Crown

Board: Porsche Language: English Region: Worldwide Share/Save/Bookmark Close

Forum - Thread


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    Chris Harris On Cars: "Porsche 962"

    The trademark Chris Harris stare gets that bit more intense, courtesy of one of Porsche's most legendary racers...

    The Porsche 962 was the most prolific sports car racer of the 1980s. It dominated Group C and IMSA, and cemented Porsche's reputation as the maker of the most robust prototype racers in the world.

    Pressure? What pressure?
     
    This is the car that won Le Mans in 1987. I wrote about driving it up the hill at Goodwood earlier this year.
     
    A taste of its performance was always going to be frustrating, so I asked the question you shouldn't really ask: "Can we drive it properly please?"
     
    The reply came a month ago. Yes, we could drive the car at Weissach, Porsche's own test track. This was both good and bad. Perfect for story synergy because this is where the 962 was developed. Bad for personal and professional safety because there is literally no run-off around most of the lap.
     
    Adding to an already perfect itinerary, the Porsche Museum which prepares these old cars, said it had invited Norbert Singer along. If you're a student of Le Mans, that's like being told you're going to watch the local cricket team and discovering I.V.A Richards will be opening for the opposition.
     
    And if that wasn't enough here's the bloke behind it...
     
    His CV spans 30 years of Porsche Motorsport success, beginning with the 917 in 1970. Should the 2014 return of Porsche to top-level prototype racing bring victory, it will be the first without Herr Singer involved.
     
    I won't say much more. Days like these don't come very often, and we've all experienced the disappointment of meeting heroes who don't fulfill the expectation. The 962/Singer combination exceeded everything I could have hoped for.
     
     
     
     
     
    "This car belongs to the Porsche Museum. It is worth millions of dollars. And they let me spank it at their Weissach test track. Good times..."
     
     
     
    ...thanks again and all due credit and respect to Chris Harris and Norbert Singer!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    "Porsche 918 Spyder: a Ride In Porsche's Hybrid Hypercar" -- Chris Harris On Cars

    "What would it be like if it weighed 1,200kg and was unencumbered by all that electric gubbins?"

    Ah, the old 'ride' story. The staple of many a UK car manufacturer and car magazine, and something that appeals to me about as much as scoop of Bovril in the rice pudding. I have never understood why journalists allow themselves to be persuaded to review a machine from the wrong seat - borrow someone else's ears to review a hi-fi, anyone? - but it happens.
     
    I make two exceptions. The first, naturally, is the Group B rally car - as delivered earlier this year. The second is a glimpse at something so new that perhaps any kind of exposure to it, even the misery of riding pillion, might just be worthwhile.
     
    The Porsche 918 Spyder fits into this category.
     
    A Porsche, the 'ring and Harris in the passenger seat...
     
    From what I've seen of it, the 918 does very little for me as a hypercar. That's right, it's a Porsche I don't much care for, despite the fact that it's starting to look very attractive indeed. Of course I have immense admiration for what Porsche is trying to achieve with the project, but whichever way I approach the car, I always reach the same conclusion: what would it be like if it weighed 1,200kg and was unencumbered by all that electric gubbins?
     
    This is of course a pathetically limited view of a project that aims to find a sustainable, justifiable space for sports cars in the future. But right now, I want to drive an RS Spyder race car with number plates and no amount of lithium ion batteries seems adequate compensation.
     
    So really I went along to see if I could get excited about a car that weighs 1,700kg.
     
    The video covers much of the emotional response to the car, and there's some good chit-chat with project boss Frank Walliser, but the problem with reporting the technical side of the 918 is that there's just so much to cram into the space - and these bits are supposed to be a short taster for the video itself. To keep you fully informed you can download the full press pack (here in pdf form) we were supplied on the day here so you get all the numbers and stats on what is, even in the eyes of this devout flat-earther, a quite remarkable engineering project.
     
