant in Santa Monica, I walk out to the garage and see 2 cars, my Turbo and a GTR. Which car do you think I am going to take? Don't make the mistake of keeping that narrow view because you would miss out on the best daily driver in the world.
turbolite:
So dont get me wrong, I love the 997.2 tt but - as Ferdie mentioned above and as I wrote in my letter published on sportauto after the 997tt test - Porsche has made a lousy job performance wise with the 997tt as a successor to the 996tt.
Please don't get me wrong, 996 Turbo is a great car and I am not here to be critical of your fantastic car (never mean to), but there have been numerous threads about whether to save money and buy 996 TT versus 997 TT. The responses by dual owners point to a huge difference in the 2 cars when other objective and subjective factors besides Nring time are taken into consideration and an overwhelming recommendation for 997 TT even at a much higher cost (I have no personal experience; just search rennlist and 6speedonline, and I think RC here might have commented on it also.). The only point about this is that if you judge a daily driver purely by Nring time (which I know 996 and 997 are within a few seconds of each other), you have missed the big picture.
If Sportauto had seen my post they would not have published your letter. Just kidding.
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Regards,
Can
997 Turbo + Bilstein Damptronic ( Review ) + GIAC ECU Tune ( Fast as a torpedo & reversible to stock - Review ) + Cargraphic Exhaust ( Oh heavenly noise! )