Thanks guys
I am very glad you found my report useful and that you enjoyed the photos and account of my day there
@Ron (Houston): no, the black car in that photo was a heavily optioned C2S not a AWD version.
@ADias: I agree with you that one should not shift gear while turning BUT IMO this is more emphasised when on a track i.e. it is a closed loop where you know the track, the braking points, the places where you should change gear etc etc. In the real world, when you are on a normal road which you are not familiar with, you don't pre-plan your braking or gear changes (like you would on a track). On a public road, you simply react ad hoc. So, inevitably, there will be times when you have to change gear during a turn. It would require a high level of active concentration to avoid this eventuality.
I hope you found this report more analytical and informative than the brief magazine reviews that really only summarised the new technical changes without actually describing how the car felt like to drive!
@MarekN: thanks - I wholeheartedly agree with your statement that having buttons makes it so easy to change gear that one has to resist the temptation to do so unnecessarily. And also you are right that the PDK programming is designed to protect the engine from the wrong choice of gear.
I didn't drive a Mk2 base Carrera so I couldn't comment on the standard Carrera's revised brakes. The second Mk2 C2S I drove had 'red' brakes. To be perfectly honest, I didn't notice a huge difference between these and the 'red' brakes on my own Mk1 C2S. It's hard to compare since the brake pads on my car are much more worn than those on the demo car. So the difference in brake technology was masked behind the difference in brake pad effectiveness (due to differing levels of brake pad wear).
The first Mk2 C2S I drove had PCCBs. I really liked these. This was the first time I have driven a car with PCCBs. They have a very different feel. The sensation I got was that the pads feel like they are biting into the discs more cleanly. They do not have the same 'smothering' feeling as the 'red' brakes. It does feel more precise. The weather was dry when I went out to drive and the road was almost totally dry. So I couldn't comment on how the PCCBs felt in the wet.
I think I would choose PCCB next time round
@reginos: I'm very glad you enjoyed the report
@KresoF1: I'm glad we share the same reaction to PDK. Agreed - a buyer should definitely try it properly before making a decision.
Something I forgot to write about. The cars I drove all had Sport Chrono with PASM etc. By the end of the drive, honestly, I really felt like there were too many modes, too many variations. I know that the choices help in different situations, different road conditions etc etc but I really missed the simplicity of my own car. I felt like you really can have too much choice of modes which is over complicated and just confuses you.
@MKSGR, @Porky Tokyo: suspension differences - very good point - yes I noticed some differences in PASM. As far as I could tell, the front end of the Mk2 C2S behaved predictably and did not 'bob' up and down. The sensation was that the front wheels felt firmly planted on the road. It is definitely an improvement on the Mk1 C2S PASM in that respect. I think a lot of people will really appreciate this change. I think PAG has revised PASM to what it should have been from the start. It's a shame they had to go through the Mk1 launch to fully refine it.
Please note that the track surfaces were very good. I have not driven the revised PASM on a normal road with potholes, cracks, manhole covers etc.
BUT (and it's a big but), the steering on the Mk2 PASM car is still not as good IMHO as the P17 -20mm sports suspension with rear LSD. The steering responses on my -20mm car are much more immediate. It is razor sharp. The steering on the Mk2 PASM car is less 'remote', 'numb' and 'woolly' than the Mk1 PASM car BUT still not as sharp as the P17 -20mm conventionally sprung sports suspension car.
I have not tried the P17 -20mm PASM-based sports suspension car now available in the Mk2 997 C2S. Maybe this will be a big improvement on the normal PASM suspension in the Mk2 997.
@Joost: exactly right - the PDK is IMHO a replacement for the Tiptronic S (not the manual transmission). With that aim, the PDK is a great success. After all, ANYTHING is better than Tiptronic S!
@Adam2S: I agree with you that the PDK is a distinct product in its own right. It is not an automatic transmission. But the Tiptronic S has now been discontinued and the PDK does replace it in the options list. As such, Joost is correct. My comments have been that the PDK will please Tiptronic S owners enormously. I do not however think that all manual drivers will like it. Some will, some won't and no doubt they will choose according to their needs and circumstances.
@cdixon: I'm glad you enjoyed it
I didn't see which of the attendees you were, otherwise I would have come over and introduced myself. Please do post a more detailed report if you can. Please feel free to add it to this thread if you wish or create a new thread if you prefer - up to you
@pride355: no, I'm very happy with my own car. I have no plans to change it for some time. I am going to concentrate on attending PDEs and doing more track oriented stuff so I can really make the most of the car I have already got. I still want to explore the potential of my existing car. I think I will get a 997/998 TT or TTS in some years time.
@Carlos from Spain: you're welcome Carlos
Actually I started this thread from the moment I was invited onwards. I scanned the brochure they sent to me and then I preferred to keep my photos and report of the experience in one place on one thread. It's hard to keep track of multiple threads on the same topic.
Once again, I'm so glad you guys enjoyed my photo report and found it useful. I'm looking forward to reading RC's more detailed report. I am sure he will test the car much more thoroughly than I could do in the very limited time I had use of the car.
All in all, I think people who have ordered a new Mk2 997 will like it very much. It really is a superb update on an already superb car.
Cheers,
Easy