     

    "Porsche 918 Spyder: a Ride In Porsche's Hybrid Hypercar -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS"

    "Porsche was testing the 918 at the Nurburgring, they invited us to take a quick ride on the road, not on the track sadly. I normally hate these shotgun features, unless they involve Group B cars, but the 918 needs some understanding..." -- Chris Harris

    Porsche 918 Spyder: a Ride In Porsche's Hybrid Hypercar -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- Drive Video Link

    Porsche 918 Spyder: a Ride In Porsche's Hybrid Hypercar -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- PistonHeads Article Link

    Porsche 918 Spyder: a Ride In Porsche's Hybrid Hypercar -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- Full Press Pack

    ...thanks and all due respect to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    "BMW M135i vs Audi RS3" -- Chris Harris On Cars

     
    I think, and I hope, that somewhere in this test lies a significant change for the motor industry. The clues lurk within the M135i's pricing.
     
    As tested, this car was a tickle over £37,000, which to any of us is monstrous for a three-door hatchback. However, contained in that price are over £7,000 of optional extras. But the big news is that so few of them are crucial for enjoying the car. The fundaments of the M135i are available for the price of the base vehicle and the ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox (no, I haven't gone mad). That's under £32,000. The forthcoming Mk7 Golf GTI, with a smattering of toys will not be that much cheaper. When you have driven this little BMW, that rice will seem a bargain.
     
    Desirable but overpriced: Audi, in a nutshell...
     
    What we have here is the emergence, albeit not in name, of a menu pricing system. If you want all the clever gubbins, it costs you big wedge, but BMW will supply you a base car for far, far less money. Instantly, the £39,850 Audi wants for the RS3 looks unreasonable.
     
    We drove the cars on road and track and cruised and flagellated them for a week. Many people came into contact with the RS3, not one of them came away feeling that the driving experience in any way matched that perfectly judged bull terrier stance, the undeniable Audi sex-factor and the excellent powertrain.
     
    Should the BMW have a mechanical locking differential? You'll need to watch the vid to find out. Can I really be serious about wanting an automatic gearbox? If it was my daily driver - yes. You need to experience the BMW's powertrain in this configuration to believe just how exciting and capable it is. Do I think the M135i looks dull as cold porridge? Of course, but it's not my job to judge the way things look on your behalf.
     
    All this and much more (road, track and a drag-race) is covered in the vid. A faulty radio mic caused a few audio issues at the end - apologies for that.
     
     
    "BMW M135i vs Audi RS3 -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS"

    "BMW's M135i undercuts the RS3 by £10k in base spec, it's only 20hp down and weighs 150kg less. Can a sub M-car beat Audi's premium fast car representation?" -- Chris Harris

    BMW M135i vs Audi RS3 -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- Drive Video Link

    BMW M135i vs Audi RS3 -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- PistonHeads Article Link

    ...thanks again and all due respect to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    "McLaren 12C Spider" -- Chris Harris On Cars

    Why did the 12C Spider drop its 'MP4'? Harris has the answer!

    Until recently I had no idea what the MP4 bit of a McLaren's name actually stood for. As recently as 1997, it actually denoted 'Marlboro' - which hands welcome retrospective support to my choice of cigarette brand around the same time. When McLaren did the 'West' deal in 1997, the 'M' became McLaren. I bought one pack of Wests, nearly hacked up a lung, and thereafter my fag and race team allegiances were forever separated.
     
    The new Spider tested, the Harris way
     
    The 'P4' bit stands for Project Four, which was the name of Ron Dennis's race team at the time he took equity in McLaren.
     
    I have no idea about the 12 bit. Nor the C. I thought the C was for 'coupe', but this Spider is also a 'C', so that's clearly not the answer.
     
    Just as MP4 is no longer the answer for the road cars, which have now quietly dropped the MP4 part of their names, although it is lightly scattered on the car itself.
     
    What's in a name? Not much for me, so long as it's not called a Dong or a Clack-Valve I couldn't really care. I'm far more interested in the way they drive. And the 12C, after a slightly shaky start, is now something to frazzle your head.
     
    After I shot my home video at Ascari, I drove a Spider back down the Rondaroad into Malaga. Looking back, it's hard to think of a machine that could have covered ground at the same rate - the latest powertrain updates have elevated it to a new level. And I was enjoying myself - managing slip levels, using the steering's altering weight to judge speed and grip - but always being reminded that I was driving a car that feels like no other.
     
