How your 996 has changed your driving / 996 performance driving tips

[02TX996Cab]

A few tidbits...

• The stock US suspension on the '02 C2 Cab delivers a very floaty front end at "fun" speeds (experienced only in carefully managed environments, naturally). Installing the M030 RoW suspension, which lowers the front end 1/2" more than the back end, cured that trait completely, even at "very, very fun" speeds.

• Slow in, fast out...always.

• More HP is overrated in a road car -- you rarely, if every, use it. More torque, on the other hand, is fun no matter what speed you're going.

[FRUNKenstein]

A fun thread, but I don't know enough about driving fast to contribute. Meaning, I still have not hit the limits on this car because I'm too chicken. I will say that I've been increasing the speed at which I take the off ramp nearest my house to see if I can get close to the stickiness limit, but again, too chicken.

What I do like is the HP on tap when I need it. "I'm bored. Zooooooom. Now I'm not."

I echo OB's sentiments.

That being said, first gear in a 996TT is no fun, especially if you still have the stock hydraulically-assisted clutch: difficult to smoothly launch, then you hit redline in like 1.5 seconds. 2nd gear is much more fun, and coming onto boost in 3rd at full throttle is life-changing. Whenever I do that with my 12-year-old daughter in the car, I sneak a peek over at her and she's sitting there with the biggest, silliest grin on her face that you could imagine (which is a completely different reaction than her mother's).

[32wildbilly]

My guess is your grin matches your daughter's grin at that time.

A fun thread, but I don't know enough about driving fast to contribute. Meaning, I still have not hit the limits on this car because I'm too chicken. I will say that I've been increasing the speed at which I take the off ramp nearest my house to see if I can get close to the stickiness limit, but again, too chicken.

What I do like is the HP on tap when I need it. "I'm bored. Zooooooom. Now I'm not."

I echo OB's sentiments.

That being said, first gear in a 996TT is no fun, especially if you still have the stock hydraulically-assisted clutch: difficult to smoothly launch, then you hit redline in like 1.5 seconds. 2nd gear is much more fun, and coming onto boost in 3rd at full throttle is life-changing. Whenever I do that with my 12-year-old daughter in the car, I sneak a peek over at her and she's sitting there with the biggest, silliest grin on her face that you could imagine (which is a completely different reaction than her mother's).

[theprf]

coming onto boost in 3rd at full throttle is life-changing. Whenever I do that with my 12-year-old daughter in the car, I sneak a peek over at her and she's sitting there with the biggest, silliest grin on her face that you could imagine (which is a completely different reaction than her mother's).

When my buddy who owns a Ford GT-350 drove my 6TT we were in traffic for 1st & 2nd, then it cleared up and he laid into it in 3rd starting at 2800 RPM or so. He started to say "This doesn't feel like 450 HP", got as far as "doesn't feel" as the turbos spooled up, then said "sweetgebuswhatisgoingonhere" during the trip to the rev limiter.

[theprf]

So for some grins here is one fairly sloppy lap of Lime Rock Park in my 996 Turbo. I apologize for the sloppiness because
* first time at Lime Rock
* first track day in the 6TT
* check engine light kept coming on
* brake wear light came on mid-lap
* abs/psm warning light popped up too
The thing that's most noticeable is the freakin closing speed. Once it gets wound up look out. Btw, 1:08 isn't a very good time at Lime Rock.


To sorta prove that I'm not ALWAYS that sloppy here's a lap of Palmer (Whiskey Hill) Racetrack in my VW Corrado. The Corrado drives somewhat differently on the track... btw 2:00 is a very good time at Palmer. If I hadn't gotten tricked by the curbs in a couple corners I probably could have turned 1:58.


I will be discussing the differences between the two cars on the track in the next lesson (if anyone cares).

[32wildbilly]

THAT would have been worth the price of admittance!
[quote=theprf post_id=35862 time=1605811987 user_id=410

When my buddy who owns a Ford GT-350 drove my 6TT we were in traffic for 1st & 2nd, then it cleared up and he laid into it in 3rd starting at 2800 RPM or so. He started to say "This doesn't feel like 450 HP", got as far as "doesn't feel" as the turbos spooled up, then said "sweetgebuswhatisgoingonhere" during the trip to the rev limiter.
[/quote]

[Hatchetf15]

I would hate to be the poor sap following me in my ‘hood while I’m playing with brake pedal to observe nose movement. You know how you try to find the sweet spot where the brake drags just the perfect amount to neutralize or weight the fronts throughout a speed range? ‘Research’ for fave corners you know you would effortless carve if you trailed it just so? Plus, I love/hate how insanely sensitive my .2 nose is to loading. I have fun playing with the weight and aero balance mental gymnastic and the physics involved. All leading to the the expensive “what if if I...”.

Video data systems are the shite! And I never understood how subtle throttle steer could be until I got my first 996.

[5chn3ll]

I spent the first year or two looking for ways to disable PSM, and then I gave up and learned how to drive the car faster without tickling the PSM/ABS.

When I go for weekend blasts, I now turn it off because it unsettles the car when PSM triggers over a patch of gravel or cornering on an uneven surface...but it is reassuring to know that if I REALLY screw the pooch, it'll still be there to help keep the shiny side up.