AMoore wrote:
Hey,
Here's the story about the GTR. For the money it's the best street/track car available at this time. There is no better. Wet or dry it works great. It excels at a track like the Glen which is larger and it's allowed to stretch it's legs a little more and isn't so hampered by its weight.
At Thunderbolt 3 weekends ago the weather was perfect and I had the chance to drive the car by myself which I had never done before. The only cars faster that weekend came and left on trailers. This is against a car that's stock except for brake fluid and front pads since the stockers had about had it. In my last session I was ever so slowly gaining on an orange 997 GT3RS shod with Hoosiers and fully outfitted with seats and harnesses. I was also able to just keep up with Pete Tremper who is in the 32's- 34's at Thunderbolt as posted on MyLaps.com. Remember I am having to brace myself with my knees and use the wheel to hold me in my seat. Next year harnesses are going to be critical.
To answer your question the car is NOT as fast as a well driven track prepared 964/993/996/997. It's too heavy and doesn't have enough grip to maintain enough corner speed to stay with those other cars in the slower, tighter sections. Once that time is lost it doesn't have enough time to make up the distance on the straights with power. It doesn't require a truck and trailer either which is a plus.
Against other stock street tired cars there isn't much faster than a GTR. The GT2 is marginally but runs R comp Sport Cups from the factory. The F430 Challenge Stradale is, the Ford GT is etc but this is when they are extremely well driven. I went by a guy in a new Viper GTS blah, blah ,blah like he was parked. I am sure if we had switched cars I would've flown past the GTR as if it had run out of fuel. You get what I mean.
For those "purists" who say with all it's electronics the GTR drives itself etc. it's all personal preference. First and foremost well setup slow cars are super easy to drive. If someone has brainwashed you into thinking there is something special about driving a slow car there isn't. At Thunderbolt and you're in the 40's and on the limit your car is slow. If you have good traction sensing skills and are comfortable with driving the car at the limit of adhesion all the time as it should be there is really nothing else to do. Brake slightly, turn in, car is at the limit, and go back to full throttle when you can. That's it. Now if it's a mean, cantankerous, ill handling SOB to drive that's a different story completely. I drive cars that are very slow and fairly fast, with electronic crap and without. Fast cars for me are more fun. Does it require a more diverse skill set to go quickly in my race car than in the GTR. Yes it does. Is it easy to go super quick in the GTR. No it isn't. It's a very fast car that requires respect. It requires a constant dance between on the limit and very little intervention from the SMS and overdriving the car, tires beyond howling wickedly, brakes almost on fire and the SMS intervening dramatically and killing momentum. Shifting is cake of course but if you're well schooled in the art of shifting a standard H pattern box that's cake too. Guys like Bob, Darren, Todd, Glen and many others would be fast with any gearbox so that's meaningless IMO.
For the entry level driver the GTR is a nice, neutral, easy to drive, safe car that has good pace in even inclement weather conditions. It doesn't require much to get it into shape for the track. At that level, having fun and being safe while driving is paramount and for the money the GTR burns brightly above most everything else at this time.
Steve W. Hoagland
Quote:We often see stock lamborghini's Aston Martins and Z06 vettes driven by beginners out in green and blue run groups. I am curious as to how these cars perform in red or black compared to a fully track sorted 911.
I would like to hear from Steve H. who has now had a chance to drive a GTR on a dry track.
Hey,
Here's the story about the GTR. For the money it's the best street/track car available at this time. There is no better. Wet or dry it works great. It excels at a track like the Glen which is larger and it's allowed to stretch it's legs a little more and isn't so hampered by its weight.
At Thunderbolt 3 weekends ago the weather was perfect and I had the chance to drive the car by myself which I had never done before. The only cars faster that weekend came and left on trailers. This is against a car that's stock except for brake fluid and front pads since the stockers had about had it. In my last session I was ever so slowly gaining on an orange 997 GT3RS shod with Hoosiers and fully outfitted with seats and harnesses. I was also able to just keep up with Pete Tremper who is in the 32's- 34's at Thunderbolt as posted on MyLaps.com. Remember I am having to brace myself with my knees and use the wheel to hold me in my seat. Next year harnesses are going to be critical.
To answer your question the car is NOT as fast as a well driven track prepared 964/993/996/997. It's too heavy and doesn't have enough grip to maintain enough corner speed to stay with those other cars in the slower, tighter sections. Once that time is lost it doesn't have enough time to make up the distance on the straights with power. It doesn't require a truck and trailer either which is a plus.
Against other stock street tired cars there isn't much faster than a GTR. The GT2 is marginally but runs R comp Sport Cups from the factory. The F430 Challenge Stradale is, the Ford GT is etc but this is when they are extremely well driven. I went by a guy in a new Viper GTS blah, blah ,blah like he was parked. I am sure if we had switched cars I would've flown past the GTR as if it had run out of fuel. You get what I mean.
For those "purists" who say with all it's electronics the GTR drives itself etc. it's all personal preference. First and foremost well setup slow cars are super easy to drive. If someone has brainwashed you into thinking there is something special about driving a slow car there isn't. At Thunderbolt and you're in the 40's and on the limit your car is slow. If you have good traction sensing skills and are comfortable with driving the car at the limit of adhesion all the time as it should be there is really nothing else to do. Brake slightly, turn in, car is at the limit, and go back to full throttle when you can. That's it. Now if it's a mean, cantankerous, ill handling SOB to drive that's a different story completely. I drive cars that are very slow and fairly fast, with electronic crap and without. Fast cars for me are more fun. Does it require a more diverse skill set to go quickly in my race car than in the GTR. Yes it does. Is it easy to go super quick in the GTR. No it isn't. It's a very fast car that requires respect. It requires a constant dance between on the limit and very little intervention from the SMS and overdriving the car, tires beyond howling wickedly, brakes almost on fire and the SMS intervening dramatically and killing momentum. Shifting is cake of course but if you're well schooled in the art of shifting a standard H pattern box that's cake too. Guys like Bob, Darren, Todd, Glen and many others would be fast with any gearbox so that's meaningless IMO.
For the entry level driver the GTR is a nice, neutral, easy to drive, safe car that has good pace in even inclement weather conditions. It doesn't require much to get it into shape for the track. At that level, having fun and being safe while driving is paramount and for the money the GTR burns brightly above most everything else at this time.
Steve W. Hoagland