    Some people dislike the Proactive chassis and its flat-handling - I think it gives the 12C a character all of its own and, under most conditions, provides the driver with more of everything.

    Enjoy the vid!

     
     
    "McLaren 12C Spider -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS"

    "A quick blast around the Ascari Race Resort in the new drop-top McLaren. Carbon tub should mean it loses very little over the Coupe. Latest engine spec gives 625hp!" -- Chris Harris

    DRIVEN: MCLAREN MP4-12C SPIDER

    Is chopping the roof off the MP4-12C the making of it? Or ruination? Chris Harris decides...
     
    There is a simple method for deciding how successful a conversion from coupe to convertible has been. The harder it is to spot any differences - be they dynamic or cosmetic - the greater the achievement for carmaker in question.
     
    Does what the coupe does, just windier
     
    Sitting here two days after I drove the new MP4-12C Spider, I still can't think of any discernable dynamic difference between it and the coupe. It steers the same, it rides the same, it feels a little bit quicker than the last coupe I drove because it benefits from the 625hp upgrade coming for 2013 and now available as a retrofit to all earlier cars.
     
    According to the rule, that must make it a blinding bit of kit.
     
    A stiff test
     
    One of the main advantages of the McLaren's carbon tub is that removing the roof panel has no detrimental effect on chassis stiffness. The electric folding hardtop and the electric rear glass window add 40kg to the kerb weight, but I really couldn't feel any difference on the road or the track. Perhaps if you ran the two versions back-to-back you might notice a little extra laziness, some extra brake fade and the tyres letting go a touch sooner, but McLaren's main development honcho Chris Goodwin says "it takes quite a bit of time to spot them."
     
    Structurally it's just as stiff as the coupe
     
    So dynamically, it's very much as you were. By that we mean intriguing, talented, banzai-fast and just very occasionally baffling. On the road the car really shines: it copes with changing surfaces better than any other car of its type and the driver has several different configurations to chose from - most of which are actually usable. The exception is the Track chassis mode which is just too stiff for the road.
     
    This is now version 10 of the McLaren powertrain project, which is something the company is trying to present as a positive example of the way it intends to continuously develop cars throughout their lifetime. It's a nice attempt at parrying criticism of the car not being quite finished at launch, but we're not fooled. In the road car world, one version done well and from the start tends to be preferable.
     
    Dropping the roof adds a bit of emotion
     
    Upgrade programme
     
    Anyway, I've always thought the powertrain was excellent, if a little lacking in some low-speed calibration. That's now fixed, and they've added more poke and a three-stage Intake Sound Generator which allows the driver three choices of noise level for each of the three powertrain modes. Yes, there's much to fiddle with here. This really is an anytime, anywhere machine. In full auto mode it will pootle with buses, in manual mode it feels as fast as anything I've driven this year. It also now sounds far more aggressive.
     
    The foldable hardtop roof takes a claimed 17 seconds to open or close, and when closed the gap under the tonneau has two snazzy little bags which can hold some extra clobber, meaning the Spider actually has more luggage space than the coupe. You can raise or lower the roof at up to 19mph.
     
    Compromise is notable by its absence
     
    Roof-down you have all the advantages of open-air motoring, if indeed you want them. I have to say the wind-management in the cabin isn't all that impressive: at 85mph it's cascading around and those rear buttresses protrude just enough to have air rip off them and cause quite a bit of unwanted noise. I haven't driven a 458 Spider, but I gather it is slightly better in this respect.
     
    Rugged and windswept
     
    Roof up it's a little noisier than the coupe, but not too bad and you have the extra benefit of being able to drop that electric rear screen and allow more exhaust noise into the cabin.
     
    There are two tyre options: both Pirelli. The standard P-Zero is a fine road tyre, the optional Corsa brings extra track performance, but I thought the basic P-Zero, even though less grippy gave a nicer balance on the track when hot because it allowed the car some more rear slip.
     
    And that's what it looks like with the roof up
     
    The car costs £195,500, or £19,500 more than the coupe. I'd personally steer clear of the optional carbon ceramic brakes because the pedal feel is still a little bit disconcerting, but otherwise it's not hard to see why McLaren expects 80 per cent of all 12C sales next year to be Spiders.
     
