First the amusing bit, two of the three Elises broke down getting either there or back, they had clearly taken the hump. For reference mine did about 90 miles on battery alone before I was stranded on the M40.
Anyway, we arrive at the smart centre on the outfield and are ushered upstairs to a very very Porsche dining area where we meet our instructors and get a free Cappuccino and breakfast delicacy.
So the story is we drive an old Whale Tail porka, a 993c2 and a 9972C2, which turns out to be a GTS – back to back 30 minutes in each car.
993 C2
So car number 1 for me is the 993 – radio switch falls off when I close the door! Strangely enough my instructor announces he doesn’t like the old cars…slightly off putting I love 993s and if I had any money I would like one. Anyway out onto the circuit and it’s a good old thing to punt around in, but if I am honest it is more about learning the circuit than feeling the car at this point. The handling circuit is basically a good Scottish twisty right down to the lack of run off. It’s fast and neat rather than fast and leary like you might be on track.
Then we take the 993 on the ice hill and low friction course. Ice Hill, you have to slalom downhill through two fountains at low speed in second. I have a couple of spins and a couple nice slides and catches – fun. Then the low friction course, its tight 1st gear corners that you pop the back end out of on exit. and you do have to boot them, there is a fair bit of friction, I find it a bit micky mouse, would rather have a faster corner in 2nd than slow 1st.
Anyway time over in the 993 and I am a bit undecided on it, the RS I have driven feels so much better, maybe understandably so, but it didn’t feel like I had long in it, given that I was spending time thinking about the layout and having the features and track explained to me..
Anyway next up the 997 GTS
Handling circuit.. This thing really goes.. not dull, not boring etc etc, it’s a flyer and it really handles. It is wickedly entertaining on the handling circuit and would be absolutely sublime on a good country road. Then onto the kicker..a device that you drive over onto a low friction area. As you do so it kicks the back end sideways. After a couple of false starts I get the hang and am soon drifting the GTS on the power for the length of the area – this is huge huge fun. The default speed for the kicker is 5 and as we have it to ourselves my instructor gets out and cranks it to 8. His best is 32mph over the kicker on level 8 – I spin, then again, then again. I just cannot get the lock on fast enough. Fun though.
In summary this car is absolutely brilliant.
Last car, the old whale tail 911
What a dog of a car, the gearbox is totally fucked, Almost impossible to get into 1st even when stationary – down changing on track is a no no, even tired some heel and toe. On track I just leave it in third. And the slow speed steering is painfully heavy, unbelievably heavy. It feels like there is something wrong with the car heavy.. Its fun on the low friction stuff though then onto the handling circuit for the last 15 minutes. This was maybe the best 15 minutes of the whole experience, the circuit was full of people in new GTSs and I was hunting them down in the shagged out old nail. Magic. It really was a lot of fun round the track, but then again my Elise steering felt magic heading for home.
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