The best thing after collecting this one was to find the condition in which it was presented. I hadn't seen the car before, I had sent Gnil (thanks again) for a brief inspection before committing, but for the rest I was in the dark. To then find that the seller had been beyond correct in presenting the car in the best state possible, and to provide a whole raft of spare parts etc.. is a very nice (and rare) feeling. It looks and feels like new, inside and out.
The driving itself is a revelation when coming from modern stuff, it feels so tiny. Especially on the track it seems to give you options you otherwise wouldn't have because you simply have more space to place it. The communication is on another level, the steering feels so uncorrupted (it's almost unassisted), it's a very granular/textured feel. Then the sensation of a very light/tight car on warm and sticky tires is so enjoyable as well, how it skips sideways when you're on the edge of adhesion, it's something to savor. It rewards when driven well, and it can be a dog when driven badly/misunderstood. My first lap on still cold tires and cold tarmac I literally struggled to slow it down for the first corners, triggering ABS on the bumps (it is very stiff) and catastrophic understeer when finally turning in. But then suddenly with some heat in it, it all changes. If you love driving, it's a fantastic feeling.
The engine feels very strong in the midrange (remember this one is tuned to 3.9 so a bit different in character), a little bit less so on the top end, certainly comparing to the 9k RPM screamers in the 991.2, so you drive it a bit more on torque instead of wringing its neck. Despite an aftermarket titanium exhaust/headers it is relatively civilized on the outside, on the inside it sounds industrial but with a great intake bark accompanied with it. It feels bulletproof as well, which is reassuring on track.
All in all, over the moon with it. Where it comes short compared to modern stuff is in its breadth of abilities. It shines on track but on more mundane duties you struggle a bit more with it than say a 991.2 would. You scrape the front lip everywhere, and it broke my back on the autobahn, but that's the consequence of modifying it to shine on track obv. In its stock form that would be less of an issue. The radio/speakers are a joke as well, but again that's not the focus of this car, I'll happily take that if I get the rest in return.
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1988 Peugeot 205 Rallye / 2004 Porsche 996 GT3 RS / 2018 Mercedes-AMG E63 S / 2020 Ferrari 812SF