    Me? I don't especially like convertibles, so I'd save the money and have a coupe because you still get that brilliant latest-spec powertrain, but the Spider remains a clever, if obvious expansion of the McLaren brand.
     
    MCLAREN MP4-12C SPIDER
     
    Engine: 3,799cc, twin-turbo V8
    Transmission: 7-speed SSG twin-clutch auto, rear-wheel drive
    Power (hp): 625@7,500rpm
    Torque (lb ft): 442@3,000rpm
    0-62mph: 3.1 sec (with optional Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres)
    Top speed: 204mph
    Weight: 1,376kg ('dry')
    MPG: 24.2mpg (NEDC combined)
    CO2: 279g/km
    Price: £195,500
     
     
     
     
     
     

    McLaren 12C Spider -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- Drive Video Link

    McLaren 12C Spider -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- PistonHeads Article Link

    ...thanks and all due respect to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    Chris Harris On Cars: "Porsche 997 GT2 RS vs Ducati 1199 Panigale: The Drag Race"
     
     
    Drag strip, fast bike and fast car ... it's a simple formula, right?

    A colleague of mine recently defined online video success in simple but crude terms. For maximum views, the recipe is as follows: convene a drag race between a Bugatti Veyron and a Pagani Huayra, during which Pippa Middleton does things to Pierre Henri Raphanel. I cannot specify what those things are here. But looking at the number of people who watch drag races, Miss Middleton's cameo might not necessarily be the main attraction.

    So where is Pippa Middleton then?
     
    Racing side-by-side racing is so popular, we had to do something eventually. On reflection, I chose the hard option: car vs bike.
     
    Personally, I think drag races are slightly less interesting than boiled rice. So I needed to do something that would stop me falling asleep. Ducati has recently launched this remarkable new bike called an 1199 Panigale, and I quite fancied watching a bloke who could ride it properly: step forward Ben Cope from VisorDown.
     
    How to beat a fast bike proved a difficult question to answer. Especially given that I wanted to beat one with a modicum of dignity - and this meant pitching-up without a box of launch computers and dual-clutch gearboxes. What is the fastest car off the line to be fitted with a manual gearbox? I'd say it was the Noble M600 - but we've already done a video on one of those and the GT2 RS runs it a very close second, so we used the Porsche.
     
    The venue was Santa Pod, with its brooding concrete walls and signature heat-haze.
     
    The Panigale is one of the most attractive mechanical objects on sale. I couldn't use a tenth of its ability, but I would love to have one parked next to my desk: given the price of installation art, I'd say £23,495 for this Tricolore is excellent value. After all, you can't do wheelies on a formaldehyde-soaked-shark, can you?
     
    I suppose I can't say any more at this point. You just need to see what happened.
     

     
    "Monster bike versus monstrous car. The bike has 192hp, the car 620hp. The venue was Santa Pod drag strip."
     
     
     
    ...thanks and all due credit to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley

    Chris Harris On Cars: "Porsche 997 GT2 RS vs Ducati Panigale: Part 2"

    In the second installment of Chris's car versus bike showdown it's time to throw some corners into the equation...

    The rolling convoy of Porsche GT2 RS and Ducati Panigale runs the risk of not feeling part of the normal, human world. Both are so effortlessly fast that large quantities of self-control are needed to stop both rider and driver becoming the protagonists in some non-virtual racing game whose consequences are rather more serious than anything Codemasters has invented.

    Round two - fight! And away they go...
     
    Hold the Porsche’s throttle down to its stop for more than four seconds, at any speed, and you’re potentially in trouble. It’s even worse on the Panigale. So we ferried them sedately* from our meeting place to Bruntingthorpe, whereupon we set about shooting part two of this little tussle.
     
    Part one ended with a resounding victory for the bike at Santa Pod, but I felt certain that above 140mph the car stood a good chance of redeeming itself.
     
    We had to use a Panigale S this time, because the Tricolore’s exotic exhaust was louder than a Lightning.
     
    It’s a short vid, but I hope you like it.
     
    *Is this possible?
     
     
     
    "Last time, on the drag strip, the Porsche was destroyed. This time we went to a 2 mile runway to see what happens when you let a GT2 RS stretch beyond 150mph. No bikers were hurt in the making of this film..."
     
