The absolute highlight of the PorscheWorld Roadshow at Summit Point was the the air-conditioned tent and hot coffee.
Also got in several runs of a section of the track slowed w cones to about a 1 min. run in a Boxter S,
PDK
Sport Chrono
on 20s. Felt smoother, faster and easier to exploit than my 2008 Boxter S RS-60, but could def do with a bit of lowering. Was hard to tell if the brakes were any different, but they were just outstanding pulling down from top of 2nd gear maybe into third, was too busy to notice!
Then on the tight Shenandoah circuit with its carousel turn following instructors who took us for 8/10s lap (with so tech a circuit and not too much run off did not go overboard).
in a Panamera
GTS
450 hp with every susps option on big
Michelins
(despite Perelli decals on the car). Cars this big and heavy just cannot do what this car does! Mostly redline in 2nd in the twisties but made somewhere over 110 on the short straight. NO lean, no out of shape just high grin higher G's than should be possible, just amazing. The interior in this car was just this side of a spacecraft. I had just enough time to find the sport plus and tighter sups buttons before having to put foot to floor and chase the instructor. A very very fast limo!
In a "base"
Carrera
PDK
on 19s. No idea if its is sluggish down low 'cause it is "typical 911 lively" on the track (rear weighting obvious), revs like hell and goes fast, did not have time to look but felt slower that the
GTS
, (forget to see what
tires
it had) then:
A
Carrera
S,
PDK
Sport Chrono
,
PASM
Sport, 20 in
Pirellis
sups -just like my car but w
PSE
too. Fantastic easy to go very fast - maybe 5 mph more than the
GTS
on the fastest straight perhaps 'cause I had more confidence in braking (weighs half ton less!).
Perhaps it was the helmet and the AC on and windows up (hi 90s outside), but the
PSE
was not obviously better than just the sound piped in intake noise. Or perhaps I was too focused on turn in and braking from redline speeds to notice;
PDK
magic in Sport and Sport+ settings and 400 hp place ALL your attention on sliding carrying speed, getting on it progressively and braking to bulge your eyeballs. I liked it A LOT. But how could I not?
- Also compared Cayanne Hybrid to S. Nice SUVs but actually I was more impressed with the interiors that anything else. They are fast for fat trucks I guess.
Did I mention the tent? We have had no electricity all throughout the DC suburbs since a Panamera Turbo S class T storm a couple days ago, and 100 degree high humidity days. No traffic lights, few gas stations or other business open- rapidly approaching a post apocalypse movie scenario. I would have gone to Summit Point just for the AC and to avoid the zombies and shotguns, but the cars and the event organization and the opportunity to wring out the cars was Porsche Perfect! (The power just came back on)
Nice write-up. I had an opportunity to do the event in NY and NJ so twice the dose! GTS felt very fast but it was like a battering ram. Way too heavy for the track. The “S” 991 was as expected - insane. The big surprise was the Base which was crazy fast and kept up very well with the “S”. In fact at times, I couldn’t tell the difference. I had a guest with me that agreed. I tried both back to back on the tracks. The “S” felt somewhat more power in low gear but through the race, I couldn’t tell much of the difference between the two variants. Very impressed with this Porsche event. Well done. I think you summed it up.
Hard to expand on chuckb's comprehensive account. Attended the Sunday, 0745 session to avoid the heat of the day. Event was well planned, well managed and well staffed. Highly recommended.
ChuckB, I think you had more fun than I did! I liked the day, but was always stuck behind slow folks on the big track. I don't care for the
PDK
system. I recognize that it is fast shifting and easy for people to drive, but to me, a sports car needs a manual. It is not about 0-60 times, but rather the ability to short when you want to, vs. when a computer thinks it is a good idea (and then finally decides to do it) The 911
Carrera
S was definitely the fastest of all the cars, and in sport plus, it growls like a race car and revs pretty high. It was good fun. For big sedans, the Panameras drive very well. The hybrid version has a ton of low end torque. But again, why wouldn't you want a six or seven speed manual? They would be that much more fun to drive.
The A/C equipped tent was a godsend, as it was well into the upper nineties. But even hotter as we approached DC in the late afternoon.
[Image-only or quote-only post; no author-written text.]
