Grant:
I get RC's and Nick's points, although I think they have been a bit vague at what they mean about the percentage of capability of the car being unused.
Of course we are vague because there are too many factors involved.
Anyway, I've had the pleasure of meeting Dan (Kobalt), Peter (Trakcar), Frank (Porker), Nick (Whoopsy), Dave Gordon, Eric (Gnil), Achim (Porsche-Jeck), Boris (Ducky), and others at the Nurburgring and elsewhere. As a group, I'm very impressed with the level of skill of these guys as drivers and the enjoyment that they wring from their cars.
There is a saying in Germany: "Übung macht den Meister" (skill comes with practice). The more people drive, the better drivers they become but you need to understand that this often isn't about the car's capabilities but about the driver's capabilities and since I have often the chance (and honor) to drive with some very skilled pros (mainly on public roads though), I can tell you that the difference between skilled amateurs and pros often isn't that big but it is big enough to keep the pros ahead and offer them an advantage in very specific driving situations. This is where not only practice comes in but also talent. Most successful pros are very talented, most skilled amateurs maybe not (difficult to tell). If an amateur spends every weekend on the track, maybe even weekdays, the skills improve, especially if the amateur is getting training. Those drivers who think they already learned everything are often not as good as they think.
Not F1 grid skills, but I feel like they are receiving the vast majority of what a modern street going GT car can offer an amateur owner (in performance and fun). To the extent that upgrading to a newer and faster GT is not wasted on them (since they never scratched the surface of what their current cars can do) which was the original point, I think...
The car doesn't make a better driver but a better driver can take advantage of a better car.
Nick - without meaning to be accusatory, it seems like maybe you are projecting your own experience of RS ownership onto others. Just because you derive enjoyment from your RS apart from the racetrack and are very candid about your own limitations as a driver (who does not exploit more than 75% of his own car), that doesn't necessarily mean it is true of the whole group.
Like I said before, it is very difficult to quantify skills and the capabilities of the car at the same time. There are also pros who prefer a certain type of car over the other. Many pros I know don't like AWD cars but I love them (OK, I'm not a pro but I clearly benefit from AWD, as I've proven many times during our weekend runs). On the other hand, I have to admire some pros how they handle RWD cars and it sometimes shocks me how little my traction advantage actually makes a difference.
You should join the group at the next Nordschleife outing and have a ride with some of these guys and give your assessment in percentage afterwards
The Nordschleife is one track. I know people who are very fast on the Nordschleife but are slow(er) on other tracks compared to other drivers. It depends where you spend most of the time and if you prefer fast tracks or slower tracks with more curves.
I know that the Nordschleife is the holy grail for many, especially outside Germany and Europe but there are many other fun tracks in Europe, the Nordschleife is "just" so special because it is basically a public road, it is longer than usual tracks and very high speeds can be achieved as well.
Every amateur driver has his speciality and preference, so do pros actually (most of the time). It is very difficult to quantify skills and the capabilities of the car at the same time. Just saying...
Also, why should I lie: The time I cared about stuff like that are long over. I had my share of fun on the track but starting at a certain age and with other priorities at hand, you think more about cost and risk than fun. I prefer paying 2k for a nice weekend rather than paying 2k for new tires and/or damaged rims (stone chips, whatever) after a track weekend. You get my point.
So I really understand why many drivers don't use the full potential of their cars but I really don't care as long as they actually drive them and have fun. My ambitious days are over and amateur drivers need to be careful not to mistake fun for something more serious. Track racing costs money, even serious money if you want to do it more professionally (see Whoopsy and Kobalt) and some people, like me (and maybe the other Nick) don't have the time and/or money to have a more professional approach to this topic.
I actually admire people like Whoopsy, who, at a certain age (no offense), still have the ambition to try something new and get into semi-professional track racing. My ambition is totally gone, I just enjoy my weekend runs with some (very skilled) buddies and friends and believe it or not but sometimes I get the feeling that we are touching the 75% you mentioned quite often.
--
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes GLC63 S AMG (2020), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)