     
     
    ...thanks again and all due credit to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    a track time would have been interesting too......or is it known for example of how fast the ducati could lap the NBR ?


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    BjoernB:

    a track time would have been interesting too......or is it known for example of how fast the ducati could lap the NBR ?

    Bike will be 100% slower on any track, due to 2 wheels and lack of downforce.


    --

    sportcars-history.com


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    kudryavchik:
    BjoernB:

    a track time would have been interesting too......or is it known for example of how fast the ducati could lap the NBR ?

    Bike will be 100% slower on any track, due to 2 wheels and lack of downforce.

    Read a 7:45 time on another forum. 


    --

    Porsche 997 Carrera S in Carrara White with black leather interior. PASM-Sport Suspension (-20 mm), PSE.

    Audi S5 cabrio in Ibis White with black leather interior.


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    tks - just wanted to see timewise where such a bike would sit !


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    "Ford Focus ST vs Renaultsport Megane RS vs Vauxhall Astra VXR" -- Chris Harris On Cars

    Monkey compares the three big players in the hot hatch game - on the road, on track and... in the air?
     
    Mucky weather, Wales and hot hatches. These are good times.
     
    Vauxhall has been the underdog in this category for so long now that it's hard to remember when a hot Astra bettered its Ford equivalent. In fact, I'm not sure it ever has. Judged on looks alone, this new VXR has to stand a decent chance. Factor in a set of power and torque figures that make you wonder if a front-driven hatch can handle such numbers, and you have a car that, on UK roads, might be very handy.
     
    The last Focus ST was a pretty remarkable machine: pass a warm towel over the ECU and it would give 260hp, all the while sounding decidedly quattro-like. Sadly, this new car loses a cylinder, and it can only be ordered as a five-door or an estate. The gamble here by Ford is on whether, by taking the ST to a more sensible place, they render it less appealing to the thousands of people who loved the old car for its tuneability.
     
    That hardcore faction probably already adores the Megane Renaultsport 265. I freely admit to being a huge fan of this car - every aspect of it feels precisely developed, and it offers a driving experience that not much else at the price can match. In many ways, it's the strongest argument against the Toyota GT86. Yes, it's front-wheel drive, but you wouldn't believe how much fun you can have in one.
     
    On the road, the Megane can be harsh; on a circuit an ST can feel like a small boat in a force nine. So we drove them in all conditions, on road and a small track. And we did some little jumps in them too.
     
    Not wishing to give the game away, these are three fantastic cars.
     
    Enjoy the vid, as much as I enjoyed my exposure to the type of performance car best suited to UK roads.
     

    "This is the long-awaited showdown between the new Ford Focus ST and Europe's other latest hot hatches, the Renaultsport Megane RS and Vauxhall Astra VXR. On road and on track..." -- Chris Harris

    Ford Focus ST vs Renaultsport Megane RS vs Astra VXR -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- Drive Video Link

    Ford Focus ST vs Renaultsport Megane RS vs Astra VXR -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- PistonHeads Article Link

    ...thanks again and all due respect to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    "Mercedes SLS GT" -- Chris Harris On Cars


    Leaner and meaner SLS given the Harris treatment...

    Very soon, the Mercedes SLS will not simply be a single car, but a range of cars. The coupe and roadster we already know about, but this new GT version with an extra 20hp and some other tweaks will be joined by the Black Series and Electric Drive versions in 2013.
     
    Just lobbing yourself onto a track, in this case Hockenheim, and being told that the GT version has a little more power and more support from stiffer springs and a new electronic damper brain isn't the best way to tell the difference between it and the new car.
     
    One aspect of the GT which is immediately apparent is the new gearbox mapping - it finally releases the instant shifts the standard car failed to deliver at launch in 2010.
     
    It's been around a while now, but I just wanted to get some video footage of the SLS before the end of 2012. The car drips with character, and that normally aspirated 6.2 V8 is one of the great road engines - even if the extra 20hp is hard to identify. Is it worth around £12K over the standard car? If you want to drive it like a lunatic - yes.
     
    Enjoy the vid...
     

    "Not the obvious choice in the 458 marketplace, but a special car all the same, the SLS now gets an extra 20hp (like it needed any more power) and a sharper chassis. Small beer, but we handn't done a video on an SLS in 2012, and they're just so cool, so we went to Hockenheim..." -- Chris Harris

    Mercedes SLS GT -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- Drive Video Link

    Mercedes SLS GT -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- PistonHeads Article Link

    ...thanks and all due respect to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    2012 DRIVE YEAR IN REVIEW...

    2012 Drive Year In Review -- Video Link

    Chris Harris On Cars -- Video Playlist (44 videos in 2012)

    ...thanks again to Chris Harris and the team at Drive!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    "Ferrari 458 Spider" -- Chris Harris On Cars


    Yes, you read that headline right - Chris has been driving a Ferrari...

    Someone lent me the car. That's all I'm going to say.
     
    And, at the end of the day, it's my job to drive stuff and make films, so in much the same way I wouldn't ask Mila Kunis who she'd spent the previous night with, I don't really care where the cars come from. In this case I think the car in question belongs to Ferrari. The company which doesn't necessarily want me driving its cars.
     
    Driven like it but not *actually* stolen, promise...
     
    But this needs to be about the 458 Spider, nothing else.
     
    It's a bit of a triumph this car. On paper it's heavier and less rigid than an Italia, but you wouldn't know it from the way it drives.
     
    I'm about a year late with this stuff, for obvious reasons, so it seemed that the only thing left to do with the Spider was to drive it like I'd stolen it. After all, that's the only way you really discover if a car has balance. Watching the first edit, it struck me that I happened to look like I'd stolen it too, which sort of adds to the theft theme.
     
    I still cannot believe it is possible to drive a mid-engined Ferrari in this manner. If, in 1990, you'd tried it in a 348, you would have either experienced a life-changing pirouette or death. Or both. On a trailing throttle you can play with the angles in this car and it's just so controllable.
     
    Bottom line: the 458 Spider is quite the tool...
     
    I still don't much like the way Ferrari deals with us, the great unwashed, but I will never let that stand in the way of saying their cars are excellent when they are excellent.
    The 458 Spider is one of those cars.
     
    Enjoy the vid...
     

    "Don't ask how I came to be driving it. I'm a year late to this review, so most people already know what they need to know. But do they know what the Spider is like if you drive it like a mentalist? They will now..." -- Chris Harris

    Ferrari 458 Spider -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- Drive Video Link

    Ferrari 458 Spider -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- PistonHeads Article Link

    ...thanks again and all due respect to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


    Re: Chris Harris joins PistonHeads and launches DRIVE on YouTube...

    "Porsche 911 Ice Driving" -- Chris Harris On Cars

    Chris Harris does a serious, educational video - with skidding and giggling...

    First, I have to declare that the bloke who owns the ice driving school featured in this video is a friend of mine. We share the type of infantile friendship which means it is beholden upon me to try and make life difficult for him, so I will now say that there are many other ice driving experiences you can buy, and many of them are very good. Seek them out if you can.
     
    This one uses proper rally cars and studded tyres though, and for me, that's the only way to go ice driving.
     
    What a fairly ordinary 3.2 Carrera motor running 250hp can do on studs, on a frozen lake remains one of the more uplifting automotive constants. Every time I do this, I come away wanting more. The skills you can learn, re-learn and hone on the ice are limitless - anyone who enjoys driving to an expert level and wants to take the next step in car control needs to go and do something like this.
     
    Intermediates will benefit hugely too because teaching the human mind to respond to a wildly oversteering motor car with calm steering and throttle inputs, as opposed to that dreadful pang of fear that shoots down the spine is best done between soft(ish) snow banks.
     
    This course also helps deflate those who deride the 911 as physically wrong for decent handling. That rear engine gives added pendulum effect into turns and through transitions, and all the while you have that traction to fall back on.
     
    Spending cash on driving experiences is a notoriously shady activity - but in my opinion, if you like the feeling of a car moving around underneath you - if you're one of those always being told off on trackdays for cutting the occasional drift - then ice driving is the best thing you can do in a car for cash.
     
    Hopefully this is last video we'll shoot for some time that contains snow.

    Enjoy the vid...

    "Ask me what I'd do with my last gallon of fuel and this is it- go skid around on a frozen lake for a day. The best fun you can have in a car..." -- Chris Harris

    Porsche 911 Ice Driving -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- Drive Video Link

    Porsche 911 Ice Driving -- CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS -- PistonHeads Article Link

    ...thanks and all due credit to Chris Harris!

    Smiley SmileySmiley


     
    Edit

    Forum

    Board Subject Last post Rating Views Replies
    Porsche Sticky SUN'S LAST RUN TO WILSON, WY - 991 C2S CAB LIFE, END OF AN ERA (Part II) 3/28/24 3:21 AM
    watt
    689325 1780
    Porsche Sticky Welcome to Rennteam: Cars and Coffee... (photos) 2/19/24 11:51 PM
    Wonderbar
    409088 564
    Porsche Sticky OFFICIAL: Cayman GT4 RS (2021) 5/12/23 12:11 PM
    W8MM
    255697 288
    Porsche Sticky OFFICIAL: Porsche 911 (992) GT3 RS - 2022 3/12/24 8:28 AM
    DJM48
    234946 323
    Porsche Sticky The new Macan: the first all-electric SUV from Porsche 1/30/24 9:18 AM
    RCA
    65500 45
    Porsche Sticky OFFICIAL: Taycan 2024 Facelift 3/15/24 1:23 PM
    CGX car nut
    4644 50
    Porsche The moment I've been waiting for... 2/1/24 7:01 PM
    Pilot
     
     
     
     
     
    857898 1364
    Porsche 992 GT3 7/23/23 7:01 PM
    Grant
    773904 3868
    Porsche OFFICIAL: New Porsche 911 Turbo S (2020) 4/6/23 7:43 AM
    crayphile
    447864 1276
    Porsche Welcome to the new Taycan Forum! 2/10/24 4:43 PM
    nberry
    378856 1526
    Porsche GT4RS 2/22/24 5:16 AM
    tso
    365598 1424
    Porsche Donor vehicle for Singer Vehicle Design 7/3/23 12:30 PM
    Porker
    360777 797
    Others Tesla 2 the new thread 12/13/23 2:48 PM
    CGX car nut
    354709 2401
    Lambo Aventador and SV 3/30/23 1:59 PM
    CGX car nut
    279145 724
    Ferrari Ferrari 812 Superfast 4/21/23 8:09 AM
    the-missile
    275519 550
    Porsche Red Nipples 991.2 GT3 Touring on tour 3/14/24 8:55 PM
    blueflame
    272523 658
    Porsche Collected my 997 GTS today 10/19/23 7:06 PM
    CGX car nut
     
     
     
     
     
    248215 812
    Lambo Huracán EVO STO 7/30/23 6:59 PM
    mcdelaug
    225063 346
    Others Corvette C8 10/16/23 3:24 PM
    Enmanuel
    217918 488
    Lotus Lotus Emira 6/25/23 2:53 PM
    Enmanuel
    196717 101
    Others Gordon Murray - T.50 11/22/23 10:27 AM
    mcdelaug
    155309 387
    Porsche Back to basics - 996 GT3 RS 6/11/23 5:13 PM
    CGX car nut
    126885 144
    Ferrari [2022] Ferrari Purosangue (SUV) 4/15/23 5:20 AM
    watt
    120468 141
    BMW M 2024 BMW M3 CS Official Now 12/29/23 9:04 AM
    RCA
    105964 303
    Motor Sp. 2023 Formula One 12/19/23 5:38 AM
    WhoopsyM
    102503 685
    Others Valkyrie final design? 4/28/23 2:45 AM
    Rossi
    97645 219
    Porsche 2022 992 Safari Model 3/7/24 4:22 PM
    WhoopsyM
    81039 239
    AMG Mercedes-Benz W124 500E aka Porsche typ 2758 2/23/24 10:03 PM
    blueflame
    74333 297
    Porsche 992 GT3 RS 3/3/24 7:22 PM
    WhoopsyM
    52115 314
    Motor Sp. Porsche 963 3/16/24 9:27 PM
    WhoopsyM
    23091 237
    133 items found, displaying 1 to 30.